Senator Jim McClendon

Senator Jim McClendon was elected to the Alabama Senate in the general elections held November 4, 2014 after serving three terms in the Alabama House of Representatives.

He is married to the former El Tate of Arab and they live on the family farm in St. Clair Springs. Dr. McClendon did his undergraduate work at Birmingham Southern College and has his doctorate from the University of Houston. He served in the Navy Medical Service Corps in Viet Nam and afterwards taught clinical optometry at UAB. He was in private practice in Leeds and Moody for many years.

Senator McClendon is a past president of the Alabama Optometric Association and a former board member of St. Anne"s Home, and the Jefferson County Health Planning Commission. He was a founding director of the Davis Lake Fire Department and serves on several committees at First United Methodist Church of Springville.

You can contact Senator Jim McClendon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Click here to see sponsored legislation and standing committee appointments.

Senator J. T. "JABO" Waggoner

Senator Waggoner, born in Birmingham, Alabama, on January 8, 1937, is serving his 8th term in the Senate after serving from 1966-1983 in the House of Representatives. Senator Waggoner received his BA degree from Birmingham Southern College and his JD degree from Birmingham School of Law. He and his wife, Marilyn, are the parents of four children and grandparents of seven and one great grandchild.Senator Waggoner is a Republican and a member of the Homewood Church of Christ.

He serves on the following boards: Executive Committee of Birmingham Business Alliance; Faulkner University Board of Trustees; Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau; Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. He is a member of Hoover, Homewood, Shelby County, Vestavia Hills Chambers of Commerce; 50-Year member Civitan International; member of Masons and Shriners organizations; member of the Monday Morning Quarterback Club. He was inducted into the Birmingham Southern College Sports Hall of Fame, 2007, and received the Birmingham Southern Distinguish Alumni in 2013.

Senator Waggoner served as Senate Minority Leader from 2002-2010.

Senator Waggoner served as Senate Majority Leader from December 8, 2010 – 2014.

Senator Waggoner has the longest record of service, of any legislator in the history of Alabama.

Senator Waggoner is the Recipient of the Ronald Reagan Lifetime Achievement Award, 2012, and the 2013 Alabama State Council of the Arts Council Legacy Award.

He has also received numerous other awards and recognitions for his service in the Alabama Legislature.

He serves on the following Senate committees:

    Rules – Chairman
    Confirmations – Vice Chair
    Jefferson County Local Legislation – Chairman
    Banking & Insurance
    Finance & Taxation Education
    Finance & Taxation General Fund

You can contact Senator J. T. "JABO" Waggoner at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Click here to see sponsored legislation and standing committee appointments.

Senator Cam Ward

Senator Cam Ward was elected to the Alabama Senate in the general election on November 2, 2010 after serving two terms in the Alabama House of Representatives. He was born March 24, 1971. In 1993, he earned his B.S. Degree from Troy State University and in 1996 earned his J.D. from Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham. Cam is married to the former Lindsey Clements. They reside in Alabaster with their daughters, Riley and Clements.

Senator Ward is an attorney, specializing in economic development and is currently the Executive Director of the Industrial Development Board of Alabaster. He is also active in numerous community and civic activities. He serves on the Board of Directors for Leadership Shelby County, The American Village, and is President of the Alabama Law Institute. Senator Ward is also a member of the Alabama Bar Association and State Executive Committee for the Alabama Republican Party. He is a member of the Church of the Highlands.

 You can contact Senator Cam Ward at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Click here to see sponsored legislation and standing committee appointments.

Representative Jim Carns

Representative Jim Carns is beginning his sixth term in the House.

Representative Carns is a graduate of the University of Alabama and holds a B.S. Degree in Engineering.

He enjoys golf, walking and reading.

Representative Carns is married, has three children and six grandchildren.

You can contact Representative Jim Carns at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Click here to see sponsored legislation and standing committee appointments.

Representative Dickie Drake

Representative E. Richard (Dickie) Drake was first elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in a special election in 2011.

He served 42 years in the military and is a retired U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant. During that time, he served in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Kosovo, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Representative Drake flew 102 combat sorties with over 500 hours of combat time. He has 31 military awards including: Meritorious Service Medal; Air Medal with 4 devices; Aerial Achievement Medal with 2 devices; Air Force Commendation Medal with 2 devices; Air Force Achievement Medal with 2 devices; Southwest Asia Service Medal with star; Kosovo Campaign Medal; Afghanistan Campaign Medal; and Iraqi Campaign Medal. Among his awards are the coveted Colonel Leo Thorsness Veteran Award and the National Patrick Henry Award.

Representative Drake participates in numerous charitable and philanthropic community groups, coached youth baseball 17 years, and serves on the Jefferson County Republican Executive Committee. He is past president and current board member of the Leeds Historical Society as well as a current board member of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce. He is also past vice-president of the Leeds Jaycees; past president of Leeds Youth Baseball where he served two terms; charter member of Leeds Exchange Club; member of the Chief’s Council, 117 ARW, and a member of the E-9 Association of the State of Alabama. He serves as a member of the advisory board for Lehigh Hanson as well as for Three Hots and a Cot, an organization for homeless veterans. Representative Drake is a member of the Military Stability and Job Creation Commission. He is also a Deacon of the Leeds First Baptist Church.

He has been married to the former Anita Smith for 44 years and they have two sons; Heath (Ashley) and Jared; five grandchildren: Lexi, Jackson, Colin, Colton and Addye. Both of his sons serve our country in the military as officers; Heath as a Company Commander (MP) USAR and Jared as a Pilot (Aircraft Commander and IP) USAF.

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Click here to see sponsored legislation and standing committee appointments.

Representative Corley Ellis

Representative Corley Ellis is a life long resident of Shelby County and 1989 graduate of Shelby County High School.  After high school, he received an undergraduate degree in business and his Masters in Business Administration from Auburn University.

Prior to being elected to the Alabama House of Representatives, Corley served as the Shelby County Commissioner for District 1 for 10 years.  He was elected by his peers to serve as the Chairman of the Shelby County Commission for 2 years.  Corley is also owner of Ellis Properties, Inc. which is a real estate brokerage firm.

Through the years, Corley has served on numerous professional and non-profit boards including, The Jefferson and Shelby County Board of Directors for the American Cancer Society, The Board of Directors for the CAWACO  RC&D, Shelby County Arts Council, Safehouse of Shelby County, The Assoc. of County Commissions' Public Works and Rural Transportation Steering Committee, The Assoc. of County Commissions' County Admin. Steering Committee, South Shelby Chamber of Commerce and many others.   

Corley was Chairman for the South Shelby Relay for Life and currently works closely with the American Cancer Society & Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on both of their fundraising efforts.

Corley is married to Julie Harris Ellis and they are the proud parents of a beautiful 5-year old son named Jamison.

Rep. Ellis is a Member of the Local Legislation, Financial Services, and Shelby County Legislation Committees.

You can contact Representative Ellis at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Click here to see sponsored legislation and standing committee appointments.

Representative Allen Farley

Representative Allen Farley was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives on November 2, 2010.

He attended Jefferson State Junior College and Jacksonville State University, and is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Representative Farley had a 36 year career in law enforcement, the last seven of which he served as Assistant Jefferson County Sheriff.

He currently serves as Chairman of the Auxiliary Board of the Jefferson County Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center.

He is married to Muriel Farley and they have three daughters and ten grandchildren.

The Farley’s are members of Grace Life Baptist Church in McCalla.

You can contact Representative Farley at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Click here to see sponsored legislation and standing committee appointments.

Representative Arnold Mooney

Rep. Arnold Mooney is the son of Arnold and Lillian Mooney. He was born in Montgomery, Alabama where he attended public school and graduated from Sidney Lanier High School. Following his high school, he attended Samford University in Birmingham and was subsequently awarded undergraduate and graduate degrees with highest honors in political science and history.

During his time at Samford he served as Student Government Association President and interned at the Alabama Legislature. He studied abroad at the University of Oxford (England), as a Rotary Scholar sponsored from the Rotary Club of Birmingham and as a Scottish Rite Foundation Fellow in post graduate study in the School of Government and Business Administration at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

His experience in government and political activities, comes from having served as a Staff Assistant for Alabama’s United States Senator James B. Allen, running Congressman Albert Lee Smith’s United States Senate campaign, as well as, Alabama legislative races for the House and Senate. He served as Chairman for the last 12 years of his predecessor’s Rep. Mary Sue McClurkin campaigns for Alabama State House District 43.

Rep. Mooney is a career Commercial Realtor, holding the CCIM designation, currently Associate Broker with Southeast Commercial Partners and formerly a Vice President with Colonial Properties Trust for 27 years. He is Life Member and Vulcan Award Recipient for Club of Excellence/Commercial Million Dollar Sales Club of the Birmingham Association of Realtors. Rep. Mooney boasts more than 30 years of experience serving small businesses and fifteen years of experience developing and implementing jobs programs through the Workforce Invest Board.

Rep. Mooney has been married to his wife Kelly for 31 years; has three grown children, a grandson, and a granddaughter. In November 2014, Rep. Mooney was elected to his first term in the Alabama House of Representatives.

You can contact Representative Mooney at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Click here to see sponsored legislation and standing committee appointments.