Birmingham Business Alliance
The Birmingham Business Alliance ("The Chamber for Regional Prosperity") is a regional economic development organization created in 2009 by the merger of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Metropolitan Development Board and Region 2020. The organization seeks to create a unified voice for area businesses in promoting development throughout the 7-county Birmingham metropolitan area. Its offices are located in the Financial Center building at 505 20th Street North.
In September 2010, the BBA unveiled "Blueprint Birmingham", a five-year strategic plan for economic development of the metro area. Birmingham magazine, which had been published by the Chamber of Commerce, was sold to Birmingham News Multimedia in late 2011.
During the 2021 Alabama legislative session, the BBA advocated for civil immunity from workplace liability claims for businesses that continued to operate during the COVID pandemic, for expansion of Medicaid under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, business tax credits for research and development, expanding public incentives for job creation, and expanding tax credits for historic preservation, workforce development, and child care expenses.
During the 2023 Alabama legislative session, the BBA advocated for expanding the brownfields redevelopment program administered by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, for completion of the Northern Beltline, for public support to protect Birmingham-Southern College from failure, and for expansion of tax credits for historic preservation, and job creation, including programs created by the Growing Alabama program, the Alabama Jobs Act, and the Alabama New Markets Development Act.
Chief Executives
- Dalton Smith, 2009–2010
- Barry Copeland (interim), 2010–2011
- Brian Hilson, March 2011–March 2019
- Fred McCallum (interim), March 2019–2020
- Kenneth Coleman (June–November 2020)
- Fred McCallum (interim), November–December 2020
- Ron Kitchens, February 2021–March 2022
- Emily Hall (President & COO)
External links
- Birmingham Business Alliance website
References
- DeButts, Jimmy (July 14, 2009) "Chamber-MDB group unveils name, logo." Birmingham Business Journal
- Tomberlin, Michael (August 19, 2009) "Merged business groups seen as key to sparking growth in Birmingham, Alabama." The Birmingham News
- Tomberlin, Michael (September 12, 2010) "On the Record: With Barry Copeland of the Birmingham Business Alliance." The Birmingham News
- "Brian Hilson steps down as president and CEO of Birmingham Business Alliance." (February 28, 2019) The Birmingham Times
- Coker, Angel (December 12, 2019) "What the future holds for the Birmingham Business Alliance." Birmingham Business Journal
- Coker, Angel (February 3, 2021) "Covid-19 liability, Medicaid expansion among top legislative priorities for BBA." Birmingham Business Journal
- Rebman, Stephanie (March 4, 2022) "Birmingham Business Alliance CEO Ron Kitchens stepping down." Birmingham Business Journal
- O'Leary, A. J. (February 16, 2023) "BBA focused on biotech, brownfields, historic tax credits in legislative session." Birmingham Business Journal