By CHRISTINE BOATWRIGHT / Staff Writer

MONTEVALLO – The Alabama Communities of Excellence honored Montevallo Mayor Ben McCrory with the Outstanding Mayor Award Oct. 3.

The award presentation was made during the general session of the Alabama Community Leadership Network Conference in Prattville.

“It was just really outstanding. I’m so grateful,” McCrory said. “I know there were other people who were qualified for that, but the board of directors of the Alabama Communities of Excellence made the decision for me to be the Outstanding Mayor for 2012.

“We’ve done so much and have a long way to go. We went through the ACE program, and they were quite pleased with how we handled it,” McCrory added.

Montevallo was selected as an Alabama Community of Excellence in May after finishing a three-year program in only two years, McCrory said.

“We had already moved forward, and our focus was already on the things (the Alabama Communities of Excellence program) likes to see cities accomplish,” McCrory said. “We were able to accomplish their designation for three years in two years. As a city, we were already on our way to becoming a city of excellence.”

To qualify for the designation, municipalities must have between 2,000 to 18,000 residents. Twenty-five communities have been certified as Alabama Communities of Excellence, with Montevallo as the only Shelby County municipality.