Karlos Finley

Karlos Finley is the Executive Director of the Africatown Redevelopment Corporation (ARC). He participated in the active practice of law for over 20 years prior to accepting the position with the ARC. His family’s roots in the city of Mobile date back to the 1860's. His grandfather, Dr. James A. Franklin, Sr. (Franklin Primary Health Center, Inc.) and grandmother Dora Franklin moved to Mobile in 1919. Dr. Franklin served the medical needs of the residents living in the Africatown Community. His parents were both educators. His mother, a student at Mobile County Training School would become a history teacher in Mobile and the first teacher to teach Black History in the Mobile County Public School System. His father started his collegiate career at The Mobile Branch of Alabama State Teachers’ College (Now Bishop State Community College) and continued his education at Xavier University of New Orleans and became a pharmacist. He returned to Mobile and opened the first chain of African American drug stores (Finley’s Drug Stores) in the State of Alabama. The fourth store opened was in the Africatown Community of Happy Hill in 1965.

Mr. Finley attended Most Pure Heart of Mary Catholic School (est.1901) as a child and Graduated from John L. LeFlore High School. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard and was Honorably discharged. He earned his Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Mobile, Cum Laude and his Juris Doctorate from Miles School of Law in Fairfield, AL, where he was chosen as class valedictorian. He served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Mobile County District Attorney’s Office, then went into the private practice with the firm of K. Fitzgerald Finley, P.C. In 2015, Mr. Finley was invested by the Mobile City Council as a Municipal Court Judge and served honorably until 2022. He is a member of the Mobile and Alabama State Bar Associations, and serves on the State Bar’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. He serves as Vice-President of the Mobile Bar Foundation and is an Alabama State Bar Foundation Fellow. He is the President of the Board of Directors for the Friends of the African-American Heritage Trail, Inc. and the Heart of Mary School Board.

Mr. Finley is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and serves as Tribal Judge of the MOWA band of the Choctaw Indians. He is married to Mrs. Kelly A. Finley and they have three wonderful children.