Cullman’s Peggy Smith took home the state’s top economic development honor awarded by her peers on Tuesday, accepting from Gov. Kay Ivey the David R. Echols Award in Montgomery.

Smith, who served for more than three decades at the Cullman Economic Development Agency before departing in 2017 to lead the Cullman Area Chamber of Commerce, is the first economic development officer from Cullman County to have earned the award.

“During the time when you were working with Peggy, it was hard to step back an appreciate what she was; the greatness she brought to that role,” said current Cullman EDA director Dale Greer, who made the trip to Montgomery with other local economic officials to honor Smith’s accomplishment.

“At the time that she started out, there were like two women in Alabama in that profession; a male-dominated profession. She was relentless, she was professional, and she was driven. Nobody is more deserving of that award than Peggy — and there are some pretty dang good economic developers in Alabama. Our community benefitted immensely from her talents.”

“I’m still trying to come down off my elation,” said Smith by phone from Montgomery on Tuesday. “It’s just been a great day. This is an award for economic developers in the State of Alabama, and I’m extremely appreciative to be its recipient.

“Dave Echols was a wonderful project manager and economic developer for the [Alabama] Department of Commerce, and receiving an award named in his memory is an especially great honor for me,” she added, recalling her professional relationship with the late economic leader. “He helped Dale and me so much, and brought many projects to Cullman and really taught us a lot about how to research a project and understand how to be competitive and know your product. That’s a hard thing to learn. He passed away at a young age but made a lasting impression on me and other economic developers. We learned so much from him, and it’s a blessing to be recognized with the award that bears his name.”

Cullman EDA governmental affairs & community development representative Jamie Troutman presented Smith with the award with a speech to more than 350 economic development leaders from across the state. Smith, she said, “was a driving force behind economic development not only in Cullman, but the entire state. She set the standard for which all other economic developer are judged.”

Troutman also quoted former Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, who recognized Smith at the time of her 2017 Cullman EDA retirement with a letter commemorating her success. “Governor Riley had some great remarks for Peggy from that time,” said Troutman: “‘You outworked every colleague in your field, you never intimidated; were never boastful; and were never satisfied with the most recent win.’”

Smith credited Cullman’s business and industry-friendly spirit of cooperation for the area’s decades of success in promoting local economic growth.

“When you’re an economic developer in Cullman, Alabama, you are blessed to have the support of your city council, the mayor, the county commission, the Industrial Development board members, and a strong legislative delegation,” she said. “It’s heartwarming to know that people believe in what you do and they’re there for you as partners.

“Over the years, being an economic developer in Cullman has been one of my life’s most rewarding things — just because our community has believed in our ability to prosper and grow, and they have supported that. I’m so grateful for having spent many years leading Cullman Economic Development, and looking back at what has been achieved through our partnerships is remarkable. Look at our community today: It’s still prospering and growing. So many things you can evaluate in a community are the things that the Cullman area works together to get right.”