BY LANDI RUTLEDGE
FOR THE OBSERVER
OPELIKA — Southern Union State Community College held a dedication ceremony on Jan. 26, naming the Gary Fuller Business and Technology Center in honor of longtime Opelika leader and businessman Gary Fuller.
A native of Dadeville, Fuller is married to his wife, Laura, and they have two children, Jenny and Gary.
Fuller founded and later sold the Fuller Broadcasting Company before entering public service. He was elected mayor of Opelika in 2004 and went on to serve five consecutive terms, retiring at the conclusion of his final term in 2025.
Gretchen VanValkenburg, executive director of advancement and community relations at SUSCC, led the ceremony and opened the program with remarks highlighting Fuller’s career and contributions to the community. Although she worked with Fuller for a year and a half, since being at SUSCC, VanValkenburg said she met him and Laura, about 11 years ago. Excited to get a chance to work more closely, she congratulated Fuller on his recognition.
The invocation was given by Dr. Nolan Donald, senior pastor at Opelika First Methodist Church.
Valerie Gray, chair of the Alabama Community College Board of Trustees, spoke of the many titles that Fuller goes by, saying that he will always be the mayor in her eyes.
“Those are things that people that leave a thumbprint or impact on your life, that you always remember,” Gray said. “A husband, a father, a mentor, a small business owner, a leader and a mayor. Those are just a few names that come to mind when you speak about my friend Gary Fuller, a proud Southern Union alumni.”
Gray recalled some of the achievements Fuller has made during his term as the mayor of Opelika. Some of which include allowing Opelika to see more than 5,700 new industrial jobs and over $2.6 billion in new capital investments.
“Those terms can be marked by major industrial growth, downtown revitalization and record-breaking capital investment,” Gray said. “Now, personally for me, this is what I’m passionate about. I’m not ashamed to say, that my business partner had a huge part in [it]. He was always good at finding people who knew what they were doing, and for that, I’m grateful. You helped me find one of my very best friends and colleagues.”
Some of the companies Gray mentioned making a impact include Mando, Golden State Foods, Pharmavite, Miele and Niagara Bottling.
She shared that she believes the community college system is in the best shape it’s ever been in and has some great things planned for the upcoming years.
Gray said the city’s industrial park has expanded, attracting both national and international employers, thus boosting the local economy and creating opportunities for residents.
Fuller, passionate about industrial growth, infrastructure upgrades, housing expansion and the creation of the Opelika sportsplex and Aquatic Center, was honored for his leadership, mentorship and commitment to continuing the legacy of the city.
The chancellor of the board and the Alabama Community College System (ACCS), Jimmy Baker, spoke about his background in education and his perspective of the schools, at the time, expressing that SUSCC needed a change. With a little help from Jeff Lynn, president of Central Alabama Community College (CACC), Baker settled on Fuller.
Baker shared that after getting a chance to know Fuller, he saw he was a leader focused on community support.
“He’s a community leader — he’s smart he understands the world of work, and he understands being kind to people,” Baker said. “Those two guys convinced me that you don’t have to always be traditional in the world of education, if you find people who are willing to do the work and solve the problems. And I’m so excited about what has happened at this community college. It is something I talk about all over the state and outside of the state and it has been a wonderful, wonderful experience and I place a lot of the responsibility and the courage to make the choice that I made with the mayor.”
Todd Shackett, president of SUSCC, shared that he has lot to be indebted to Fuller.
“Neither one of us ever figured I’d end up here, but with his leadership and support, I’m thankful to you Gary,” he said. “But I’m so proud to be part of Team Opelika, and every team needs a coach. And I would say Gary, you’re the Nick Saban of mayors in terms of your being our coach here in Opelika and the great success we’ve had over the last many years. I think it’s only appropriate that this building, particularly, be named after you. First of all, it’s our most visited building from the community. The Southern Room here is a host of many events, but your history as a businessman, your personal success in the business world in radio, the business you brought to Opelika and how you’ve thrived since that point, it’s so appropriate. [Being] the first Gig City and these industries that we brought in are high-tech industries. And I know Southern Union and my students, our students, benefit from all those jobs you helped create and the technology that we teach them and their ability to be successful in great part to your efforts getting those businesses here.”
City of Opelika Mayor, Eddie Smith, congratulated Fuller as a dear friend.
“You’re not only a respected leader, but a dear friend,” he said. “I have watched you dedicate your life to strengthen this community through education, workforce development and steady, thoughtful leadership. You always understood that great opportunities, great communities, are built on access to education and opportunity, and nowhere is that belief more evident than your lifelong commitment to Southern Union. As a graduate of this institution, you work tirelessly to ensure Southern Union remains strong, independent and positioned to serve future generations… Opelika is a better place because of Gary Fuller, and we have generations to come that will benefit from the foundation you helped build.”
At the conclusion of the ceremony, Fuller expressed his gratitude to many friends and colleagues who have made his success possible.
“I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the incredible honor of having this building named after me,” he said. “I’m humbled and I’m deeply appreciative of this recognition… This is a significant experience for me, especially when I think about the impact that Southern Union had on my life and the impact it’s had on the community. This great community college, Southern Union, represents opportunity, determination and hope for so many individuals and families and to be associated with an institution that changes lives every day is more than I ever expected.”
Fuller credited all of the work he has done over his 21 years as a group effort.
“You’ve heard me say this many, many times, that we’re all in this together, good times, bad times, in between times. And I’ve said that our success at Opelika, what we’ve done over the past 21 years, was a result of teamwork,” he said.
