OUTSTANDING GRADUATES: Six AHS alumni recognized at 15th annual induction ceremony

The City of Andalusia on Friday hosted the 15th induction ceremony of the W. Robert Brown Andalusia High School Outstanding Graduate Awards.

This year’s honorees were Hollis Kelley, Jr.; Deidre W. Smith, Dr. Zack Studstill, Bill Tunnell, Sue Williams Wiggins, and James Arthur Wilson.

Hollis Kelley Jr., Class of 1984, is a financial advisor and limited partner for Edward Jones, who also is known in his profession as a mentor. Forbes named him Best Wealth Advisor in 2022, 2023, and 2024. He is a graduate of Auburn University and the College for Financial Planning. He has been active as a coach and board member for Little League and other youth organizations, and in his church, St. Stephen Catholic in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

Deidre W. Smith, Class of 1988, is the Deputy Director, Civil Rights Zone V, for the U.S. Forest Service, where she has worked for 30 years. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Alabama A&M University and a master’s from Strayer University. She often mentors students, and has reached back to Andalusia to help more than a dozen students earn scholarships, stipends and internships.

Dr. Zack Studstill, Class of 1956, practiced dentistry for 42 years in Montgomery before becoming the executive director of the Alabama Dental Association, where he served for 12 years. He also earned a master’s degree in counseling from Auburn University while practicing dentistry, and used it in his church’s family counseling program. He was inducted into the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame, and received the American Dental Association’s Distinguished Service Award, its highest honor.

Bill Tunnell, Class of 1964, spent 20 years as the executive director of the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, which has documented 20 million visits. During his tenure as executive director, and later as executive director and Battleship Commission Chairman (2020-2024), many additions and repairs were made to the Park. He was the first inductee into the Alabama Tourism Hall of Fame. He earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of the South, and completed additional studies at the University of South Carolina School of Law.

Sue Williams Wiggins, Class of 1968, has spent a lifetime bringing art to the public. She founded her own company which created and maintained corporate art collections across the United States. A graduate of the University of Alabama, Wiggins recently returned to Andalusia where she founded Air Artist, Inc., and opened the Cotton Street Gallery.

James Arthur Wilson, Class of 1923, spent a career in education, but is most well known for the 18 years he served as principal of Andalusia High School, where his pursuit of excellent teaching was unrelenting, and where he inspired students to reach their fullest potential. He was a member of the first AHS football team, and is credited with restarting the storied program after World War II. He also was a WWII-era veteran of the Army Signal Corps.

Although the award had previously been presented posthumously when a recipient died after being selected as an outstanding graduate, this year marked the first time the committee made a posthumous selection. When the committee began to consider posthumous selections, it unanimously agreed Wilson should be the first selection.

The Andalusia High School Outstanding Graduate Award was established in 2007 by the Class of 1948 Foundation, now the Andalusia High School Scholarship Foundation. The award is designed to honor those graduates of Andalusia High School, Woodson High School and Ralph Bunche High School whose personal lives, professional accomplishments and community service exemplify the ideals of Andalusia High School.

Mayor Earl Johnson chairs the committee. To make a nomination for the award, contact Michele Gerlach at michele.gerlach@cityofandalusia.com.