Truly McInnis
While the name McInnis has been well known locally for generations, John and Shelly McInnis are adding to the legacy. Complete with a beautiful family, a dream home, and open hearts, their kindness seems to know no bounds. Here, they share on faith, fundraising, and the Flora-Bama, all over a healthy serving of humble pie.
By Hayley Hill / Photos Stevye Photography, 228.547.1191 / Makeup Courtney Matthews Makeup Artistry, YouNeedBlush@gmail.com
On a beautiful night under the stars, John and Shelly McInnis opened their Orange Beach home to more than 400 guests to bring awareness to and raise funds for Youth-Reach Gulf Coast, a cause near and dear to their hearts. Set up in their expansive beachfront backyard with a “Great Gatsby” theme, fireworks, live music, and rows and rows of sparkle lights, this perfect pair welcomed everyone with genuine gratitude. So refreshing, their kindness was tangible and the entire ACCESS team was smitten.
Most are familiar with the deep history of John’s family-owned construction company, McInnis Industries, known for major regional projects from bridges and roads to disaster relief related efforts and more. A natural businessman and a true humanitarian, John proved invaluable in several emergency cleanup operations after Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina (one of the largest FEMA-funded projects in history), and after the BP Horizon Oil Spill in 2010. He also served as the Director of Kenny Chesney’s Love for Love City Foundation, leading the nonprofit response to devastating Hurricanes Maria and Irma in 2017.
Then there’s the iconic Flora-Bama. As part-owners of the world’s biggest country music venue (yes, you read that correctly), being kind is a major part of the success John and Shelly enjoy. “Nothing we do is possible without our employees,” John says. “From the janitor to the CEO, everyone is equally important. When we got involved in the late 2000s, it was clear previous owners Joe Gilchiest and Pat McCleland had always treated their employees like family. The success of the Flora-Bama and the hard work of our staff allows us to do a lot for our team.” John and Shelly also treat their employees to several trips each year to destinations like St. John, New Orleans, and Nashville. “The St. John trip is extremely fun, as we have the employees (about 500) pick the top 40 people based on attitude and reliability,” John shares. “Those winners spend a week in a villa overlooking Cinnamon Bay, and everyone loves it! We also do a lot of dinners and parties, and take employees out on boats, jet skis, and fishing trips. We even started a program at our local Urgent Care where the Flora-Bama pays for 90 percent of our employees’ non-emergency medical expenses, in addition to offering low cost catastrophic health insurance. We also provide counseling services, substance abuse programs, and the church at the Flora-Bama is a great resource for all. We’re a big family, and that’s what makes the magic,” John says.
No strangers to the Flora-Bama, we wonder about the fun side. “The best part is meeting wonderful people from all walks of life from all around the world,” John says. “Hearing live music every day and meeting people in the music world is pretty great, too. The coolest thing about a beach bar is everyone who comes is in a great mood and has left all their problems at home. It’s like a utopia. It’s the way life should be,” John beams.
While all of these accomplishments are impressive, we were most wowed by how down-to-earth and humble John and Shelly are. John grew up in the Bay area on Mon Loui Island, which is South of Fowl River. “Growing up on the Bay set the course for my life,” John says. “I enjoyed the peace and quiet of living on the water and have many memories of fishing, crabbing, and waterskiing as a kid. My friend Angelo Depaola and I were neighbors, and I don’t think there was another kid or family for five miles. We learned to keep ourselves busy,” John recalls.
Married for eight years, the couple initially met via an introduction by Shelly’s father, John Freeman. With three busy boys, John describes their family as you’d expect. “A typical traveling-for-work husband, a full-time mom, three boys, and a honkey tonk – life is hectic and fast paced,” he jokes. Although originally from Birmingham, Shelly is thrilled to raise her children in Orange Beach and shares, “We love the safety and beauty of our area. It’s country living at the beach and hard to imagine a better place to live and raise a family. We enjoy going to Mobile and Fairhope to visit friends and show the boys where dad grew up,” she says.
With an older brother (John), and an identical twin sister (Jennifer), Shelly is more than a mom. “My family is everything to me,” she says. “We are blessed with wonderful parents who have been married for 42 years and I can’t imagine my life without my sister. We even had the opportunity to be spokespersons for WB21 in Birmingham for more than 10 years and continue to do advertising for 10 to 15 different car dealers across the U.S.,” she shares.
Spending much of her time on various sports fields, Shelly describes her children as extremely sweet, but also very competitive and independent-minded. However, at the center of this family there is a deep connection to God and their faith. And while they all enjoy hunting, boating, Alabama football games, and taking family trips, John and Shelly’s ultimate hope for their children is simple. “We want them to live long, healthy, happy lives,” John says. “While we hope they have great opportunities due to our family businesses, we don’t want that to dictate what they do with their lives. Our wish is for them to live the life God designed and we fully expect them to strive to be the best at whatever field they choose to enter. It’s fine to be outsmarted, but they better never get outworked!” John jokes.
With varied prosperous businesses, the family’s overall lack of pretentiousness is admirable. And clearly (from the gala we just attended), charity begins at home for the McInnis family. “I believe we can change the world if everyone focuses on their communities to fix common problems,” John says. “Imagine several hundred people in one community focused on feeding and clothing people, fighting addiction, helping the abused and elderly, and sharing God’s love.”
And, as they say, the proof is in the pudding. “Two of our favorite charities are Youth-Reach Gulf Coast and Operation Reconnect,” John says. “Based in Summerdale, Youth-Reach is a Christian program where we turn around troubled young men, ages 18 to 21, on the wrong path. It is an all-expenses paid one-year program and, together with its sister program in Houston, we’ve transformed several thousand young men from inmates or prison-bound to leaders and great fathers in our community,” he says. And it’s thanks to the program’s many area donors that it is able to afford such life-altering assistance to so many. “We have tried to figure out a way to fund Youth-Reach without the normal suffering a charity goes through to stay afloat,” John explains. “Like all charities, they spent half their time worrying about money and the other half taking care of the boys. We decided to throw one huge annual party to try and raise enough funds in one night to last them all year. This year we raised close to $300K, which was way beyond our expectations. Once the program is fully funded through this annual gala, we will donate the balance of funds to other local charities. We hope that is next year! Plus, the Roaring 20s ‘Great Gatsby’ theme was so much fun,” John shares.
Based out of Orange Beach, Operation Reconnect’s mission is simple. “We try to get people to donate their condos and resources to active duty men and women who are returning from deployment so they can spend time with their kids and spouses to reconnect physically and emotionally,” John says, adding that each year they also raffle off a jeep and raise close to $200K at the Flora-Bama for this cause.
On the disaster side, the McInnis family has also made their mark. “I have been blessed to have been a large part of the response to many disasters like Hurricanes Ivan, Katrina, Michael, Irma, and Maria, as well as the BP Oil Spill,” John says. “People lose everything after a major disaster and it’s a blessing to be with them in their time of need. Recently, as the director of Kenny Chesney’s Love for Love City Foundation, we were able to supply the islands with emergency supplies and evacuate more than 2,000 people and 2,000 animals, and even placed the animals in loving homes in the aftermath of Hurricanes Maria and Irma,” he adds.
With the philosophy that there is no greater gift than giving, when it comes to the holidays, John shares, “We are simple! We stay home and do nothing. When we aren’t home, we’re in the woods.” As for that stunning home? “It’s the first new home my family has built in a few generations,” John shares. “Shelly and I bought the property after we got married and then designed what we are blessed to call our dream home. It’s coastal living meets Southern living. What makes it special is Shelly’s father – a homebuilder – built the home for his daughter. Because of him, everything is perfect,” John says.
For Shelly, Christmas is a big deal. “We try to make it as magical as possible,” she says. “My parents did that for me and I have such wonderful memories. We love to decorate the tree as a family, listen to Christmas music, and sip on hot chocolate! The boys love to decorate gingerbread houses and bake Jesus a ‘Happy Birthday cake.’” On Christmas Eve, Shelly says the family enjoys a big family dinner while cousins exchange presents and open gifts from the grandparents. “You can always count on ‘Christmas Vacation’ playing in the background and eggnog being served,” Shelly jokes. “We let the kids open one gift which is always Christmas pajamas – a tradition passed down from my family. When I was growing up, we had a rule that nobody could go in the living room until our parents were ready for us. The anticipation of waiting at the top of the stairs with my siblings while my parents lit the fire, turned on the music, and got the video recorder ready is a memory I will never forget.” Shelly says Christmas day is spent at home in pajamas watching “A Christmas Story” on repeat while the kids play with their new toys. “We enjoy relaxing with the kids on this day and truly remembering the meaning of what Christmas is all about,” she says.
With their lives built around tradition and purpose, it’s easy to see how this enviable family keeps their roots firmly planted on our shores. And while there is no specific recipe to follow, it’s pretty clear: kindness is the main (and most important) ingredient.
Photo 1
Shelly: Turtleneck, $88, The Holiday, 251.342.4911. Jacket, $440; Debra’s; 251.343.7463. Jeans, $195; CK Collection, 251.990.9001.
John: Sweater $225; CK Collection Men’s, 251.928.4824. Jeans, $226; East Bay Clothiers, 251.928.6848.
Photo 2
Shelly: Sequin Top, $498; Jeans, $215; The Holiday; 251.342.4911.
Boots, $390; Debra’s; 251.343.7463
Photo 3
Shelly: Sweater, $495, Earrings, $295; Debra’s, 251.343.7463. Jeans, $188, Boots, $160; CK Collection,251.990.9001.
John: Shirt, $250, Boots, $265; CK Collection Men’s, 251.928.4824. Jeans, $226; East Bay Clothiers, 251.928.6848.
