Invest. Grow. Advocate.

Mark Colson is a relentless advocate for Alabama’s vibrant trucking industry which is made up of more than 32,000 trucking companies and 131,000 working Alabamians representing 1 in 13 jobs in the state.

Mark’s passion is sharing the powerful stories of the dedicated men and women who deliver for every Alabama community, and he never misses the opportunity to promote careers in trucking as a wonderful opportunity for job seekers of all ages and backgrounds.

As Alabama’s top executive for trucking, he travels across the state and country building relationships that grow and foster the industry’s mission while enhancing its public image from the truck cab and shop floor to the corner office. He also works closely with policymakers in Montgomery and Washington D.C. to ensure they understand the essential part trucking plays in the global supply chain and its tremendous impact on the state’s economy and the daily lives of all Alabamians.

Prior to leading the Alabama Trucking Association, Mark advocated for Alabama’s business community serving various leadership roles at the Business Council of Alabama (BCA), Alabama’s state chamber of commerce, including Interim President, Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs, and Chief of Staff.

Mark is a regular media commentator on transportation related topics.  His service to the trucking industry reaches far beyond Alabama through his roles on the American Trucking Associations Strategic Priorities Committee and TRUCK PAC Board of Directors as well as with the American Transportation Reseach Institute’s (ATRI) Research Advisory Committee.

He’s a graduate of Huntingdon College and Troy University (MBA). Forever a Hawk, he serves as a member of the Huntingdon College Board of Trustees (Secretary) and Executive Committee and was inducted into the Huntingdon Athletics Hall of Fame (Football). He is a member of the board of directors for the ATA Comp Fund, Embrace Alabama Kids, the FFA Foundation, Business Council of Alabama, and the Alabama Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. Mark is an alumni of the American Council of Young Political Leaders (2018 Egypt—Israel—Palestinian Territories delegation). He, his wife, Cody, and their daughter live in Montgomery, Alabama and are active members of First United Methodist Church.

Russell Davis has served as the Executive Vice President of the Home Builders Association of Alabama since 1984.  The HBAA represents the residential housing industry with 8,000 members statewide.

In addition, Davis is the Fund Administrator for the Alabama Home Builders Self Insurers Fund, a workers compensation trust fund with an average $44 million in annual contributions.  In existence since 1984, the Fund serves approximately 5,400 members.

A United States Army veteran, Davis is a graduate of the University of Maryland.  He is a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and is a past president of the Alabama Society of Association Executives.  He is certified by the National Association of Home Builders as a Building Industry Association Executive (BIAE). 

Davis chaired the Business Associations’ Tax Coalition (BATC) for 6 years and currently serves on the executive committee of the Alabama Civil Justice Reform Committee and chairs the Alabama Council of Association Self Insurers’ Funds.

Kirk Hatcher serves as Head Start Director in Montgomery County, and in the Alabama State Senate where he proudly represents the fine citizens of District 26 in Montgomery. A former English educator, Mr. Hatcher taught a total of 17 years in schools in Montgomery, Alabama, Florida, and Rye, New York. He is a native of Montgomery, Alabama, and a graduate of Saint Jude High School and Resurrection Catholic Elementary School.

Kirk received his Bachelor of Arts degree in the English and Political Science departments at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He later earned the Mater of Divinity degree from Emory University’s School of Theology in Atlanta, Georgia.

Prior to his arrival at Rye Country Day School, Rye, New York in Fall 2012, Kirk served on the faculties at Palmer Trinity School in Miami, Florida and as an adjunct instructor/lecturer at the University of Miami, Florida. He also spent a couple of years serving on the English faculties in the Montgomery Public Schools, Montgomery, Alabama beginning in January 2000. Having served as an intern in the Office of Admission at Emory University from 1996-1998, he was later appointed to the position of Associate Dean of Admission in the Office of Admissions at on e of the country’s largest consortium of seminaries The Interdenominational Theological Center, Atlanta, Georgia. He was later selected to serve as the Senior Program Officer for ITC FaithWorks Foundation.

Once active on the visiting lecture circuit, Kirk has offered annual mini-lectures on the Theology of Gospel Music mostly during the fall/winter semesters at the following institutions: Smith College, Northhampton, Massachusetts; Hamilton College, Clinton, New York; Wells College, Aurora, New York; Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, California; Hollins University, Roanoke, Virginia; Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pennsylvania; The Dana Hall School, Wesley, Massachusetts, and The Asheville School, Asheville, North Carolina.

While in his native Montgomery between the years of 1988 and 1992, he served as a member of the staff at Alabama State University in the following capacities: Special Legal Assistant to the University General Counselor (Solomon S. Seay, Jr., Esq.); and Program Coordinator for Targeted Educational Advancement. A 1992 alumnus of Leadership Montgomery Class iX, Kirk served as the founding President of Success Roundtable: 2001, Inc. (an economic development organization comprised of business leaders, college presidents, clergymen, lawyers, lawmakers, physicians, educational leaders, and military officers). A 32nd degree Mason (Prince Hall Grand Lodge F. & A. M. of Alabama – Abraham Consistory), Kirk is also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc

Kirk is an accomplished vocalist and pianist (having served as choral director/keyboard accompanist beginning at age nine in his home/family congregation, Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church). A licensed Baptist minister, Kirk once served a yearlong appointment as the guest interim Senior Minister at the historic Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, Birmingham, Alabama.

A true believer in the words uttered by St. Luke (paraphrased) – “To whom much is given, much is indeed required”.

Scott E. Latham serves as president and CEO of the Alabama Bankers Association, a professional trade association representing nearly 118 commercial banks across Alabama with combined deposits exceeding $182 billion in more than 1,927 locations across the state.

Having served in this capacity since 1997, he is an active member of the Alliance of State Bankers Associations, a division of the American Bankers Association.

He serves as a member of the board of trustees of Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tenn., as well as Lads to Leaders & Leaderettes, a Montgomery, Ala. organization promoting Christian leadership among youth.

He holds an MBA from Auburn University in Montgomery and a degree from the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.

He and his wife, Michelle, have two daughters, Abby and Caroline, and are active members of the University Church of Christ. Scott serves the church as an elder, and both Michelle and Scott serve as Sunday School teachers and are active in many areas of the church.

On November 15, 2019, Governor Kay Ivey appointed J C Love, III as the 17^th Probate Court Judge for Montgomery County. Judge Love is the court’s second African American judge and first licensed attorney since former Probate Court Judge Perry O. Hooper, Sr. (1965 - 1974).

Judge Love was born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama. He attended the Montgomery Public Schools and graduated from Jefferson Davis High School in 1997. Judge Love attended Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, where he graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in political science. While at Morehouse College, Judge Love served as Student Government Association President, member of the college’s Honor, Conduct & Review Board, charter member of Omicron Delta Kappa, and member of the college’s Board of Trustees.

Judge Love attended Boston College Law School, graduating in 2004. After law school, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where he began his legal career. In 2005, Judge Love was appointed by Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin to serve as a Hearing Officer for the Taxicabs and Vehicles for Hire Board, which heard violations brought against vehicles for hire in the City of Atlanta. A year later, in 2006, Mayor Franklin appointed him as a Procurement Appeals Hearing Officer, where he was responsible for hearing and adjudicating the appeals of insidiously and businesses that had been denied a right to do business with the City of Atlanta. In 2007, Mayor Franklin appointed Judge Love as the Attorney Member of the License Review Board, which governs the approval of liquor licenses and permits, other than work permits, issued under the city’s police power. He was reappointed to the Board by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed in 2011. For each of these appointments, Judge Love was the youngest appointee or member of the board.

In 2010, the Atlanta City Council appointed Judge Love to serve as its representative on the board of Invest Atlanta, the City of Atlanta’s economic development authority. During his tenure on Invest Atlanta, he participated in programs that facilitated the creation of more than 23,000 jobs and nearly $2 billion in direct investment for the City of Atlanta. Some of the key projects in which Judge Love participated in was the recruiting of Porsche North America’s headquarters to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia, at the site of the old Ford automobile plan, Carter’s, a major American designer and marketer of children’s apparel, to relocate to Atlanta, and the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. He held all these appointments until he relocated back to Montgomery.

Judge Love formerly practiced with the law firm of Rushton, Stakely, Johnston & Garrett, P.A., one of the largest and oldest law firms in Montgomery, Alabama. Judge Love serves as president of the Mount Zion A.M.E. Zion Foundation, a member of the Red Tails Scholarship Foundation, past president of the Britton YMCA Board, and past member of the board of the Montgomery County Bar Foundation. Judge Love is a member of the Montgomery County Bar Association, the Alabama Lawyers Association, the Capital City Bar Association, the Montgomery – Tuskegee Chapter of the Morehouse College National Alumni Association, and the Montgomery Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Since his appointment, Judge Love has worked to make the Probate Court a leader, not only in Alabama, but also the country, in the way that the Probate Court utilizes new technology to improve the delivery of and quality of services to Montgomery residents. For example, Montgomery County is the first and only probate court in Alabama with a mobile app to place services at customers’ fingertips. Judge Love has also worked to take advantage of the Court’s location as the state’s capital to foster and strengthen relationships with state government agencies. The Montgomery County Probate Court has been selected by the Alabama Supreme Court and the Alabama Administrative Office of the Courts to be the state’s first probate court included on the state’s electronic filing court system. The Court also partnered with the Secretary of State’s office to launch the Voter Registration Kiosk Project, whereby electronic kiosks were initially placed at each of the local colleges and universities and later added to each public high school in Montgomery County to encourage and facilitate voter registration. The project’s final phase is to add them to each of the county’s 10 public libraries. The Montgomery County Probate Court is among the first offices in the country to utilize electronic kiosks to facilitate voter registration.

Additionally, the Court was the first one in the state to offer text message and email notifications for driver’s license and automobile tag renewals and worked with the Alabama Department of Revenue to pass legislation to expand the use of electronic kiosks for automobile tag renewals. Judge Love also modernized operations to offer Montgomery County business owners the option to renew their county business licenses online. He also obtained a $771,000 grant that he utilized to purchase more modern, touchscreen voting machines, a new Election Center van, and other equipment to ensure Montgomery County had the cutting-edge equipment and the most modern election operation in the state. He has worked to address the problem of mental health by adding a mental health therapist position to his staff and worked with the Montgomery Area Mental Health Authority towards the opening of the Crisis Diversion Center to add more observation beds and resources for those needing mental health services in Montgomery County. Additionally, he created the R.E.A.A.C.T. Program, a free service to Montgomery County residents to combat property fraud.

Judge Love is married to Dr. Porcia Bradford Love, a Montgomery dermatologist. They are the proud parents of three children – Caroline, Catherine, and James. Judge Love and his family attend Mt. Zion A.M.E. Zion Church and St. Jude Catholic Church.

Saxon has served by appointment of the last two Governors as Administrative Law Judge for the State Health Planning & Development Agency. He is a member of the Montgomery County Bar Association, Alabama State Bar, and American Bar Association. Saxon is admitted in all state and federal courts in Alabama and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He has participated in a number of cases before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and has assisted with an appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court.​

Saxon's community involvement includes service on the Metro YMCA Board (2009-2010 Chairman, Britton Board) where he received the Britton YMCA 2009 Man of the Year Award. He has also served on the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, the Southeastern Dixie Youth Board of Directors and the River Region United Way Board of Directors.

Saxon received his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1997 and a B.S. in Finance in 1993 from Auburn University. He is married to Catherine Wolter Main of Decatur, Alabama, and has three sons: Mac, Tom and Walker. Saxon is a member of Trinity Presbyterian Church and enjoys coaching little league as well as hunting and fishing with his sons.

Mary Sell has covered Alabama politics and state government since 2012 and joined Alabama Daily News in 2019. One of Mary’s primary goals for ADN and Inside Alabama Politics is to not duplicate what other news outlets are reporting, but find the yet-to-be told stories about politics and policies and their impact on readers. Mary previously worked for Gannett newspapers as a reporter and editor in Alabama, Mississippi and Indiana. She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University.

Amanda is the Director of the Alabama Securities Commission where she has been employed since 2008.  She is responsible for advising the Commission on securities-related matters, investigating and prosecuting fraudulent actions surrounding the sales of securities throughout the state of Alabama, and has coordinated and litigated numerous multi-jurisdictional administrative, civil, and criminal matters. She also serves as a legislative liaison for the Commission.  In that capacity, she advocates for investor protections, market integrity, and promoting responsible capital formation in Alabama.

Amanda is involved on both the State and local level in various organizations which address issues and promote awareness of Elder Abuse and Investment Fraud; including the Montgomery County Elder Justice Task Force and the Alabama Interagency Council for the Prevention of Elder Abuse.  She is actively involved in the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA), where she has served as Chairman of the Cybersecurity Committee, Chair of the Broker Dealer Market and Regulatory Policy Committee and is currently serving as Chair of the Enforcement Section.  She is a frequent speaker on Alabama’s securities laws, Elder Justice, Financial Literacy, and an instructor in a securities litigation course offered through NASAA. 

Amanda has testified before the United State House of Representatives Committee on Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy on fraud and elder exploitation and before the United States Securities Exchange Commission’s Investor Advisory Committee.  Amanda serves on various boards and is president of the Montgomery County Bar Association, immediate past president of the Alabama Association of Regulatory Boards, and is a graduate of Leadership Alabama Class XXXIII.

Todd Stacy is the Publisher of the Alabama Daily News and host of Capitol Journal on Alabama Public Television. He has worked in and around Alabama politics for 20 years, from the State House in Montgomery to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. His morning newsletter is a "must read" for Alabama politicians and policymakers in Montgomery and Washington. Todd hails from Prattville, Alabama and graduated from Auburn University.