NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Alabama City Leader Jesse Matthews Joins Bearing Advisors
May 3, 2023
Jesse Matthews, the nationally recognized former Bessemer, Alabama city councilmember, has joined the Bearing Advisors’ team as an Advisor. Matthews served on the Bessemer City Council for six consecutive four-year terms from 1998 to 2022. District 6, which he represented, has been his home for virtually all his life and he says, “I grew up here and Bessemer is part of my family.”
The desire to improve living conditions and deal with blight in his community motivated Matthews to become a civic community advocate. Among his accomplishments while serving in elected office were:
- Finding solutions to eliminate flooding and drainage problems in several areas.
- Initiating a sanitary sewer project.
- Supporting various development projects, including the construction of a massive Amazon fulfillment center, the largest single investment in Bessemer’s history.
In addition to his work at the local level, Matthews served on boards and councils at the state and national levels and held leadership positions that afforded him the opportunity to ensure the future success of Bessemer by learning about best practices and innovations in other communities. He was the President of the Alabama League of Municipalities in 2018 and served on its Board of Directors for 18 years and its Executive Committee while in leadership positions there. He obtained several municipal official certifications from the Alabama League.
Matthews was a member of the National League of Cities from 1998 to 2022. He served on the Board of Directors and the association’s Community and Economic Development federal advocacy committee, which is charged with developing national policies affecting cities. As a sign of his knowledge and leadership, he was named Chair of the Committee in 2021. He was one of the earliest members of the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials and served on its Board of Directors for several years. He also served as the Parliamentarian for this prestigious and powerful NLC constituency group.
“Jesse is an outstanding addition to our team and we look forward to working with someone we have known and admired for many years,” said Philip Riley, Bearing’s Managing Director.
About Bearing Advisors, LLC
Bearing Advisors identifies and brings value-added innovative solutions to local government by working with private-sector partner organizations. The Bearing Advisors’ team has broad and deep experience in the public, commercial, and nonprofit sectors with more than 180 years of combined service to local government. City, county, and other local government officials know Bearing Advisors as trusted professionals who understand their cultures and needs. Visit bearingadvisors.net.
Contact:
Tabitha Riley, Operations Director
triley@bearingadvisors.net
833-270-2500 ext. 8
