Rooted in Hartselle: Carolyn Wallace leads beautification efforts across the city

Photos by Rachel Howard/RAW Images For Hartselle native Carolyn Wallace, helping keep her hometown beautiful is more than landscaping and seasonal decorations—it is a lifelong calling. “Hartselle means home, roots, family, friends, love … a warm, friendly place to live and work. It’s one of life’s blessings to me,” she said. Wallace has served as executive director of the Hartselle Beautification Association since 2004, but her connection to the city stretches back much further. Some of her earliest memories are of living in an apartment above Peck Funeral Home, where her father worked. The funeral home was located near the railroad tracks in those days, and she remembers watching the townspeople come and go from an upstairs window. Those early experiences, and relationships with longtime local merchants and community members, helped shape her commitment to the city where she grew up. Founded in 1984, the Hartselle Beautification Association, originally known as the Hartselle Clean City Association, was created in part to help attract new business to the area. Community leaders recognized that a clean, well-maintained city plays a key role in economic development. That mission continues today. The organization’s work also aligns with broader efforts led by Keep Alabama Beautiful and Keep America Beautiful, which promote community cleanup, environmental stewardship and civic pride across the…