What is the first step an individual should take to stop a negative generational pattern?

The essential first step is to acknowledge that you do not want to allow those generational things to continue (0:00). These negative patterns can be subtle, such as alcoholism, drug abuse, constant swearing, or raising your voice, which a person might have normalized because they grew up accustomed to it. The key is to identify that the behavior didn't work well for you and be willing to do the hard, intentional work required to stop it at your generation (20:03, 20:30).

What is Alvin Hicks' official role and how long has he lived in Sugar Hill, Georgia?

Alvin Hicks is a dedicated advocate and city councilman for Sugar Hill, Georgia (0:45). He has been a resident of the city since 2014 (0:45).

What are Alvin Hicks' main focuses as a city councilman?

As a councilman, he is focused on bridging generational gaps in the community (1:04). He is the city liaison for the Sugar Hill Youth Council, ensuring young voices are heard, and is also a strong advocate for the wisdom and well-being of the seniors (1:04).

What are the details of Alvin Hicks' background and upbringing?

He is originally from Richmond, Virginia, where he grew up in the inner city (1:45, 2:20). He was born to a single, teenage mom and was mostly raised by his grandmother while living in government-subsidized housing. Though he did not describe his life as "rough" because it was the only life he knew, he acknowledges the lack of a father figure as a challenge that ultimately shaped who he is today (2:20).

What was the reason and timing of Alvin Hicks' move to Georgia?

He moved in 1996, leaving Virginia for the metro area of Georgia (3:19). The move was largely catalyzed by a cousin who offered him the opportunity to visit and potentially stay after the cousin had moved for a job. Alvin had no clear path or goal at the time, so he took a "leap of faith" and drove down with everything he could fit in his car, arriving during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics (3:49, 4:50, 8:26).

How did faith and his grandmother influence Alvin Hicks' life?

His faith was the "foundational" piece that got him through his time in Virginia and the 29-30 years in Georgia (5:39). His grandmother, who was always in church, was his primary religious influence. He recalls waking up to hear her praying for him on her knees, often in the living room or a closet (5:39). When he moved, she would call him every day and end the conversation by saying, "I'll be praying for you," cementing his foundation (7:06).

What is Alvin Hicks' perspective on the role of intervention in changing someone's life trajectory?

He believes that "everybody is placed into your path or your life for a reason," whether the interaction is positive or negative (7:57). This "divine intervention" is super important, as it helps us learn and grow from the opportunities presented. He notes that without the opportunity his cousin gave him, he likely wouldn't have left his hometown (7:25, 7:57).

What was Alvin Hicks' vocational path and his career at AT&T?

He did not finish college after graduating high school and initially just looked for work to provide financially, not a career (10:47, 11:17). He eventually got connected with Bell South (which became AT&T) 22 years ago, starting as a field technician who would fix issues at people's homes, dealing with dial-up and copper lines (11:58, 12:25). He now serves as a network operations manager (2:13).

What is Alvin Hicks' definition of "living better"?

He believes living better means making choices that align with my values and improving quality of life (24:05). This could involve health and well-being, financial stability, stronger relationships, or simply having peace of mind (24:05).

What advice does Alvin Hicks offer to someone who is living in contradiction to their values?

He advises them to self-evaluate and talk to someone (25:11). This conversation doesn't necessarily have to be with a friend, but someone who can help shape misunderstandings and directionally guide them back onto the path (25:11). In situations of external pressure, such as in politics, he stresses the importance of understanding the other person's perspective—cognitive empathy—by setting your own thoughts aside and listening to grow and learn (27:51, 28:26).

What is Alvin Hicks' view on "working smarter"?

Working smarter is about aligning effort with strategy (28:55). Instead of just "working hard," it means making decisions that move us closer to the goals with less wasted time (30:06). In his role managing a diverse team, it also means being intentional about articulating strategy across all generational breakouts, from Gen Zers to Baby Boomers (29:54).

Why is mentoring important to Alvin Hicks?

Mentoring is a big piece for him because he feels it was missing from his own upbringing (32:58). He wants the youth to have inspiration that they can put their hands on within their own neighborhoods, not just from celebrities or social media influencers (33:45). He emphasizes that it takes a "village" because studies show that older kids are often more receptive to listening to an inspirational voice outside of their own family (34:30).

What is a foundational concept Alvin Hicks values from a book he reads often?

He often reads the non-fiction book The Power of Your Subconscious Mind (37:06). The core idea he draws from it is that what you think about, what you say is actually what comes alive (37:34).

What is Alvin Hicks' stance on broken systems and why they persist?

He believes people keep using broken systems because they are afraid to change them (40:45). They may feel the system has "been working" or believe they aren't smart enough to add enough value to change it (40:45). He challenges this, reminding his team that just because something has been done a certain way doesn't mean it has to continue (40:45).

What is the most important message Alvin Hicks would give his younger self?

He would tell him, "The future's bright" and "Don't give up" (41:48). He acknowledges there were times he felt despair and hopelessness, but the early morning prayers of his grandmother provided the hope that ultimately sustained him (42:35, 43:22).

What is the most important political privilege Alvin Hicks encourages people to use?

He encourages people to exercise their ability and our privilege to vote (44:45). To the cynic who claims their vote doesn't matter, he challenges them to be quiet after the vote if they are unwilling to participate (45:27).

What is Alvin Hicks' vision for Sugar Hill at the end of his next four-year term?

He wants the community to be strong enough, safe enough so that the younger generation, after finishing college, will want to come back to plant roots and to start their families (51:19). He also wants to ensure the community has diverse housing options so that seniors are able to downsize and stay in Sugar Hill without having to move away (52:29).

What makes Sugar Hill, Georgia a unique place to live?

Despite its population growth, Sugar Hill maintains a small town feel (53:37). He highlights the unique dynamic where the churches, schools, and government all work together for the benefit of the residents and their children (53:37). The city has great local schools (three elementary, a middle, and a high school) and an amazing mayor (53:37).

How can interested people connect with City Councilman Alvin Hicks?

He can be found on Facebook on his personal account, Alvin Hicks, or on his campaign page, Alvin for City of Sugar Hill City Council post four (55:31). He can also be reached by email at his city address or by calling the personal information provided on the city's website (55:31).

Written by Jason Montoya on October 09, 2025. Posted in Inspirational People.

One Phone Call Took Alvin Hicks From Inner City to City Council

Are you accidentally normalizing brokenness in your life? It’s time to stop the generational "subtle things" that are holding you back. You might think it's just the norm, but it didn’t work well for you.

Alvin Hicks, Councilman and AT&T Network Operations Manager, says we need a new approach. Forget what you think you know about success and just "working hard." There's a smarter path.

Inside this interview, you’ll discover:

Why the #1 thing shaping your future is what you tell yourself.
The shocking reason your kids won't listen to you, even if you’re right (and who they will listen to instead!).
The nuclear power plant analogy for why we keep using broken systems.

You could be pulled in so many directions, living in contradiction to your values. What if the path to "living better" is simply making choices that align with your values?

Stop making excuses and find out how to truly live better and work smarter.

Click here to watch the full inspirational people interview on the Share Life podcast.

P.S. There are times you’ll feel despair, but remember: the future’s bright. Don't give up.

Watch: Click here to watch this discussion on YouTube directly, or click play on the embedded video below to begin streaming the interview. Click here to subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Listen: Click here to listen on Spotify directly, or click play below to immediately begin streaming. You can also find this discussion on Pocket Casts, iTunes, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts under the name Share Life: Systems and Stories to Live Better & Work Smarter or Jason Scott Montoya.

Connect With Alvin Hicks

Connect with Alvin | Facebook - Instagram - LinkedIn
City of Sugar Hill | Website - City Council Member Page

FAQ

Podcast Episode Transcript

Alvin (00:00)
you have to first off acknowledge that you do not want to allow those generational things, to continue, whether it's through things through alcoholism or drug abuse it could be something where you have been raised your entire life by hearing your parents

use swear words or just raise their voice or there's different things where it may have impacted you away and then you become accustomed to it. So you normalized it. But again, those are things that I feel have more subtle generational things. you have to identify that that didn't work well for you and be willing to figure out how you are going to stop it.

Jason Montoya (00:37)
Welcome to an inspirational people interview on the Share Life podcast. I'm Jason Scott Montoya and today I'm speaking with my neighbor Alvin Hicks. Alvin, say hello. Yeah, yeah, thanks for joining us, sharing your life with us. My guest Alvin, he is a dedicated advocate and city councilman for Sugar Hill, Georgia. Alvin truly understands the city having called it home since 2014 and he channels that passion into making a difference for every resident.

Alvin (00:45)
Hey everyone, thanks Jason.

Jason Montoya (01:04)
As a councilman, he's known for his focus on bridging generational gaps in the community. He serves as the city liaison for the Sugar Hill Youth Council, making sure young voices are heard while simultaneously being a strong advocate for the wisdom and well-being of our seniors. Beyond his civic duties, Alvin brings over two decades of professional experience from his career at AT &T as a network operations manager, giving him a sharp problem-solving mindset he uses to build a stronger, more inclusive Sugar Hill.

Today we're going to hear his story and explore his take on everything from living better and working smarter to the power of mentoring and using systems effectively. So Alvin, did I miss anything about you? Well, you are, you are. So tell us who are you and how did you end up as my neighbor?

Alvin (01:45)
Wow, man, where'd you get that bio? Man, it makes me sound like I'm a rock star.

Wow, good story,

man. And you guys are great neighbors to have. So as you mentioned, I'm Alvin. And I yell from the great state of Virginia, where I'm originally from, Richmond, Virginia. Born there, lived a great portion of my life in Richmond. Grew up in the inner city of Richmond, Virginia, and did my schooling and everything there.

Jason Montoya (02:13)
Okay.

What was life like

for you there?

Alvin (02:20)
Wow, yeah, so as I mentioned, I grew up in inner city. I was born to a single mom, teenage mom, raised mostly from my grandmother. And again, living with my grandmother for majority of my life and living in government, subsidized type living at the time when I was living with her.

I couldn't say that it was rough because that's all that I knew. That was my life. So, I mean, it wasn't rough. was just, just my life. And so, again, there were a lot of things that I would say now was probably somewhat of a challenge, but at that time it was just a norm for me. And so, just really not having, the father figure in the home and a lot of things that...

Jason Montoya (02:43)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Alvin (03:02)
was a big part of what I feel are important pieces of that. I think that those things shaped me to the person of where I am today. But again, it was somewhat of a struggle, but again, it wasn't bad.

Jason Montoya (03:13)
Yeah. how much of your life is in that type of situation in that inner city? Okay. Tell about what age.

Alvin (03:19)
my entire life. yeah, yeah, so

I left, left. So born in 74, I left Virginia in 96 to move to where I'm to where I'm living now in Georgia, or the metro area of Georgia, immediately moves to Sugar Hill. so yeah, so a big portion of my life through 96 was in Virginia.

Jason Montoya (03:30)
Okay.

Okay.

Okay, so 96 to today, you've been in Georgia. Okay. Okay, wow. So what was the catalyst for the move?

Alvin (03:49)
Yep, next year will be 30 years.

honestly, Jason, that's a great question. I didn't really know what to expect. I had a cousin that had immediately, once he was done with college, he, him and his roommate moved to Georgia for just an opportunity with the job that he had landed. ⁓ And again, I didn't really have a path. I didn't really have any direction as far as what I wanted to do ⁓ from a job or just really a goal.

And so he offered me the opportunity to ⁓ come and just visit and potentially stay with him to just really see what opportunities was yelled to me here. so I just packed up my car and put whatever I could fit in my car and I drove down here and I started my life living with him for a little bit.

Jason Montoya (04:43)
Wow, so that was a pretty big leap of faith there. Did it feel like that at the time or was it like an adventure?

Alvin (04:50)
Oh, man, it was a little bit of all of that. It was a leap of faith and leap of hope. you know, again, as I mentioned, I didn't have a good job or anything. so again, financially, just didn't really know how I was going to make it, how I was going to, you know, fuel my automobile and do all of those things. And my grandmother was a very instrumental piece. And that transition, she was very inspirational and pushing me to actually go.

Jason Montoya (04:52)
Yeah.

Alvin (05:14)
⁓ And then my cousin that was living here, he was really helpful and instrumental as well to really kind of get me on that path. I would say definitely ⁓ it was a leap of faith for sure. ⁓ And again, I think my faith was a big part of what actually pushed me to make that jump. And a lot of prayers for my grandmother during the time that I was transitioning.

Jason Montoya (05:34)
Yeah, well, tell

us more about that foundational faith.

Alvin (05:39)
Wow, man. So I think that is really what got me through the time that I was in Virginia and has what's got me through the last 29 to 30 years of the time that I have been here. So again, as I've mentioned, my grandmother raised me when throughout my life and she was, think the really only thing that she really had or known was her faith. And so she was in church, just about I like to say she's in church six days out of the week. And a lot of times she had me at church with her.

whether it was Bible study or choir rehearsal or just different types of meetings, I was always at church and then of course on Sundays. that's really all that I knew because again, that's all that I've seen. I always share the story when I've talked to people that there would never be times where I would wake up in the early hours of the morning because I hear some noise and I would get up and I would hear my grandmother.

in the living room, on the sofa on her knees, or in a closet. And she was praying. And I always used to hear her praying for me all the time. She was always praying for me. She was praying for her church members. She was praying for our family. And that's something that I would think I will always remember. But that was something that was very instrumental to me because I think it was the important piece of that foundation, as what you mentioned, that really shaped me to the person that I am today, but also driving my faith. And so...

⁓ And when I transitioned here to Georgia, every single day that she would call me, and I mean every single day she would call me, when we ended the conversation, she would always say, ⁓ ended the call with, I'll be praying for you. And that's something that I always remember.

Jason Montoya (07:11)
Yeah.

Now, if your cousin hadn't invited you to come here, do think you would have left?

Alvin (07:25)
I don't think I would have. I don't think I would have. Again, I think I'll probably be one of the people that was born somewhere and ended up just figuring it out and would have a lot of friends and a lot of people that I have was brought up with that's still there in that same area. So ⁓ I don't think without that opportunity that he gave to me, I wouldn't probably have left.

Jason Montoya (07:27)
Yeah.

Yeah. So what do you think about that, just the dynamic of intervention where somebody plays a part in really changing the trajectory of somebody else's life?

Alvin (07:57)
Well, yes, yeah, I think that is super. I think that everybody is placed into your path or your life for a reason. Whether it's a positive or a negative interaction, I think that that's there intentionally for us to learn from or for us to grow from it. So that divine intervention is super important to understand of where and what's next for us and really learning from those opportunities when they're presented to us.

Jason Montoya (08:26)
Yeah. So you came to Atlanta, what did you say, 1996? I mean, were you like one of the athletes? What's going on here?

Alvin (08:31)
Mm-hmm, Donnie Olympics.

I get that a lot. I get that a lot when I say, are you doing? I came here doing the Olympics. They're like, were you part of the Olympics? No, I wasn't. No,

I wasn't. was just the timing of it. And it was perfect timing. You you've seen the city at this, at is a really optimal point where, again, it was the growth part of it and, the build and everybody was, visiting and here. So it was a really great time to be here because we've seen the city at its highest.

And you've seen a lot of, just tourists and the games and all of that. So it was a really great transition to Pointe. And it's always good for me to remember the day that when I moved here because of course of the Olympics.

Jason Montoya (09:05)
Yeah.

Yeah. You don't have to, you remember that more

easily than ⁓ your anniversary. ⁓ So did you actually get a chance to go to any of the Olympic events in person? Yeah.

Alvin (09:19)
Absolutely, you're probably right. ⁓

I did not know. I

mean, again, I was just trying to figure out where I was going and how I was going to eat. So definitely here.

Jason Montoya (09:33)
Yeah. Yeah. What part of town were

you did you start in?

Alvin (09:38)
Union City. Yeah, so I was on the south side by the airport. It was where my cousin was living at the time and I spent probably a little over a year with him down in Union City.

Jason Montoya (09:39)
Okay.

Yeah.

Okay, and then where did you go after that?

Alvin (09:53)
Union City, I landed a job in Gwinnett County. It was actually got me up to Gwinnett in Lawrenceville. And so was commuting from Union City to Lawrenceville every day. That was somewhat of a drive. And so after that, I ended up moving up to Gwinnett, Duluth, actually was my next move where I was able to eventually get my own place and start my life in Duluth.

Jason Montoya (10:01)
for while.

Yeah.

Okay, so yeah, I moved to Atlanta in 2005 and like you made a big leap of faith from Arizona to here. And so it was a big change and I can understand just how difficult like leaving everything and everyone you know to go to a new world and a new environment and trying to make it work.

How did you kind of figure out the vocational pathway? Did you go to college? Did you skip college? Did you do something else? How did that play out?

Alvin (10:47)
Yeah,

yeah, so I did. I started college when I was in Virginia once I graduated from high school. And so I started that I did not finish college. And so just again, just with that that path of where I was and didn't really have that those those those motivators and ⁓ mentoring behind me to kind of push me in that direction. So again, I just left college and just started to pursue life from that point.

Jason Montoya (11:06)
Yeah.

Alvin (11:17)
So again, I started looking for work. ⁓ It was just really just kind of looking for a job, right? I wasn't looking for a career. was just looking for work to be able to just provide financially. And so that was just really the path from there. And then of course, I started to understand that education was going to be a big piece to kind of help catapult me to what I would think would be next. And so those were directions that I started to take.

taking some somewhat classes and different things like that while I was here.

Jason Montoya (11:51)
Okay. And at some point, probably around the year I moved here, you got connected with AT &T about 20 years ago.

Alvin (11:58)
I did at the time.

Yeah, about the time I could, it's 22 years this year, at the time it was Bell South. So I started with Bell South and of course there was mergers later in the future, but I started out in what was a field technician where I was the person that would actually come to your home when you had an issue at your home. And so I started out there and...

Jason Montoya (12:02)
Okay. Yeah, okay.

Yeah.

Like like that

there was still dial-up back then right

Alvin (12:25)
Oh, it was dial-up, right? Yes, it was some dial-up and there

was a lot of, it was home phones at the time, right? Where, you know, people actually had a phone that they use. And so those are things that we were, you know, there was copper lines and all of those types of things as we was transitioning now to fiber. But yeah, so that's where I started my path and my journey with AT &T 22 years ago now, actually this year.

Jason Montoya (12:32)
Yeah.

Okay.

And did you meet a woman along the way?

Alvin (12:52)
Oh, wow, I sure did.

I did. The time I was here and actually been working in Bell South, went through just working and ran across Tawana, who's my current wife now. was at a gym. We actually met at a gym, enough. I was working out and she was there. At the time, she was playing professional basketball and she was here in the off season.

we met and just kind of started playing basketball together and just kind of started the path from there.

Jason Montoya (13:26)
Yeah, So, and then kids that had the family unfold from there.

Alvin (13:32)
Yeah, so I have an older daughter from a previous relationship, Kirsten, who she's 26 years old right now. And actually, oddly enough, works here at AT &T with me. She doesn't work for me, but she works here with me. And so she started here once she did her undergrad ⁓ from the University of Georgia. So she's now been here at AT &T. She graduated Georgia in 22.

Jason Montoya (13:45)
Wow. ⁓

Alvin (13:59)
So now she's been here for the last three and a half years and so she's now pursuing her master's at Georgia Tech. And so she's doing very well. And then Tawana and I, we had our son, Jace, who's now 12 years old, who's a sixth grader at the near middle school right now.

Jason Montoya (14:20)
Okay. Now, what like what else, know, between when you moved here to today, is there any other highlights that are worth kind of pulling out and sharing with people that's shaped who you become as a person?

Alvin (14:34)
Wow, I think I've gone through a ⁓ list of just finding myself through that time, you know, from the time that I moved here to now, of course, my grandmother passed away and I think she was a really big inspiration, number one, for my move and getting me to where I am today, but also shaping me to the person that I am today. feel she has been, it was a really...

a big motivator for me and probably the biggest advocate for me, I would say. And so I think that going through ⁓ from that to just really finding a church home that I found was a really big piece of cementing my foundation from back in Virginia and what my grandmother put there to finding a church home here that I resonated with and ⁓

And then just building a community was something that I felt has been super important to kind of getting me to, from when I moved here 29 years ago to today.

Jason Montoya (15:40)
Yeah, so I mean the two kind of lives seem to be pretty different, dramatically speaking. The life you lived and grew up and then the life you kind of intentionally shaped, right, as an adult you could make choices in different ways. So how do you explain that? coming from one place and kind of creating another type of place.

Alvin (16:04)
I think it has been definitely a power that is so much ⁓ higher than myself, right? And again, I'm probably gonna, you're probably gonna hear me go back to my faith and just really, you know, just being raised in church and my belief in God and all of that. And so I think where I could have easily, like you mentioned, you know, if I didn't have my cousin,

to kind of help me ⁓ move to Georgia, I could have easily been where I grew up and just kind of just not amounted to anything. But I feel that ⁓ having my faith and having just the drivers of people believing in me, right, you know, again, and just pushing me to where they say that they see something in me.

and just driving me through my, you know, just motivated me to just kind of come to where I am today.

Jason Montoya (17:06)
Yeah, yeah. So, are any of the experiences that you had when you were younger, did they shape kind of a fuel or create a fuel, like a motivation to create something better? Is that part of it for you?

Alvin (17:23)
Absolutely.

⁓ You know, my mom, who I've since moved from Virginia here with me, she's living here in Georgia now. One of the things she asked me, and she asked me a lot, she was like, hey, how are you such a great dad? Right? And I know that's just a mom just talking to her son or whatever, but she said, how are you such a great dad? ⁓ And I say that ⁓ it's because

I want to make sure that my kids have something that I did not have. ⁓ And so ⁓ that is, I think, a really big motivator for me. ⁓ And kind of that comparison is looking at things that, you know, because easily I could model things that I didn't have in my life and allow that to continue on as far as, you know, looking at it from a generational thing or however we look at it.

But again, those are things that I felt that I didn't want to allow my kids to experience, right? And I'm really big on not making excuses either, right? And so I'm really ⁓ a big, it out and make a way. And so I think that, though I didn't have a lot of things growing up, although I didn't have probably a lot of things where people may find to be luxuries or different things, ⁓

Jason Montoya (18:33)
Yeah.

Alvin (18:49)
I didn't make excuses then, and so I think that shaped me to be where I ⁓ don't make excuses now, and I don't allow my kids to do that either.

Jason Montoya (18:58)
Yeah. Is that a personality thing or something you embraced, a value that you embraced and took hold of?

Alvin (19:06)
Yeah, I think it's more of a value that I've embraced. ⁓ You know, I think that I have grown a lot and not just through, you know, I mean, again, I feel that education is super important. I think a lot of my education and my knowledge have come through life lessons. And so I think that it has been something that I have just, you know, that has just shaped me that I've grown through and just learned as opposed to being more of something that is. ⁓

within me.

Jason Montoya (19:36)
Yeah. Talk to us about that generational piece because I think people maybe underestimate how difficult it is to change generational patterns. I mean, we inherit a lot of good things from our parents and grandparents and so on, but we also inherit a lot of disadvantages and brokenness. And to kind of correct that piece of it, it takes a lot of, it's very difficult. It's like swimming upstream in a lot of ways. What would you say about that?

Alvin (20:03)
Well, ⁓ I think that you have to first off acknowledge that you do not want to allow those generational things, whether you look at it to be, I would say a negative, not to continue, whether it's through things through alcoholism or drug abuse or just, you know, it could be something where you have been raised your entire life by hearing your parents

use swear words or just raise their voice or there's different things where you, may not, it may have impacted you away and then you become accustomed to it. So you normalized it. But again, I think those are things that I feel that are, have just more subtle generational things. But I think that you have to identify that that didn't work well for you and be willing to ⁓ figure out how you are going to stop it. And a lot of times it's not easy.

Right? And it's going to require work and intentionality of driving some of the things that's going to help you shape away from that. ⁓ So that way you, number one, most importantly, and you have to do it for yourself, right? know, again, in order for you to allow that advantage ⁓ to, or that disadvantage or that generational thing to stop at you, first off, you have to acknowledge it and stop it there as opposed to trying to look at.

Jason Montoya (21:16)
Yeah.

Alvin (21:28)
what you're gonna make better for your kids and so forth.

Jason Montoya (21:33)
Yeah, and then where does city council man come into play here?

Alvin (21:39)
I have no clue. I don't know.

I never thought that a guy that was raised in, you know, Essex Village public housing in Richmond, Virginia would actually be elected into a city council seat in the city of Sugar Hill. I never would have imagined it. But again, it wasn't my vision, right? It was something, again, as I'm going back to kind of my...

my faith in God. But I would have never thought that I would have been a politician, right? That was not anything that if somebody had asked me when I had to speak about what I wanted to be when I grew up, it was never a politician, right? It could have been a police officer. My biggest thing, I wanted to be an engineer. so, but I think once I moved to Sugar Hill in 2014,

⁓ I was really community focused and that was a big piece of where I found to be making an impact. And so I was always looking at how I can get involved at a community level. That was at PTA meetings, again, being the room dad for my kids' schools. That was something I was super instrumental in, ⁓ involvement in my kids' schools.

Jason Montoya (23:02)
Yeah.

Alvin (23:02)
and

just doing things within the community in the betterment and in the support for others, right? And so that's really what was a big part for me is how can I help and support others? ⁓ And that's something that I teach and I've talked to my daughter when she was younger and to my son now is ⁓ what can you do for others as opposed to putting things for yourself? And so that was a big piece of really what catapulted me to

Jason Montoya (23:08)
Yeah.

Alvin (23:31)
to the city council seat is there was an open seat. I actually had a neighbor who ⁓ was just elected and he left the county, which actually left his seat vacant and I had a friend reach out and it was like, I feel that you would be a great contribution to the council. ⁓ And I was like, I don't know about that. I thought about it and prayed on it and talked to some friends and here I am today.

Jason Montoya (23:49)
Wow.

Yeah. So let's talk about, you've gone through all of these experiences and here you are today. You're what, 51 now? So you've lived a half century, you've got quite a bit of wisdom. what's kind of, when you think back at your story, when you think about living better, what does that mean to you?

Alvin (24:05)
51 man, he knows so much about me. Well, yes, I am 51

man, I think for some, right, we could look at living better, being about health and wellbeing, and for others it could be about financial stability or stronger relationships, in which I think that that is super important, or simply just having peace of mind. ⁓ But really at its core, I think that it means making choices that align with my values and improving.

quality of life. And I think that is to me, what I feel is living better, right? It's just making, you know, just really aligning with my values and just allowing that to just kind of seep through and make sure that others are feeling that.

Jason Montoya (25:04)
Yeah, what would you say to someone who is living in contradiction to their values? They're out of alignment. What advice would you give them?

Alvin (25:11)
Wow.

Self-evaluate, right? Just self-evaluate with yourself and ⁓ talk to someone, right? Go sit down and have a conversation with a friend or someone that ⁓ I think that is a big piece of something where I have found a lot of times is if I find myself getting out of alignment, have a conversation with, ⁓ and it doesn't necessarily have to be a friend, right?

Sometimes that you may not align with personally to allow you to kind of help shape some misunderstandings of where you are and then kind of directionally kind of get you back on the path.

Jason Montoya (25:45)
Yeah.

Yeah, I think one other dynamic that you might be able to speak to has to do with, sometimes we're out of alignment because there's external pressures that are pushing us. Like we wouldn't necessarily choose that, but we're being pressed upon by a boss or in your case, you you're on city council, so you might have the community, the part of the population that's pushing you to go a certain direction when that might be. So what would you say about...

kind of sticking true to those values even when there is that pressure from others to be in a misalignment, makes sense.

Alvin (26:29)
Well, yeah, that definitely makes a lot of sense, right? I think the biggest piece, you know, and really is you really hit on the head from from politics, right? You get pulled in so many directions, right? You have, you know, if you look at it at the federal level, ⁓ state level and all that, you have your parties and you have a lot of misunderstandings and a lot of, you know, and again, ⁓ when you're looking at

doing what's right, right? That's really where I'm at as far as what's right. It doesn't matter a party, it doesn't matter age or race or religion or any of those things. And so it's just really understanding that we may think different in certain things,

Thinking to myself, I may not necessarily agree with it. I may not necessarily align with that.

Jason Montoya (27:14)
Yeah, yeah.

Alvin (27:16)
We are all not going to align with that. I get a lot of emails and a lot of requests and a lot of, things from residents or community members or whatever that, it takes a lot of thought before I respond.

Jason Montoya (27:28)
Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I guess talk to us more about that idea of cognitive empathy, the idea of sort of setting your own thoughts, beliefs to the side and seeing it through their eyes, ⁓ not because you have to agree or endorse what they're doing, but just to understand it so that you can communicate and perhaps come to a solution as well.

Alvin (27:51)
Yeah, I mean, I think in a selfish way, when you allow that yourself to put your thoughts and things aside to listen, I think that allows you to grow, right? Yeah, it allows you to learn more as well, right? there's instances where we look at a religion that may not necessarily be our own, or we look at a race that may not necessarily be our own. And we have

these thoughts and these things that we don't understand and we make these judgments but if you take the opportunity to set your thing aside and to listen to the other person, then that allows you to grow and to understand a lot of matters. So I think that is a really big piece of it is that looking at it from a selfish approach is what can I get from it? What can I learn from being quiet, right? Just be quiet and just listen.

Jason Montoya (28:26)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Alvin (28:41)
I think that has been an approach that I say that I ⁓ have been taking.

Jason Montoya (28:47)
Yeah. On the work side, what do you think about when you hear the word or the phrase, working smarter? What does working smarter mean to you?

Alvin (28:55)
⁓ man, so I lead an amazing team here at AT &T and I have generations from Gen Zers all the way up to Baby Boomers and ⁓ teams that's in Europe and domestic and internationally. so ⁓ working smarter to me as it worked from a private sector to an elected official role is just really aligning effort with strategy.

How can I align the effort to strategy? And then for me also is being able to articulate that across all of the generational breakouts that I have within my team. So I have to be very intentional with understanding that I have boomers and I have Gen Zers and all that within my team. So everybody may not hear, everybody may not receive certain things that I'm saying the same way. And so again, think so many of us, especially

Jason Montoya (29:41)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Alvin (29:54)
⁓ older age and, you know, I mean, I'm a half century as you've already said it, right? You know, so instead of just, you know, I think we've always known we gotta get out here and we gotta work hard, right? You get out here you just gotta work hard, you gotta work hard, you gotta work hard. You know, it's just so instead of just working hard, make decisions that move us closer to the goals with less wasted time, right? And so just figuring out with that dynamic and kind of work. So to me,

Jason Montoya (30:06)
Yeah.

Alvin (30:22)
That is really working smarter is just really ⁓ the effort to strategy ratio.

Jason Montoya (30:28)
Yeah. And does any of that apply towards the political side of things when you think about those ideas and principles?

Alvin (30:37)
man, yeah, think that it has to definitely, it definitely works on the political side because ⁓ you're under a microscope, right? I mean, I think you look at ⁓ every person, Everybody is gifted with the opportunity to vote, right? Everybody gets that one vote.

And everybody that voted for you, they're holding you to that one vote, right? And so they're like, hey, I voted for you. my expectations. so again, it's just really looking at.

Jason Montoya (31:04)
Yeah, yeah.

Alvin (31:10)
you have to work for everyone, right? And again, right? You get, you know, we're serving under four year terms. And again, four years may sound like a lot, but four years, sometimes it's not a lot to get things and make things done or make things happen. And so it's just really, you know, working through, okay, I understand that here's my goals, here is my vision. But again, you've been elected by a community. And so again,

Jason Montoya (31:13)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Alvin (31:39)
there are goals and expectations and visions from them as well, right? And so a lot of times, the residents and the people wants, and again, in a selfish way, but also understandingly, everybody wants what's best for them, right? Everybody's looking at how this impacts me or how is this gonna benefit me. As a council member and as an elected official, we have to understand what is going to benefit.

Jason Montoya (31:44)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Alvin (32:05)
the future generations, right? And all of that. So again, I could say, yes, I don't want this, or yes, I like this, but is this gonna be the best decision that I make that's going to be best for ⁓ the generations, that being my grandkids and their kids in the future if they still happen to live here in Sugar Hill. So I think that allowing... ⁓

Jason Montoya (32:07)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Alvin (32:29)
myself as well as my colleagues, right? Because it has to be a collective, right? So again, figuring out how to work, not just smarter, but how to work together smarter is a piece that I think, you know, is super important.

Jason Montoya (32:32)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah. So your grandmother was a strong influence in your life and a mentor in many ways. So when you think about mentoring, how do you think about that and how does that play a role in how you live your life?

Alvin (32:58)
Yeah, mentoring is a big piece to me. It goes back to the analogy that I use with my kids and me being a father of things that I felt probably was missing from my life or from my growing up. ⁓ And I think mentoring was a big piece of that. And there could be mentoring or influence, right? It could be influence from different sides. And I think that one of the things of why I'm so passionate about mentoring is that

I love for our youth to have.

inspiration that they can put their hands on. A lot of times our youth see those that are on TV or are sports stars or are musicians or now are, you know, YouTubers and social media influencers and all of that. But again, you know, there are a lot of people that is right within their neighborhoods or right within their schools or right within their own community that ⁓ are really ⁓ inspirational people.

Jason Montoya (33:45)
Yeah.

Alvin (34:00)
And so I think that mentoring allow ⁓ people like myself and you and a lot of people that we have right here within our community to be able to be those inspirations to just give somewhat of notice. There was a study that I read that actually was Gwinnett Church when I first started ⁓ mentoring with the youth in Gwinnett Church. It talked about how when kids go off to college,

Jason Montoya (34:10)
Yeah.

Alvin (34:30)
that they're more, statistics show that they're more in tune to listen to someone outside of their family than they would their own family members, right? And so, and then, you know, their parents could be telling them the exact same thing that someone on the outside may be telling them, but they're more in tune to actually listen to that person than they would to their other parents. And so I think that having, ⁓ you know, going back to the saying where it takes the village, right?

Having that village or having that person to be just a voice or an inspiration, but also just being an ear is super important to just the growth ⁓ of our youth. And that's the reason why I'm super big on mentoring.

Jason Montoya (35:17)
Yeah, that's actually one of the reasons why we're involved in Gwinnett Church ⁓ is because of all the programs that they have. I knew I wanted to ⁓ get my kids around people that are going to tell them things that I would like to tell them, but they won't listen to me. ⁓ So it's just the maturing process. That's how, when you were in middle school, high school, we listened to peers and other adults more than we want to listen to our own parents.

Alvin (35:46)
Yep,

yep, 100%. 100%.

Jason Montoya (35:50)
So talk to us about stories, narratives, how have stories, fictional or real, shaped you as a person? Any particular books or movies or just ideas, ⁓ narrative ideas that have kind of shaped who you become or that you really resonated or have helped you through some tough times.

Alvin (36:09)
Well, I'm a big non-fictional reader. ⁓ And, you know, but I think that ⁓ real and fictional kind of have been like mirrors and windows for me, right? You know, ⁓ I mean, I think the real kind of showed me what's possible, right? You know, kind of looking at it in that aspect. And also, it kind of keeps me grounded in reality, right? You know, and I think that

Jason Montoya (36:12)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Hmm.

Alvin (36:38)
you from a fictional side, you know, it really pushes me to imagine. And that's something that I, you know, as a kid, I just didn't have this very vivid imagination, but I think the fictional pushes me to imagine beyond what I know, right? And it's kind of helped me to empathize, right, with perspectives that I may not have, you know, lived myself. And there's a lot that I haven't lived myself. So I think that...

Jason Montoya (37:01)
Mm-hmm.

Alvin (37:06)
the differences, like I've kind of put it with like one's a mirror, right? And then the window analogy. so, but yeah, I would think that that was kind of, know, probably my most favorite book is called The Power of Your Subconscious Mind. It was a book that I probably read, you know, least a couple of times a year and been reading it for several years. And just really speaking about, know, what you, know, in a sense, there's so many books that has similarities.

Jason Montoya (37:22)
Okay.

Yeah.

Alvin (37:34)
But just really what's on your mind, what you think about, what you say is actually what comes alive. This story you tell yourself, 100%.

Jason Montoya (37:37)
Yeah, the story you tell yourself, yeah.

Yeah. Now what about systems? mean, as an operational person at AT &T, you must be a systems, know, engulfed in systems. Talk to us about how you think about systems and how they play a part in your life.

Alvin (37:56)
man, yeah, so there's a lot of systems and there's a lot of systems that work and probably a lot of systems that don't work. I think a good system brings consistency, right? And, know, but also efficiencies and clarity. And so leading a team and all of that, right? Those are things that, you know, you kind of look at in comparison to what systems and how that, and what that looks like, right? You know, it helps people to focus. ⁓ I think a good system helps you to go to focus on what really matters instead of really reinventing the wheel.

Right. And so I'm really big on, you know, if it's already been done, you know, why, why redo it? Right. And so, so I think it allows individuals as, you know, allows myself to focus on things that really matter. So again, those are things that I really drive, drive my team to kind of really look at is that I'm not expecting you to come in here and create a patent, a patented idea.

Jason Montoya (38:30)
Yeah.

Alvin (38:50)
But just kind of, you know, something that we have there, how can we make it better?

Jason Montoya (38:54)
Yeah,

I guess one of the interesting things that comes to mind when you say all that is I think about like a nuclear power plant. You they have to create the ingredients to run the plant and it creates a lot of waste. So the system itself does what it's supposed to, which is to create, they create this material and then they burn the material or run the material in the reactor and then it creates this waste. But the waste is now this consequence of the system.

And think a lot of times we kind of think about the benefits of the system, but we tend to kind of miss or be blinded to the consequences of the system. Talk to us about that.

Alvin (39:30)
Wow, man, mean, you're have to write that down for me. I love that. I mean, that is, I think ⁓ that is a really great way of really saying that. I think that we don't look at some of the life lessons that we get from failures, right? Or things that just doesn't, that did not work well for us. ⁓ And that's something that I've, again, always having constant conversations with my son.

Right. But again, you know, just through a system and we can look at various things throughout how we navigate through, but, know, a system looking at a way of how we process things. and then again, through that way of how we process it, there may be fallout from it. And so, ⁓ but not being afraid to, ⁓ fail, which actually that waste piece of it, not being afraid to fail. ⁓ and then been.

being able to take that failure and learn from it. So, ⁓ wow, I love the analogy of the nuclear processing.

Jason Montoya (40:34)
So when

does a, you talked about a broken system. So what is a system that's broken and why do we keep using broken systems?

Alvin (40:45)
⁓ wow, that's a great question. I think that we keep using it because we don't really know how to go about not changing it. Right. You know, I think, you know, I look at and it's something I tell my team all the time, just because we've been doing something a certain way don't mean that we have to continue to keep doing it that way. And so I think that we look at, ⁓

just how things have been going and we look at, you okay, well, it's been working or it's not been working, but I'm not going to be the one to change it. I'm not smart enough to change it. I don't feel that I would add enough value in order for me to be able to go in here and change this system. So I think that it has a lot to do with ⁓ us feeling of inability, but also just not ⁓ looking at ⁓

taking a chance to be able to go in there and make that ⁓ change.

Jason Montoya (41:40)
Yeah. So if you could go back to your younger self up in Virginia, what would you tell them?

Alvin (41:48)
The future's bright. The future's bright. I wouldn't have never imagined ⁓ that, you know, again, I would be where I am today. And I feel that I'm very blessed and I'm very fortunate. And again, you know, we can define that in so many different ways, but I would say that. ⁓

Don't give up. There's a lot of times where I felt that there wasn't any hope for me. ⁓ I felt that I didn't really have a path or a vision again, as I think I've mentioned that. And so ⁓ that just really ensure just don't give up.

Jason Montoya (42:35)
Yeah. And so you're bringing up two words, despair and hope. Talk to us about those.

Alvin (42:43)
We look at despair, or I looked at despair and really didn't understand during my growing up really what that was about and what I was actually going through. But also I didn't really understand the hope component to that either, right? I just really just went through life. And then life was just lifing for me. And I think that where you look at it, I think my whole

was through the early morning prayers that I heard my grandmother praying for me. That's where I heard the despair in her cries and when she was praying. ⁓ But I think in parallel to that, I felt the hope through that, right? And I was in one bedroom and she was in the living room or she was in a closet, but I felt the hope through that. And again, at the time I didn't understand it. It was just, you know,

but now I feel the power in it. And ⁓ I think that has, you know, was a super important piece to just that foundation and just kind of that sauce comparison between despair and hope.

Jason Montoya (43:54)
Okay. What additional words of wisdom do you have to share?

Alvin (43:58)
Man, words of wisdom. don't know if I'm, I got into wisdom, honestly, but ⁓ you know, I think that, you know, we've touched on my life in regards to, you know, just really my growing up and what got me to where I am today and really me sitting here and ⁓ on city council and having the opportunity to sit here on this podcast is a great experience for me. ⁓

But really looking at it and just utilizing this platform to just allow people to understand that we have a lot of power and something that I had mentioned and that's our ability and our privilege to vote. And ⁓ that is something where, you know, a lot of...

people from the state, you know, the federal to the state to the local levels that where sometimes we don't take advantage of that opportunity that's been afforded to us. And so that is something that I would say, whether it's a friend or a loved one, is just educating on how important it is to actually vote.

and just really exercising that privilege.

Jason Montoya (45:22)
Yeah, what would you say to the cynic that's like, well, does it really even matter?

Alvin (45:27)
you know, I would challenge that person to also be quiet after the vote has been done of things that they feel is not going their way. Right. Because I think that there are a lot of people that will voice, you know, if my vote doesn't matter, but they're probably the loudest upon an election or in a candidate being elected of how things aren't going or how things are going.

every vote matters. We've seen that through so many different levels of elections where, it comes down to double digit numbers or single digit numbers And so don't complain about something if you're not willing to get out there and do something and you have the opportunity to do something, especially in an elected.

voting opportunity.

Jason Montoya (46:11)
Yeah. Now there is some kind of election coming up here. Tell me about this.

Alvin (46:15)
Yeah, so we do. We have in the city of Sugar Hill, we have a local election, a municipal election for three seats. We have the mayor seat and we have two city council seats, post four and post five. The early voting for those starts on next Tuesday. As a matter of fact, the 14th of October.

and the actual, and it goes through Friday for the, two weeks. And then we have, ⁓ the actual general, the election, which would be on November 4th from 77 at the city of sugar Hill city hall. ⁓ a very important, ⁓ race, ⁓ just because it's a local election. ⁓ and again, ⁓ I think so many people is unaware of such a low turnout.

at local elections and so it is super important to get the word out, to spread the word and educate on getting out and voting.

Jason Montoya (47:22)
Why should someone throw their hat in the ring for you?

Alvin (47:24)
I love my city and I've come to love the city of Sugar Hill a lot, right? As you've read in my bio, I have a really big passion for youth And I have a really...

big passion for the elderly or our seniors within our community, hence probably because of my grandmother, right? And so I have two ends of what I have a really deep passion for. in this seat now, I have the opportunity to look at those two passions I have and work on the middle, right?

Jason Montoya (47:41)
Yeah. Yeah.

Alvin (47:56)
And you look at it and you hear these motivational speakers, they talk about going to a cemetery and reading gravestones. And they talk about, reading, when this person was born and when they died, right? And that most important piece is the middle, right? that dash, right? It's kind of how I identify it as. And so you look at, the youth and the elderly is my passions, but also I have the opportunity and the ability.

Jason Montoya (48:10)
Yeah.

Yeah.

Alvin (48:21)
that I have to make sure that I am advocating for, everyone in the middle of that as well. though I feel that the annexations and the zoning and the ordinances are super important and I take that importantly as the biggest piece to me

are the people within the community. And so that is really my biggest drivers, you know, my parks and our green space and, you know, our business and, you small business and all of those, those things are super important. And those are things that I will work with my colleagues and my mayor and all of those things to push. But really where I look at the value and what value I bring is how do I advocate for every person in the city, right? You know, old, young.

to all different walks and making sure that I am that voice for everyone, right? So partnering with our schools, having a really great relationship with our schools, partnering with our churches. We have a really, really great dynamic with our schools, our churches, and ⁓ our local government, where we're building that community ⁓ for everyone. So I would say that that was probably the biggest driver to kind of advocate for myself if I had to.

Jason Montoya (49:34)
Yeah, so what, I mean, helps someone understand, like, what are the things that a city council person has authority over ⁓ and has influence on in that position that they're taking on?

Alvin (49:48)
Yeah,

right. you know, as I mentioned, you know, there's a, you know, from a growth perspective, right, you know, there is five council members and there is a, you know, there's a vote for various things that we have. And so there are, there is growth opportunities with, whether there's neighborhoods or businesses and, ⁓ you know, and so we have the, the overseeing of that. We also ⁓ elect,

For our various boards and committees that we have, our downtown development authority, our historic preservation society, our river lands authority, we select ⁓ people that we feel will be great candidates to sit in those seats that help in the dynamic and the shape of our city, ⁓ as well as ⁓ working.

alongside and supporting our mayor and his vision for the city as well. But in addition to that, it is also ⁓ advocating for the community, right? And so we have about 20, 60, 27,000 residents within the city of Sugar Hill. ⁓ So just ensuring that we build a community that is sustainable for ⁓ everyone. And so I think that

understanding what does that look like for not just me or my family, but for everyone as a whole.

Jason Montoya (51:19)
Yeah, so this is a four year term. and you've served four years already, right? So at the end of this next four years, when you look back at these four years for your second term, what's the story you want to be able to tell and what are the things that you want to be able to say that you accomplished during this window of time?

Alvin (51:26)
That's correct.

I want to be able to say that we have a strong community that where my kids, your kids ⁓ will, when they're ready to go off to college and done with college, that this community is strong enough, safe enough for them to want to come back.

to plant roots and to start their families. I want this community to be where, at the end of my four years, where I drive through our city and I can see our seniors and our elderlies having the opportunity to walk through our downtown areas and to walk through and just to go shop or just to go out. And so I think that

building ⁓ a community where at some point where residents are ready to downsize from their homes or where they're living now and that they love this community so much that they want to stay here. But there ⁓ is a place for them to actually be able to reside here and within the city limits or within the city of Sugar Hill without them having

to have that four or five bedroom, two story home ⁓ that they had when their kids were there. So now they're in a community where they're able to live and at some point their kids are probably somewhere within the community with them.

Jason Montoya (53:15)
Yeah.

Yeah. And what, you know, so there's a lot of cities in Georgia. Why should people come to Sugar Hill? What makes that so awesome? A hill full of sugar, you can't get any better than that.

Alvin (53:37)
man, I mean, the name itself, man, was Sugar Hill. I mean, the Sugar Hill gang. Right,

right. Yeah, I think that there are a lot of great cities here and we sit right in the middle of two good cities, great cities, right? Sugar Hill, I mean, I'm sorry, Swanee and Beaufort. But I think where ⁓ Sugar Hill offers its ⁓ advantage to me is that

Though, as I've mentioned, our breakout as far as population of where we have, we still have a small town feel to where we are, right? We have a community where ⁓ you have a very unique dynamic of our, you know, I hear this through administrators within our schools of saying that, you know, there are so many people asking how does the city of Sugar Hill make it work?

where our churches, our schools, and our government all work together for the better of our kids, number one, but then ultimately for our residents. And so that, you know, for those that have kids, we have great schools right here within our city limits, from three elementary schools to a middle school and a high school with all within our city limits.

that are amazing schools, but we also have a North Gwinnett, actually also, know, residents actually goes to the North Gwinnett district as well. And so I think that we have that small town feel, we have great schools, we have an amazing mayor. I mean, where would you want to go move anywhere else?

Jason Montoya (55:25)
Yeah, yeah, ⁓ how can people connect with you if they're interested in reaching out?

Alvin (55:31)
So you can find me on Facebook. I have a personal account Alvin Hicks and I accept all of their Facebook requests. I do have an Alvin for City of Sugar Hill City Council post four page as well. I am pretty active on my Facebook page and usually I'm posting a lot of things with that either I'm doing in the community or for the community.

or with the community on that page. I do have a ⁓ city, an Alvin Hicks at City of Sugar Hill ⁓ email address, and that you can email me at as well. But I'm also, you can contact me. My personal information is all on the city's website, if you needed to contact me for any questions that you may have. And trust me, there has been a lot of people that have reached out to me.

You want to sit down and have conversations and talk and get to know and learn more about me. So probably a lot of that now I can probably just forward in this podcast and answer a lot of questions. But if not, I do enjoy those times and being able to sit down with just the residents.

Jason Montoya (56:33)
Yeah

Well, Alvin, thank you so much for sharing your life with us today.

Alvin (56:43)
Thanks Jason for the opportunity. I really appreciate it. Really had a lot of fun too.

Jason Montoya (56:47)
Yeah, this has been an episode of the Share Life Podcast, and we'll see you on the next one.