78 Photo Essay: Nina Absher

Clerk, City of Sumiton

Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Ryan McGill

Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Ryan McGill

The walls of Nina Absher’s office at Sumiton City Hall display handmade artwork, the room smells slightly of sweet florals, and there’s even a live dog lying at her feet (that’s Patches, the City Hall dog). She welcomes you in with her signature smile and a jovial “hello”, and instantly, you feel at home in her presence.

Nina began her role as a clerk with the City of Sumiton in 2020, transitioning into the position following a 10-year run as the Administrator of Water and Gas with the City of Dora, then another 10 years as Superintendent. She began working in municipalities in 1998 after a stint doing financial bookwork for her husband’s woodworking business, but the road to her new career was not at all smooth.

“Our son had been diagnosed with a liver disease and the doctors were adamant he wouldn’t live to see age three,” Nina recalls. “Our health insurance company at the time reserved the right to drop us following his diagnosis, and they did. I was seeking out other work because we had to have insurance; it was essential to helping my family.”

Family has always been the cornerstone of Nina’s life. She is a wife, a mother of three (including her son who defied the odds and now leads a happy, healthy life at age 32), and a “grandma” to three. But to her, family is more than just the people with whom she shares a biological connection.

“When I walked into Sumiton City Hall on my first day of work, I told them two things,” Nina says with a chuckle. “One, I might randomly burst into song and dance at any given time, and two, we have to be a family here.”

“You spend more time with your coworkers than you do your family,” she notes. “Luckily, all of my coworkers are amazing. They’re good people with good hearts and that makes all the difference in accomplishing something each day. Nobody accomplishes much on their own. It takes a team, and I choose to view my team as family.”

When asked about her biggest motivation in her work, Nina’s face beams, her eyes welling up with joyful tears indicating her response is truly from the heart. “The people,” she says. 

“I am fortunately surrounded by a community that truly loves and cares about those around them,” she says. “It is an honor to serve those people, and I do it with love.” 78