Five New Inductees Named for Alabama Business Hall of Fame

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Five distinguished business leaders will be inducted into the Alabama Business Hall of Fame Thursday, Nov. 1 in Birmingham at the Cahaba Grand Conference Center.

The reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the induction ceremony and dinner at 7 p.m.

The five will be the 39th class of inductees.

“Each of these business leaders has certainly left their mark on their community, their state, in fact the world,” said Dr. J. Michael Hardin, dean of The University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration. The College’s board of visitors founded the Alabama Business Hall of Fame in 1973.

“Each inductee has demonstrated hard work and vision in their chosen fields, from banking to finance and insurance to construction and engineering.”

The 2012 inductees are Richard Anthony, 66, of Birmingham, retired chairman of the board of Synovus; John A. Caddell, 82, of Montgomery, chairman of the board, Caddell Construction Company; T. Michael Goodrich, 66, of Birmingham, former chairman and chief executive officer of BE&K; James S. Holbrook Jr., 67, of Birmingham, chairman and chief executive officer of Sterne Agee Group Inc., and Dr. Grace E. Pilot of Mobile, co-founder of Pilot Catastrophe Services Inc.

The hall honors the names and accomplishments of more than 130 men and women who are some of the state’s most distinguished business leaders.

“The history of the Business Hall of Fame reaches back to 1973 and honors the names and accomplishments of some of the state’s most distinguished business leaders, people such as George Washington Carver, William Albert Bellingrath, the late Mildred Westervelt Warner and William H. Blount,” Hardin said.

To be eligible for selection, a person must have brought fame and honor to the state of Alabama. He or she should have made a significant impact on the development of community and state by promoting the free enterprise system and entrepreneurship; by demonstrating civic leadership, and by their philanthropy and humanitarianism toward their fellow citizens.

Nominees must be retired for three years or more or be at least 65. A continuing list of nominees is maintained, and each year new names are added for consideration. Nominations from anyone are welcome.

For ticket information to the Alabama Business Hall of Fame, or to purchase tables, contact Diane Harrison, director of alumni and corporate initiatives at the Culverhouse College of Commerce, dharriso@cba.ua.edu, 205/348-2930.

Here are brief biographies of the 2012 inductees:

Richard E. Anthony

Richard E. Anthony, Retired Chairman of the Board and CEO of Synovus

Richard E. Anthony, 66, was chairman and chief executive officer of Synovus Financial Corp., a regional banking company headquartered in Columbus, Ga., with banking offices in Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee.

He received his bachelor’s degree in finance from The University of Alabama and his master’s in business administration from the University of Virginia. His banking career began at AmSouth Bank where he served as executive vice president. As a co-founder of First Commercial Bancshares in 1985, he helped lead the company’s expansion into Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery and Huntsville, using its Jasper community banking presence as a foundation.

Anthony was president of First Commercial Bancshares when it merged with Synovus in 1992. He became vice chairman of Synovus in 1996, overseeing Synovus’ banking operations. In 2003, he became president and chief operating officer, then taking over CEO responsibilities in 2005. In 2006 he was named chairman and CEO. His service at Synovus concluded in April 2012, when he retired as a board member.

His leadership responsibilities at Synovus covered a tumultuous period of financial stress, and he led the company through two major capital raises, a dramatic restructuring, and a successful spin-off of Total Systems Services, its credit card processing subsidiary.

Civic affiliations have included: president, Birmingham Kiwanis Club; captain, Monday Morning Quarterback Club; Leadership Birmingham; Leadership Alabama; The University of Alabama; The University of Alabama President’s Cabinet; the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration’s board of visitors; director of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama. He also led the United Way Campaign in Columbus, Ga. and was chairman of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce.

Anthony served on the board of directors of the American Bankers Association, the Financial Services Roundtable and Total Systems Services Inc.

John A. Caddell

Chairman of the Board, Caddell Construction  

John A. Caddell, 82, of Montgomery, was president and chief executive officer at Blount Construction and later founded Caddell Construction where he serves as chairman of the board.

Caddell Construction is a major player in domestic and international markets, including U.S. diplomatic facilities, federal courthouses, high-tech research and development centers, prisons, hospitals, airports, hotels, power plants, manufacturing facilities, military barracks and an even longer list of unique specialty projects.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in building construction from the Georgia Institute of Technology and attended Harvard Business School’s AMP Program, the University of Virginia Advanced Management Program, and the Top Management Briefing Course-American Management Association. He also attended Officer Engineer Technical School, USAF Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and served two years in the United States Air Force.

Caddell began his construction career as an estimator with Blount Construction in 1952. He was promoted to vice president of Blount in 1963, and he assumed duties of president and CEO from 1969 until 1983. Under Caddell’s leadership, Blount was responsible for some of the largest and most challenging projects in the world and attained a position of international prominence.

He established Caddell Construction Co. Inc. in 1983, which has since emerged as one of the most respected general contractors in the nation. Caddell Construction has completed more than $7 billion in public and private projects and received multiple national honors from construction industry peers. Caddell has become a premier contractor for U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide, including the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, and it is among a handful of U.S. general contractors with the sophisticated management and technical systems to effectively direct this type of especially challenging project.

Caddell Construction was recently ranked by the Engineering News Record as the 88^th largest U.S. general contractor; the 28^th largest U.S. design and build prime contractor; and among the top 30 “Green” contractors nationwide.

Caddell served as president and board member of the Montgomery Chapter of the Associated General Contractors and was a member of the Montgomery AmSouth Bank board of directors. He is a Lifetime Board Member and past president of YMCA and a member of the Montgomery Area Committee of 100. He has also served as a member of the board of the Alabama Baptist Foundation, the Montgomery Area United Way, and the advisory board at Auburn University at Montgomery, the advisory board for Georgia Institute of Technology, and the board of trustees at Samford University.

In 1998, he received the Distinguished Alumni Center Achievement Award from the Georgia Institute of Technology College of Architecture. He was selected by the Alabama Associated Builders and Contractors as the 2004 recipient of the Cornerstone Award for outstanding contributions to the construction industry; followed by election from the Associated General Contractors of Alabama to their Hall of Fame in 2005.

In 2010, he received the Frank Plummer Memorial Arts Award for outstanding support and contributions to the fine arts from the Montgomery Business Committee for Fine Arts.

T. Michael Goodrich

Former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, BE&K 

T. Michael Goodrich, 66, of Birmingham, was chairman and chief executive officer of BE&K, a top engineering and construction company headquarters in the Birmingham. The company is now part of Houston-based construction giant KBR. BE&K provided engineering and construction services to large complex industrial and commercial projects throughout the world.

During Goodrich’s tenure as CEO, the company had major offices in Wilmington, Del., Birmingham, Raleigh, N.C., Houston, Texas, Helsinki, Finland, St. Petersburg, Russia, and Kwidzyn, Poland.

Goodrich graduated from Tulane University with a civil engineering degree in 1968, and he received his law degree from The University of Alabama in 1971.

He serves on the board of directors of First Commercial Bank, Synovus Financial Corp., and Energen Corp. Following his service at BE&K, Goodrich started an investment management company, Goodrich Management Co.

Goodrich received the NOVA award by the Construction Innovation Forum and the Excellence in Construction Cornerstone Award by the Associated Builders and Contractors.

He is a longtime supporter of the Boy Scouts of America and served on its national board since 2001 and was chairman of the Greater Alabama Council in 2000. He is a former president of the Associated Builders and Contractors and a member of the National Academy of Construction. He is a member of Leadership Birmingham and Leadership Alabama.

He has been active with the Birmingham Civil Rights and Eisenhower Fellows. He is a member of the President’s Council at The University of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Goodrich served as a captain in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1971-1972, and is a member of the Alabama Academy of Honor and the Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame.

Goodrich is a member of South Highland Presbyterian Church where he has served as an elder and a deacon.

James S. Holbrook Jr.

Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Sterne Agee Group Inc.

James S. Holbrook, Jr., 67, of Birmingham, is chairman, president and chief executive officer of Sterne Agee Group Inc. He has remained at the helm of the investment bank for 22 years since the consolidation of its securities firm, Sterne, Agee & Leach Inc. with First Birmingham Securities Corp., the company Holbrook operated from 1970-1990.

Holbrook has kept the company’s headquarters in Birmingham, providing economic sustainability and employing more than 400 residents of the city and suburbs and more than 500 statewide. The company employs 1,300 people and operates across the United States.

Holbrook began his affinity for the investment world after receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree in business and finance from The University of Alabama. His first role was in the Public Finance Group at R.W. Knight & Company in 1966.

Throughout his career, he has served on the board of governors for the National Association of Securities Dealers (now FINRA), and was vice-chairman of the National Business Conduct Committee. During that time Holbrook also served on the Corporate Finance Committee, the Sanctions Guidelines Committee, the Statutory Disqualifications Committee and the Executive Committee.

At one point, he served as chairman of the District No. 5 Business Conduct Committee. Holbrook is also a member of the SIFMA Regional Firms Committee and Management Roundtable.

Holbrook’s civic involvement includes The University of Alabama President’s Cabinet, the Alabama Business Hall of Fame board of directors, past chairman of the board of visitors of the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration, and a member of the Commerce Executive Society. In 1999, Holbrook was made Honorary Member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the honor society at The University of Alabama serving business programs accredited by AACSB International.

To encourage the growth and development of the business community, Holbrook serves on the board of directors and the executive committee for the Birmingham Business Alliance and, in 2008, served on the board of trustees for the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce. He also is a member of the Alabama Council of Economic Education board, and he serves on the Robert E. Reed Gastrointestinal Oncology Research Foundation corporate board.

He has been a long-time member of The Newcomen Society, Alabama chapter and Toqueville Society, as a partner of United Way. 

E. Grace Pilot

Co-Founder, Pilot Catastrophe Services Inc.

 E. Grace Pilot of Mobile is the co-founder of Pilot Catastrophe Services Inc. and also serves as the secretary and treasurer. She has been active with the company in various capacities since its inception in 1983.

Pilot was born in Choctaw County, and she is the third eldest of 10 children. She is an active and past member of many organizations including the Alabama Baptist Children’s Home, American Society of Women Accountants and is an honoree of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society Award given to members who show exemplary leadership in the United Way and the community.

In 2005, Pilot was honored by Beta Sigma Phi as the First Lady of Mobile for her ideas and commitment to others through her daily acts of love, friendship and generosity.

The E. Grace Pilot Private Foundation supports her efforts to create a positive change in the communities which she lives and contributes to causes of eternal value. The Foundation provides financial support primarily in the areas of education, community needs and Christian ministry.

She has served as special adviser to the president of Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas and has been a generous benefactor to this university. In 1994, Howard Payne University honored her with the highest honor given by a university with an honorary Doctoral of Humanities degree. In 2010, “Grace Chapel,” on the campus of Howard Payne University, was named in her honor.

Pilot and her late husband, Walter D. Pilot Sr., founded the Pilot companies, working from their home the first years of business. It now has grown into the nation’s largest catastrophe adjusting firm. Today, Pilot Catastrophe Services Inc. employs thousands of employees in and outside of Alabama with the corporate office in Mobile and offices throughout the country.

Pilot is the proud mother of five children, 16 grandchildren and one great grandchild. She is a member of Luke 4:18 Fellowship Church.