ACCOUNTING
Melanie Weed has been named a principal at Jackson Thornton.
AVIATION
Flight Works Alabama, a nonprofit aviation workforce education hub, has named Mary Frances Clarke as its new managing director.
BANKING
Andrew Huffman has been named vice president, digital banking product manager for Renasant Corp.
BIOTECH
Kalm Therapeutics has added Dr. Peter Lio, a dermatologist and clinical researcher, as an investor and to its board.
EDUCATION
Annette Funderburk has been named interim president of Chattahoochee Valley Community College. Funderburk succeeds Jacqueline Screws, who retired in late 2025.
Calhoun Community College has named Tiffany Bain dean of Health Sciences.
Augusta Watters, of Reid State Community College, has been selected for the Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy of the Delta Regional Authority.
HEALTH CARE
Angela Kinnison, a caregiver in the Mobile office of Cornerstone Caregiving, has been named 2025 Caregiver of the Year by the company, which has 400 locations nationwide.
Troy Regional Medical Center has hired Dr. Michael Williams, to join its team at Troy Primary Care.
LEGAL
Barrett Bowdre has been promoted to solicitor general of Alabama.
Burr & Forman has hired the following associates for its Birmingham office: Maddison Booth, Alisha Clay, Kyra Lockhart, Guadalupe Orozco Rosiles, Anna Robinson, Mckenzy Smith and Alli Swann.
Butler Snow LLP has hired attorneys Madison King in its Birmingham office and Synclair Goyer in its Huntsville office.
Jones Walker LLP has hired Robert McGinley as special counsel in the corporate practice group and a member in the firm’s real estate team based in Mobile.
MUNICIPALITIES
Ken Grimes, Hoover’s city administrator, has been named economic development manager for the city.
ORGANIZATIONS
Mark Drew, of Protective Life Corp., has been elected chairman of the Business Council of Alabama for 2026. In addition, BCA has hired Tim Howe as its new chief advocacy officer.
POLITICS
The Alabama Republican Party has hired Madeline Priestley as director of member services and data and Rich Holt as political director.
REAL ESTATE
Vaughn Poe, executive director of the Alabama Real Estate Commission, has been accepted to the Center for the Advancement of Leadership Skills Class of 2025.
Zackery Burr, an assistant attorney general of the Alabama Real Estate Commission, has completed Auburn University at Montgomery’s Certified Public Manager training program.
RESTAURANTS
Chester’s Chicken has named Kevin O’Connor as its new executive vice president, following the retirement of Bill Rice.
SECURITY
Valentino Corbett, an employee of Pride Industries in Dothan and a locksmith II at Fort Rucker, is a finalist for the 2026 SourceAmerica Achievement Award, which honors employees, nonprofit agencies and business partners for creating lasting change in disability employment.
TOURISM
Karen Beasley, vice president of marketing and communications for the Alabama Mountain Lakes Tourist Association, has been named Tourism Promoter of the Year by the Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association.
TRANSPORTATION
AAA Cooper Transportation has promoted Jeff Lea to regional vice president, Dirk Willett to vice president of national sales and John Hansen to director of strategic channel solutions.
WORKFORCE
The Alabama Department of Workforce has appointed Keyarrow Moore-Bonner as chief labor officer.
These career moves appear in the January 2026 issue of Business Alabama.
