GULF SHORES, Ala. — “We sat across from each other at Hardees and talked. After hearing the first of many of his stories, I waited for the punch line. After all, he is Steve Martin.

Instead, I heard a very educated, dedicated and philosophical individual tell me about his life and all he’d accomplished to date. I sat in total wonder as he explained his love of his past and his hopes for the future of both his family, and for the city of Gulf Shores.

He began by summarizing his life as several years in journalism and communications, several years in higher education, several in health care and a few years in sales, just for the experience. On top of that, he spent 26 years in Public Service as an elected member of the Shelby County School Board near Birmingham. 

Steve grew up in the North Mississippi town of Aberdeen. After graduation from high school, he attended Mississippi State University. Not finding satisfaction, he learned about Gulf Coast Junior College (now Gulf State College) in Panama City, Florida. The curriculum was pretty loose which gave him the opportunity to pursue language and science.   

After leaving the Gulf Coast, he set his sights on the Pacific Coast where he planned to finish college at the University of Hawaii. Plans were made to go out there when his dad, a dentist, was killed in an auto accident. Steve was forced to make his first adult decision. He did, and it was to stay home, take care of his mom and younger sister.

After another semester at Mississippi State, he decided to drop college for awhile. Walking into the office of the local Aberdeen newspaper, at 21 years old, he said, “I need a job, and I think I can write.” He became the proof-reader, photographer, typesetter and writer for the newspaper. Of that experience, Steve says, “I learned a lot”. Every day there are lessons to be learned.

One day the editor asked Steve if he would go with him to a local fire. Busy with typesetting and proofing, he turned down the invitation. Turns out, it was an arson/murder case that was front page news. The perpetrator was a triple amputee. It turned into an interesting case. From that experience, Steve learned to never say ‘no”.

One day, he reluctantly agreed to take a photo at the local library. A teacher and her students were touring the historic library. Little did Steve know, but the teacher he met that day was to be his future bride. 

They married June 5^th 1970. 

Steve loved the newspaper business. For various reasons, he eventually moved to the competing Aberdeen Examiner as managing editor. After nearly three years there, he and Linda were ready for new challenges and new surroundings. He applied to the Jackson Mississippi Daily News. That interview gave him a lead on a newspaper in Sumter County, Alabama and a job as Managing Editor. He was hired and worked for them for three months until an opportunity at a competing newspaper put Steve in the editor’s chair. Working for them was different this time. He had financially invested in the paper, and became a company partner.

While in Livingston, Steve and Linda had built their first house and welcomed their two daughters.

Steve worked at the newspaper for three years when a job opened up at the University of West Alabama. He was placed in charge of Public Relations/Information, photography, media, the printing department, and advisor to the student newspaper and school yearbook, as well as an adjunct college professor.

With the help of another professor, Steve started the Journalism Minor program at the University. He taught photography and Graphic arts.   During this period, he enrolled in the External Degree program at the University of Alabama, and even wrote a major paper on Egyptian History.  

He got his Bachelor’s Degree from Alabama, on the Dean’s list with all A’s in every class. Finishing his degree and working at UWA, he was recruited into healthcare at Shelby County Baptist Medical Center in Alabaster. He was told to do what was necessary to change the image of the hospital, and for the next 8 years he did.

During this time he made the decision to get involved in political office. He ran for the School Boar, and ended up serving for the next 26 years — the longest tenure of any board member in the County. 

While serving, Steve helped guide the fastest growing school system in the fastest growing county in the State. The district’s student population doubled, it’s schools doubled, and the budget grew to nearly $500 million dollars annually. He accepted the responsibility, and believed his job was to protect the public’s interest, and their funds. He was hard headed and tough in his decisions and tried to do what he felt was best for all concerned. End result was he was re-elected over and over again. 

After leaving the hospital, Steve went back to his first love. He bought a small monthly newspaper. He formed the Oak Mountain Publishing Company, and ran the Community Messenger newspaper. He co-authored a book on  Shelby County through the company while serving on the school board.

Steve first visited Gulf Shores in 1973, and in 1979, he found the opportunity to purchase a house on Second Avenue. He closed on the house three months before Hurricane Fredrick devastated the Gulf coastline.

The house survived the hurricane, and all other storms and hurricanes since then. They still own it and presently live in the house. They’re considering adding a little more space . 

As the years passed, they spent many vacations down this way. Finally, He felt it was time to retire and move down permanently to the town they have loved for 35 years. They sold their home in Birmingham and headed south. 

Living in Gulf Shores, they joined the Coastal Business Chamber feeling that they could contribute something to the city with their backgrounds and knowledge. Both are chamber Ambassadors and attend all the ribbon cuttings, assist at concerts, attend events and do whatever they can to help when needed. Linda is a board member and Secretary of the South Baldwin Newcomer’s Club. It’s one of the largest organization on the Gulf Coast. Through his wife’s membership, Steve is allowed to enjoy the organizational benefits such as the dinner club group with which they associate. Steve said he has met so many nice people that live in our area through the Newcomers.

Steve feels it’s his civic duty to stay informed on what’s going on in our community. He’s not here just as a place to live, but he’s here to share his experiences, and help make this a better place to live. Last month he met with the Mayor and City Administrator to discuss what was going on in his area, and make suggestions for solutions to some of the problems. He’s an activist of the best kind. He is a strong believer in constructive criticism.  He loves this area which motivates his activities. 

He commented that the Island including Perdido has more wildlife, including microscopic, than anywhere else in the country. That includes everything from bugs to the coyote that ate his cat.

Steve's mom is still going strong at 94. He has an older brother, Robert, who’s retired from Brown-Root, and a younger sister, Marissa, who just retired from teaching Special Needs children. He and Linda have two daughters. One married daughter, Stephanie, a Graphic Artist, lives north of Atlanta (she called to tell Steve that her husband just bowled two 300 games), and daughter, Malinda, living in Orlando (her husband is in Human Resources management at Disney), who’s about to have her third baby. 

Steve told me as soon as I was finished with the interview; he and Linda were headed south to be in Orlando when the daughter had the baby. Steve believes in family. He says his is close even though geographically they live a ways apart. 

Steve says he’s into the next chapter in his life. “That chapter is to work and help Gulf Shores sustain its greatness.” He’ll answer any call to help, be it to help clean the beach to giving input to city planning. He’s happy to be in Gulf Shores, and Gulf Shores is fortunate to have him. 

I’m proud to have him for a friend.