EDITOR'S NOTE 1:40 p.m.: Updated with list of endorsements
Longtime Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis will formally announce his candidacy for mayor this afternoon, surrounded by family, friends and local supporters.
In an exclusive interview with 1819 News before his press event, Derzis kept a positive and hopeful tone, saying, "I am announcing my candidacy for mayor of our great city. It is something that if you had asked me eight or nine months ago, I would have said, 'What are you talking about?"
He says that over the last several months, he's talked to close friends and business owners. "It finally just resonated in my mind: You know what? I can do this. Sometimes change is good, and I think I can be a positive change. Make Hoover, Hoover again."
As reported by 1819 News in January, there was a grassroots campaign to recruit Derzis to run with supporters, citing his decades of success not just leading the Hoover Police Department but being involved in local charitable organizations, education and all areas of the city.
When asked what he hopes to accomplish, Derzis stressed that while he will continue to focus on the community's safety, he intends to prioritize education and transparency.
"When people ask questions, they deserve answers," he said. Derzis regularly attends city council meetings and says that he would strive to address the concerns of residents who address the mayor and council.
Derzis will face incumbent Mayor Frank Brocato, who announced earlier this year that he intends to run for reelection. He said that he anticipates a positive race and respects Mayor Brocato.
Derzis says he's most proud of the Hoover Police Department's success.
"The culture that we've built. Nobody does it like we do," he declared.
While Derzis insists that "there's no magic recipe," a longtime friend and supporter told 1819 News in January that Derzis himself was the secret to the department's success.
According to the Hoover Police Department's website, Derzis joined the "Hoover Police Department in 1979 and has been promoted steadily through the ranks. He was promoted to Assistant Chief of Police in December 1999 and to Chief of Police in January 2005. Throughout the years, he has been responsible for numerous initiatives within the department, such as the Special Response Team, School Resource Officer program, and the development and construction of a new police operations center and jail facility."
Speaking about how that experience will translate into the role of mayor, Derzis said, "We're going to take the urgency to help citizens to City Hall, the urgency that we have in the police department."
He added, "Government for the people by the people. These are the ones who elect us they elect us to do a job and its going to get done. There's a lot of talent at City Hall, it'll be different than what it is today."
His message to Hoover residents as he goes into his official race announcement and formally launches his campaign is, "We are going to build something together. We're going to build a Hoover that everyone is going to be excited about. We want them excited, we are going to put vitality and excitement back in city government. We want new residents, we want to keep building the city. Good government, transparency, and continue for our residents to live in a safe environment."
Derzis has picked up a notable list of endorsements already.
List of endorsements as follows:
• Jefferson County Commissioner and retired Alabama Supreme Court Judge Mike Bolin
• Former Hoover Mayor Tony Petelos and his wife retired Judge Teresa Petelos
• Retired Hoover Executive Director Alan Pate
• Retired Hoover Fire Chief Chuck Wingate
• Former Tourism Director Tynette Lynch
• Current Hoover Park Board President Lynn Cummings
• Current Hoover Park Board Member Ricky Phillips
• Current Hoover Park Board Member Ben Lord
• Dr. Pete DeFranco, Scout Creek Lake Trace Crossings Resident
• Greg Williams, Member of the Trace Crossings Residential Association’s President’s Council
• Ashley Lovell, Driving Force Behind the Tattersall Movement
• Hoover City Council Member Steve McClinton
• Hoover City Council Member Sam Swiney
• Hoover City Council Member Curt Posey
Apryl Marie Fogel is a Birmingham resident who frequently appears on and guest hosts radio programs around the state. She can be reached at [email protected] or on X and Facebook at @aprylmarie.
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