For Goodwyn Mills and Cawood, Inc. (GMC), community impact is measured by the lived experience of the people who use the spaces they help create. That belief has guided GMC’s long-standing partnership with Live HealthSmart Alabama (LHSA), beginning in the organization’s earliest years and extending across every LHSA community to date.
With a multi-disciplinary team of architects, engineers, and planners, GMC supports communities through projects ranging from infrastructure and transportation to parks and public spaces, with an emphasis on long-term impact.
“Our heart is around building communities,” said Jeffrey Brewer, Chief Executive Officer of GMC. “Everything that we do is around this notion that we get the opportunity, through the work that we do, to leave a legacy of good in the communities that we serve.”
GMC’s work reflects a belief that thoughtful design plays a critical role in quality of life, a philosophy that aligns closely with Live HealthSmart Alabama’s focus on improving health through the built environment.
“We truly believe the built environment really does matter,” Brewer said. “Communities that have access to parks and greenways and sidewalks and lighting—those things form the fabric of what creates a healthy community at the end of the day.”
A long-standing commitment
GMC’s collaboration with Live HealthSmart Alabama began nearly five years ago and was rooted in both shared values and personal connection. Brewer first became involved through his service on UAB’s College of Engineering Advisory Committee, where he met LHSA’s Built Environment Work Group Leader, Fouad Fouad, Ph.D., and later through conversations with Mona Fouad, M.D.
“You can’t say no to them,” Brewer said. “And I mean that in the most endearing way, because their hearts are so aligned with the mission.”
As the partnership took shape, it quickly grew beyond individual relationships and into an organization-wide commitment. One of the earliest and most enduring examples of that work can be found in Birmingham’s Bush Hills neighborhood.
GMC helped design the overall campus plan for the Bush Hills Community Complex, including renovations to the gym, dining facility, courtyard, and surrounding spaces. The planning was conducted in partnership with BL Harbert International and other collaborators, as well as feedback gathered from local leaders at Bush Hills Connections. Since then, GMC’s involvement has continued through hands-on volunteer projects and long-term engagement.
Over the years, GMC teams have supported general cleanup efforts, rebuilt raised garden beds, stained picnic tables, constructed a tractor shed, and taken on new improvements as community needs emerged. Most recently, GMC partnered with Pylon Building Group to construct two arbors—open-air shade structures—at the Bush Hills Community Garden, features that were included in the original design vision.
The arbors were completed in November during GMC’s Annual Building Communities Day of Service and included participation from students in UAB’s College of Engineering, who worked alongside GMC staff and community partners.
“To see that plan develop over multiple years, and to see how that community has embraced it, has been really meaningful,” Brewer said. “Our involvement and love for that community grows each year the more we’re involved in it.”
Restoring community assets in Selma
Beyond Birmingham, GMC has supported LHSA’s expansion into Selma, including work following destructive tornadoes that impacted the area.
At the East Selma Community Pond & Park, a once-valued community space had fallen into disrepair. The pond had been drained, erosion had damaged walkways, and aging infrastructure made the area unsafe for residents. GMC’s civil engineering team developed plans to restore the pond, address erosion issues, and construct new walkways around the site.
In addition, GMC’s landscape architecture team designed improvements that include tree planting for shade, native grasses for spatial definition, and new walkways that connect the park more seamlessly with surrounding neighborhoods. Access points for fishing were also incorporated so that, once restored, the pond could again be used as it once was by the community.
“To see that asset rebuilt and now in action has become a source of pride in an area that was hit so hard,” Brewer said.
Sustaining momentum across communities
As Live HealthSmart Alabama continues to expand, GMC sees opportunity in a now-established approach that centers on community engagement, collaboration, and lasting investment.
“We understand how to engage in a community where it feels like their project, not ours,” Brewer said. “That’s critically important.”
He also noted that visible investments in the built environment often help open the door to broader conversations around health and opportunity.
“There’s something that happens when people see a tangible investment in their community,” he said. “It feels real to them, and it creates momentum.”
Despite GMC’s role as a longtime partner, Brewer is quick to redirect the focus.
“I genuinely don’t want this to be about GMC,” he said. “I want to support Live HealthSmart Alabama.”
Abby Basinger, who leads GMC’s People and Culture team, added that sharing these stories can help encourage others to get involved.
“If this helps set an example and encourages other organizations to be part of something bigger than themselves,” she said, “then it’s worth telling.”
GMC is proud to partner with Live HealthSmart Alabama, which is leading a transformational movement to decrease the incidence of chronic disease in Alabama and eliminate barriers to making good health simple.