Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo: Cody Ingram
The Camporas’ Legacy in Livingston
On the corner of Lafayette and South Street in downtown Livingston, Alabama, sits a modest building that’s easy to overlook. But to those familiar with its story, it’s much more than brick and mortar. It’s home to Campora Development, a company founded by Steve and Gayle Campora—California natives who had never heard of the University of West Alabama or Livingston until their daughter Kayla landed a graduate assistant spot with UWA’s women’s basketball team a decade ago.
A standout basketball player in high school and junior college, Kayla surprised everyone when she decided not to continue playing or attend a four-year university.
When Steve told her to find a job, she found two. But five months later, Kayla had a change of heart and began searching schools again, determined to return to the court.
Though previous offers had expired, she didn’t give up. Kayla sent out game footage and eventually caught the attention of Rusty Cram, head coach at Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi. He offered her a partial scholarship, and she returned to the court.
When Coach Cram later accepted the head coach position at UWA, he invited Kayla to join him in Livingston as a graduate assistant. Recognizing early a charm about Livingston, her parents purchased land and built a house for Kayla and themselves to stay in when they visited.
What began as a way to support their daughter’s next chapter quietly planted the roots of something much bigger.
A Loss that Changed Everything
As Kayla settled into her new role, the Camporas’ other daughter, Dominique—known affectionately as Nikka— fell seriously ill. In January 2017, she passed away from heart valve complications. The loss devastated the family.
At the time, the Camporas knew only a few people in Livingston, including Coach Cram and a handful of UWA staff. Yet, as Nikka lay in the hospital, messages and photos began arriving from other athletic teams at the University, many of whom had never met her, gathered in prayer for her recovery.
“Those prayers meant everything,” Steve said, his voice thick with emotion.
That moment of grace marked a turning point. The Camporas realized they had built more than a house for their daughter. They had begun building a deep and lasting bond with the Livingston community.
Steve continued practicing law in California, earning accolades such as Attorney of the Year and recognition as one of the state’s top 100 lawyers. While building a successful career on the West Coast, he and Gayle were pouring their hearts and resources into UWA and Livingston.
Their support began with funding scholarships to help students pursue their education. Over time, their involvement has expanded across facilities. At Pruitt Hall, their support led to a renovation of the women’s basketball locker room. Renovations to Pruitt Hall Gymnasium—home to the Tigers’ men’s and women’s basketball teams and the volleyball team—were completed in February 2025, including new video boards, added spectator seating, and many more upgrades.
In March 2023, the Campora Athletic Complex officially opened, offering 5000 square feet on the ground level, two second-level suites, and a state-of-the-art press box at Tiger Stadium. Field-side, a jumbotron now enhances the game-day experience for UWA football fans.
At Tartt Field, home of UWA’s baseball team, their contributions have supported the installation of artificial turf and field enhancements as well as the Campora Hospitality Facility, a hospitality suite overlooking third baseline. They also supported the construction of upgraded softball spectator seating, in 2019 dedicating the Nikka Campora “Victors Walk” as a tribute to their daughter’s enduring spirit.
They provided integral support that helped propel the University Charter School and have supported the school consistently since its establishment.
Even after relocating to Nevada for a few years, the Camporas remained deeply connected to the UWA community. Recently, they moved again to Fort Worth, Texas, to be closer to Kayla. But their legacy in Livingston continues to grow.
Campora Development: Investing in People
After retiring from law, Steve grappled with a new question: What now?
“Being a lawyer was who I was for so long,” he said. “You can’t just wake up one day and decide to do nothing.”
That question led to the establishment of Campora Development, the business beside the laundromat on the south end of town. But for Steve and Gayle, it’s about more than real estate.
“There’s a saying that you can only eat one steak at a time,” Steve said. “After that, if you’re blessed enough to help others, we think you ought to do it.”
The Camporas began investing in housing.
“It started with Kayla’s house, then we built duplexes, and now we’re buying lots and building homes all over the area. I tell Kayla we’re spending her inheritance— but she’ll be fine. God didn’t bless us with money for it to just sit in the bank.”
Even though buildings bear their name, the Camporas insist it’s never been about property.
“We donate to people, not places,” they say.
As a lawyer, Steve says, you rarely see what you build. “You give people money from settlements,” he explained. “But here, you can see the difference.”
That difference isn’t just in infrastructure but in the lives of the students, coaches, and community members the Camporas have touched.
“Some of the student-athletes who’ve played under Brett Gilliland are good kids—one even worked for me and looked after our house when we were away,” Steve recalled. “Others played for Rusty, and through Campora Development, we’ve done NIL deals to help promote both our company and the athletes themselves. These relationships— with students, coaches, and even the mayor of Livingston— are priceless.”
For Steve, these relationships do more than matter—they motivate him. At 72, Steve says staying involved with the people and projects he cares about keeps him going strong.
“I heard Geno Auriemma, the head coach of the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team, once say, ‘If you hang around old people, you’ll be old.'”
He laughed. “I’ve had my share of health issues, but I’m not going to hang around a bunch of 80-year-old people and be old. I still have things to do.”
One of those things is addressing the persistent challenge of quality housing in Livingston for students, faculty, and staff at the University and the charter school.
“As fast as we can build a place, we fill it,” he said. “There are waiting lists for some of our properties.”
Almost as an afterthought, Steve recalls a teenage ambition.
“It’s funny,” he said. “In high school, I wanted to be an architect. I even got into Cal Poly as an architecture major. But when I saw how much math was involved, I said, ‘Nah, I’m not doing that.'”
In a way, he is now doing just that through his town-building projects that focus on affordable, sustainable housing, a legacy that will outlive both him and his wife.
Steve quickly points out that the building isn’t just about philanthropy.
“I mean, I am a businessman,” he stated. “So, while I may be charging people rent—a return on my investment, so to speak—at least they have a place to live that’s decent and nice.”
As Steve reflects on the couple’s involvement in UWA and the community, he applauds his wife, Gayle, who has played an integral part in their endeavors.
“No one can do this alone,” he noted, looking around the Campora Athletic Complex. “Gayle has been involved in everything we’ve done or supported and all the places we’ve lived. She’s been my teammate for 41 years and has put up with a lot. I’m sure I’m not the easiest guy to live with,” he said, laughing.
Although Gayle was a songleader in high school, a cheerleader in college, and not a huge sports fan, that changed after the couple married. “Now,” Steve said, “she’s as passionate about sports as I am.”
Athletics have dominated the couple’s life, first through their daughter Nikka, a star athlete in her own right, a high-school All-American and diver at Texas Christian University, and then through Kayla’s basketball career. Since moving to Fort Worth, the Camporas have spent considerable time following the TCU women’s basketball team, sitting in front-row seats at home games, and attending the Big 12 Championship game in Kansas City, Missouri, at the T-Mobile Center.
Getting to know the athletes is essential to the Camporas, and they love doing it— especially Gayle. She’s become a team mom—cheering from the stands, checking in on students, and ensuring they know someone is rooting for them beyond the scoreboard.
The Camporas’ generosity has extended to the UWA Rodeo program as well. Their contributions have led to significant improvements at the team’s rodeo arena, including, most recently, a new sign over the entrance to the team’s headquarters. Steve says he and Gayle have more or less “adopted” the team and, for the fourth year in a row, flew out this summer to the National Rodeo Championship in Casper, Wyoming, “because supporting students is what it’s all about.”
Relationships and connections have always been at the heart of the Camporas’ story.
Their private adoption of their daughter, Nikka, from the Marshall Islands began through Steve’s former college football coach. Later, a coworker of Gayle’s—familiar with their experience—approached them about adopting another baby girl, this time from within the U.S.
Even their love for athletics is grounded in relationships. A “coach’s kid,” Steve remembers having the best childhood imaginable.
“Everyone knew my dad, and after school, I’d ride my bike to the college campus where he coached football and go to practice,” he recalled fondly. “All the players knew me and would carry me around on their shoulders. It was a great time. Later, when my dad was head coach at San Bernardino Valley College, I briefly became an assistant coach with him before he passed away at age 50.” Those early experiences and the bonds they forged helped shape how Steve and Gayle give back today. For the Camporas, it’s never been just about sports or facilities. It’s about the people and the relationships they’ve built along the way.