A Warm Welcome to Our Newest Board Members!
The David Mathews Center is happy to announce four new members joining our Board of Directors. As of January 2024, the DMC is proud to welcome Alan Miller, Marian Royston, Crisitin Brawner, and Ralph Foster to our esteemed Board of Directors. Our new directors bring with them a wealth of expertise and a shared commitment to our mission.
Meet our New Board Members:
Alan B. Miller:
Alan B. Miller of Chelsea, Alabama serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the American Village in Montevallo, Alabama. Miller was a founding partner of Hepburn & Miller, LLC in Shelby County. His prior work included Executive Director of Shelby County COMPACT 2020, and Chief Assistant District Attorney for the Eighteenth Circuit District Attorney’s Office in Columbiana. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Tulane University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Alabama School of Law. Mr. Miller is a Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, with experience in the Marine Forces Europe (Republic of Georgia), 4th Marine Logistics Group (New Orleans, LA), Force Headquarters Group (New Orleans, LA), and 3rd Battalion 14th Marines (Chattanooga, TN). He attended Air War College in Montgomery, AL.
Marian Royston:
Reverend Marian Royston is a native of Roanoke, Alabama. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Auburn University. As a George J. Mitchell Scholar, she obtained a Master of Science in Leadership for Sustainable Rural Development from the Queen’s University of Belfast in North Ireland. Presently, she is pursuing a Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. She currently serves as a full-time local pastor serving St. Paul and Center Grove UMCs in Huntsville, Alabama. Before her current appointment, she was the pastor of Mount Olive and Rocky Mount UMCs in Randolph County, Alabama. Marian is invested in the next generation of leaders. She created the Randolph County Youth Development Initiative and served as its program director. This summer she will serve as the QuadW site director for Huntsville. Her career prior to ministry was teaching Secondary Social Studies for Roanoke City Schools.
Cristin Brawner:
Cristin F. Brawner is a community and civic engagement consultant based in Nashville, TN. With over a decade of experience in nonprofit management, Cristin’s expertise is in facilitating partnerships and programming that increase community collaboration and problem-solving. Cristin is the former Executive Director of the David Mathews Center for Civic Life in Alabama where she oversaw the organization’s programming, cultivated state and local partnerships, moderated hundreds of deliberative community forums, and managed a dynamic staff team. Cristin is a graduate of the University of Montevallo. She has served on state and national boards, is a member of Class II of Leadership Alabama’s Alabama Leadership Initiative (ALI), was an Associate with the Kettering Foundation, and currently serves as the Project Coordinator for the Equitable Neighborhoods Initiative.
Ralph S. Foster Jr:
Ralph Foster is a retired higher education administrator, having served for more than 31 years at Auburn University. Awarded the title of Assistant Vice President Emeritus in 2020 for his career contributions to Auburn’s Division of University Outreach, Foster continues to provide assistance to community engagement projects in the division. A native Alabamian, Foster earned his BS in business administration from Auburn and his MS in human resources from Troy University; he completed additional professional institutes in adult and continuing education at the University of Georgia and in experiential learning at Northeastern University. While at Auburn, Foster oversaw the division’s public service programs and was responsible for University Outreach’s strategic planning and certification initiatives including maintaining Auburn’s Carnegie Community Engagement classification. Foster’s publications include journal articles and book chapters on ethics, education, management, and civic engagement. Among his awards and recognitions over the years includes the title of Fellow in the Society for Advancement of Management, the highest professional honor of that international organization. Foster serves on board and committee positions in several academic and community organizations in the state. He and his wife Lesley reside in Montgomery.
The Mathews Center is excited to announce the growth of our dynamic Board of Directors. We look forward to the positive impact and expertise each of these new members will bring to the Mathews Center. Please join us in extending a warm welcome to our new members!