Steve Ammons has been named CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA), the region’s primary economic development agency. Ammons will be responsible for leading collaboration between BBA and its community partners across the seven-county region to ensure the alignment and achievement of strategic objectives. He will begin his new role on May 30.
“When we began the process of identifying a new CEO, the goal was to identify a successful candidate who understands the unique fabric of Birmingham community and who would also bring immediate credibility and confidence to the role, ” said Greg Curran, Chairman of the Firm at Maynard Nexsen and BBA’s current Board Chairman. “Steve Ammons has shown great leadership to the BBA over the years, and we are all energized by his thoughtful vision for the organization’s future.”
Ammons currently serves as a Jefferson County Commissioner for District 5, where he also serves as the Chairman of the Economic Development Committee as well as the Information Technology Committee. Through his service, he has yielded numerous accomplishments in regional cooperation, competitive industry advancement, stakeholder engagement and job creation. Most notably, he managed the recruitment of The J.M. Smucker Company (“Smucker’s”) to the community, which resulted in a $1.2 billion capital investment, the largest in Jefferson County history. He played a critical role in driving cohesion for the region through the Jefferson County Mayor’s Association as well as the establishment of the Jefferson County City Council Coalition (JC3).
“I am excited to expand my service to the Greater Birmingham Region with the BBA.”
Ammons has been a driving force within Birmingham’s economic development ecosystem. Among his duties as a commissioner, Ammons served as the county’s primary liaison to the Alabama Department of Commerce, Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, the Jefferson County Economic and Industrial Development Authority and all economic development organizations including the BBA. He has shown commitment to the BBA through his work on key projects as a member of the organization’s executive committee and board of directors for the past four years.
“I am excited to expand my service to the seven-county Greater Birmingham Region with the BBA,” said Ammons. “Birmingham has more opportunities in front of us than ever before. I look forward to working closely with the team, our investors and our partners in the community to advance economic growth and regional cooperation together.”
As a veteran of the U.S. Navy, Ammons has dedicated a significant portion of his career to the advancement of public safety. During his leadership at the county, he initiated the process of consolidating multiple 911 public safety answering points and championed legislation to streamline effective emergency management systems.
Prior to being elected as a county commissioner, Ammons served two terms on the Vestavia Hills City Council. While on the council, he was Mayor Pro Tem, the liaison to Vestavia Hills Public Safety and a former member of the Parks and Recreation Board. During his tenure, the city saw an increase in revenue, allowing for many quality of life and infrastructure improvements. He is also a long-time small business owner, professionally having owned and operated an employment background screening services company based in Birmingham.
“Steve Ammons has demonstrated experience in understanding what it takes to support businesses of all sizes,” said Joe Hampton, President of Spire Alabama and incoming 2024 BBA Board Chairman. “He is a proven relationship-builder whose commitment to collaboration will set the organization up for long-term success.”
Hiring Ammons is the culmination of a local search process that was led by Greg Curran and included Joe Hampton as well as other key members of BBA’s Board of Directors and advisors. Alesia Jones, former Chief HR Officer for the University of Alabama at Birmingham and HR Consultant, facilitated the search process. In addition to the BBA Board of Directors, the CEO will be supported by the organization’s executive leadership team and staff.
“The board expresses deep gratitude to BBA’s current executive leadership team for their hard work and dedication over the past year,” said Curran. “This amazing team will work directly with the CEO as he defines the next chapter for the BBA.”