Community Connect: Jerry Pow, Public Servant
By Sheila Duncan
If you don’t know this man, then where have you been all these years? I had the pleasure of chatting with Jerry Pow and asked him a few questions. Many of you probably know him well, but if not, now’s your chance to learn more about him. Let us see what Jerry had to say!
Tell us about yourself
I was born, raised and lived all my life in Brent. My dad had drowned in the military, so I was raised by a single mother, grandmothers, aunt, uncle and many people in town. I went to Bibb County High School and attended Montevallo University and Bessemer Tech. I met my wife through my next-door neighbors who were an elderly sick couple who had frequent visits from their son and granddaughter from Hale County. The granddaughter, Dina Creel, was encouraged by her grandmother to “go meet the young man next door” and that brief visit turned into a courtship and now a 46-year marriage. I served Bibb County as Mayor of Brent for 6 terms and as Bibb County Probate Judge for 15 years. Upon retirement I was appointed by the Alabama Supreme Court to fill in for probate judges who have to recuse themselves for various cases and I continue to help with such cases today. I have been a lifelong member of Brent Baptist Church and a member of Brent Voluntary Fire Dept, Brent Civitan Club, Bibb County Gideons, Bibb County Chamber of Commerce and serve on the Alabama Historic Iron and Steel Commission. My wife Dina retired after a 35-year career with Community Mental Health, Alabama Dept of Corrections and the Bibb County School District. We enjoy various hobbies and traveling and working in our church and community.
What was the most unusual or memorable case you presided over as a probate judge?
I once had a family come to Probate Court to settle an estate and divide property that had been left to 11 people. They had attempted 3 times to have deeds drawn up but would still not work together to settle the estate. I told them that if they didn’t agree on something soon that I would have a drawing to settle the division of property. They still would not agree on how to divide property, so I put 11 pieces of paper in a hat with their names on them and drew them out one at a time going down the list of available properties. Estate settled!!
If you could change one law or regulation within the probate system, what would it be and why?
Having been a local mayor before becoming judge, I knew the importance of how the county and cities needed to work together for the sake of the citizens. Unfortunately, in some small counties like Bibb County, the commission chairperson rotates from commissioner to commissioner every so many months which creates confusion for citizens and problems with communication and consistency. In most counties the commission is led by the countywide elected probate judge to avoid these issues. So, for me, I would have wanted the law to change to avoid Bibb County constantly changing out commission chairs. It is hard on local governments to swap out leadership every so many months just like you wouldn’t want to swap out your governor every so many months.
Did you ever have a case that changed the way you view the legal system or life in general?
Yes…….in a few situations we were handling cases that could affect young children. Adults would periodically want things that was best for themselves personally but not necessary what was best for the children themselves.
What advice would you give to someone who is about to start their first probate case?
Adhere to the law and seek out fellow probate judges if you have questions.
What’s the most daring or unusual rescue operation you’ve ever been a part of?
Through my 50 plus years of service there had been a variety of major fires that were considered high risk and dangerous for firefighters……but the most unusual rescue was a “lift and assist call” which meant a citizen or ambulance unit needed manpower to help get someone up off the ground or into an ambulance. We were called out once to help lift a 500 lb. naked lady who had fallen out of her bed and needed help getting back into the bed!
Is there a moment in your career as a fire chief that you’re particularly proud of?
Being able to supply our volunteer firefighters with the equipment they needed to do their job.
What was the most creative solution you and your team came up with during a difficult fire or rescue situation?
In the above case of the “lift and assist call”,…..to solve our issue with the naked lady on the floor, we had to have something to hold onto to get her up…. so, we had to get a blanket and roll her onto the blanket in order to lift her up into the bed.
What was the most challenging decision you had to make as mayor?
Raising taxes on citizens was not easy for me. Government and necessary services is funded by taxes and fees. Citizens want good services, but they often don’t want to have to pay for it. That was hard for me when I knew a lot of people had tight finances.
As mayor, what accomplishment are you most proud of for your community?
Creating jobs for our citizens was one of the most important. We were able to help locate several businesses and industry to Brent that are still employing citizens today.
Can you share a story of a time when you had to bring people together during a difficult period in your town?
Once as mayor we had a temporary minor problem with one of our water wells and were addressing it correctly per guidelines. However, a few people who did not have correct facts about the situation went ballistic and got upset and brought in a list of people they felt had died in the past from cancer from the recent well issue ……and a list of people “not yet dead” they might be dying. After looking at the lists we realized that some of the names on the “dead list” were not actually deceased! I broke the tension and told them that they had also forgotten to put me on the “not yet dead” list. We calmed the situation, and the matter got resolved but sometimes people act with emotion rather than accurate data or facts.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone who wants to become mayor?
Always remember you are a public servant and in a small city you are at the bottom of the totem pole and should be willing to serve in anyway you need to.
If you could have dinner with any historical figure who held the same roles as you—probate judge, fire chief, or mayor—who would it be and why?
Not really sure……but probably a deceased Mayor named Buddy Lavender. He was a hoot, very unique and you never knew what to expect of him.
What’s a fun fact about your time in public service that most people wouldn’t know?
I would sometimes make calls on the phone handling personal or business details and people would often ask me what I did for a living and when they found out I was the mayor of our town they thought they were talking to someone real important and I would get a laugh off that! I had to explain the difference in small town vs big city mayor!
Did you ever have a moment in any of your roles where you thought, “This could be a movie scene”?
MANY TIMES!!
How did you unwind after a particularly tough day in each of your roles?
Thank the Lord for another day completed and get ready for the next day.
If you could create a motto or slogan for your years of service, what would it be
Public Servant
