Wallace State graduate Brandon Horton serves as Oneonta’s Public Safety Director

ONEONTA, ALA. –  Brandon Horton is the very definition of a servant leader. Since childhood, he worked to turn his dream of becoming a fireman into a career in public service.  And, with two degrees from Wallace State, over the last decade he has invested his time and talents in serving Oneonta with increasing levels of responsibility.
Horton is Oneonta’s Public Safety Director and serves under the direction of the city manager, facilitating the operations of the city’s fire, police and public works departments that aid nearly 6,700 people in Oneonta. He is among many Oneonta city leaders with strong Wallace State ties.
“I wouldn’t be where I am if not for the impact Wallace State had in my life. Wallace State was valuable to me as a student because all of the classes I took allowed me to work in multiple fields. It was a perfect fit and better prepared me for my career.  It was also a huge plus for Wallace State to be close to home and for me to go to college with people I knew,” Horton said. “The Wallace State staff helped me achieve a lot. If I had a question, all I had to do was ask. My instructors always guided me in the right direction.”
Horton, 41, grew up in Nectar, which is located in Blount County and 16 miles from Hanceville. He graduated from Cleveland High School in 1993 and joined the University of Alabama’s law enforcement academy out of high school. He became a police officer for the city of Oneonta in 1996.
While working in Oneonta, Horton initially enrolled in Wallace State’s Nursing Department as a college freshman, but decided to change gears during his second year of nursing school and joined Wallace State’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program. He earned an EMS degree from Wallace State in 2004 and added an associate’s degree in fire science then offered by the college in 2006.
As he was enrolled at Wallace State, Horton served Oneonta citizens in multiple ways, always with an unwavering commitment. He transferred from the police to the fire department in 2001 and ultimately earned promotions to assistant fire chief and fire marshal. Horton was promoted to public safety director in 2014, and additional administrative responsibilities were added to his position last October.
Horton is currently completing his bachelor’s degree in emergency management from Jacksonville State.
When Horton was enrolled at Wallace State, he worked simultaneously to pay for the majority of his classes, and he believes Wallace State’s new campus in Oneonta will be a benefit to students who are in the same boat today.
“I see so much potential for single parents or students just starting out. Parents can take morning classes and still be able to pick up their child from school in the afternoon. Or, you might have a student who can swing by campus, take a couple of morning classes, work in the afternoon and put themselves through college like I did,” said Horton, who has two young daughters he hopes attend Wallace State one day.
As an alum, Horton is thrilled Wallace State now has a campus in Oneonta.
“Having Wallace State in Oneonta is a win-win situation. It’s an opportunity we’ve wanted for quite some time, and we are just privileged it actually happened. There are so many doors being opened now with Wallace State in town from the economic impact to the opportunity it gives people to attend college right here in Blount County. The list of advantages goes on and on,” Horton said. “I’m proud to say I’m a Wallace State graduate. I walk with pride knowing all the great things Wallace State represents.”
A recent economic impact study by Alabama Power estimates that the Wallace State-Oneonta campus will bring an additional $4.4 million in spending with local businesses and an additional $1.9 million in related salaries.
“Wallace State is helping change the way people look at our community, and it gives people like me an opportunity to come back and give back to the college that means so much to me. I would love for this campus to teach EMS courses and other public safety courses,” Horton said. “For Wallace State and Oneonta to create this partnership is awesome. To be able to have a facility where we are able to teach college-level courses and have those skills come back to our community says a whole lot. It’s very exciting.”
Wallace State is celebrating its graduates in a recent marketing campaign. Horton’s story can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyt5AiNWDaA.
For more information about Wallace State, visit wallacestate.edu.

 

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Russell Moore
Staff Writer
Wallace State Community College
P.O. Box 2000, Hanceville, AL 35077
1-866-350-9722    256-352-8443 direct
Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu
 
Kristen Holmes
Communications & Marketing Director, and
Administrator, The Evelyn Burrow Museum
Wallace State Community College
801 Main Street NW | Hanceville, AL 35077
E-mail: kristen.holmes@wallacestate.edu
Office: 256.352.8118 | Cell: 256.339.2519 | Toll Free: 866.350.9722