Kenneth Coleman, whose relationship with Birmingham dates back to a stint playing ball for the Birmingham Barons and later working in business development with the Metropolitan Development Board, has been named president and CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance.
Coleman takes the reins of the seven-county economic development organization from Fred McCallum, who has served as interim leader since late last year.
After leaving the Metropolitan Development Board, which is the predecessor organization to BBA, Coleman spent more than 20 years with Southern Company and its subsidiaries, including Alabama Power. He was working as interim CEO of the DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce in suburban Atlanta before taking the post with BBA.
Coleman is particularly proud of his role in bringing Georgia Power to the forefront of solar generation; developing of a Smart Cities partnership between Georgia Power and the City of Atlanta, and leading a $1 billion community-wide economic development program in Montgomery.
“I am excited to lead the Birmingham Business Alliance at such a pivotal time,” said Coleman. “The partnerships we strengthen, the jobs we help create and the support we provide to all businesses moving forward will shape Birmingham’s future as a leading metropolitan area. I look forward to working closely with the public and private sector — old friends and new — to make that happen.”
A University of New Haven graduate with a master’s from the University of Alabama, Coleman is married to Prentiss Coleman, who has a doctorate in education and is Region 2 coordinator at GEAR UP Alabama. The couple has two sons, Kamden and Kyle.
Coleman will start in his new post at BBA on July 20.
