Photos by Karim Shamsi-Basha.
Alex Dudchock is retiring as Shelby County manager after a 30-year tenure.
Of all the things Alex Dudchock has done during his almost 26 years as county manager for Shelby County, he still remembers two of his biggest disappointments.
One was not securing a conference facility and high-end hotel on the 280 corridor at U.S. 119 in 1992, and the second was not securing the James Hardy Corporation manufacturing operations center in Alabaster.
However, looking back over his tenure with the county, his coworkers say it’s almost impossible to encompass all the things he has done to make Shelby County a success. In about eight months — on March 31, 2020 — Dudchock will retire and close the book on his time leading the county.
Dudchock was initially hired for the personnel director position in 1988, then left to work for Bill Harbert International Construction for a few years before he was recruited back, at age 28, to be the county’s manager by county attorney Butch Ellis and County Commissioner Lindsey Allison.
“When I started out as county manager, there were areas that I did not have a lot of experience in and had to learn them, but I couldn’t see the lack of immediate knowledge as excuse not to get the job done,” he said.
Ellis has worked with Dudchock throughout his entire career with the county and said he has made it into the best managed county in the state and a role model for all county governments.
“Alex is probably the very best county manager in the entire country,” said Ellis, who has been the county attorney since 1964. “What we have here now, we couldn’t have had without Alex and an outstanding county commission that has recognized his ability and turned him loose.”
Tom Walker, president and CEO of American Village Citizenship Trust, described Dudchock’s devotion to the county and his sustained level of energy and commitment as truly remarkable.
“Alex can outthink and outwork just about everybody and he’s always looking ahead,” Walker said. “He is a humble guy who never seeks the limelight. He has no hidden agenda, what you see is what you get, and that is someone who is totally committed to the success of this county and each endeavor with which he is associated.”
Allison has worked with Dudchock for 27 years. She said other county commissions revere him for his work and the systems, foundations and administrations he has set up.
To say Dudchock’s list of responsibilities is extensive is an understatement.
It includes managing diverse departments and services, such as Juvenile Detention, Personnel Services, Business Revenue and License Offices, Community Services and facilities including the airport, Water Services and Building Codes and Land/Development Regulations. Every day for him is different, as he is pulled in many directions to serve each group.
Allison recalls when Dudchock called her several years ago to ask her to join him on the Chilton-Shelby Mental Health Board of Directors with a goal to transform it.
“He is an exceptional human being that has integrity of character that is beyond reproach. He is one of few people who has passed through this county whose footprint will be felt for years. He truly was able to make a difference,” she said.
Walker added, “Rare is the leader who singles out mental health as an important issue and who understands how mental health and drug issues reverberate throughout the fabric of our society, yet Alex has championed that, pushing for better solutions to truly dire widespread problems.”
Dudchock said throughout his entire career, he has taken pride in being responsive and resourceful. He attributes his work ethic to his parents, George and Betty.
The youngest of five children, Dudchock grew up in Graysville and attended Minor High School before going to Auburn University on a football scholarship, where he played defensive tackle under Coach Pat Dye from 1982 to 1986. He said the best thing that happened to him there was meeting his wife, Natalie.
After working for Russell Corporation right out of college, the couple moved in 1988 to Shelby County, where they raised their three sons, and have been there ever since.
Shelby County manager Alex Dudchock talks with Phillip Crunk, P.E. supervisor of inspection services.
Dudchock said even though it has been three decades, it has gone by fast. During the economic recession, he kept the county living within its means.
That meant doing many “pay-as-you-go projects.” If money was not spent during the year per line item and budget, those funds were pooled and used for capital improvements to help quality of life.
“One of the best compliments I received was that we were acting like we didn’t have less money,” he said. “We had millions less in revenue but still delivered services.”
His administrative assistant of almost 25 years, Kim Reynolds, said they have celebrated many successes and a few failures, but working for him has been a wonderful experience both personally and professionally.
“Alex has a gift of challenging his team’s thinking, requiring us all to explore different, new or improved ways to get a project done, and how we can best work together with others to achieve the objective,” she said.
Dudchock’s tenure has overseen construction of new facilities or expansions for the courthouse, the Sheriff’s Office and corrections, Shelby West Corporate Park, the County Services Building in Pelham, the Shelby County Fire and Emergency Medical Training Complex, business license offices, the Shelby County airport, new South Water Treatment Plant and more than 20 public parks.
“We did it as a team, and I have had the pleasure of being part of it,” Dudchock said. “I can’t over-emphasize the importance of who you surround yourself with.”
County Engineer Randy Cole has worked with Dudchock for almost 30 years and describes him as one of the most honest people with the strongest work ethic he has ever met.
“Alex’s vision for Shelby County has been truly amazing,” Cole said. “I think history will show his biggest impact is what Shelby County has become.”
Chief Development Officer for Shelby County Chad Scroggins interviewed with Dudchock 16 years ago and knew he wanted to work with the county after meeting him.
“I’ve been able to watch his integrity and know he is always looking at what’s best for the county,” Scroggins said. “By watching that, I’ve been able to learn to implement that same kind of culture within the business units I manage.”
Fast talking and animated, Dudchock’s passion for his job may seem intimidating, but he is anything but. He is kind, approachable and thrives on working on multiple projects simultaneously.
“A lot of people don’t like my intensity, until they see my goals are to be responsive and deliver. I don’t cherish having to tell people no, but also don’t want to mislead them and have learned to be upfront,” he said.
Before announcing his impending retirement at the March 11 County Commission meeting, Dudchock said he did a four- to eight-month soul search and asked himself if he could continue to do his job at the level he expected of himself.
In his resignation letter he wrote, “I can no longer meet my personal expectations and maintain the productivity level that must be achieved for our country’s continued prosperity.”
Dudchock said he plans to continue working in some capacity, and the next chapter of his work life will be more narrowly defined, with fewer physical and mental demands than his current responsibilities.
He plans to finish strong and assist in an effective transition plan to his successor. Applications for the position were taken through May 8, and once someone is hired, Dudchock will help them make a smooth transition.
He plans to continue serving as president of the Chilton-Shelby Mental Health Board and in his roles with the Birmingham Business Alliance, the United Way of Central Alabama’s board of directors and the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce.
Walker said Dudchock’s legacy in Shelby County cannot be fully summed up right now because it’s so far-reaching and highly impactful.
“If ever there was a public servant — a city or county manager or administrator — who exemplified the highest standards of professionalism in America, it’s Alex Dudchock. He can recite all the great things happening in this county. That’s because for 25 years he’s had a huge part of them,” Walker said.
