On Saturday, members of the Hanceville City Council attend an event recognizing the city as a Alabama Communities of Excellence. Pictured, from left, are council member Kim Brown, ACE President and Chairman of the Board, Brandon Bias, Alabama League of Municipalities Director, Ken Smith, Mayor Kenneth Nail, and council members, Jimmie Nuss, John Stam and Charles Wilson

Hanceville is the first city in Cullman County to earn the Alabama Communities of Excellence (ACE) designation, which Mayor Kenneth Nail anticipates will open new opportunities and growth.

The designation was announced officially Saturday at the opening session of the Alabama League of Municipalities convention in Mobile. Hanceville, Bay Minette and Tallassee earned the designation. Gardendale and Florala will next enter into the program. The ACE designation has been awarded to 39 communities in the state.

The ACE program offers a systematic three-phase approach with technical resources and the tools needed to help Alabama’s small towns foster growth and prosperity by focusing on their distinctive assets and resources. The ACE comprehensive program includes: Phase I, known as the assessment phase. During this time, a comprehensive report card detailing community assets and weaknesses will be prepared by an ACE Team and presented to the community along with recommended strategies and actions. 

During Phase II, the Leadership Development and Strategic Planning component, each community must establish a leadership development program, prepare an up-to-date strategic plan, and identify a local nonprofit development organization.

Phase III is the Implementation and Comprehensive Planning segment. Issues addressed during Phase III include comprehensive planning, commercial business development, education enhancement, infrastructure, health and human services, retiree attraction, tourism, economic development, and quality of life.

“We’re all excited about this. I remember Dr. (Vicki) Karolewics at Wallace State talked to me a few years ago and encouraged us to be in this program. We’ve learned a lot during the process and are seeing some good things happen in our city,” Nail said.

ACE partners work with communities throughout the process, which includes surveys and walk-throughs to physically evaluate towns.

“It’s a hands-on process for everyone. You tell them what you want your community to be, and they start showing you plans on how to get there. I have to give Betty Dover a lot of credit, she was instrumental in bringing together all the meetings and making so much happen,” Nail said. “We know that we can probably have 25 or 26 apartments downtown in the upstairs. We’re already seeing things happen. We know if we fill up that many apartments downtown, that changes the game. We’re still in the baby stage, but we’re seeing new life already.”

Nail said two new businesses are planning to open downtown.

Partners in the ACE program range from state agencies and associations to banks, utilities, universities and others, with the goal of fostering unique community development programs to assist smaller towns to plan and prosper.

“We commend the leadership and many stakeholders of the designated communities for their dedication to ensuring long-term economic success for their communities through the Alabama Communities of Excellence process,” said ACE President and Chairman of the Board Brandon Bias.