Ronda Hood for Colbert Commission/Sheffield Police

From Ronda Hood: 

It is my desire to represent the citizens of Colbert County District 2 as County Commissioner.  I feel that I can bring a new perspective and experience to the Commission and pledge to work with state, county, and city officials to help Colbert County reach our full potential to be the place of choice for people to live and raise their families.  

To reach Colbert County’s full potential I will work with other officials to:

• Maintain and support current business and industry
• Work recruit new businesses and industrial developments
• Support education and training opportunities
• Maintain proper infrastructure
• Provide for a safe environment
• Promote local tourism and social opportunities

I am originally from Hatton in Lawrence County where my parents, Henry and Dorothy Smith, still live.  My parents instilled a love for God, family, and country in our family. They taught us the value of hard work and giving back through community involvement.  My father was a UAW member for 36 years working at Ford Motor Company and General Motors. My mom raised 5 children in a clean, godly home and worked in a sewing factory before being employed as a school bus driver for 28 years.  I have one son who works in law enforcement and two beautiful grandchildren.  

I am a graduate of Hatton High School, Town Creek, AL, Calhoun Community College, Decatur, AL, and UAB’s School of Public and Allied Health, Regional Technical Institute for Health Occupations, and the 2014 Shoals Chamber of Commerce “Leadership Shoals” class.  Most recently completed a Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Professional Certificate Program through the University of South Alabama.  

As a licensed, registered respiratory therapist, I am employed as the Director of Cardiopulmonary Services at Helen Keller Hospital, with additional responsibilities as the Hospital Safety Officer, Director of the Sleep Disorders Center and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. My Safety Officer duties have me working with various committees and local agencies to provide a safe environment for the hospital patients, visitors, staff, and physicians.  The emergency preparedness side of this job has allowed me to work with local and state fire, law, health, and emergency response groups to coordinate an effective response plan should there be a natural disaster or other mass casualty type medical emergency situation.  I have worked at Helen Keller Hospital for over 25 years and was honored to have been named “Manager of the Year” in 1996 and again in 2014.

Although I have never run for an elected public office, I have served on many boards and in professional association positions.   I currently am working with the Alabama Department of Public Health, Region1 Healthcare Coalition to create mutual aid and regional response plans for all types of mass casualty and disaster related medical emergencies.

I have served on the Colbert County 911 Board of Directors since 2009 and I am very proud that Colbert County 911 has made many upgrades to the equipment and service provided by the department to better serve Colbert County citizens and first responders.

I graduated from the 2014 Shoals Chamber of Commerce “Leadership Shoals” class and made many new friends and contacts while learning more about the Shoals area.

Elected positions held in the Alabama Society for Respiratory Care (ASRC) have included president, treasurer, state legislative committee co-chairperson, and district representative.  I served 6 years as the Alabama Political Action Contact Team representative to Washington D.C. in support of healthcare initiatives.   I am currently serving my 4th elected term as the Alabama Delegate to the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) House of Delegates where I represent the interest of Alabama respiratory therapists to our national association.  I was awarded ASRC Life Membership in 2004.

After having served as the co-chairman for the ASRC Legislative Committee when we were able to see passage of the respiratory therapy licensure bill, I was appointed by the Governor to the first Alabama State Board for Respiratory Therapy (ASBRT) in 2003 where I served as Chairperson during the writing and implementation of the rules implementing the new law to license respiratory therapists in Alabama.  In 2015, I was reappointed to a new 4 year position on the ASBRT.  

Community agencies that I have volunteered with include Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, United Way, Helen Keller Hospital Foundation, Sidney’s Safe, and the American Lung Association.

I have spent the last 25 years working at Helen Keller Hospital and caring for the people of Colbert and surrounding counties.  It is my desire to work for and represent District 2 as Colbert County Commissioner.

I would appreciate your support!

*****

We're impressed with Ronda and wholeheartedly endorse her for Colbert County Commissioner District 2!

*****

Kudos to Sheffield Police!

Today the Shoals Insider broke a story about an attempted prisoner escape at Helen Keller Hospital earlier this month. One reader commented on FB that the prisoner should have been shot. We have no doubt that such situations place the general public at risk, and many escapees are automatically shot in order to keep the risks from escalating.

Yet Sheffield officers managed to subdue the prisoner by Tasing him. We frequently hear complaints about...and by...Sheffield Police, so we're extremely happy to be able to commend them for their actions in this incident that could have gone so horribly wrong.