Covington County Youth Leadership, Alabama

05/20/2026

We did it!❤️🖤🐄

Three years after they collected more than 2,100 letters encouraging Chick-fil-A to build a restaurant in Andalusia, a group of Covington County Youth Leadership graduates was on hand Tuesday when the Andalusia City Council approved a development agreement with the company to locate here.

Site prep has already begun at the popular restaurant chain's Andalusia site, located at the intersection of Hillcrest Drive and the Western Bypass. On Tuesday, the council finalized the deal by agreeing to rebate 2 percent of local sales taxes to the corporation for five years.

The 2022-23 youth leadership students began their project after a session on local government held in the Andalusia City Hall in which they heard a program on economic development. One of the questions they asked that day was, “Can we get a Chick-Fil-A?”

At the time, city officials had met with Chick-Fil-A site selectors, but had been consistently told Andalusia didn’t have the traffic numbers they wanted.
The group set out to help to address Chick Fil-A on their own. They put together a campaign and collected more than 2,100 letters encouraging the company to locate a store here.

The letters ranged from young elementary students who wanted access to peach milkshakes, to middle school students who advised Chick-Fil-A “Y’all would be MILLIONAIRES” if you came here,” to older students who wrote about job opportunities and date nights.

Ten of the leadership class members were in city hall Tuesday night, and Briley Douglas served as their spokesperson, encouraging council members to vote for the project.

Mayor Earl Johnson thanked the students, most of whom just finished their sophomore years of college, for their help and support.

"You never know what might help with economic development," the mayor said, "but we believe your work was a big help."

Chick-Fil-A plans to hire 50 to 70 full-time and part-time employees when it opens this fall.

Shown from left are Marissa Jackson, Briley Douglas, Brody Lee, Amberly Tillman, Presley Carnley, Reese Carlisle, Leah Adams, Anna Driver, Katee Prescott, and Alyssa Anderson.

05/02/2026

We celebrated the end of our 2025-2026 CCYL program year with a Graduation Reception to honor our students.

04/14/2026

Our last CCYL session was one for the books! Melanie Hill engaged students in a dynamic discussion on communication skills and guided them through a personality profile, helping them better understand themselves and how to effectively work and communicate with others. Katie Sellers Lee, Covington County-Alabama 4-H Youth Development Coordinator, coached the group through dining etiquette and provided a wonderful lunch sponsored by the Covington County Extension Office. Mellisa King, Executive Director of the Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce, shared valuable information about Chamber membership and outreach, and introduced students to the afternoon’s activity, an “Around Town Scavenger Hunt.” Students spent the afternoon visiting various Chamber members, completing tasks, and capturing photo evidence along the way. 📸

Dr. Terri Cauley Dunn tasked the groups to find places to leave SHORT the Squirrel, Literacy Mascot books in areas where children could enjoy ready while they are waiting with their parents. Books were left at the Covington County District Attorney's Office, State of Alabama, the Andalusia Public Library, and various other sites around town.

THANKS to all of the businesses who hosted the students and to everyone who helped make the session such a great success!

04/10/2026

SHORT the Squirrel, Literacy Mascot

I want to give a huge thank you to the Covington County Youth Leadership Program for bringing coloring books for kids to learn about the courthouse!

The coloring book, titled “Short Goes to Court,” follows an informative story of Short the squirrel in court. This helps children understand what goes on in the courthouse, especially since we try to shield them from the hardships of the courtroom. This coloring book can be very useful especially since, to many kids, new and confusing events can be scary at first.

But what makes this picture so sweet is that these “kids” to you and me… who are really young adults… cared enough about the children we deal with that they felt moved to act.

The world will be in good hands when they are in charge.

Pictured with me are Terri Dunn (head of CCYL), Lauri Glisson, Adelaide Dunn, Emma McClung, Caroline Blackwell, and Pastor William Worley.

03/25/2026

CEC recently sponsored nine outstanding high school juniors to attend the 2026 Montgomery Youth Tour on March 11-13. Students were selected for the Montgomery Youth Tour last fall through an application process held at their schools.

The CEC Youth Tour delegates joined approximately 130 students from across the state at the Montgomery Youth Tour which included tours of the Alabama State House, Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, the Legacy Museum, and the Federal Courthouse. The trip also included team-building activities with motivational speaker Craig Hillier and a visit with lawmakers at the Alabama State House.

CEC’s Montgomery Youth Tour participants competed on March 19, for four slots to attend the National Rural Electric Youth Tour in Washington, D.C., in June. The competition included a test on co-op history and facts, as well as an interview with a panel of judges. Anna Thai of Straughn, Annah-Grace Harris of Kinston, Emma McClung of Pleasant Home, and Richie Philpott of Straughn were selected as CEC’s 2026 Washington Youth Tour delegates. Helen Pool of Red Level was chosen as the first alternate.

“Youth Tour is an amazing program that has evolved into a true leadership development experience in recent years,” says Patty S. Seay, CEC’s youth tour coordinator. “Students who participate want to gain valuable leadership skills to make a lasting impact on their communities and the world around them. It’s remarkable to see their confidence grow in only three days. I’m so glad that CEC and our local schools continue to support this great program for the students in our service area,” she added.

The purpose of the Youth Tour is to inform young people about how cooperatives benefit their members, learn about government and history, enhance leadership skills, and meet other young people from across the state and nation while visiting historical sites and landmarks.

Pictured here: From left, front row: Richie Philpott (Straughn), Annah-Grace Harris (Kinston), Anna Thai (Straughn), Alyssa Lee (Red Level), and Marley Kilcrease (Brantley). Back row: Emma McClung (Pleasant Home), Charlie Steele (Pleasant Home), Helen Poole (Red Level) and Ava Carnley (Kinston). Congratulations to CEC’s 2026 Washington Youth Tour winners Annah-Grace Harris, Anna Thai, Emma McClung, and Richie Philpott. The first alternate is Helen Pool (Red Level).

03/12/2026

Andalusia High School is proud to announce that Everly Mack and Ocean Reeves have been selected to represent AHS at Alabama Girls State and Alabama Boys State this summer!

Boys State and Girls State are prestigious leadership programs where outstanding high school juniors from across the state come together to learn about government, leadership, and civic responsibility. During the week-long program, students create a mock government, run for offices, pass laws, and gain hands-on experience with how local and state government works.

This honor is awarded to students who demonstrate strong leadership, character, and a commitment to their school and community.

Congratulations to Everly and Ocean on this incredible achievement!

03/06/2026

⭐️STATE GOVERNMENT DAY⭐️

The CCYL State Government Session was an incredible experience! Our group traveled to Montgomery to visit the Alabama State House, where we had the opportunity to meet with Senator Josh Carnley and Representative Matthew Hammett. They shared insight into the legislative process and explained how bills move from ideas to laws, as well as the importance of representing the people in their districts and working across committees to address issues that affect our state.

While at the State House, we also met with Brian Scott Massey, Adam Kilpatrick, and several others who helped us better understand how government works behind the scenes and how leaders work together to serve their communities.

We next toured the State Capitol and spent time with the Alabama Secretary of State’s staff, where we discussed the voting process and the important role their office plays in ensuring fair and secure elections across the state.

To wrap up the day, we made a fun stop at Safari Park where we took a wagon ride and fed the animals. It was an awesome day of learning, leadership, and fun!

A huge thank you to all who took time to meet with our group and to LBW Community College for letting us ride in style on the Saints bus!⚜️❤️

02/25/2026

👀Our friend, SHORT the Squirrel, Literacy Mascot has a new video out just in time for Read Across America/Read Across Alabama week! Check out "SHORT Tours the Town" and see what he learns while visiting Birmingham, Alabama!

SHORT the Squirrel 🐿️ is kicking off this year’s RAA RAA (Read Across America 🇺🇸; Read Across Alabama) with SHORT Tours the Town, a video, lesson plans, and book about what makes a community work together! From the courtroom to cafes, from the librarians to local news, our communities rely on us all to be safe spaces to raise our young readers. Visit our website for these free resources!

02/12/2026

Local Government Day for our 2025-2026 CCYL class was a hit! Thanks to the efforts of Michele Gerlach, City of Andalusia Communications Director who planned and coordinated the session, the students had the opportunity to meet and learn from dynamic leaders from across the county.

Covington County, Alabama - Commission Chairman, Michael Smith, and County Engineer, Lynn Rawls, shared about the responsibilities of the Commisson.

City of Opp Mayor Chance McCurley spoke about his new leadership role, how he used digital marketing in his campaign, and shared his vision for Opp. He challenged the students to be the type of leaders that build OTHER leaders and to strive to be prepared for future opportunities that may arise. He said, “It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.”

Michele Gerlach and Andalusia City Clerk, John Thompson, gave an overview of the city’s organizational structure, shared information about economic development projects, and led the students though an economic development exercise. City Councilman Terry Powell assisted in leading a mock City Council meeting.

Paul Hudson, Andalusia Chief of Police, spoke with the group about technology used by the police department and shared interesting insight related to local law enforcement.

Ashley Holmes Morgan, owner of Holmes Pecan Market and recent Andalusia Area Chamber of Commerce “Small Business of the Year” winner, closed our session with her story about growing the family business as the fourth generation owner.

A BIG THANKS to Lost Pizza Andalusia Alabama for a wonderful lunch and to all who shared their time and wisdom with the students!

02/12/2026

We are so grateful to the students and staff at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College, the staff at Mizell Memorial Hospital, Dr. Poston (who conducted a suture clinic teaching our students to suture a cut by practicing on pig feet), Lauren Maynor, and all who helped to make our January Healthcare Session a big hit!

02/05/2026

Habitat for Humanity has done a tremendous job for our county, and has recently completed its 10th home. Habitat owners must show they have a steady income, complete finance management classes, put sweat equity into their homes, and then are required to repay Habitat a modest mortgage.

But the organization has reached a point at which it needs new volunteers to sustain this good work. There are all kinds of ways you can help, even if building is not your thing. If you are interested, plan now to attend this informational meeting on Thursday, Feb. 19. There is a sign-up link in the comments.