Chamber honors award recipients at luncheon

The Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce will host its 2025 Annual Luncheon on Jan. 29, celebrating the city and honoring several members of the community with awards.

This year’s Jemison Visionary Award Winner is City Council President Virginia Smith. The O’Neal Library will present the William Tynes Award to Patsy Dreher, and the city will recognize Lindsy Gardner as Employee of the Year.

The Jemison Visionary Award recognizes a servant leader whose commitment and contributions to the community are unparalleled. “If you think about all the improvements and amenities added to the Mountain Brook community since 2000, then Virginia Carruthers Smith’s handprints are all over them,” said City Manager Sam Gaston. “Serving as the City Council liaison to the Parks and Recreation Board for 20 years, the sidewalk connections, parks and playing fields improvements, the total renovation of the Athletic Complex, the purchase and development of Cahaba River Walk Park are some of the fruits of her labor. She also has served as council liaison to the Board of Landscape Design [Tree Commission] and the trees added to our public areas, landscaping in our commercial villages and the city being recognized as a Tree City USA for 30 consecutive years are also due to her leadership and diligence. She has been a true advocate of planned growth in the city, working countless hours on the plans for Cahaba Village, Overton Village, The Shops at River Run and the Lane Parke developments.”

“No one has ever so willingly and graciously stepped forward to serve our city in so many ways over her 25-year tenure. Virginia’s thoroughness in analyzing issues and her firmness in her decisions as our preeminent city leader has been inspiring and a blessing to us all, especially me,” City Councilman Billy Pritchard said.

The William Tynes Award is an honor bestowed upon an individual or group who is recognized for meaningful and devoted service to the city of Mountain Brook and especially O’Neal Library. The O’Neal Library Board and the Mountain Brook Library Foundation are pleased to announce that this prestigious award will be presented to Dreher. 

“Patsy has been a dedicated library volunteer for many years. She worked on the capital campaign for the current building and served in leadership roles with the Friends of the Library, the O’Neal Library Board and the Mountain Brook Library Foundation. Patsy has been a wonderful resource to me as director, and I smile every time she walks into my office,” said Library Director Lindsy Gardner.

Nominated by her peers, Gardner has been awarded the Mountain Brook City Employee of the Year Award for her outstanding performance and dedication. 

“When I started working for O’Neal Library, I immediately noticed Lindsy’s level of professionalism, and her love and dedication to the profession,” said Library Office Manager Viridiana Herrera. “Lindsy encourages cooperation and strong relationships between the O’Neal Library staff and other city departments, businesses and organizations in Mountain Brook.”

“Upon being hired by the O’Neal Library, Lindsy hit the ground running and embraced her role as director and quickly grasped the important role that the O’Neal Library plays in the Community,” City Councilman Lloyd Shelton said. “Lindsy epitomizes the term ‘servant leader.’ Her focus on how the O’Neal Library can best serve the community is evident in the attitude and dedication of the entire library staff. Through her leadership and example, Lindsy encourages the library staff to strive for excellence in all that they do.”

– Submitted by Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce.