By Jeff Helms, Chairman, Alabama PALS
Change, whether planned or unexpected, can create fear or opportunity. The choice is ours.
The past year brought tremendous change for Alabama PALS, and our staff met those opportunities with optimism, creativity and energy. Jamie, Christy and Shay didn’t just trudge through the changes, they seized the chance to position Alabama PALS for an even brighter future.
New management, a new office, new grant-writing team, new budgeting system, new partnerships, new awards venue, and new board members were just a few of the ways Alabama PALS grew this year. None of this would be possible without our staff who see PALS as not just a job but also a mission.
Even with so much to celebrate, change can be hard. This year, we missed the daily presence of our friend and founding executive director, Spencer Ryan. We mourned the passing of former board chairman, Doug Rigney. And, we remembered the servant life of longtime fundraiser and former lieutenant governor, George McMillan.
These men’s legacies can teach us lessons about change because their focus was on the future. Great leaders don’t toil each day so their absence will one day leave a painful void. They prepare the soil, plant the seeds and nurture the crop so it will yield a harvest beyond their individual abilities or imagination.
Alabama PALS is a great organization because leaders didn’t tolerate change — they initiated it. When former state forester, Bill Moody, and like-minded people envisioned PALS, it wasn’t to maintain the status quo. It was to make Alabama more beautiful, cleaner, healthier, BETTER. Their goal wasn’t only to remove litter. It was to change hearts, minds and attitudes about stewardship. It was to develop more responsible citizens and future leaders through volunteerism and community service.
In looking back at the accomplishments of 2025, I’m thankful our Alabama PALS staff, board of directors and countless volunteers are visionary leaders who recognize the opportunities that come with change. I’m excited about Jamie’s bold leadership, Christy’s meticulous management of the Adopt-A-Mile program, and the imaginative ways Shay inspires students through the Clean Campus Program.
2026 is sure to bring even more change in our lives. We have a choice. Will we meet it with fear, or will we seize the opportunity to make our world better?