Words and Images by Jenny Lynn Davis
Former Alabama Senator Greg Reed was honored last week during a ceremony at the Jasper Civic Center recognizing the naming of the Interstate 22 bridges over the Mulberry Fork in Walker County in his honor.
A crowd of family members, friends, elected officials, current and former colleagues, and community members gathered for the ceremony, which State Senator Matt Woods led.
The bridges will bear the name Senator Greg Reed Bridge, honoring Reed’s nearly 15 years representing Senate District 5 and his continued service to the state as secretary of the Alabama Department of Workforce.
The ceremony began with an invocation from Jasper First Baptist Church Pastor Andy Frazier, who thanked Reed for his service to Walker County and Alabama.
“We’re so thankful for Greg Reed and what he means to each and every one of us, to our community, and to our state,” Frazier said.
Several of Reed’s former colleagues then spoke about his years in public office and his impact on Walker County.
Former State Representative Connie Rowe, who also once served as Jasper police chief, said naming a bridge for Reed was particularly fitting.
“If there was ever anything that could be named after Greg Reed, a bridge is so very appropriate, because he is a bridge builder,” Rowe said. “He’s a bridge builder for people, and he’s a bridge builder for this community.”
Rowe said Reed served as an important connection between Walker County and state government throughout his time in Montgomery.
“If Walker County ever needed a bridge to Montgomery, where there is funding and legal issues and a representative, although he was a senator, who would take them and their concerns there, Greg Reed is a bridge builder,” she said.
Rowe also noted Reed’s family connection to the area near the bridges, saying his grandparents once lived just above that portion of the river.
Former Senator Curt Lee, who said he and Reed have been friends for more than 30 years, thanked Reed for his leadership in Senate District 5 and across Alabama.
Lee praised Reed for leading with integrity and conviction and said he consistently worked to bring elected officials together.
“You’ve always had the attitude of, ‘What can we do to get along and move things forward?’” Lee said.
Former Alabama Senate Majority Leader Clay Scofield also spoke during the ceremony. Scofield and Reed were both elected to the Alabama Senate in 2010.
Scofield said Reed consistently kept his district’s interests at the center of his decisions in Montgomery.
“He went to bat for you for 15 years,” Scofield told the crowd.
Scofield called Reed “the gentleman from Walker” and also recognized Reed’s wife, Mitzi, and their family for the sacrifices they made throughout his years of public service.
Woods said Reed had also played an important role in his own path to public office.
“I would not be serving today — I’m quite confident of that — without the opportunities he’s created for me along the way to lead, serve, grow, and figure out what I wanted to do,” Woods said.
Woods said Reed demonstrated his leadership particularly during his time as president pro tempore of the Alabama Senate, when he was tasked with bringing together members with different ideas and priorities.
“It takes a leader who can bring people together and be that bridge builder, get everybody rowing in the same direction, and pass big budgets and hard legislation that make our state better,” Woods said.
During the ceremony, Woods read from the legislative resolution honoring Reed.
The resolution notes that Reed was born in Jasper and raised in Cordova, graduated from Walker County public schools, attended Walker College, and earned a degree from The University of Alabama.
Reed was first elected to the Alabama Senate in 2010 and was reelected in 2014 and 2018. He became Senate majority leader in 2015 and was elected president pro tempore in 2021.
He served as president pro tempore until November 2024, when he joined Governor Kay Ivey’s administration as senior advisor to workforce transformation. He now serves as Alabama’s first secretary of the Department of Workforce.
During his time in the Legislature, Reed worked on issues including Medicaid reform, economic development, workforce development, and rural enhancement.
Woods said all 35 members of the Alabama Senate, Republicans and Democrats alike, co-sponsored the resolution honoring Reed.
“Every one of them co-sponsored this resolution for you because they love you, and they know who you are and what you stand for,” Woods said.
A rendering of the Senator Greg Reed Bridge sign was unveiled during the ceremony before Reed addressed those in attendance.
Reed thanked the speakers, elected officials, and friends who attended before recognizing his family.
He became emotional while thanking Mitzi, his wife of 38 years, as well as his children, grandchild, mother, sister, and other family members.
“Their support for me, of me, and with me to do what I’ve chosen to do in service to others has been a great benefit for me, and I appreciate it so much,” Reed said.
Reed also thanked the members of his former Senate staff and his current staff at the Alabama Department of Workforce.
He closed by reflecting on his years representing the area.
“It is a privilege for me to have served Senate District 5 and to continue to serve the state of Alabama,” Reed said. “Serving Senate District 5 has been one of the greatest things in my life. Public service is never easy, but it’s always worth it.” WL
