By Sarah Hannah
TUSCALOOSA
– Faith, family and service are all important to Dianne Bentley, who has
embraced her role as First Lady of Alabama and uses her platform to make a
difference in the lives of the people of her state and especially of those in
her hometown of Tuscaloosa.
“If someone had told me that one day
I would be first lady, I would have laughed,” Bentley said.
Bentley attended Lanier High School,
just a block away from the Governor’s Mansion where she now resides. While
attending the University of Alabama, Bentley was introduced to her now-husband,
Robert. They were married in July 1965, changing her role from a bacteriologist
to a wife and, eventually, a mother.
However, she was not prepared for
taking on a newer and greater role as first lady of Alabama when her husband
announced and then won the gubernatorial candidacy.
“Even after the election, it took
time to settle in my new role, and I try to view it as an opportunity each
day,” Bentley said.
While Bentley has had to adjust to
life in her role as first lady and the many changes it has brought, she tries
to live as normal of a life as possible. Normal, however, is not a word that those
working with and around her would use to describe her.
“Mrs. Bentley is a fine first lady
to work with,” said Taylor Vice, director of constituent affairs. “She has a
servant’s heart, which has fallen down upon not only those that work with her
and know her, but people across the state. Caring, compassion and her faith are
just a few of her wonderful attributes.”
Bentley’s attributes have served her
well in her role as first lady, providing an example to the people in the state
about how they should respond to others and their needs, especially after the
disaster of the tornadoes in April of 2011.
Bentley watched helplessly as her
hometown of Tuscaloosa was ripped apart and devastated by the tornadoes. She
was frantic when she was unable to contact her family to make sure they were
safe, a sentiment shared by many others at the time.
To combat communication problems faced
after the tornado, the first lady is partnering with the Safe America program
to raise awareness of what happened, to inform people on how they will be able
to best communicate with loved ones, and to develop preparedness plans for
future emergency situations that may arise.
The tornado was not Bentley’s only
shining moment of service. As a member of a quilting guild in Tuscaloosa,
Bentley and fellow members were able to turn their hobby of quilting into a way
to serve others. After reading an article about “ugly quilts,” quilts made of
the leftover strips of fabric that no one wanted to use, the members of the
guild were inspired to make their own “ugly quilts” and distributed them to the
homeless of Tuscaloosa.
After she and her husband serve
their term in office and return to Tuscaloosa, Bentley plans to not only resume
her role as a wife, mother and grandmother, but to also return to teaching
Sunday school at her church, facilitating a Bible study and working with her
quilter’s guild.
“My guild is always working on a
service project,” Bentley said, “so although I will not be First Lady, I hope
to still be making a difference in the community. My goal is to be remembered
for my faith and commitment to God.”
