Leadership Shelby County added 30 more residents to its alumni roll on Wednesday.

The graduates were joined by fellow alumni, family, friends and co-workers at the Pelham Civic Complex.

Speaking for the class of 2006 was class member Tom Ferguson representing Shelby County Schools.

Ferguson, a candidate for school superintendent who spent 10 years as principal at Pelham High School, said his classmates were &8220;a group I hope to be with and stay connected to for the rest of my life.&8221;

He referred to Leadership Shelby County program as &8220;fun, informative, motivational and rewarding – a life-changing event for all of us.&8221;

Commencement speaker for the event was Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Drayton Nabers Jr.

Nabers, author of the book &8220;The Case for Character,&8221; spoke to the group about the meaning of leadership and the ability of a person to look back on life and be pleased with the answer to the question, &8220;Have I lived a good life?&8221;

Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce Director Karen Ream recognized the contributions of retiring University of Montevallo president Dr. Robert McChesney.

&8220;A community will not rise above the quality of its leaders,&8221; Ream said.

Graduating in the class of 2006 were:

-Rachael Banks of UM,

-Kelli Brasher of Shelby County 911,

-Ken Burchfield of the Shelby County Drug Enforcement Task Force,

-Scott Chambers of Merrill Lynch,

-Stan Chapman of the Shelby County Sheriff&8217;s Office,

-Wayne Cleghorn of Alabama Gas Corporation,

-Hollie Cost, Montevallo City Councilmember,

-Patrick Cunningham of Transportation South Inc.,

-Scott Dillard of the American Cancer Society,

-Jeri Evans of One Nineteen Health & Wellness,

-Ferguson of Shelby County Schools,

-Danielle Fields of the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce,

-Barbara Forrest of UM,

-Noralyn Hamilton of Jefferson State Community College,

-Pamela Harris of Brasfield & Gorrie,

-Garland Harwell of Southern Company Services Inc.,

-Camellia Holmes of the Shelby County Department of Human Resources,

-Julie Jordan of JSCC,

-Lisa Martindale of Alabama Power Company, David Mellon of Sirote & Permutt PC,

-Anthony O&8217;Neal of State Farm Insurance,

-Tim Prince of the Shelby County Reporter,

-Kendall &8220;Ken&8221; Puckett of American Family Care,

-Jennifer Ray of Shelby County Personnel,

-Bridgette Smith of the Vincent Elementary PTO,

-Robert &8220;Rob&8221; Smith of Brickworks Cookery,

-Eugene &8220;Buddy&8221; Tyler of the North Shelby Fire District,

-Stacy Walkup of the South Shelby Chamber of Commerce,

-Joe Wittmeier of Chilton/Shelby Mental Health and

-Pete Zekoff of the Pelham Fire Department.

Graduation certificates and pins were presented by the Leadership Shelby County board of directors president and vice president Tyrone Fenderson Jr. and Carol Hill