09/30/2026
I’ve done many things in my life that I can be proud of — going to college at age 16, earning an MBA, growing Emily’s Heirloom Pound Cakes, and so much more. But NONE of that compares to what I believe is my GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT and HONOR: helping to raise two men of impeccable CHARACTER, CONSISTENCY, COMMITMENT, COMMUNITY and INTEGRITY — men who consistently choose to do the right thing.
I cannot take all the credit. Their father, Lacy McClung Jr., my mother, Geraldine Brinson, my in-laws, Lacy & Naomi McClung, and so many others along the way played pivotal roles in helping shape the men they have become.
TODAY, our son, J. Alexander McClung, was awarded Firefighter of the Year for Hoover, Alabama.
Proud is an understatement! ❤️
This is the same child who, at age 14, we sent to seven countries in Europe with 39 other students from Birmingham. What many people do not know are the struggles he experienced in school — or the many prayers that were sent up before we made the decision to send him on a $7,200 trip we simply could not afford.
FAITH and HOPE led us to a fundraiser.
And that fundraiser changed ALL of our lives.
Sometimes the struggles we face in life push us in directions we could never have envisioned. Life is so precious, and hardships can become something far greater than what we see while we are going through them.
When you don’t know which direction to go, just keep moving. Keep praying. NEVER lose your faith. NEVER give up. TRUST the process.
Today, as I watched my son receive this honor for his service, character and commitment to his community, I couldn’t help but think about the entire journey that brought us here.
To God Be the Glory!!! 🙌🏾❤️
Congratulations, J. Alexander McClung — Firefighter of the Year! 🚒🏆
