C3 Leader Invited to Southern Economic Development Roundtable

GUIN - The seventh annual Southern Economic Development Roundtable event was held in Seaside, Fla. in January. The invitation-only event, put on by Southern Business & Development, is a gathering of 60 of the best minds in economic development in the south. It is held annually at the WaterColor Inn & Resort in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla. David Thornell, President & CEO of C3 – Northwest Alabama Economic Development Alliance, was invited to participate and has done so for the past five years. Twelve states were represented at the event.
Additionally, Southern Business & Development’s winter 2020 magazine was released last week and featured a story spotlighting the “First-Rate Economic Development Agencies in the South.”
C3-Northwest Alabama Economic Development Alliance was named as one and was in very good company, as the other agencies named in Alabama were Tennessee Valley Authority, Alabama Power, PowerSouth Energy, Alabama Department of Commerce, Chambers County Development Authority, Montgomery Area Chamber, Cullman Economic Development Agency, Industrial Development Board of the City of Auburn and the Opelika Economic Development. Below, find the excerpt from the publication:
“Led by David Thornell, an economic developer who has worked in rural areas almost his entire career, the Northwest Alabama Economic Development Alliance is a three-county organization. Interstate 22 has opened up these three counties to prospective industry like never before. Having had the opportunity to lead economic development and chamber of commerce organizations in both Alabama and Mississippi for the past 34 years, Thornell has enjoyed success in every aspect of building and improving communities. The three rural counties in Northwest Alabama (Marion, Lamar and Fayette counties) have a diverse employer base, including automotive, textiles, building materials and metals.”
If you’d like more information about joining C3 in the strengthening and growth of the three-county region, please call the C3 office at 205-468-3213 or email dthornell@northwestalabamaeda.org or jchristian@northwestalabamaeda.org.