AERN home > News > Press release, August 30, 2007
Press Release
Left to right: Ray Nelson, Mayor of Fayette; Anne Hamner, Chamber of Commerce Director and AERN partner; Annette Watters, AERN Co-Director at the University of Alabama; Mike Hardin, Associate Dean of Research at the College of Commerce, The University of Alabama; Senator Jeff Sessions; Paavo Hanninen, AERN Co-Director at the University of Alabama; Melissa Porter, owner of a local Fayette gift shop. Senator Sessions is holding a gift presented to him by Ms. Porter in commemoration of his visit to the AERN in Fayette.
At his request, Sen. Jeff Sessions toured the AERN facility in Fayette County on August 20. Sen. Sessions's staff had heard of the benefits that AERN can bring to rural economies and the senator asked to see one in operation while he was home on recess. Fayette mayor Ray Nelson and the local chapter of the DAR provided a wonderful home-cooked lunch for about 40 people at the Fayette Civic Center, after which everyone went the short distance to the historic train station housing the AERN center for a tour and a discussion with invited local business persons. Sen. Sessions was interested and engaged. We were very pleased at the attention he has given the AERN concept.