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Birmingham Business Alliance CEO resigning; Fred McCallum again takes interim role

Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) president and CEO Kenneth E. “Kenny” Coleman has resigned after just three full months on the job, the organization announced on Friday in a release.

Coleman has accepted a new position as a senior executive for a utility company in Texas, BBA explained. His resignation will be effective November 16 after he took the helm of the economic development organization on July 20.

Fred McCallum will serve as interim president and CEO until the end of this year. The retired head of AT&T Alabama previously served in this role for BBA, starting in March 2019 until Coleman was hired over the summer.

Current BBA Chairman Jim Gorrie expressed confidence in the organization’s ability to move forward and continue with the final stages of producing its long-term strategic plan. Friday’s news also comes after a week of exceptional economic development announcements in the Birmingham metro area that BBA was involved in, including from Lowe’s, Amazon and Mobis.

“The outlook for the Birmingham community has never been more optimistic, and we are determined to capitalize on our momentum and move our city forward,” stated Gorrie. “I regret the short nature of Kenny’s term with our organization, but I’m supportive of this opportunity for Kenny and his family. I am confident in our transition plan and the long-term strategic plan we are developing for Birmingham and the BBA.”

The BBA’s board has already begun the search for a new leader, which will be led by incoming BBA chairman Mark Tarr, who also previously led the six-month process that resulted in Coleman’s hire.

“We are optimistic about our prospects and envision this process being short,” Tarr said in a statement. “We had a strong list of candidates in our previous search and will expedite the process to fill the position.”

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

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