“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.”

“I love what I do. Learning about what buyers’ and sellers’ goals are and taking that information, applying it, and matching them with buyers or finding buyers homes and properties that they fall in love with is about as gratifying as it gets.”

“Surround yourself with successful people and success will follow you. I did that in Corner, and I’m doing the same thing here at Jasper Main Street. I’ve surrounded myself with forward-thinking individuals who are helping create a successful downtown

“Some people think we just want to put a sign in their yard and get it sold as quickly as possible. The special part is when people understand that you weren't just trying to make a sale, that you were truly looking for the right house for them…”

“I am the type of principal who interacts with the kids, and I want to be a good role model for them in hopes that some of them, once they graduate, will come back and be teachers.”

“I am a lot like my dad and not afraid to work hard,” Diane admits. “I am a fighter.”

“Getting the historical marker was a big victory for us,” says Martha. “My whole life I had heard stories of how the Creeks escaped Davy Crockett and the Tennessee Militia. Now the story is there for all to see.

“I believe that we change lives every day, and in order to effectively change those lives, you’ve got to really meet people where they are with an open heart and an open mind.”

“I remember when we were kids, our neighbors used to go down to the Sheffield community center, which was a couple of streets over, to get free lunches, and we asked, ‘Mom, can we go with, can we go?’ She said ‘No, there are people who are more needy than y’all.’”

“My nature is problem-solving. I have a pretty good feel for math and science. It was just a natural for me to get into engineering.”

“We’re more involved with our grantees than a lot of other grantmaking organizations. “We want them to be successful and dream big.