'It feels humbling:' Tuscaloosa pays tribute to Richard Shelby for Senate work

Former U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby was honored Thursday night at the annual West Alabama Chamber of Commerce meeting and awards celebration.

"Tuscaloosa is better because Richard Shelby called our community home," said Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox during the event, presented by the University of Alabama and held at the Bryant Conference Center.

Tuscaloosa County Probate Judge Rob Robertson and Northport Mayor John Hinton also paid tribute to Shelby for his legislative accomplishments. Video tributes came from Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, U.S. Sen. Katie Britt and a host of other government leaders. Britt, Shelby's former chief of staff, was elected in November to fill his Senate seat.

Shelby said he felt honored for all the recognition at Thursday's ceremony, which was also designed to welcome him back home to West Alabama after his long tenure in Washington, D.C.

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"It feels humbling. It'll humble anybody, especially when you're in your hometown," he said.

Shelby, 88, who served 36 years as a U.S senator representing Alabama, retired last month.

A Birmingham native, Shelby earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Alabama. He served as a Tuscaloosa city prosecutor before launching his political career representing the Tuscaloosa area in the Alabama Legislature.

Shelby then served eight years in the U.S. House of Representatives before beginning his U.S. Senate tenure in 1986.

In a December story, the Associated Press said Shelby became known for his measured demeanor and ability to harness his clout and relationships to direct billions of dollars in projects back to his home state of Alabama. He also had the rare accomplishment of chairing four major Senate committees — Appropriations; Intelligence; Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; and Rules and Administration.

While acknowledging his accomplishments during his career, Shelby said it's important to know that he didn't do it alone.

"But I tell people, they say, 'Well, you did so and so' and I said, 'No, it's a team effort. It's what you did or we did.' And that's what it's about tonight," Shelby said.

Shelby said he plans to relax and spend time with his wife, Annette, during his retirement.

The Chairman’s Leadership Award, presented annually by the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce, was renamed Thursday in honor of Shelby. The award is now the Honorable Richard C. Shelby Leadership Award.

The Chamber on Thursday also recognized top volunteers in the business community during its 122nd annual celebration:

• Jordan Morris of Ward Scott Morris Architecture was named the Charles H. Land Member of the Year. This is the highest honor given to an individual Chamber member.
• The Honorable Richard C. Shelby Leadership Award was presented toMichael Goebel of Mercedes-Benz U.S. International Inc.
• The Robert C. Tanner Corporate Service Award was presented to EatMyBeats Inc. The award recognizes the corporate leadership, philanthropic efforts and community service by a member entity in the West Alabama region.
• The Ambassador of the Year Award was presented to Romel Gibson of Habitat for Humanity Tuscaloosa.
• The Diverse Business Council Trailblazer Award was presented to Thomas Dedrick of Raymond James and Elizabeth Winter of Regions Bank.
• The Nonprofit of the Year Award was presented to Arts ‘n Autism.
• Matt Fajack of The University of Alabama and Whitni Molden of Hotel Capstone earned Distinguished Service Awards. These awards recognizes individuals or organizations for their service and leadership.
• The H. Pettus Randall Entrepreneurial Rising Star Award was presented to Gavin Baum-Blake and Erik Johnson of CityDetect.
• The H. Pettus Randall Entrepreneur of the Year was presented to Matt Pavlick of GRO Marketing.