Jared Dovers recognized for leadership, community outreach and commitment to making Scottsboro a better place for families

Story By Katie Hightower

When Jared Dovers moved back to Scottsboro after college, he had a goal to help Scottsboro continue to grow as a place for families and for everyone in the area. Dovers became very involved with the community with his role as the director of the Scottsboro Public Library and as the executive director of the United Givers Fund. He was also active with various nonprofit boards, civic organizations and volunteer work. Due to his level of involvement with community outreach and his tireless efforts to improve Jackson County, Dovers was awarded Citizen of the Year for 2025.

Dovers grew up in Scottsboro and graduated from Scottsboro High School. He then moved to Texas and attended Southern Methodist University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and religion. While he had no intention of moving back to Scottsboro, he changed his mind after a visit home that resulted in a date with the woman who later became his wife, Nicole. He became a family man and because of his love for his family, he wanted to help build a better community for them.

“He just really has a heart for this community,” Nicole said. “I think it is based on wanting a place for his children to want to be, to stay grounded once they grow up. He’s very supportive and encouraging to everyone.”

Since Dovers took the position as the Scottsboro Public Library’s director three years ago, he focused on building the library with interesting literature and community outreach. The library regularly hosted various family-oriented, educational and cultural events at the library. He said it gave him a lot of satisfaction to see more people visiting the library. “I’ve enjoyed over the last three years, getting to see this place grow,” Dovers said. “We have doubled the amount of books we circulated; we did that in the first year. We continued to grow. There’s more people coming today for the programs than there were the year before. Each year we see more and more. It’s just continuing to grow and that is very satisfying.”

Dovers credited the library’s staff of five for their hard work with the library’s programs. He said the staff helped make the library a friendly place people wanted to be. 

Martha Avans, who has worked with Dovers since he took on the leadership role, said, “It’s great working with Jared at the Scottsboro Public Library. Not only does he care about the library and its patrons, he also cares about the staff. He cares about our community, and not only Scottsboro but the whole county.”

Nicole said the library has become a community hub for people to not only learn but to socialize. Dovers said his favorite part of his job was interacting with regular patrons who visited the library and seeing kids become excited about reading. 

“I had a patron here this morning who said if she couldn’t get access to free books and couldn’t come here and do this, her life would be a lot worse. Reading means a lot to her. She reads a ton of books every year and she gets them from here. Things like that: providing a space for people to be able to come and be a part of the community—that’s what I like best about it,” Dovers said.

Local citizen and patron of the Scottsboro Public Library, Everett Reed said, “Jared Dovers is a gift to this town. He is a dedicated public citizen and he understands a free people read freely. I am impressed by his leadership and I am thankful for the revitalized community involvement we are already seeing. I look forward to seeing him behind the circulation desk for many long years."

Less than a year ago, Dovers stepped in as the executive director of Jackson County’s United Givers Fund. With UGF, he worked to build a stronger campaign to fund local programs in the community like the IMPACT Learning Center, Michael Scott Learning Center, Children’s Advocacy Center, Crisis Services of North Alabama, 4-H, the ARC of Jackson County, CASA, Community Action and many more. Dovers strongly believed in the work UGF did for the community. He said it did a lot of good and it helped people of all ages from children to the elderly. “Pretty much everyone in Jackson County gets touched by one of these programs at some point in their life,” Dovers said.

UGF’s President Daniel Colon said, “What sets Jarad Dovers apart is the sheer sincerity of his intent to support this community. He doesn’t just offer ideas. He’s always the first to do the necessary work, effortlessly handling every role he takes on. He’s the kind of person who makes you want to be a better person.”

Dovers’s involvement with the community continued through his volunteer work. He served as a board member for the Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce where he co-chaired the communications committee. He also served on the board of the IMPACT Learning Center and served as President of the Scottsboro Rotary Club.

Dovers and his family have been active members of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. He volunteered his time to assist with various church events and outreach. He said that he was inspired by religious stories in the Bible and stories of saints who persevered through adversity. He said he also was inspired by his wife who worked hard for their family and helped raise good kids. 

Mayor Jim McCamy said, “Jared has proven himself worthy of this recognition. From his efforts as director of the Scottsboro Public Library, his service as executive director of the United Givers Fund of Jackson County, his service as a member of the board of directors for the Mountain Lakes Chamber of Commerce to his work with the Scottsboro Rotary Club, Jared is an excellent recipient of Citizen of the Year. Jared’s commitment to serve others is felt across so many areas of our community. His leadership and enthusiasm make Scottsboro a better place and we are fortunate to have him as part of our team of local change-makers.”

While Dovers felt satisfaction through the work he has done in the community, Dovers said he felt the most satisfaction in his life with his family. During his spare time he preferred to spend time with them and enjoyed family game nights. 

“I’m very lucky to have a family that has a blast,” Dovers said. “It’s great to wake up to them. My wife and kids are core to my life’s joy.”