Chamber's Page Named Chairman of Alliance for Alabama's Infrastructure
January 18, 2017
STATEWIDE ADVOCACY COALITION FOCUSES ON FIXING ALABAMA'S INFRASTRUCTURE CRISIS
The Alliance for Alabama’s Infrastructure on Jan. 18 announced its officers and an executive director whose mission is to continue advocating and guiding grassroots efforts to enhance Alabama’s road and bridge infrastructure.
In a recent meeting, the AAI board of directors elected a slate of officers to lead AAI efforts in 2017. Elected to serve in AAI board leadership are: Chairman – Jim Page, president and CEO, The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama; Vice Chairman – Mike Thompson, president, Thompson Tractor; Treasurer – Jason Teter, vice president of finance, Vulcan Materials Company; Secretary – William Canary, president and CEO, Business Council of Alabama.
“I’m honored to chair a great board consisting of strong business leaders who have come together on such an important issue,” Page said. “Alabama’s surface transportation needs are greater than ever. Last year our alliance brought statewide attention to those needs. This year we will continue to highlight them and offer responsible solutions to enhance our roads and bridges that are the lifeblood of Alabama’s economy. The AAI looks forward to working with the Legislature and other organizations to find solutions to properly fund Alabama’s infrastructure in the upcoming legislative session and beyond.”
The Alliance for Alabama’s Infrastructure (AAI) is a grassroots advocacy coalition formed in December 2015 with the mission of uniting the business community and like-minded groups behind the common goal of properly investing in and enhancing Alabama’s transportation infrastructure in order to ensure that the safety and economic needs of Alabama’s citizens, businesses, and other organizations are properly met.
The AAI is enhancing its coalition by establishing a board of directors which represents nearly every industry of Alabama’s economy, as well as every region of the state. The AAI understands that a safe and effective transportation system is essential to keeping Alabama economically competitive and providing a high quality of life for all Alabamians.
Business Council of Alabama deputy chief of staff Drew Harrell has been named the first executive director of the AAI and will manage the organization, communication, and advocacy efforts of the Alliance.
“With infrastructure investment becoming a top issue at the federal level and in a majority of states across our nation, the AAI remains focused on raising awareness within the Legislature and local communities on the critical nature of Alabama’s transportation system and the immediate need to improve and invest in transportation infrastructure at the state and local levels,” Harrell said.
Harrell came to the BCA in 2011 as executive assistant to the president and later was given expanded duties as deputy chief of staff and strategic operations coordinator responsible for helping manage the daily activities of BCA including overseeing the operations of the BCA executive committee and the 100-plus member BCA board of directors consisting of the top business leaders in Alabama. He is also a member of BCA’s Advocacy Team and serves a key role in implementing BCA’s legislative agenda.
Harrell earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Huntingdon College in 2011 and a Master of Business Administration from Auburn University Montgomery in 2013. Harrell was a four-year letterman in baseball and football at Huntingdon College and he is a member of the National Football Foundation’s 2011 Hampshire Honor Society. Harrell is a member of the Huntingdon College National Alumni Association Board of Directors.
For more information regarding the Alliance for Alabama’s Infrastructure’s efforts, please visit the AAI website at www.alabamaroads.org.
The Alliance for Alabama’s Infrastructure (AAI) is a statewide advocacy coalition focused on fixing Alabama’s infrastructure crisis by identifying financially-responsible investments, reforms and long-term solutions for Alabama’s transportation infrastructure. By responsibly investing in Alabama’s infrastructure, roads and bridges will be safer, the economy and jobs will grow, and the quality of life will improve for all Alabamians.