Mayor’s Youth Council explores economic development, tourism
Published 3:07 pm Saturday, January 31, 2026
The Pell City Mayor’s Youth Council held its second session on Wednesday, Jan. 21, focusing on the essential roles of economic development and tourism in shaping the community.
Mayor Bill Pruitt and Interim City Manager Tim Kurzejeski, attended the meeting to support the students as they explored how local government and professional organizations work together to create a thriving city.
The session featured presentations from St. Clair County Economic Development Council (EDC) Executive Director Don Smith and Tourism Director Blair Goodgame (Visit St. Clair).
Smith provided an overview of how the city attracts new businesses and manages growth, while Goodgame discussed the importance of promoting Pell City’s unique assets to visitors and residents alike.
Youth council members engaged with the speakers and city administrators to learn how these efforts and partnerships impact the local economy and improve quality of life for citizens.
“It is important for these students to see how the decisions that are made today about growth and industry will directly shape the city they will one day lead,” Pruitt said. “I thought they did a wonderful job absorbing and discussing these difficult concepts and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing their opinions.”
Students participated in a business recruitment exercise as part of the session. Visit pellcity.gov view the full packet they were provided.