Alabama Is Ready: Helios at the ALM Annual Convention
Last week, Helios’ founder, Rayford Etherton, joined Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall at the Alabama League of Municipalities Annual Convention for a breakout session on opioid settlement funds — and the energy in the room made one thing clear: Alabama's municipal leaders are paying attention, and they are ready to act.
The session drew city, county, and municipal leaders from across the State, all looking for answers to some of the most pressing questions in local government right now: How should settlement funds be spent? What does effective opioid abatement look like in practice? And how do communities build something lasting rather than just writing checks?
Attorney General Marshall and Rayford worked through those questions together, offering a frank look at the landscape of opioid abatement in Alabama — where we are, where the opportunities lie, and what it will take to position the State as a national leader in this work. The questions from the audience were sharp and substantive, a testament to how seriously these leaders are taking their responsibility to their communities.
The Attorney General and Rayford also reiterated their commitment to Project RenewAL, where Helios will take the lessons learned in southwest Alabama and apply them to other communities across the State. This work was intentionally built to scale, and the moment is right for that work to begin.
In conversations after the session, it became clear that the appetite for collaboration is real. Municipal leaders from across Alabama expressed interest in joining the RenewALliance and being part of a coordinated, data-driven response to the opioid epidemic — not just in their own communities, but statewide.
We are just getting started. If your community is ready to be part of what comes next, we want to hear from you.
Learn more about the RenewALliance and the Helios approach at www.theheliosalliance.com. To get in touch or to discuss opportunities to join the RenewALliance, contact Elizabeth at elizabeth@theheliosalliance.com.
