Passion for Politics and Subs
by Tad Lichtenauer • November 2006 • 14 Comments •
Jay Love’s (Auburn-Montgomery 1990) passion for politics, business, and family is clearly evident when you listen to him talk about his life experiences.
Another ‘Bama Leader
Thomas Woodall (Millsaps 1972) serves as an associate justice on the Alabama Supreme Court. He is running for re-election on November 7 and hopes to win his second six-year term.
Woodall received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1975. He was then hired by the Birmingham, Alabama, firm of Rives and Peterson where he eventually became managing partner.
From 1991 to 1996, Woodall practiced with the Birmingham firm of Woodall and Maddox, where his practice was devoted to civil litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts.
In February 1996, Alabama Gov. Fob James appointed Woodall a circuit judge in Jefferson County. He was elected in 1998 without primary or general election opposition.
In 2000, Woodall was elected associate justice of the Alabama Supreme Court and he took office in January 2001.
“I think you just need to follow your passion,” he says. “Whatever it is that you want to do. Maybe it’s not to be in the legislature or to own a Subway sandwich-shop franchise. Maybe it’s in your personal life — to spend more time with family or to be closer to God — but just follow your passion in life.”
Currently a member of the Alabama House of Representatives, Love is a Republican serving a district in Montgomery, Alabama, and he is running unopposed in the November 7 general election. He did have competition in the primary but he easily defeated his opposition.
Of course that is quite a different story from four years ago when he first ran for the legislature, which he narrowly unseated a 24-year incumbent by only 135 votes.
“My mother-in-law told me I had 135 votes to spare,” Love says with a laugh.
Top Subway Owner
In addition to spending about four months a year as a legislator, Love is a small business owner with 16 Subway restaurant stores located throughout Montgomery, Alabama.
Love credits his early discipline of methodical goal-setting with his ability to manage both his political and business careers.
A year before he opened his first store in 1992, Love already knew that he wanted to have seven stores by his fifth-year anniversary. By the fifth year, he actually had nine stores.
“Everybody needs goals in life,” Love says. “I think it’s important to have goals. It gives you a carrot or a measuring stick out there for you to have a plan to reach that goal. To gauge where you are or where you want to be in life.”
As luck meeting opportunity would have it, Subway was going through a huge expansion mode in the 1990s when Love bought his first of many stores.
The average Subway store owner has about two to three stores. Love owns 16 stores, which puts him in the top five percent of Subway franchise owners.
In the year 2006, the Subway chain entered its 41st year of operation. It is the world’s largest submarine sandwich chain with more than 25,000 restaurants in 83 countries. As a matter of fact, the Subway chain operates more units in the United States, Canada, and Australia than McDonald’s does.
Appetite to Serve
Love says that he always wanted to serve in some form of public office and he had a real interest and love of politics. He had done some volunteer work on other campaigns, including two of Alabama Gov. Bob James’ campaigns.
“I always wanted to serve in the Alabama legislature,” he says.
During his first term, Love says that the job was pretty much what he expected it to be. His father-in-law had served in the legislature for two terms from 1986 to 1994 so Love received some good inside advice.
“He gave me a pretty good heads up of the ways things worked,” he says. “But you really can’t fully understand it until you experienced it yourself.”
Love’s primary platform for running for office is his position on fiscal responsibility. This platform was especially near and dear to him since he is a small business owner.
“Try and keep your budget as low as you can,” he says. “You never know when you are going to have a downturn in the economy.”
Another point of fiscal responsibility is to also create an atmosphere in Alabama that is conducive to small business and large business also. Love says that those are the engines that drive the economy.
When he was first elected in 2002, Alabama was just coming out of a recession. Tax revenues had not caught up with the rest of the country and they were experiencing a revenue shortfall.
“Once September 11 happened in 2001 we had already begun slowing down but that really put a kink in the collection of revenues for both the state and the federal government.”
Fortunately, Alabama has now turned the corner thanks to the influx automotive jobs over the decade. Mercedes, Honda, Toyota, and Hyundai have all opened manufacturing plants in Alabama with good, high-paying jobs.
“The economy in Alabama has really been turned on its head,” he says “We were very agricultural, textile based economy and those jobs were really going away.”
“The best days for Alabama are forward not behind us and not a lot of states can say that.”
Lambda Chi’s Lasting Influence
Love grew up in Montgomery, Alabama, and after graduating from high school he began his college career at Auburn University. But he soon decided to switch to Auburn-Montgomery and that also led him to associate with Lambda Chi Alpha in the fall of 1997.
Love had known a few of the brothers from high school and just from around Montgomery, Alabama. The chapter had a small house that was just up the street from the governor’s mansion. Only about six or eight members actually lived in the chapter house but they had about 50 to 60 members total.
Working at Sears while he went to school, Love didn’t have the time to serve as a chapter officer. He says he regrets that but he also credits having to juggle school and work with his ability to set goals and priorities.
“I think how people today treat their time in college can be a real indication of where they are going to go in life,” he says.
One of the most important lessons he learned from being in Lambda Chi that he carries with him today are the comparisons to being in a fraternity and also serving in the legislature.
“The legislature is really like a fraternity in terms of once you get out of the governing side of things the relationships you build with other members are just like the ones you build in the fraternity house.”
Keeping a Balance
Living in the capital of Alabama is a big plus for Love as he does not have to travel for the legislative session and all of his Subway restaurants are easier to manage since they are all in the same city.
He says it can still be challenging but he feels very blessed that he does not have to spend much time away from his wife and four children.
“The hardest thing is to keep focus on what you need to be focused on,” he says about juggling politics, business, and family. “It’s so easy …to let the minutia of details get you off track.”
Love says he has really enjoyed his time serving in the legislature, his business career and some possible new real estate ventures that are pending.
About managing both his politics and business ventures, he says: “As long as I can do both and it doesn’t distract from my family I’ll continue to do both. My wife enjoys that I’m in the legislature. I’m home to eat dinner just about every night. Really not been a drain on family time with wife and my kids.
As for his future in politics, Love says he will continue to be satisfied with his current office but that if there is some higher office at some point in the future that he feels compelled to consider, he would.
“I really enjoy doing what I’m doing now,” he says.
Photo Credits in Order of Apperance
- © Courtesy Alabama House of Representatives. All Rights Reserved.
- © Courtesy Alabama Supreme Court. All Rights Reserved.
- © Courtesy Matt Cooley. All Rights Reserved.
- © Courtesy Alabama House of Representatives. All Rights Reserved.
Mark Hamilton Says:
November 2nd, 2006 at 5:19 pmI am a Lambda Chi from Culver-Stockton College
Kappa MU chapter - KM 918
I hope the democrates kick you right out of congress the sooner the better.
respectivly and gentlemanly,
Mark A. Hamilton, ACE
National Sales Manager
Foods Division
GREAT WESTERN PRODUCTS
30290 US HWY. 72
Hollywood, AL 35752
MarkH@gwproducts.com
800-239-2143 EXT.234
256-259-3578
256-653-7492 - Cell
Jeremy Cobb Says:
November 2nd, 2006 at 6:14 pmI don’t think that “Brother” Hamilton’s comments were respectful or gentlemanly. Also, had he read the article, he would have known that Rep. Love was running with no opposition. The men of Phi Kappa Zeta wish Jay the best of luck throughout his next term, and consider him to be a credit to our chapter!
Jeremy Cobb
Phi Kappa 225
Jordan Carpenter Says:
November 2nd, 2006 at 7:22 pmBrother Hamilton,
If you read more carefully, you would know that Brother Love serves in the Alabama House of Representatives. On the state level, partisanship has less to do with what actually goes on and more to do with funding for the elections. Nonetheless, your misunderstanding of the issues belies the deeper flaws of your assumed party.
In ZAX,
Jordan K. Carpenter
Alpha-Phi 1388
Andrew Derek Says:
November 2nd, 2006 at 8:29 pmTotally agree with Brother Carpenter’s response. Mark also can’t seem to spell the name of his own party. And, “respectivly” ?
Respectfully! In ZAX,
Andrew Derek
Lambda Mu 171
Jeff Says:
November 3rd, 2006 at 11:37 amI didn’t think we allowed Democrates in Lambda Chi? When did this happen?
ZAX -
Jeff Lambert GP 1255
Daniel Rojas Says:
November 3rd, 2006 at 5:01 pmI’m with you Jeff, when did this happen?
In ZAX,
Daniel Rojas
Zeta-Epsilon 660
Christopher Mielke Says:
November 4th, 2006 at 8:52 amThat’s my bro’! I agree with your sentiments completely!! From another proud Republican from UTEP!!
In ZAX from Japan,
Christopher Mielke
Zeta Epsilon 632
Jason Pearce Says:
November 6th, 2006 at 10:37 amBrothers,
It saddens me to see some of you lash out and personally attack one another.
The Cross & Crescent invites you to share your thoughts and opinions on each article. While we expect every reader to bring and share a unique set of opinions and beliefs, the Comments section is not to be used to launch personal attacks — or call names — to those whose opinions differ from yours.
With more than 250,000 members, Lambda Chi Alpha is fortunate to have successful members in many potentially controversial fields: politics, religion, science, business, military, law, and so much more. Readers should expect and embrace our diversity, not attack it.
Sincerely in ZAX,
Jason Pearce, Editor
Jordan Carpenter Says:
November 6th, 2006 at 1:42 pmBrother Pearce,
I totally agree that we should not “personally attack one another.” However, I don’t think my response warrants such a reprimand. Discussion about politics, especially at this time, will tend to be a little heated. But if I cannot discuss political issues with my brother, to whom should I turn? If we did not discuss the issues, how would you know that we have unique sets of opinions and beliefs? In the bond that we claim to have as Lambda Chis, I hope I have the freedom to say what is on my mind without a pretense of political correctness.
Fraternally yours in ZAX,
Jordan K. Carpenter
Alpha-Phi 1388
Jason Pearce Says:
November 6th, 2006 at 3:07 pmBrother Carpenter,
I’m glad you agree that “personal attacks” should not be tolerated.
My comment was mostly directed toward the individual who used profanity and called others names. His comment was removed, for it was not indicative of a comment made by a gentleman.
We understand that every reader has a unique set of opinions when it comes to politics. With 250,000 members, many members will naturally disagree with each other on nearly just as many topics.
While you may chose to share your opinions within this forum, please consider that the Cross & Crescent is not a politically-focused publication. Most readers visit this website to learn more about Lambda Chi Alpha, its members, and its chapters. There are plenty of other websites and publications that are better designed and targeted for political discussion and debate.
In this particular case, while your comment is okay, discussion did escalate to the point where members were personally attacking other members.
This is a story about a successful Subway businessman and state politician who graduated from our Auburn-Montgomery chapter. It’s not a story about the merits or demerits of the United State’s political parties, which appears to be the context of most of these comments.
Sincerely in ZAX,
Jason Pearce, Editor
Ron Scott Says:
November 7th, 2006 at 5:39 pmWhat a great surprise to see the article on Rep. Jay Love. As a twenty five year veteran covering the Alabama Legislature for various associations, I can tell you without any hesitation the Rep. Love is well respected by legislators from both partys and represents his district well. It should also be noted that in Alabama state Rep. Craig Ford is a LCA alum from Samford Univ. and state Senator Del Marsh is an alum from Auburn University.
Ron Scott
Theta Alpha 547
Samford University ‘75
Christian Berle Says:
November 9th, 2006 at 3:00 pmBrothers,
I think that it is great that the Cross & Crescent highlights the public service of our brothers, as it is such a strong part of our commitment and ritual. I applaud Rep. Love and all others, like Rep. Curt Weldon, who sadly will not be returning to Congress, who have been great statesmen for our country.
Working in the political game, myself, I understand that it is important that you can discuss political issues with your brothers, but we should also remember to be respectful. I am sure that Brother Hamilton you would have taken offense to anyone who gloated after Brother and Senator Cleland was voted out of office in 2002. Let’s be civil guys, and remember that we’re all brothers, and have more that unites us than divides us.
In ZAX,
Christian Berle
Delta Xi 115
George Washington ‘04
Chris Broucqsault Says:
November 10th, 2006 at 9:42 pmI was surprised and disappointed to see that the author of this article chose to use the word “pledge” to describe brother Love’s joining our fraternity. This terminology would be appropriate only if brother Love joined our fraternity before 1972. Typically I would not comment on this sort of error, but this is a general fraternity publication written by Lambda Chis for Lambda Chis. We should know better.
In ZAX,
Chris Broucqsault
Iota Gamma 931
Fresno State 1990
Tad Lichtenauer Says:
November 13th, 2006 at 5:26 pmBrother Broucqsault -
Thank you for your comment and pointing out my error. We will correct it.
In ZAX,
Tad Lichtenauer