Mayor Mike Schmitz, Dothan, AL

Mayor Mike Schmitz and wife, Sandy, are the proud parents of 23-year-old Michael Schmitz, who is currently a senior at Florida State University in Panama City. On December 31, 2012, the Mayor and his son completed an arduous 8-day climb of 19,342 feet in rain, snow, and sub-freezing temperatures to reach the summit in Tanzania, Africa, of Mount Kilimanjaro—the tallest free-standing mountain in the world—followed by a 2-day descent. “I think you need to challenge yourself from time to time,” the Mayor later said. “I have always believed in trying to see what I could do.” He added, “It was absolutely worth it. It was one of the greatest father-son adventures I could ever imagine.”