Small Biz Owner

Judge Carole Smitherman reflects on her legacy ahead of her retirement [Video]
►
Categories
Small Business Lifestyle

Judge Carole Smitherman reflects on her legacy ahead of her retirement [Video]

Judge Carole Smitherman is retiring from a decades-long historic career as a Jefferson County public servant. She said it is a bittersweet feeling as she reflects on her legacy. “It’s a fun place to work,” Smitherman said about her time on the bench. “And so, I’ve been here on and off for about 50 years, and that’s what I celebrate the longevity, the legacy, all the things that make me who I am.”At the forefront of who Smitherman is, is a dedicated public servant who has worn many hats in her hometown of Birmingham. >> YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD: Community coverage from WVTM 13She was the first Black woman hired as the deputy district attorney in Jefferson County and the first Black woman municipal and circuit court judge in Birmingham.”When I first started working here, I was the only Black person,” Smitherman said. “There were two of us in the legal system. And so I’ve watched it grow and mushroom. In being the first woman judge, Black woman of color, I’ve seen that changed dramatically.” In 2009, Smitherman who was the city council president at the time assumed the office of mayor after then-Mayor Larry Langford was convicted of bribery and related charges. That move made Smitherman the first and, so far, only Black woman to be mayor of Birmingham.”In those 60 or so days that I was there in that position, I learned a lot,” Smitherman said. “We put a lot of things in place, policies in place, and we were able to give the city the assurance that they needed that we would be OK.”Looking back, Smitherman said she wants people to remember the impact she’s had on her very own community. “That I was fair, that I was available, that I still worked in my community,” Smitherman said. “I still live in my community. And then I love my people, and that’s that’s what I want.”>> FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube In this next chapter, Smitherman said it will be filled with the things she cherishes the most: her family and her home. “Now, I just have more time for them,” Smitherman said. “More time for my husband. More time to work in my community. Because there is still a clarion call for me to keep talking and keep believing in people and having them to believe in the things that I say as being God-given and just the product of the times is it’s been a wonderful journey.”

Elon University students evacuate from East Hollywood [Video]
►
Categories
Small Business Lifestyle

Elon University students evacuate from East Hollywood [Video]

Some Elon University students are witnessing tragedy firsthand.The students are in California, getting an up-close-and-personal look at the massive wildfires raging in Los Angeles. The students are currently there for a business class, and actually had to be moved out of East Hollywood. They’re now in a hotel in Irvine, where the air quality is significantly better.”When I see it on TV, it’s hard to believe that it’s so close to us,” said Elon University student Sarah Hanchey. We’ve seen the devastating images of wildfires raging across California.”It’s so scary to watch people’s lives be taken away,” Hanchey said.The students are witnessing what’s unfolding just over the hill.”Our viewpoint was close enough to where it was very scary,” said Elon University student Timothy Oligino. “But also, it was interesting because we were in direct view of the Hollywood sign so we saw the efforts to save Los Angeles and the Hollywood sign, which is an icon of L.A.”The group has been in California since Jan. 2 for an Intro to Business course.”The wildfires are unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” said Hanchey. “The pure amount of fire and smoke in the air is crazy.”The group has used the tragedy in its studies, learning about response and resilience, as the students watch the western part of the country unite in hopes of rebuilding what’s been lost.”We haven’t missed a beat,” said Elon School of Business professor Alyssa Martina. “We are tired and we’ve been scared but they haven’t panicked or gone into panic mode, and they’ve learned to roll with the punches, and I’m so proud of every single one of them. Amid this tragedy, there’s growth. And I think that’s been really remarkable.”Another group of Elon students, scheduled to head to California for a film festival, will now be heading to Utah instead. The students currently in California plan to leave on Jan. 23.