Wetumpka resident and native Jenny Stubbs is one of her hometown’s loudest cheerleaders; she turned her passion for making the city a better place to live into a job, leading Main Street Wetumpka and its efforts to revitalize downtown from 2016 until 2021 and helping Wetumpka score one of its biggest wins – being the focus of HGTV’s “Home Town Takeover” show.
Stubbs may be retired from that role, but she’s not stopped creating and her love of Wetumpka and the entire region, including its rich history, lovely landscapes and fascinating people, still drives her current endeavors. She’s recently turned her attention to writing (an art she’s been honing for decades) and is telling Southern culture stories in multiple publications, with broader plans for her creative future. “I want to delve into a more narrative-driven work and have some projects in mind,” she said. Stay tuned.
Personal Best
I\’m proud to have helped lead the charge to get Wetumpka on national television [via “Home Town Takeover’], but my proudest accomplishment is creating a nationally recognized placemaking project that significantly increased access to public art and instilled pride of place within the community. I’m also proud to have written for national publications and organizations, interviewed celebrities and even worked at Sundance Film Festival, but my most cherished passion project has to be “My Wetumpka: A Picture Book Love Story,” a photo-history book I authored about my hometown. Erin and Ben Napier endorsing it was the cherry on top.
Top Tip
Find your balance. It\’s important to love what you do and find fulfillment in your career path, but be sure to balance it with other joys in life. Sometimes this means being flexible, being willing to listen to others or prioritizing what means most to you.
Write Now
I have a great passion for learning about people and places and telling those stories as a writer. Currently, my particular focus is on completing a fellowship with the Appalachian Leadership Institute, an initiative of the Appalachian Regional Commission. There are about 40 of us representing all 13 Appalachian states, which stretch from Mississippi up to New York. Learning from scholars, preservationists, economic developers, entrepreneurs and nonprofits working to improve quality of life has been inspiring.
Helping Hand
Even if I wasn\’t married to a public official [her husband Troy is a past Elmore County Commissioner and now, a freshman representative in the Alabama Legislature], having four kids keeps me busy volunteering. My husband has volunteer coached all of our children in various sports, and the Greater Montgomery YMCA is an organization we love to support. I\’m an advocate for small towns and consistently work with communities on historic preservation projects. I’m also on the Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts board and volunteer with Main Street Wetumpka.
Firm Foundation
When my mother, who was an inspiration and amazing example of service to me, lost her battle with pancreatic cancer in 2015, it was one of the most challenging times in my life. My husband Troy encouraged me to turn my grief into strength. I began running to help deal with her loss. I ran my first half-marathon within a year and ran a marathon within two years. This was absolutely something I would have never thought possible before. His unwavering belief in me is such a blessing.
Fulfilled
I am a perpetual student and love discovering new places, cultures and perspectives. Whether it\’s through economic development, tourism or other quality of life factors, helping foster pride of place encourages others to consider the potential we can each contribute to our communities. The opportunities I\’ve been given to tell these stories has been immensely rewarding.
Love List:
- Shop: Company Street Mercantile
- Coffee Stop: Restoration Coffee House
- Quote: “You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one.\” – James Anthony Froude
