| Jennifer Annette Fidler was born on June 19, 1970, in Mobile, Alabama. She grew up on a farm in Baldwin County, where she began working at a young age, selling produce at her family's farmstand before turning 16. At 16, she started delivering and selling produce to Pensacola markets for her family farm. After graduating from Robertsdale High School in 1988, she attended Faulkner State Junior College (now Coastal Alabama Community College) before transferring to Auburn University. In 1992, she earned a degree in Ornamental Horticulture from Auburn University.
At just 22 years old, Fidler began her professional career as the first arborist and horticulturist for the City of Eufaula, Alabama, where she established the city's first horticultural and arboriculture program. While working full-time, she pursued further education and completed a master's degree in education from Troy State University in Phenix City in 2001. During her time in Eufaula, she was selected to participate in the Rotary Club's Group Study Exchange to Argentina in 1998 and the Agricultural LEADERS program in 1999, which involved traveling both nationally and internationally.
In 2001, at age 30, Fidler moved back to Silverhill, Alabama, and began serving as Fairhope's Public Works Director. In this role, she led the Streets, Construction, Landscaping, Horticulture, and Sanitation Services departments, managing over 70 employees and a multimillion-dollar budget. During her tenure with the City of Fairhope, she served on the board of the Alabama Public Works Association, eventually becoming its President. She also served on the City of Fairhope Planning Commission from 2007 to 2017.
Fidler's public service career took a turn in 2017 when she was dismissed from her position as Public Works Director by then-Fairhope Mayor Karin Wilson. Following this, she worked briefly for the Eastern Shore Metropolitan Planning Organization at Baldwin County. With over 25 years of leadership in local government, Fidler retired from public service in 2018.
After retirement, Fidler established Fidler Consulting in 2018, offering landscape expertise and support to small communities. In 2020, she began serving as an advisor with the national America in Bloom program. She and her husband, Reagan Scroggins, also own Willie T's Restaurant in Robertsdale, Alabama.
In 2022, Fidler decided to enter politics, running for Alabama House of Representatives District 94. She defeated incumbent Joe Faust in the Republican primary with 63.2% of the vote and went on to win the general election on November 8, 2022, against Libertarian candidate Margaret Helveston with 88.4% of the vote. She assumed office on November 9, 2022.
As a state representative, Fidler serves on several committees, including the Agriculture and Forestry Committee, County and Municipal Government Committee, Urban and Rural Development Committee, Local Legislation Committee, Baldwin County Legislation Committee, and Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. Her legislative interests include supporting farmers and rural development, drawing from her background in agriculture and municipal planning.
Fidler completed a three-year Faith Bible Institute program, graduating in 2011. She is married to Reagan Scroggins and attends Grace Fellowship Church in Fairhope, Alabama. Her parents are Jimmie and Faye Fidler, longtime Silverhill peanut and cattle farmers, and all her immediate family lives in Baldwin County. |