The board of directors of the Marshall County Economic Development Council and the Marshall County Manufacturers Association honored Senator Clay Scofield at its 22nd Annual Industry Appreciation Dinner on Oct. 11.

The MCEDC presented its annual Hinton Mitchem Economic Development Award of Excellence to Sen. Scofield, who also serves on the Board of Directors for the Snead State Foundation.   

First elected to the Alabama Senate in 2010, Sen. Scofield has been a staunch supporter of economic and workforce development his entire tenure in office.  He has served on the Workforce Investment Board since 2010.  He was part of a bi-partisan coalition in 2011 to pass the Jobs Incentives Act which modernized the way Alabama incentivizes projects to make the state more competitive.  

In 2016, he supported the Alabama Small Business and Agribusiness Jobs Act which authorized tax credits for new employees of small businesses.  As the economy of the state began to rebound in 2017, he turned his focus on areas not seeing growth in the ways many others were.  Recognizing that broadband has become as important as other utilities to attracting businesses, Senator Scofield crafted legislation to incentivize broadband providers who brought this needed service to rural areas in Alabama.  He has also been a strong supporter of the MCEDC making sure that the organization is adequately funded to perform its much needed services.  

The Hinton Mitchem Economic Development Award of Excellence was first established in 2012 as the Marshall Industrialist Award.  Following the passing of former state senator Hinton Mitchem in January 2013, the award was renamed in his honor.