The Beauty Of Birmingham Water
In this post 911 era, with its frustrating TSA boarding experience, its difficult to travel in style. However, one can always travel with class. A prime example is Sellers, Alabama native and cur
rent Public Relations Specialist & Spokesperson Rick Jackson. Often times, people’s opinion are formed at a mere glance several feet away. As a former news reporter, he knows that image is everything.
“It’s as important for every man to have at least one good suit as it is important for a man to have underwear. I’d even go as far as saying that you should have at least two, a black one and a grey or navy one”, he says. The Birmingham transplant admits that he’s not big on labels, but is very fond of Kenneth Cole, Ralph Lauren, Yves Saint Laurent, Banana Republic, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, and Givenchy. However, he regularly patrons Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Belk’s, and Jos. A Bank. “I’m now starting to explore small boutiques and I’d love to really dig into what type of custom apparel they have to offer. “A good suit makes a man feel good”. I recently traveled to Brooks Brother at the Summit to package and solidify Rick Jackson’s brand.
Dennis Kicker, location supervisor and expert groomsman with over twenty years of experience with Brooks Brothers constructed a prestigious ensemble consisting of the basic corporate look. Mr. Kicker went with the iconic 1818 Fitzgerald Fit suit. The Fitzgerald is a Brooks Brothers signature two button Italian wool and woven suit that has been a go to standard for the past two centuries. To compliment the Fitzgerald, Mr. Kicker then went with the spread collar traditional relaxed fit dress shirt which is crafted from pure American grown Supima cotton broadcloth. Accessorizing the ensemble, Mr. Kicker then chose a befitting brown and gold tie, the color combination of Mr. Jackson’s college fraternity, Iota Phi Theta.
“Suits carry a level of prestige and confidence that all men should possess. It exudes professionalism, intelligence, and business”, according to Mr. Jackson. People recognize a brand. The brand is non-verbal representative of the soul of an item, garment, or establishment. For the residents of Birmingham, Alabama that brand is the Birmingham Water Works Board. “The BWWB is a unique place to work and I enjoy a lot of things about it. As the company’s official spokesperson and head of all public relations operations, I get the fun task of interacting a lot with the community. I spend a great deal of time in front of television cameras to address matters about BWWB and I’m always looking for new ways to illustrate our brand”. Mr. Jackson’s style is just as eloquent as his daily representation of the BWWB, in which he has managed to parlay into ventures of real estate in which Birmingham is currently undergoing a renaissance. This Magic City is definitely rebranding its magic.
When not servicing the needs of his customer base, Mr. Jackson is very well traveled. His favorite destinations have been Scottsdale, AZ and Los Angeles. “The views of mountains and cacti in the same space is second to none. In January, you can wear shorts. Scottsdale is breathtakingly gorgeous”. He states that he’s flown on just about every airline except Spirit and Hawaiian Airlines. However, his favorite carrier is that of Southwest. When asked how did he arrive at his favorite choice, “They’re easy in, easy out”. However, he has had some not so pleasant experiences. “My best flight would have to be the first class treatment I had on a nearly 4 hour flight via Delta Airlines. I can still remember the supreme service they delivered that evening. It also didn’t hurt that I was on board with the entire 2010 Auburn Football Championship Team. If I have to pick a worst travel experience, it’ll have to be my time at Reagan International Airport, shortly after 9/11. The TSA was on super alert and I remember running through the airport barefoot with my pants unbuckled trying to catch my flight home. Needless to say, I missed my flight and ended up having to nearly sleep in the airport in Charlotte after catching a bad connecting flight.”
Birmingham is a stark contrast to his humble beginnings right outside of Montgomery, Alabama. “I was born in Montgomery, Alabama and raised in a very small community in rural Montgomery County called Sellers. My hometown is seriously small. It’s comprised of one gas station and my home church which was built by the hands of slaves; it’s one of the oldest churches in the state. Moore’s Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church is truly a hidden gem of Alabama history.” Holding a B.A. in Mass Communications, he obtained his degree by refraining from taking summers off, enabling him to finish his degree path in three years. This illustrates him as being a master of effective time management. The workload of having to service the needs of the Birmingham community, while also operating in real estate, time management and multi-tasking is paramount. But what sells this emerging leader and coming , is that he’s one of the most recognizable faces in the city. His reputation has to precede him.
He knows Alabama because he is Alabama. Many people around the nation still unfortunately have an antiquated or even biased view of Birmingham and perhaps the entire state of Alabama due to a dark past in this city’s and state’s past. When many visitors travel to this city, they are shocked that Birmingham reflects for the most part, a modern 21st century America city. However, people like Mr. Jackson are living testimonies that this is clearly not the Birmingham of decades ago. When asked what should someone look forward to when travelling to Birmingham, his response is that of southern hospitality. As a self-described foodie, I love to go out and dine. My favorite restaurant in Birmingham is Texas de Brazil. The service is good. The restaurant is clean. The meat is perfectly seasoned. It’s so many great restaurants in the Magic City, and the food trucks are lit! What’s up Travis Chicago Style Polish Sausages and Bear Burgers!” Truly a southerner and a gentleman, he’s proud of the fact that the up and coming Super Bowl will be in Atlanta. When asked who he’s expecting to win the big game, “I’m not sure who will win the Super Bowl, but I’m excited that it’s in Atlanta in 2019. I plan to be there!”
In the south, football is a religion. Every year, tens of thousands descend on Birmingham for the annual Magic City Classic between in-state rivals, Alabama A&M and Alabama State. The weekend is filled with a plethora of concerts of all genres, after parties, parades, fashion shows, home cooking and tail gating galore and usual live tapings of a variety of morning show radio disc jockey’s such as Steve Harvey, and Alabama natives, Tom Joyner and Rickey Smiley. Some people often forget that among the pageantry and battle of the bands between the two schools, there’s an actual football game being played. However, the most fiercest college football rivalry is between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn War Eagle. Rick Jackson didn’t have an answer for who he thought would win the Magic City Classic, nor the Super Bowl. But when asked who he thinks will win the Iron Bowl 2018, the Auburn graduate responds, “Is that a real question? Auburn will once again defeat the terribly overrated Crimson Tide”. Well, unfortunately on November 24th.....Until next year, FLY BHM !