Jeremy Griffith, who has worked as the city planner for the City of Hartselle for 17 years, was recognized last week as Outstanding Local Coordinator by the Alabama Communities of Excellence. 

Joey Hester, ACE mentor for Hartselle, nominated Griffith for the award.  

Hester, who also works as the director of Planning and Economic Development for the North Central Alabama Regional Council of Governments, praised Griffith for the honor and the work he does for the City of Hartselle. “I’m sure there are a lot of ACE communities out there that could stand to have a local coordinator as good as you,” he said. 

Hartselle was first certified as a Community of Excellence in 2012 and recently was recertified as one of 47 such communities in the state.   

“As president of our organization, we wanted to recognize you for the work you’re doing for Hartselle – particularly this year with the recertification and with keeping up with the components of the program – the strategic planning and the leadership development,” ACE president Mary Shell said during the award presentation.  

Griffith said the award was an honor, one that took him by surprise. “I thought this was a city award; I didn’t realize at first it was personal,” he said. “It’s quite an honor to be recognized.”  

In his position with the city, Griffith is involved with anything related to planning, from city ordinances to the planning commission and zoning adjustments.