Leadership

In addition to being involved in the business, Nancy has spent a great deal of time volunteering in the community.  In 2018 and 2019 she served as the chair of the board of directors of the Birmingham Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and was also the 2019 Chair of the Birmingham Business Alliance.  She continues to serve on both of those board as well as the board of directors for the Birmingham Zoo, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Alabama, McKinney Capital, Smile-A-Mile, UAB Leadership Council and United Way.  In 2015, Nancy was chosen to be the first woman in the 93-year history of United Way of Central Alabama (UWCA) to chair the organization's annual fundraising campaign.  She has served other non-profits as well: American Heart Association, American Red Cross, Collat Jewish Family Services, Girl Scouts, Junior League, Pathways and YWCA.  Nancy has received several local and national award recognitions.  Most recently she has received the Yellowhammer Women of Impact Award (2017), Momentum’s Woman of Leadership Award (2016), Girl Scout’s Mildred Bell Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award (2016), AL.COM’s Women Who Shape the State Award (2015), and the National Philanthropy Day United Way of Central Alabama Outstanding Civic Leader Award (2014). She is also a recipient of the Central Alabama Women’s Business Center Alabama Roses Award; Girl Scout Women of Distinction Award and Junior League Shining Star Award.

Although her business and civic involvement are important to Nancy, her real passion is her family… sons David and Scott, daughter-in-law Jayna, granddaughter Ava and grandson Alex. 

Wes is a member of Mayer's Board of Advisors, Executive Leadership Team and Senior Management Team.  He is active in the industry and serves on multiple boards and councils.  He has had or currently holds key leadership positions on multiple boards including the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) Chairman 2020-2022; IMARK Group Board (Chair-Elect 2020); Industry Data Exchange Association (IDEA) Past Chairman and multiple distributor advisory councils.  Wes was awarded the Distinguished Distributor Service Award by the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) in 2014.
 
In addition to his industry involvement, Wes is currently serving on the Board for the University of Alabama at Birmingham Education Foundation and the President’s Leadership Cabinet for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).  He has also served as a Board member of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's National Alumni Society where he was President in 2015. He led the Athletics Assessment Task Force for UAB, resulting in the return of the school’s football program. In 2018, he was a graduate of Leadership Birmingham and was also honored as a member of UAB’s Excellence in Business Top 25 class.  He was named The Outstanding Alumnus of the UAB School of Business in 2006 and the Volunteer of the Year in 2015.

During his early tenure at Mayer, Charles’ work ethic and excellent strategic decision-making helped to catapult him quickly into leadership roles at the company. He eventually took over as owner and President of the company in 1979. The company has grown to be one of the largest electrical distributors in the nation, expanding from about 20 associates to over 1,200 today. Currently, Mayer has 75 plus locations and has exceeded $1 billion in sales.
 
Realizing the need for education in the distribution industry, Charles and Patsy established the Ben S. Weil Chair of Industrial Distribution at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Charles feels very fortunate for his success and enjoys sharing the results of his success with others. Today, UAB has built a new facility to house the newly named Collat School of Business formerly known as the UAB School of Business.
 
In addition to his leadership within the company, Charles is an extremely active member of the community and the industry, budgeting his time and resources to support a number of worthy causes, including Temple Emanu-El (President 1979-1981), Temple Emanu-El Endowment (President 1979-1997),  National Association of Electrical Distributors(NAED) (Chair 1986-1987), Rotary Club of Birmingham (President 2003-2004 ), the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind, United Way and the University of Alabama-Birmingham.  Charles' contributions to the community culminated in his selection to help carry the Olympic Torch to Atlanta for the 1996 Olympics.
 
Charles has received numerous awards and honors including: Philanthropist of the Year by the National Society of Fund Raising Executives(1998), Boy Scouts Silver Beaver Award for Leadership, National Conference of Community and Justice Award (1999), NAED Distinguished Distributor Award (2001),  NAED Arthur Hooper Award (2008), University of Alabama at Birmingham Honorary Doctor of Humanities Degree conferred (2009), Birmingham Business Journal Lifetime Achievement Award (2010), Birmingham Business Journal Hall of Fame Inductee (2012) , University of Alabama at Birmingham President’s Award (2015) , Alabama Subcontractor’s Lifetime Achievement (2017), Vulcan Award for Lifetime Achievement (2018) and Alabama Business Hall of Fame Inductee (2019). 
 
His personal philosophy is “Do Good and Be Better” which is something he has strived to do all his life. Family is important and the associates at Mayer are all part of his family. One of his greatest desires is that all Mayer associates achieve their business and personal goals.
 
Charles was married to Patsy Weil Collat for 62 years when she passed in January, 2015. He and Patsy were devoted to the upbringing of their four children, Nancy Goedecke, Caki Mendel, Susie Collat and Charles (Charlie) Collat, Jr. Charles has ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He is currently married to Joanna Gotlieb Collat.