BOARD OF DIRECTORS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Our Board of Directors are local individuals who have a vested interest in seeing Bessemer Academy achieve excellence.

Board members are nominated by foundation members (parents and financial supporters of current students) and voted on at our annual foundation meeting. Board members meet monthly to discuss the operation of the school and stay in close contact via phone and email throughout the month as needed to provide oversight. The Board revises and updates policies and procedures to meet the needs of our students, faculty, staff, and facilities, so parents are encouraged to get involved as well as read and review the handbook periodically. Because there is not a cover church for Bessemer Academy, we operate under the ownership of its foundation.

ARTICLE IV. BOARD OF DIRECTORS

  • SECTION 1. Directors

    A board of a minimum of seven and maximum of thirteen directors shall constitute the governing board to manage the affairs of Bessemer Academy. the number of directors may be increased or decreased at the will of the directors providing that there shall never be less than seven or more than thirteen. The Board of Directors shall consist of only members; however the Board may have a Director(s) that is an accountant and/or a Director(s) that is an attorney who are not members.

  • SECTION 2. Nomination of Board of Directors

    Any member may nominate another member to serve on the Board. The Board must approve the nomination by a majority vote prior to an election by the members.

  • SECTION 3. Election Process

    The members will vote on whether to elect the approved nominee to the Board at the annual meeting held in accordance with Article III, Section 1. Upon a majority vote of the members, the nominee will become a Director.

  • SECTION 4. Term

    A director shall be elected for a term of three years. The terms of the directors shall be staggered so as to enable one-third of the Board of Directors to be elected each year.

Board of Directors 2026-2027

Quick Contact

Debbie Harrison

PRESIDENT

Debbie Harrison is a Provider Reimbursement, Payment Integrity & Innovations Consultant, responsible for analytical project management, system implementation, and research analysis at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. She has been with Blue Cross for 33 years. Debbie is a graduate of Bessemer Academy and attended the University of Montevallo. Debbie has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management.


Debbie has been on the Board of Directors since 2020. She has served / is currently serving on the following boards over the past 20 years: Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church (Administrative and Executive Board), Junior Service League, Senior Ambassador / Chamber of Commerce.



Debbie lives in Bessemer with her husband, Wayne, and their son, Dawson, who attends Bessemer Academy.


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Brooke Nixon

VICE PRESIDENT

Brooke Nixon is a partner at Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, a labor and employment firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. Brooke works out of Constangy’s Birmingham office focusing on employment litigation and employment law advice and counsel. Brooke attended Bessemer Academy from the sixth grade until her senior year, when she graduated as salutatorian of her 2002 class. She attended Auburn University and then graduated from the University of Alabama in 2005 with degrees in political science and philosophy. In 2008, Brooke graduated from Cumberland School of Law second in her class.


Brooke has been on the Board of Directors of Bessemer Academy since 2014. She has also served on the Board of Directors of the Tuscaloosa YMCA for a number of years, and in 2016 she was named the first female President of the Tuscaloosa YMCA Board of Directors. During her tenure as Board President, the YMCA constructed and opened a multi-million dollar new building. Brooke was also a founding member of the Young Professionals of Tuscaloosa where she served as Director of the Board for five years.


Brooke is married to Michael Nixon, also a member of the Bessemer Academy 2002 graduating class.


Brooke and Michael live in Hoover with their two daughters, Tyler and Harper, who also attend Bessemer Academy.

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Kellan Bert

TREASURER

Kellan Burt works as a production manager for Kykenkee, Inc., a wood products manufacturing facility in Vance, AL.  After graduating from Bessemer Academy, which he attended for 13 years, Kellan enrolled at the University of Alabama, where he earned degrees in Mathematical Statistics and Computer Science.

Kellan currently serves on the Woodstock Parks and Recreation Board. He also volunteers, coaching youth basketball, baseball, and softball.


Kellan and his wife Kim live in Woodstock, AL. They have four children, three of whom currently attend Bessemer Academy.

Quick Contact

jadebeck91@gmail.com

Jade Beck

SECRETARY

Jade Beck is an accounting manager at the Association of Related Churches (ARC), a non-profit church planting organization, where he helps oversee the financial stewardship of the organization. He has been with ARC for over 10 years. Jade is a Bessemer Academy graduate and attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting.


Jade has been on the Bessemer Academy Board of Directors since 2025 and has served numerous boards at church and community parks and recreation.


Jade is married to his wife, Evan Beck, also a Bessemer Academy graduate and together they have four children: Stella Jade, Steven, Beau, and Micah, who attend Bessemer Academy.

Quick Contact

wasmith211@yahoo.com

Allen Smith

Allen is the Birmingham Branch Manager at Landscape Associates Inc. (LAI), where he has worked for four years. He graduated from McAdory High School in 2002. In addition to his professional role, Allen serves on the deacon board of Shannon First Baptist Church.



Allen and his wife, Erin, reside in Shannon, AL, with their three children: Samantha, Emmett, and Maddie, who all attend Bessemer Academy.

Quick Contact

robertpmoore513@gmail.com

Robert (Bert) Moore

Bert Moore is the Regional Manager for Schooler Outdoor Marketing, a manufacturers’ representative agency in the outdoor sporting goods industry. Bert has been in the outdoor sporting goods industry since 1992. Bert is a graduate of Bessemer Academy class of 1987, Walker College class of 1989, and The University of Alabama class of 1992 with a major in English (Southern Literature) and minor in Business Marketing. Bert currently serves on the Jefferson County Board for The Alabama Farmers Federation (ALFA) and is the past president of the Bessemer Rotary Club. Bert also served on the Board of Trustees for Pleasant Hill Methodist Church and The Bessemer Salvation Army. Bert and his family are members of Shepherd Of The Valley Presbyterian Church in McCalla.



Bert and his wife, Brigitte, along with their daughters, Amelia, and Maggie, live in McCalla on their family farm. Maggie and Amelia are students at Bessemer Academy.

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Gregg Roberts

A native of Greeneville, Tennessee, Gregg Roberts has served on the Bessemer Academy Board of Directors since 2023. With a career in the steel industry dating back to 1999 and operating as an independent business owner since 2015, he brings extensive industrial leadership, entrepreneurship, and hands-on business experience to his service on the Board.


He and his wife, Rachel, have been part of the Bessemer Academy family since 2020. Their two sons, Dane and Everette, currently attend the school. Dedicated to campus advancement, he actively supports initiatives focused on campus growth, building expansion, facility improvements, and overall development.


Beyond Bessemer Academy, he enjoys giving back through youth coaching and by supporting local schools and educational programs, valuing every opportunity to invest in young people and strengthen the broader community.


As a parent, business owner, community volunteer, and Board member, he is deeply committed to supporting Bessemer Academy’s continued growth and helping ensure a strong future for current and future generations of students.


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Maya Pasley

Maya is a registered nurse. She is a graduate of McAdory High School and earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Tuskegee University in 2002.


Maya has been an active member of the Bessemer Academy community for several years, serving through the PTO, volunteering at school events, and supporting programs that benefit students, faculty, and staff.


Maya and her husband, Curtis, have three sons. Their oldest is a 2024 graduate of Bessemer Academy, and their two younger sons currently attend the school.


She joined the Bessemer Academy Board of Directors in 2026 and looks forward to continuing to serve the students, families, faculty, and staff of the BA community.