Jackson County commissioners on Oct. 14 approved three appointments to the Scottsboro-Jackson County Port Authority board, filling two county seats and forwarding the county’s nomination for a jointly appointed seat with the City of Scottsboro.

The commission introduced three candidates: Thomas Gamble, presented with experience in data-center operations and project management; Jack Lovelady, a longtime banking executive and former bank president; and Steve Griffith, a local agricultural leader and retired Scottsboro fire captain. Commissioners nominated and approved Gamble for a two-year county term, Griffith for a four-year county term, and Lovelady as the county’s nomination for the jointly appointed five-year seat. Each motion was approved by voice vote.

The authority’s articles of incorporation require the county to appoint two board members who must reside in the county (outside the municipality of Scottsboro) and to nominate a jointly appointed member in coordination with the city. Commissioners indicated those residency and appointment rules when describing the open seats. The commission said it will forward Jack Lovelady’s nomination to the City of Scottsboro for the joint appointment process.

No financial terms or specific duties beyond the authority’s creation and the statutory residency requirement were discussed at length in the meeting.