No’Ala Magazine has chosen its nominees for its second Renaissance Awards. The award is designed to recognize people who live in our communities who very quietly go about the business of making a huge difference for all of us. We especially want to bring recognition to well rounded people who have become involved in multiple areas—the definition of a “Renaissance Person.”

There are five categories: Science & Medicine, Education, Service & Spirituality, Business & Leadership, and Arts & Culture. We present one award per category, and then our panel chooses one overall person as our Renaissance Person.  Their stories will be featured in the 2012 March/April issue of No’Ala.

Congratulations to our 2012 Nominees:

Arts & Culture
David Anderson, Economic Development Specialist, TVA
Rick Hall, Fame Studios
Bill Matthews, Retired UNA
Audwin McGee, Artist
Billy and Jeanne Reid, Billy Reid
Kathryn Rice, Volunteer and Ex-president, Kennedy-Douglass Volunteers, Artist

Education
Dr. Dorothy Hardy, Founder, The Intergenerational Writers Guild
Laurie Mitchell, Director, Mars Hill Bible School Show Choir
Dr. Randy Pettus, Executive Director, Shoals Scholar Dollars
Rebecca Rockhill, Chorus Director, Florence High School
Dr. Janet Womack, Florence Schools Superintendent

Business & Leadership
David D’Addario, CEO/Chairman, Wise Metals
Casey Jeffreys, Garden Gate Cafe
Silka Miller, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Residence Inn by Marriott
Bud Ward, Retired

Science & Medicine
Donna Johnson, Mitchell Hollinsworth Nursing Rehabilitation
Rhonda McGregor, Registered Nurse, ECM
Dr. Danl E. Spangler, Jr., Emergency Medicine Physician, ECM
Dr. Rob Webb, Staff Physician, Glenwood Health Care and Hospice of the Shoals

Service & Spirituality
Paul and Anne Bernauer
The Master Gardeners
Felice Green. Retired Professor, UNA
Megan Lovelace, Community Representative, American Cancer Society
Nancy Muse, Teacher and Community Organizer
Billy Warren, Florence City Schools; Founder, Alabama Renaissance Faire
Ginger and Josh Willingham, The Willingham Foundation

Do you love your pet as much as we love ours?

Do you have the cutest pup in the Shoals?

Why not find out?

No’Ala magazine is hosting a photo contest of Shoals area dogs to raise money for the creation of a local dog park!

Why? So your dog can socialize with his friends and roam without a leash!

How does it work? Costumed or not, we want to see dogs of all shapes, sizes, and personalities! Submit a picture of your furry friend to frances@atsa-usa.com before October 10th to be a part of this contest (please also include your mailing address and phone number). On October 11th, five dogs will be chosen as the finalists. The five finalists’ pictures will be on display at No’Ala’s costume party this October.

So who picks the winner? The winner will be voted on by donations from our friends at the party. Each pup’s pic will have its own donation box. Our party goers will vote for their favorite dog by placing their donation to the park in the appropriate box. Once voting is closed, the money will be counted and the dog who receives the most votes (donations) will be announced as the winner!

What does my pet get for winning? A photo shoot in No’Ala magazine, of course! The most popular pup will be featured in an upcoming issue of No’Ala. What more could your glamorous pooch want?

So come on, dog lovers of the Shoals! If you want a place for your pup to play, help us raise money for the Bark Park and get your pal a little recognition.  Think of us as the pupparazzi, and give your Best Friend his fifteen minutes of fame!

We had so many beautiful photographs, we decided to print four covers! Alyson Ray, shot by Robert Rausch, Brandi Lewis, shot by Goode Dethero, and Casy Jeffreys, shot by Armosa Studios.

As a magazine designer, you can’t possibly imagine what a treat it is do create this issue of No’Ala. It’s a little like Christmas—I get 32 surprises under my tree! That’s how many portraits we commissioned this year from eight exceptional local photographers who stunned us all once again with their skill and unique points of view. This year we asked a number of last year’s “beautiful people” to nominate up to 25 people they thought had that unique combination of physical and internal beauty. Like last year, some husbands, wives and siblings were nominated separately, so it was fun to group some of these people into one portrait. Our 40 beautiful people are as varied as the Shoals. Students, small business owners, musicians, fashion designers, chefs, doctors, coaches, and even one professional athlete make up the “Most Beautiful People in the Shoals,” starting on page 40. On the cover pictured below are Connor and Ben Fisher, shot by Robert Rausch at Cypress Creek. (Don’t miss the other three covers for this same issue! That’s right, we just couldn’t decide!)
—David