'Rare as hens' teeth': Unlikely partnership bringing hope for Alabama jobs to nation's poorest place

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[al.com]

 Gov. Bentley visits Pike County, praises industry

By Jeb Sharp

February 13, 2014

On a night when industries and employers from around Pike County were honored, it was Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley who stole the show.

Bentley was the featured speaker at the 2014 Pike County Industry Appreciation Evening, which honored local industries such as Lockheed Martin, CGI, Southern Classic Foods and Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation.

Bentley's speech focused on the economic decisions his administration has made over his first three years in office.

"When I first came in to office, Alabama was having a difficult time," Bentley said. "We had a choice to make. We could either raise taxes on the people of Alabama, or we could work to make government more efficient for the people. We chose the latter path to make government more efficient. And, so far, we've done that. We have saved over $1 billion annually for the state."

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[Troy Messenger]

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[Birmingham Business Journal]

Montgomery Chamber's Ellen McNair receives prestigious statewide economic development award

Feb. 14, 2014

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President of Corporate Development Ellen McNair has received the David R. Echols Distinguished Service Award in Economic Development. The award was presented to McNair by the Alabama Department of Commerce at the Economic Development Association of Alabama Winter Conference in Birmingham.

The award is named in honor of the late David Echols, a senior project manager for the Alabama Development Office, now the Alabama Department of Commerce. Echols is credited with bringing thousands of new jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in capital investments to Alabama during his career. Additionally, he earned the respect of colleagues throughout the state, region and nation for his professionalism. The award named in his honor recognizes the qualities of excellence for which he was well known.

"It is no surprise that Ellen McNair was selected to receive such a prestigious award," said Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board of Directors Leslie L. Sanders. "She has dedicated her career to advancing the economic prosperity of this community, and as a result, the River Region has reaped the benefits of her contributions."

McNair, a certified economic developer (CEcD), has worked in the field of economic development for more than 25 years. In her role at the Chamber, she and her staff have been instrumental in bringing new business and industry to the River Region, including Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama. Prior to her current position, McNair served as the first woman project manager at the Alabama Development Office. She was also the first woman CEcD in the state, the first woman president of the Economic Development Association of Alabama and the first woman to lead a major metro area's economic development efforts.

Committed to exceptional service, the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce works to improve the economic well-being of the business community and enhance the quality of life of the area through the creation and preservation of jobs.

 The AlabamaGermany Partnership's Annual Celebration Dinner Set for March 6 in Tuscaloosa. 

SCOTT COCHRAN, director of strength and conditioning for the University of Alabama's football team, will speak at the  16th Annual Celebration Dinner of the AlabamaGermany Partnership to be held March 6  at the Bryant-Denny Stadium.

The program will include the Consul General of Federal Republic of Germany Christoph Sander. AlabamaGermany Partnership's Board of Directors also will recognize German companies with recent investments and expansions in Alabama.  Two other awards will be presented at the dinner - Dr. Barbara Fischer Award and Rainer Bauer Award. 

A reception is set for 5:30 p.m. Dinner follows at 7 p.m.

To register for the Annual Dinner please visit: www.alabamagermany.org.

The following day, AlabamaGermany Partnership will host "How to Build a Champion Team" business forum. The business forum will focus on how to overcome today's workforce challenges. For more information contact: director@alabamagermany.org.

About AlabamaGermany Partnership

The AlabamaGermany Partnership is an Alabama non-profit corporation formed in 1998 to "develop and support relationships and friendships between organizations and individuals in Alabama and Germany". The membership of the AlabamaGermany Partnership is comprised of German companies with location in Alabama, companies and entities that want to do business with German companies, academic and cultural institutions with interest in the German culture and language throughout the State. For more information visit: www.alabamagermany.org

Contact:

Tine Hoffmeister, Executive Director, AlabamaGermany Partnership

Phone: 205.943.4772, director@alabamagermany.org