By June Mathews
TRUSSVILLE — Hewitt-Trussville High School choral director Allen Gillespie has been named Trussville Tribune’s Person of the Year for 2023. The award was presented at Monday’s Toast of the Town event hosted by the Trussville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Presented by Scott Buttram, publisher of the Tribune, Person of the Year is annually awarded to someone who has made a positive impact on their community.
“Allen Gillespie has impacted countless lives in a positive way.” Buttram said. “Allen has a gift for communicating with his students. He sets the bar high, without compromise, then teaches and encourages his students to meet the standard and settle for nothing less.”
A veteran educator with 50 years of service, Gillespie began his teaching career at Wenonah High School, transferring two years later to Huffman High School, where he spent the next 20 years.
“At the peak of the (Huffman) program, I had 270 students in five different choirs,” he said. “I ‘graduated’ from there with American Idol II, Ruben Studdard in 1996. Clay-Chalkville was opening as a new school, and I was privileged to start the choral program there.”
After 13 years at Clay-Chalkville, Gillespie retired in 2009. A few weeks later, he got a call from Trussville City Schools, asking him to teach part time. He decided to accept, intending to teach for only a few more years.
“That ‘few’ now numbers 15,” said Gillespie. “Receiving the award was sort of a reality check. I’ve enjoyed making music so much that it’s hard to believe that it’s been 50 years! I can’t imagine ever doing anything else.”
Under Gillespie’s leadership, Hewitt-Trussville choirs and their members have excelled at many high-profile choral events, including Alabama All-State Choral Festivals and area showcases. Outside of school concerts, they have performed at countless community events and made numerous appearances on local TV.
Gillespie’s own high school days were spent at Berry High School (now Hoover High School). He went on to earn bachelor’s, master’s, and education specialist degrees from the University of Montevallo.
Throughout Gillespie’s teaching career, his students have come to love and respect him not only as their teacher but as a person of excellence, influence and kindness.
A former student from early in his career is Trussville City Councilor Lisa Lide Bright, a graduate of Huffman. “I learned so much from him, and what little talent I had, he brought it out of this very shy girl,” she said. “He always related to his students well and is still pouring into his students to this day. I don’t believe any of us will ever forget him.”
Tonya Roden Rozell, also a Huffman grad, who now serves as principal of Vestavia Hills High School, described Gillespie as genuinely interested in the lives of his students.
“Yes, we learned music, but no matter how large the choir was, Mr. G had a way of building rapport with every student,” she said. “I was not the most gifted singer by far, but he had a way of making me, along with my classmates, believe we were the best singers around. He is a testament to the teaching profession and to what excellence in education is meant to look and act like.”
When Hewitt’s Chamber Choir was recently invited to participate in the Alabama Music Educators Association Conference, scheduled for mid-January (later postponed due to inclement weather). Trussville City Schools superintendent, Dr. Patrick Martin, wrote Gillespie a glowing letter of congratulations.
“I know firsthand from former colleagues and friends that were students of yours that your influence helped to shape them as leaders,” he said. “Your leadership, inspiration, and love for students and teaching is influencing young people into a second and now third generation.”
“You, Mr. Gillespie, are an exceptional educator.”