Morgan County man honored by Trump for service to community

By Wes Tomlinson  

For the Enquirer  

Except for the day he was born, Danville resident Jeff Denard said he could not remember a more significant birthday than the one he celebrated Tuesday, the day he was recognized by President Donald Trump during the address to the joint session of Congress. 

Denard was one of 15 guests selected by First Lady Melania Trump, and President Trump discussed several of the guests’ lives and stories as he spoke to a chamber full of senators and representatives and to millions around the globe about his administration’s priorities, including tariff policies and economic growth. 

Denard, 45, said it was the first time he and his wife Nicole had traveled to Washington, D.C.  

“We actually went up on Monday and were able to tour the first and second floor of the White House and then we went over to the Capitol Building,” Denard said.  

He said they visited the memorials for former presidents John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln and took a tour through Arlington Cemetery. 

“We didn’t have a whole lot of time to do a lot of sightseeing,” said Denard, an employee at the Nucor plant in Decatur. “The White House and all that had us pretty busy.” 

Matt Brooks, general manager of the Nucor plant in Decatur, said the president and his staff learned about Denard’s story and, after receiving information about him, they personally selected him to attend.  

Denard has decades of service as a steelworker, a volunteer fire captain and a foster parent for multiple children through the years. March 4, Trump made sure the nation knew his story.  

Trump initially noted that he had imposed a 25% tariff on foreign aluminum, copper, lumber and steel. 

“Here today is a proud American steelworker, fantastic person from Decatur, Alabama,” Trump said. “Jeff Denard has been working at the same steel plant for 27 years in a job that has allowed him to serve as the captain of his local volunteer fire department, raise seven children with his beautiful wife, Nicole, and over the years provide a loving home for more than 40 foster children. 

“So great, Jeff. Thank you, Jeff. Stories like Jeff’s remind us that tariffs are not just about protecting American jobs.” 

To hear the president speak those words about him on national television, Denard said, was “mind-blowing.” An estimated 36.6 million people watched Trump’s speech on live TV, according to the Nielsen company. 

“There were a lot of good stories there,” Denard said. “There was a 13-year-old boy there who had brain cancer and a father who was shot. It’s amazing he would recognize all those and make a difference. As far as my story goes, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to do that.” 

Denard said Trump was very busy that day, so he was not able to speak with him, but he got to meet the first lady and the United States senators from Alabama, as well as other high-profile individuals. 

“I did get to speak with Elon Musk,” Denard said. “It was very brief because he was busy, too, but I just shook his hand and he thanked me and I thanked him and, really, that was it.” 

U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Alabama, issued a statement last week and described Denard and his wife as the ideal Alabamians. 

“They exemplify the very best of Alabama, from hard work to generosity and servant leadership,” Britt said.  

U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, R-Alabama, echoed the same sentiments about Denard in a post on X: “He and his wife, Nicole, embody the very best of North Alabama.” 

U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Alabama, posted on X, “Jeff is a hero who exemplifies the American spirit and the best of Alabama.” 

Brooks said it was no surprise the president highlighted Denard and his work. 

“I’ve worked close to him for two years and Jeff represents the Nucor culture,” Brooks said. “When you think about the Nucor way of doing things — safety, integrity, trust, innovation, open communication, teamwork, inclusion, courage, can-do attitude, ownership — Jeff embodies the Nucor way in our culture. He’s one of many examples of our team and what Nucor represents. He represents the best of our culture.” 

Even before he was highlighted on a national stage, Brooks said the folks back home at Nucor were well aware of Denard’s years of service to the community. 

“Jeff was nominated for Nucor’s first ever Nucor Wall of Fame,” Brooks said. “What that is is our first year of the Nucor Wall of Fame and all 32,000 teammates could nominate someone and tell their story and so Jeff was nominated as the first-year teammate on the Wall of Fame.” 

Married for 25 years, Jeff and Nicole Denard have five biological children and two 4-year-old daughters, Savannah and Scarlett, whom they adopted last year. Both have special needs. 

The Denard family has been a strong advocate for foster children since 2016 when they began the Circle Ranch, a Christian nonprofit organization that provides a support system for foster families by offering housing, resources and community outreach to help children in need across north Alabama. 

Denard said he is so passionate about helping foster children because he understands them from personal experience.  

“I’ll try not to get emotional, but I’m adopted myself,” Denard said. “I was given up for adoption when I was three days old, and my mom and dad adopted me. So, we just want to give back to a child. Nucor has blessed us and provided us a good income and we just want to give back to another child. We’ve fostered for three years and have had 41 children come through our home.” 

Denard was hired at Nucor 27 years ago as a utility worker and has since been promoted to a team lead position over the company’s emergency response team. In this role, he was instrumental in sending a crew of seven workers to western North Carolina to aid residents in the wake of Hurricane Helene. 

“We spent a week down there and one of the things we did was we were able to build a road a half mile so a family could get back home to their house (in Fairview),” Denard said. 

Denard also began as a volunteer firefighter 27 years ago. He is a captain at Trinity Fire and Rescue and also assists the Punkin Center Volunteer Fire Department near Danville. He said serving as a firefighter allows him to continue helping his community just as he does with the Circle Ranch. 

“It’s giving back is what I’ve been the most interested in,” Denard said. “From the Nucor stuff to the fire department, just being able to help people — people that are in need. You see families that, in a split second, all their things are gone, and being able to come in and give them some relief and assurance and let them know God’s with them and they are going to be OK.” 

Denard said God has worked through him and his family, and that is the only reason they are able to remain strong community servants. 

“We get our energy from God above,” Denard said. “God expects us to be missionaries and spread his word and we’re able to do that through our family. We get our strength through God.”