BCU, commissioners host annual Day of Thanks

By John Underwood / john@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 12/3/18

ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — Baldwin County United, in conjunction with the Baldwin County Commission and the city of Robertsdale, hosted the annual Day of Thanks Celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at the …

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BCU, commissioners host annual Day of Thanks

Posted

ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — Baldwin County United, in conjunction with the Baldwin County Commission and the city of Robertsdale, hosted the annual Day of Thanks Celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at the Baldwin County Central Annex, 22251 Palmer St., Robertsdale.

BCU President Warren Hopper and Robertsdale Mayor Charles Murphy welcomed guests, along with the Presentation of Colors and Pledge of Allegiance by the Robertsdale High School Junior ROTC, blessing by the Rev. Jonathan Hart, pastor of the Robertsdale United Methodist Church.

Hopper thanked outgoing commissioners Tucker Dorsey, Chris Elliot and Frank Burt, while welcoming new commissioners Billy Jo Underwood, James E. “Jeb” Ball and Joe Davis III, along with incoming Chairman Charles F. “Skip” Gruber.

Mayor Charles Murphy also welcomed guests. Guest speaker for the breakfast was Aaron Beam, former chief financial officer of HealthSouth out of Birmingham who now travels the country speaking on ethics in business.

A native of Louisiana, Beam co-founded Healthsouth and served as the company’s first CFO from 1984 to 1996. In 1996, he took part in an accounting fraud at the company and in 2003, pled guilty to the crime and served time in federal prison.

In 2008, he began speaking on ethics in business and has since traveled the country, speaking to more than 500 different groups including universities, associations, companies, churches and civic groups.

As part of his talk, Beam focused on a painting from a friend of a little girl that he named “Ethel,” that is prominent in his home and on his website.

“I have a painting of Ethel hanging in my home,” he said. “I look at it every day. It is a reminder to me to always be ethical. I suggest that you should all have a reminder in your life that you should always be ethical. What amount of unethical behavior is acceptable? The answer is none. There is no amount of unethical behavior that is acceptable.”