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Former Chilton County Circuit Clerk Glenn McGriff at his retirement party on Jan. 15.

Glenn McGriff and his wife Tammie McGriff look on during his retirement party.

Glenn McGriff with his father O.J. McGriff.

Glenn McGriff with his family — wife Tammie and daughters Magenn and Macy, during his swearing in as Chilton County Circuit Clerk.

Part of Glenn McGriff’s campaign merchandise when he ran for circuit clerk.

A pocket schedule from 1991 when Glenn McGriff ran for Chilton County Tax Assessor.

Glenn McGriff was presented a retirement citation from Alabama Chief Justice Tom Parker’s office.

Glenn McGriff, left, with his sister Holley, brothers Jimmy and Russell and father O.J.

Glenn McGriff with his daughter Magenn, sister Holley and mother Martha.

Former Chilton County Circuit Clerk Mike Smith pins a lapel onto Glenn McGriff during his swearing in.

Glenn McGriff thanking people at his retirement party on Jan. 15.

Glenn McGriff, left, with new Chilton County Circuit Clerk Nick Burnett.

Glenn McGriff with wife Tammie and their grandchildren.

Glenn McGriff was the Grand Marshal of the 2024 Christmas Parade in Clanton.

Story by Carey Reeder

Photos contributed by Tammie McGriff & Debra Hill

“That is just me.”

On Jan. 15, courtroom No. 1 at the Chilton County Courthouse was packed full. With standing room only, family, friends, colleagues and associates packed into the room to be present for Glenn McGriff’s retirement party from his Chilton County Circuit Clerk position that he held for 18 years. McGriff’s political career spans over 34 years, and he did it his way, with lessons learned from his father and colleagues used along the way.

Born and raised in Verbena, McGriff grew up the son of a politician. His father, O.J. McGriff served 32 years as the Chairman of the Chilton County School Board while he kept a full-time job at Alabama Power for 46 years. O.J. McGriff did not do politics as a career, but rather to serve his community on his own time, and that made an impact on Glenn.

Glenn grew up with three siblings — Holley, Jimmy and Russell. Holley and Glenn were twins and grew up together side by side, but Jimmy and Russell were 10 and 12 years older than the twins, giving the family almost two separate parts. Glenn remembers the country life of his childhood in Chilton County like riding bicycles to Chestnut Creek for a swim until his mother, Martha, yelled for them to come home.

“It was a simple time,” Glenn said. “We would ride dirt roads all day long, and there were no cell phones back then. Later we hauled hay, hauled watermelons, did masonry, anything to make a little money.”

Glenn attended Verbena High School and excelled on the football field earning a partial scholarship to Troy State University, now known as just Troy University. He went, but returned home shortly after and joined his father at Alabama Power while going to college at night to earn his degree. O.J.’s political career continued on, and the Verbena Annex was eventually named after him to honor his many years of service.

Glenn described his father as a no-nonsense type of guy. A World War II veteran who landed on Omaha Beach the third day of the Battle of Normandy and stayed in Germany until the end of the war, he then returned to the states to continue to serve.

“He did not play, and everyone that knew my dad knew that,” Glenn said.

Glenn helped his father during his political career by assisting with his campaigns. This grew on him, and he knew he wanted to follow in his footsteps.

Glenn went to his father one day and told him of his intentions to run for a public office.

“He said ‘Have you lost your mind?’” Glenn said.

O.J. told Glenn that he had a good job with Alabama Power, so why would he want to get into politics? His son rebutted with his dad’s political career, to which O.J. said was not his full-time job and he was not doing it for a living. Despite his father’s warnings, Glenn ran for Chilton County Tax Assessor in 1991, his first campaign for a public office, and he won.

“The first time I ran people would say ‘Glenn, I am going to vote for you because of your dad,’” Glenn said. “I told them ‘That is great and I appreciate it, but the next time I run, please vote for me because of the kind of job I do.’”

Glenn views positions like he and his dad held for so many years as public servants not politicians. His dad did not do his political work for the money, and Glenn took a lot of that, as well as O.J.’s civic work and involvement in church, into account and used it in his life. Glenn gets emotional sometimes speaking about his dad.

“My dad was my hero, and I try to live my life that would make him proud,” Glenn said.

Glenn got into office as the county’s tax assessor in 1991 and served there for 16 years. When Mike Smith retired after 18 years as the Chilton County Circuit Clerk, Glenn thought the most logical step for a tax assessor was to run for circuit clerk, a totally different county office. He ran, he won and he learned along the way to perfect his craft to match Smith with an 18-year career as well, confirming that logic to make the jump. Between O.J. and Glenn, the father and son duo gave 66 years of their time to their community. In perspective, Chilton County residents born in 1959 and later do not know life without at least one McGriff in office.

“I appreciate your advice that you gave me, and appreciate you leading by example,” Jason Calhoun, Chilton County Probate Judge, said at the retirement party. “I have not known a better person over the last six years, and we are going to miss you.”

Glenn did not just jump into politics without other organizations helping shape the man he is today. He joined the Alabama Jaycees in his early 20s, a civic organization that provides leadership training for young people across Alabama. Glenn’s work in the Jaycees saw him ascend to the Alabama State Vice President for the group, giving him the opportunity to travel all over the state. He also worked a bit for the national Jaycee organization to help recruit and start Jaycee organizations across the southern part of the United States. Glenn was recognized as one of the top Jaycee recruiters in the country for his work with the organization that laid the foundation for his future political and civic careers.

“The Jaycees taught me how to speak, how to dress and taught me a lot of stuff,” Glenn said. “It was very helpful, and Jaycees gave me my foundation.”

The Jaycees introduced Glenn to people with the annual Peach Auction that is held every summer during the Chilton County Peach Festival. The Clanton Lions Club hosts the auction that sells off baskets of peaches to the highest bidders, and the money raised goes back to local charitable organizations the Clanton Lions Club supports.

Glenn continued his civic career closer to home by joining the club and becoming a vital part to putting on the auction each summer. He helps coordinate with the farmers around Chilton County to insure everyone will be able to participate and works out the details for everything up until the morning of the auction.

In 2023, a deep freeze swept through the southeast and dropped temperatures to well below freezing — way too low than the preferred chill temperatures peaches need for growth. The deep freeze killed thousands of peach crops in the county, leaving many farms and farmers struggling to even have a harvest. Some farms were forced to shut down operations for the summer completely with no peaches. Glenn took on the challenge and visited with countless farmers in the county in the months leading up the auction. The farmers understand the tradition the Peach Auction carries in the county each year and wanted to make it possible. Along with Glenn’s help, the farmers pulled together to provide over 30 baskets of peaches for the auction that raised $84,400.

“There is something about having connections with people who make a living off the land,” Glenn said. “How people put all their trust into Mother Nature, and everything is hanging on the Lord to bless their crop. They are willing to go out there and put everything on the line and make a living. I would go into these farmers’ homes, sit down and talk to them. Sometimes they would ask me to stay for supper, and it got to where they were a part of my family. I just had a connection with them, and I admire the farmer.”

From the peach auction, to church service and his full-time job, Glenn was always on the move. But he always made things work.

“He balanced everything out, and I do not know how,” Glenn’s wife Tammie McGriff said. “He has a lot of energy and a drive to make the county better. A lot of stuff that went on he did not talk about once he got home. He had a lot on him during the day, but when he got home he would block it out. It has been a ride, but a good ride, and God took care of us.”

Glenn always made it a point to be in his office and accessible to the public while the circuit clerk. When someone came to the window with a problem, if he could help that person and get them on the right track for the answers they need, that was the biggest thrill he got as a public official. Sometimes people just want someone to talk to, and they want to talk to their elected officials. Glenn understood that, and he made it a point to be present and accessible.

When it came to serving as the county’s circuit clerk, Glenn pinpointed his employees — the court specialists for Chilton County. He commended their work ethic and the amount of work that goes into their job each day that they continuously do without hesitation. He loved seeing them grow in the position after they were hired, and seeing their families grow over the years.

“They are the ones that paddled the boat, I just got to steer the boat,” Glenn said.

The court specialists were just a small group of people that were in the courtroom on Jan. 15 to celebrate Glenn’s career. Glenn’s old Jaycee friends traveled in for the retirement party, which was a surprise to him. Circuit clerks from across Alabama, members of his church family and peach farmers he has grown to know through his civic work were also in attendance.

“It was very humbling,” Glenn said. “It was so good to see people from all across my lifespan that I had associated with. It was a very humbling experience, and it was pretty much everyone who had an influence on my life from a very early age to the present time.”

Glenn chose a few people to speak at the retirement party including Chilton County Sheriff John Shearon, District Attorney of the 19th Judicial District of Alabama CJ Robinson, Attorneys Phillip Price and Fletcher Green, Keith “Booty” Cox with the Alabama Circuit Clerks Association, Chilton County Probate Judge Jason Calhoun and more. Stories were shared from epic canoe trips, Alabama football games, family moments and times when Glenn went above and beyond his duty.

Now that Glenn is moving into retirement, newly elected circuit clerk Nick Burnett will be taking over. Burnett has been spending time with Glenn constantly, learning the ins and outs of the job and how to do it well like his predecessor. Burnett said there is an administrative side to the circuit clerk’s office that only Glenn could teach him how to do it.

“Since I have been elected, Glenn has been right there and taught me so much in the last few months,” Burnett said. “It has been a really good transition, and that speaks to the type of person Glenn is. His knowledge and experience have played a huge role in getting me to where I need to be.”

After Smith and Glenn each served for 18 years in the position, Burnett will be only the third circuit clerk in Chilton County over the last 36 years.

“I told Nick ‘If you get here and do not sit in this office, get up at that window and talk to people and help people, you will be here as long as you want to be,’” Glenn said. “I think Nick will be a great clerk. He has been coming by for the last six or seven months and watching the routine, learning the computer and has already been working on it. I am proud of him, and I think he will be a great clerk for Chilton County.”

In retirement, Glenn plans to continue his civic work with the Clanton Lions Club, Peach Auction and offered to volunteer more hours at his church. He might take up fishing, but plans to spend a large amount of time enjoying his grandchildren — All while staying in a servant’s mindset.

“The Lord has been good to me and blessed me … And sometimes I wonder why he has blessed me so much,” Glenn said. “There is a movie called “It’s a Wonderful Life,” and it is one of my favorite movies. It is such a true movie, and you think you do not do much in life, but to say you were not around and see what happens to people. I love my life … I would not trade my life with anyone, and the people of Chilton County have been so good to me. I do not know how I could ever repay them.”

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