Fuller rose from humble beginnings to mayor's office

Gary Fuller has lived on both sides of the proverbial railroad tracks from his days growing up in a two-room house in Dadeville to his years as a successful businessman in Opelika.

Although Fuller grew up in Dadeville, he spent a lot of time in Opelika during his childhood. He had a number of relatives who lived in Opelika. He also participated in the Opelika Christmas parade every year as a trumpet player in the Dadeville High School band.

For years, Fuller’s mother commuted from Dadeville to Opelika to work the third shift at a cotton mill. He can still recall how she would come home from work every morning with her hair covered in lint.

“We were dirt poor,” said Fuller, who shared a two-room house with no indoor bathroom with his
parents and two siblings. “We probably didn’t know how poor we were.”

In the early 1960s, while attending the Wadley campus of Southern Union State Community College, Fuller worked two jobs, which included the night shift at a radio station in Alexander City.

Fuller moved to Tuscaloosa to attend the University of Alabama, but his college education was put on hold after he landed a radio job working on the university’s football network.

Over the years, he continued to build his radio career. He worked for a number of radio stations in Alabama, including as vice president and general manager.

Fuller moved to Opelika in 1975, but his radio career resulted in a relocation just four years later. In 1984, he and his wife, Laura, moved back to Opelika.
By the mid-1980s, he was financially able to purchase two radio stations in Opelika — WFRI FM and WAOA AM — which were the start of Fuller Broadcasting.

Fuller changed the stations’ call letters and formats. Rock station WFRI FM became country station WKKR FM. Country station WAOA AM became WZMG AM and underwent two format changes. First it played solid-gold hits. Then it became Lee County’s first radio station to feature an urban format.

“That was an underserved market,” Fuller said of his decision to switch to an urban format on WZMG. “Nobody here was serving our African-American population with news and music.”

When Fuller was presented an offer to sell Fuller Broadcasting in 1998, he owned four radio stations in Opelika and two radio stations in West Point, Ga.

Two years after selling his company, Fuller was elected to serve on the Opelika City Council. After just one term, he set his sights on the city’s mayoral race — which he also won. Four years later, Fuller is seeking re-election.

Fuller’s campaign platform is based on continuing the successes and achievements made during his first term as mayor. He often uses statistics, such as the addition of over 1,200 high-paying jobs and more than $300 million in new capital investments to the city, as his motivation to seek re-election.

Fuller’s supporters say they like what they have seen in terms of Opelika’s progress and growth in the last four years.

“In general, I feel like there is an effort being made in the city to raise the quality of life in Opelika,” said Dan Broughton, who is retired from the healthcare business. “I really believe Gary understands where our challenges are, and he responds.”

Some say Fuller has even increased civic pride for residents in Opelika.

“More people are proud to say they’re Opelikians now than four years ago,” said D. Mark Mitchell, the voice of the Opelika High School Bulldogs on local airwaves and former Fuller Broadcasting employee.

ON THE WEB: www.garyfuller08.com

GARY FULLER

Age: 64

Occupation: Mayor, City of Opelika

Years of education: 14

High school: Dadeville High School, Class of 1961

College: Southern Union State Community College, Associate in Science, Class of 2002

What is the last book you read? Up Till Now — The Autobiography by William Shatner

What music do you have on your iPod or CD player? I’m an ’ol radio guy so I don’t have an iPod. The music I prefer on the radio is from such artists as Otis Redding, Willie Nelson, Gold City Quartet, Sinatra, Marty Robbins, Rod Stewart and the Bee Gees.

Who is your favorite historical figure? Why? Ronald Reagan because of the way he reduced taxes and ended the Cold War. His Paperwork Reduction Act of 1982 was a tremendous help to me as a small businessperson.

Why should voters choose you instead of your opponent? Opelika’s voters should vote for me because leadership matters to Opelika. We have talented folks who serve our community well, but every team needs a leader who can help the team do its best work. Running my own business for many years, I learned how to help individuals maximize their potential and how to not only set goals, but achieve them! As Mayor, I’ve used that experience to help our team recruit new, high paying jobs to our city, reduce our crime rate, strengthen our schools and preserve our heritage. I am the only candidate for Mayor who has a proven track record of success in these areas. Why in the world would we want to stop our progress and momentum? As many citizens have told me, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

What is the single most important thing you want to accomplish? I want us to continue moving forward. My desire to have competition for Charter Cable is well known and we will know in a few weeks the results of the feasibility study I asked the Council to approve. This is a major project and will require much careful thought. My broadcasting and business experience will help us make the right decision that will be in the best long-term interest of Opelika and our citizens.