5 Vestavia Hills Educators Inducted Into Hall Of Fame

VESTAVIA HILLS, AL — Five Vestavia Hills educators will be inducted into the Vestavia Hills Schools Hall of Fame, the district announced in a news release.

This is the second class of educators to be selected. Inductees were selected from a group of over 100 nominations submitted by alumni, faculty and staff, and the community at large.

The five winners are, in alphabetical order:

• Sammy Dunn: Coach of the Vestavia Hills High School baseball team from 1978 to 2004, who will be inducted posthumously
• Barbara Grant: Science teacher at Vestavia Hills Junior High School/Louis Pizitz Middle School from 1968 to 1998
• Michael Gross: Principal of Vestavia Hills High School from 1985 to 1999
• Rich McKay: Teacher at Vestavia Hills Elementary East and Vestavia Hills Elementary Central from 1980 to 2002
• John Rush: Physical education teacher and coach at Louis Pizitz Middle School from 1981 to 2019

2020 inductees were:

• Buddy Anderson: Head football coach of Vestavia Hills High School who worked at the school from 1972 to 2020
• Helen Holley: First principal of Vestavia Hills Elementary Liberty Park and former assistant principal at Vestavia Hills Elementary East, employed from 1992 to 2012
• David Miles: Principal at Louis Pizitz Middle School from 1991 to 2014.
• Dr. Carlton Smith: Third superintendent of Vestavia Hills City Schools from 1985 to 1998
• Kay Tipton: Math teacher at Vestavia Hills High School from 1971 to 2007

“The Hall of Fame Class of 2021 epitomizes the exceptional educators that are the trademark of Vestavia Hills City Schools. Their positive influence was transformational for the many students they taught as well as the colleagues they worked alongside,” said Dr. Todd Freeman, Vestavia Hills City Schools superintendent in a district news release.

Inductees will be honored in a ceremony at 7 p.m. on Dec. 14 at Vestavia Hills High School.