Leadership Vestavia Hills honors Community Leadership Award winners

Leadership Vestavia Hills recognized one of their own as well as a longtime fixture of the community Tuesday night at the group’s annual Community Leadership Awards banquet, as Valerie McLean Cuddy was honored with the 2018 Distinguished Citizen Award and JoAnne Mote with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

The event has served as the presentation for both awards since 2002 in addition to the Citizens of the Year which were recognized by the city from 1988 to 2013.

Leadership Vestavia Hills President Chris Eckroate spoke about the awards and the winners, citing their commitment to the community and tireless efforts in often thankless positions.

“[These] honorees are proof of the power of the human spirit, and that a commitment to volunteerism and thoughtful leadership can have far-reaching impacts,” he said in his remarks at the event.

“We are proud to have them as citizens, and grateful for what they have given back to the Vestavia Hills community.”

Mayor Ashley Curry also spoke at the event, noting that during his year and a half as mayor, he has remarked often on the importance of volunteers to city programs.

“I know that I’ve said throughout my tenure as your mayor that I’m impressed with the numbers of volunteers that contribute throughout this city … but we couldn’t do these things without people who volunteer,” he said.

Curry said both honorees exemplified what impresses him about Vestavia, including Mote's decades of work with the Christmas parade, other events and Glenwood, Inc., as well as Cuddy's work launching the Mercedes Marathon.

Mote, who has lived in Vestavia Hills since 1976, is probably best known in the community for the 20 years she managed Snow’s Cards and Gifts, as well as her family connection to Hollywood Pools and American Pest Control.

Mote was involved with the Vestavia Hills Merchants Association before it evolved into the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce, and she spent years on the board of Glenwood. She has also been involved with the Beautification Board, Historical Society and is a longtime member of Shades Mountain Baptist Church.

“JoAnne is the quintessential servant leader, and has made a significant impact on the community,” Curry said.

Cuddy has lived in Vestavia for nearly two decades, moving to the city after her son was born, so that he could be part of the city’s school system.

She is the founder and owner of Trak Shak, a business she started after trying to find a pair of running shoes to train for a marathon and being displeased with the options in Birmingham.

Beyond being a small business owner in the days when it was still less common for women to be in charge of their own enterprise, Cuddy is most well-known for starting the Mercedes Marathon.

The event grew out of the Freeze Your Half Off race after she and her team were able to get Mercedes Benz to sponsor the event, and now the race is the second-largest event in Birmingham and brings more than 12,000 people to the city each year.

Cuddy said during her remarks that she wanted to thank her Trak Shak team and her Mercedes Marathon team, but especially her family for supporting her and forgiving the long hours it took to bring the event to where it is today.

Both honorees received standing ovations from the crowd at the banquet.

For more information about Leadership Vestavia Hills, visit leadershipvestaviahills.com.