Libraries and Other Causes

In 2023, the Cullman County Library main branch was hit by a storm that damaged the building. While the building is now functional, it nevertheless will require radical repairs to the structure. Thus, the library board decided to turn this into an opportunity to rebuild and expand the current library building, which was built in 1967.
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Since that time, the population of Cullman County has nearly doubled, going from about 52,000 people to around 93,000. We hope that the expansion will help meet the needs of the community in a way that can provide a real and lasting impact for all of our county's residents, but especially for those who are the most underprivileged.

In order to raise money for this expansion, the Friends of the Libraries of Cullman County have undertaken several fundraising opportunities, including the Storybook 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run. As a member of the Friends, I have worked to help direct and promote this race.

If you are interested in the Friends of the Libraries and would like to help contribute to the library's capital campaign, please click the photo above!

Alzheimer's Disease is something that has been very close to me for most of my life, touching my family in a very personal way. For years, I have volunteered my time and helped raise money for the Alzheimer's association. The Alzheimer's association has an excellent track record for their funds, with 76% of funds spent directly on programs relative to overhead.

The main ways that I help with the Alzheimer's Association is through volunteering for their annual "Walk to End Alzheimer's." I have been volunteering at these events for years and hope to continue to do so.

I have also raised money through fundraising efforts like pledging money for various lengths of races. I have run several 5K's, 10K's, and one half-marathon, each raising some money for the Alzheimer's Association. In addition, I raised money to run the Chicago Marathon in 2020, but unfortunately the race was canceled due to COVID-19. The funds, however, were still able to go to the Alzheimer's Association to help them do good.

I first became involved with the American Historical Association in 2011 as a recent college graduate. Since its founding in 1884, it has bee the primary professional organization for historians in the United States (and is currently the largest membership association of historians in the world).

I have attended several annual meetings of the AHA and hope to continue to do so in the future, as the AHA not only helps historians like me maintain their education and stay on the cutting-edge of the historical discipline, but advocates for historians and our interests in the public sphere.

The National Freedom of Information Coalition is an organization and resource that helps people in the United States "protect our right to open government by ensuring state and local governments and public institutions have laws, policies and procedures to facilitate press and public access to information and proceedings."

As a both a professional who regularly utilizes open records requests in a variety of states and a citizen of the United States, I wholeheartedly support the efforts of the NFOIC to protect our right to understand how our government works and for whom.

Alabama currently does not have an NFOIC-aligned state-level coalition, and I have been exploring possibilities to create one. This will be a long process and will require much more than just my expertise, but I hope to continue this process in order to promote open government in Alabama and the rest of the country.