Hoover Mayor-elect Nick Derzis announces transition team

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Hoover Mayor-elect Nick Derzis on Thursday announced a 33-member transition team that is helping him prepare to take over as leader of Alabama’s sixth largest city in November.

The transition team includes a wide variety of leaders in the fields of business, education, public safety, law, government, health care, engineering, sports, tourism, marketing and real estate.

The team will focus on areas such as education and workforce development, public safety, economic growth, infrastructure, fiscal accountability, parks and recreation, and quality of life, according to a press release.

“I am excited to introduce this outstanding group of individuals who will help guide Hoover during this important transition,” Derzis said in the press release. “Each member brings expertise, vision and a genuine dedication to our community. Together, they reflect the strengths of Hoover — from our schools and neighborhoods to our businesses and civic institutions, and I am confident in their ability to help us prepare for the opportunities ahead.”

The group held its first meeting Wednesday, exactly two months before Derzis is scheduled to be sworn in as mayor on Nov. 3.

The chairman of the transition team is Michael Davis, who has spent 23 years managing federal and state public policy and government relations at the Balch & Bingham law firm and who played a key role in Derzis’ campaign for mayor.

The vice chairman is B.J. Ellis, CEO of the Telegraph marketing agency and former CEO of Yellowhammer Multimedia, who also was involved in Derzis’ campaign.

Charlie Waldrep, a founding member of the Waldrep, Stewart & Kendrick law firm who served as Hoover’s city attorney from 2012 to 2016 and has been the city’s prosecutor for 21 years, is serving as the legal advisor for the transition team. Waldrep’s firm has represented numerous public agencies over the decades, including the cities of Pelham, Bessemer, Brookside, Fultondale, Kimberly, Leeds and Troy, Jefferson County, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Birmingham Water Works Board and Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority.

Jim White, an investment banker and attorney with Porter, White & Co., is serving as a special advisor to the transition team as well. White has more than 50 years of experience advising individuals, corporations, universities and public entities on finance, investment and development. His clients have included the city of Birmingham, University of Alabama System and the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Authority, and he co-founded the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama.

Here's a breakdown of the rest of the transition team, with the areas on which they will focus:

Education and Workforce:

Primary tasks: Working with Hoover City Schools and launching a Hoover Forever program designed to strengthen ties with Hoover and Spain Park high school alumni and use those connections to strengthen the city’s economic vitality.

  • Chairman Kermit Kendrick, attorney with Burr & Forman law firm and former Hoover Board of Education member
  • Tyler Burgess, director of learning and development at the Brasfield & Gorrie construction company; Hoover High graduate; spent 22 years in public education, including principal at Vestavia Hills High School
  • Jennifer Hogan, recently retired as principal at Hoover High School after 14 years at the school; character education consultant with The Hope Institute
  • Craig Kelley, served 10 years on the Hoover Board of Education and seven years on the Hoover Parks and Recreation Board
  • Elizabeth Tanner, board member for the Hoover City Schools Foundation

Public Safety & City Services

Primary tasks: Comprehensive review of police, fire and emergency medical services, including staffing, funding, response times and coverage areas

  • Chairman Frank Barefield Jr., president of Abbey Residential who has built and managed a multifamily real estate portfolio exceeding $2.5 billion; board chairman for Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama; recently gave $35 million gift to University of Alabama College of Arts & Sciences
  • Craig Caldwell, a senior corporate security executive with more than 31 years of leadership experience in protective operations, risk mitigation and program management across higher education, government and federal law enforcement; formerly was special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service Birmingham field office and director of the National Computer Forensics Institute; was advisor to the U.S. secretary of homeland security; since 2017 has served as director of threat assessment and dignitary protection at University of Alabama.
  • Allen Pate, retired executive director for city of Hoover; served nearly 29 years under five mayors after initially being hired to oversee construction of Hoover Metropolitan Stadium

Economic Development

Primary tasks: Evaluate current economic development pipeline, strategies, incentives and identify opportunities to strengthen the local economy, attract businesses and support existing enterprises; strengthen relationship and partnership opportunities with the Hoover chamber; Hoover Forever program coordination with the Education and Workforce Committee and the Quality of Life, Beautification and Civic Engagement Committee.

  • Chairman Don Erwin, former vice president of recruiting for the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama and vice president of corporate development for Barber Companies
  • Greg Barker, former president of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama; more than two decades of leadership experience, including roles at Alabama Power Co., Calhoun County Economic Development Authority and Birmingham Metropolitan Development Board
  • Mike Bolin, Jefferson County Commissioner; former associate justice on Alabama Supreme Court and Jefferson County probate judge
  • Alan Paquette, vice president of property management at Jim Wilson & Associates, where he oversees The Offices at 3000 Riverchase; Hoover Board of Education president; Hoover Health Care Authority chairman involved with Riverwalk Village

Water & Transportation Infrastructure

Primary tasks: Review current stormwater ordinance and enforcement provisions; reset relationship with ADEM; review stormwater infrastructure and recommend priority issues and funding; evaluate the Inverness, Riverchase and Southlake sewer system; review and recommend traffic flow patterns to relieve congestion; report on new Interstate 459 interchange; recommend staffing where needed

  • Chairman Scott Promer, a licensed professional engineer and director at Waggoner Engineering with more than 27 years of experience leading infrastructure and industrial projects across the Southeast; Alabama Environmental Management Commission member since 2017
  • Lanier Brown, a trial attorney and longtime member of Watkins & Eager law firm, where he represents health care providers, manufacturers and other clients in litigation spanning product liability, commercial disputes and professional liability; adjunct professor of trial advocacy at the University of Alabama School of Law; Alabama Environmental Management Commission member
  • Dewayne Smith, vice president at Hydro Engineering Solutions; authored a case study demonstrating how continuous stormwater monitoring systems achieved cost savings of around 30% and significantly enhanced data collection for the city of Hoover, thereby improving compliance and pollutant source identification

Transparency, Risk & Fiscal Responsibility

Primary tasks: Evaluate the city’s financial health, risk management practices and transparency mechanisms to ensure fiscal responsibility, regulatory compliance, and public trust through open and accountable government operations; review public debt and financial obligations; recommend staffing where needed

  • Chairwoman Melinda Lopez, former chief financial and information officer for city of Hoover; practitioner‐in‐residence in the Master of Public Administration program at Regent University; researcher with Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama
  • Steve Lawrence, risk management and commercial insurance professional with more than 30 years of experience; unsuccessfully ran for Hoover City Council Place 5 this year
  • Frank Long Jr., municipal and public finance attorney at Balch & Bingham, where he routinely represents clients as bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, borrower’s counsel, bank counsel and disclosure counsel on complex public finance matters; deep expertise financing infrastructure development, including pollution control and solid waste disposal facilities; experience in public offerings, private placements, direct loans, IRS audits, derivative instruments, trust default administration and post-issuance compliance

Sports/Tourism, Parks & Recreation

Primary tasks: Evaluate recreational facilities, tourism assets and sports/tourism programs to enhance quality of life for residents while maximizing economic impact and ensuring sustainable operations that serve diverse community needs, including assessment of untapped opportunities and underutilized assets

  • Co-chairman Pete Derzis, veteran sports media and events executive who recently joined Bespoke Sports & Entertainment as senior advisor after a 31-year career at ESPN, including as senior vice president of college sports programming and ESPN events; led ESPN Regional Television; former associate athletic director at University of Alabama at Birmingham; inducted into Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
  • Co-chairman Craig Moss, former Hoover Parks and Recreation director; nearly three decades of experience in leadership, education, and athletics; coordinated the SEC Baseball Tournament for 16 years
  • Tynette Lynch, former tourism director for city of Hoover; Aldridge Gardens CEO; more than three decades in hospitality and tourism industry, including managing The Wynfrey Hotel, Mountain Brook Inn and Holiday Inn in Homewood
  • Greg Blackman, 40 years of service as youth football, baseball and softball coach; since 2019 has served as president of Hoover Bucs Youth Football and Cheer and vice president of Jefferson-Shelby Youth Football League; owner and operator of Blackman Plumbing

Quality of Life, Beautification & Civic Engagement

Primary tasks: Hoover Forever program coordination with Education and Workforce Committee and Economic Development Committee; evaluate community, arts and Chamber of Commerce programs, neighborhood conditions and citizen participation opportunities to enhance livability, foster community pride and strengthen democratic engagement while identifying missed opportunities for community improvement and resident involvement; assessment of city entrances, particularly along U.S. 31, aesthetics and gateway enhancement opportunities

  • Chairman David Bannister, higher education software sales professional specializing in campus one-card systems; has served more than 1,000 college campuses across the nation; founder of Neighborhood Bridges Hoover, which has delivered more than $1 million in aid to students and families in need
  • Kim Starling, director of strategy for ambulatory health care at UAB St. Vincent’s; more than 30 years of health care administration experience, including 34 years at Brookwood Medical Center and her work since 2018 with Ascension St. Vincent’s; vice chairman of administration for Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce
  • Ralph Williams Jr., vice president of Birmingham Division at Alabama Power, where he leads economic and community development and external affairs across the metropolitan region
  • David Cohen, owner and operator of The Whole Scoop ice cream shop; former food and beverage director at The Wynfrey Hotel
  • Glen Durough, elected to Jefferson County Board of Education in November 2024; also serves as assistant to Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr
  • Sanjay Patel, principal and owner of Baron Hospitality in Hoover; oversees 10 hotels and guides strategic operations across the hospitality sector; first vice chairman of Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce; Alabama regional director for Asian American Hotel Owners Association; sits on Alabama Restaurant and Hotel Association board and Choice Hotels Regional Advisory Board
  • Scott Underwood, co-founder of Centennial Homes; president of Greater Birmingham Association of Homebuilders; chairman of Hoover Commercial Development Authority and the Alabama Aerospace and Aviation High School; previous member of Hoover Planning and Zoning Commission