Small Business Development Center:Learn About CARA

Senior Vice President of Community Affairs, Regions

Through 30 years of working in community development and creative finance, Paul Carruthers has focused on his passion for urban and rural redevelopment and revitalization. As the Community Development Manager for North Central and North Alabama with Regions Bank, he oversees community development lending, investment, and service initiatives. His focus on community development, affordable housing, and urban redevelopment has been instrumental in creating affordable housing and revitalization partnerships that have helped people and communities thrive.

Previously, while with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Carruthers created bridges between communities and examiners. He also worked on the first reform of the Community Reinvestment Act in Washington, D.C. in 1994-1995. Earlier, as a Senior Planner with the City of Memphis Division of Housing and Community Development, he was highly engaged in neighborhood revitalization, historic preservation, affordable housing, and economic development.

Carruthers holds a Master of City and Regional Planning degree and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Memphis. He has augmented his professional degree by completing the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s National Community Development Lending School and the Development Training Institute’s Community Development curriculum. Carruthers has served on the boards of directors for many community development corporations and other community-based non-profit organizations. He currently serves on the Alabama Small Business Development Center’s Advisory Board, TruFund Financial Internal Use Services Alabama Advisory Board, Main Street Alabama Board of Directors, and the Advisory Board of the Central Alabama Redevelopment Coalition.

Vice President of Community Development Coordinator, Pinnacle Financial Partners

Monica is currently the Community Development Coordinator and Vice President for Pinnacle Financial Partners. She started her career with SouthTrust Bank in 2001. She stepped away from banking briefly to learn more about the design and fashion industry working for Saks Department Store Group. Seeking to return to the banking industry, she joined AmSouth Bank; which later became Regions Bank, where she supported C-suite executives throughout various divisions of the organization. Upon IBERIABANK’s entry into the Birmingham Market in 2010, Drake joined the team as Executive Administrative Assistant to support the Alabama Regional President and serve as Board Secretary to the local advisory board. After working closely with community partners, planning many branch grand openings, and many successful client events, Monica was promoted to Public Relations Coordinator at IBERIABANK; which recently merged with First Horizon.

Monica and her husband (John) have two boys and reside in Hueytown. She has actively served the community through roles with United Way, Children’s of Alabama, Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, Junior Achievement, Maranathan Academy, and her church. She also the immediate past Treasurer for her HOA.

CEO of CARA

Jeremy Duckworth is experienced in economic development, workforce development, and retail recruiting. He comes to the Central Alabama Redevelopment Alliance after serving as the Chairman of the Fairfield Business Alliance, and Executive Director ofthe Western Communities Redevelopment Alliance.

Jeremy graduated from Auburn University’s Intensive Economic Development Course and seeks to apply all that he learns to support and increase the capacity of micro businesses, small businesses, and economically challenged rural and urban municipalities by removing barriers to capital (financial, social, and human) therefore building capacity for economic viability. Jeremy believes that he must use all his gifts, talents, and abilities to invest in the progression of present and future economic development in central Alabama; and, that cycles of lack are broken by equipping others with the tools needed to receive and pass on various forms of wealth, for generations to come. These beliefs are results of numerous examples of those who made similar investments in his family, beginning with his great-grandfather.

Jeremy is dedicated and enthusiastic about capacity building and developing partnerships to provide much needed resources to support the economic sustainability of stressed communities. He originally hails from a small town in Mississippi, and now resides in the Birmingham Metro area with his wife and three children.

Vice President of Field Operations, Spire

With nearly three decades of successful leadership in manufacturing, operations, finance and accounting, Antoine Liddell serves as Vice President, Field Operations for Spire in Birmingham, AL. Before joining Spire in 2019, Antoine was the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Special Projects for Noranda Alumina & Bauxite, LLC. Antoine also served for 3 years as Vice President and General Manager for Noranda Bauxite while based in Discovery Bay, Jamaica with his family. Additionally, Antoine held several leadership roles throughout his 16 years with Monsanto Company. He started his career as an auditor with KPMG, Peat Marwick in St Louis. Antoine has a BS in Accounting from Indiana State University and an MBA from Washington
University in St Louis. He and his wife, Audra, live in Hoover and have been married for 29 years. His son, AJ, is currently a senior at LSU.

Tessa Commercial Real Estate

Libby Lassiter is a real estate investor and trailblazer in the Commercial Real Estate industry. She led retail leasing and development at Bayer Properties for 17+ years, most recently as co-president of the company that was sold in 2022. The Bayer portfolio includes notable mixed-use projects like the Summit Birmingham, The Pizitz, Summit Reno, and the Summit at Fritz Farm in Lexington, KY. Her most recent venture is as principal at Tessa Commercial Real Estate, leading development and investments of retail, mixed-use, and historic properties in Birmingham.

Outside of Lassiter’s business achievements, she is committed to enriching her local community. In 2020, she launched the podcast “Share the Mic – Conversations between black and white friends in the South.” The series focuses on exposing racial injustices and will soon launch a third season promoting voting involvement by youth in the 2024 election. Lassiter is also the board chair of Common Thread. This Birmingham 501c3 creates spaces where nonprofits and mission-driven entrepreneurs can grow while meeting the needs of residents in historically underserved neighborhoods. Their community hubs support small businesses, educational entities, workforce development programs, and wellness providers in unique, accessible venues.

Lassiter also serves as National Ambassador for CORE – Career Opportunities in Real Estate – working to bring 20,000 people of color into the commercial real estate industry by 2031. She serves on the board of REV Birmingham and is using her expertise in commercial real estate to deliver on their mission to make Birmingham an even more vibrant place. She also serves on the board of The Women’s Foundation among other nonprofits. Lassiter sees her business role as creating value through real estate investments and preservation of Birmingham’s historic buildings – while her personal mission is to be a good steward of the community in which she lives and serves.

Chief Operating Officer, Sabre Finance

Samuel Kellett, better known as Sam, is the Chief Operating Officer with Sabre Finance, a non-profit lender and technical assistance provider, based in Birmingham that services the entire state of Alabama and the Columbus, GA metropolitan area. Sabre Finance, founded in 2014 by Dr. Ray Morris, is a CDFI and SBA lender serving entrepreneurs through expert technical assistance and prudent access to capital. Sabre Finance is a mission driven organization serving the underserved small business community, growing alongside them from start-up to expansion. Sam has worked directly with small business owners to meet their individualized needs since 2019. His experience in business development and passion for learning leads Sam’s drive to ensure a smooth experience in helping entrepreneurs navigate new paths by listening to client needs and matching proven methods with innovative decision-making. As a student-athlete, Kellett received both his Bachelor of Science in Marketing and his Master of Business Administration from Jacksonville State University. Sam enjoys traveling, staying active, and enjoying new food and coffee across the state with his wife, Anna and family.

President, Alabama Municipal Solutions Inc.

Emory Mauldin was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated from Ramsay High School in1995. He graduated from Hampton University (Go Pirates!) in 1999 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Emory came back to home to attend Cumberland School of Law school where he graduated and passed the Bar in 2002.

After being in private practice for over a decade, he became Counsel for Mission Alabama where has been instrumental in multiple initiatives including The Birmingham College and Career Fair which has helped students across Alabama secure over Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000.00) in scholarships since 2012. He is one of three founders of Career Launch Alabama, an innovative partnership that helps high school students develop work force development skills while being compensated at industry leading companies.

He is currently the Managing Attorney for Indigent Defense in the Birmingham Municipal Court, the busiest court in the state of Alabama. He was a founding member and Past Vice President of the Birmingham Urban League Young Professionals, a member of Young Business Leaders, the Jefferson County Young Democrats and has served as a youth mentor to middle school students.

Birmingham General Manager of Endeavor

Economic Development Director, Bullock County Development Authority

David Padgett is the Economic Development Director at Bullock County Development Authority. A native of Bullock County, David has a unique perspective on the challenges of rural Alabama. He has served in this position since January 2019. David also serves as President of Grow Southeast Alabama, a regional non-profit united for economic development. Padgett was appointed to the State of Alabama Electric Vehicle Advisory Board. He currently serves as a Board member of Sparks Foundation for Wallace Community College in Eufaula, Alabama, the South Central Alabama Development Commission, and the Bullock County Chamber of Commerce. He is an active member of the Economic Development Association of Alabama, the Alabama Agribusiness Council, the Alabama Forestry Association, and the Southern Economic Development Council. Padgett is a graduate of Auburn University in Industrial Operations Management. He has one daughter, Anna Kathryn Padgett, Chief Financial Officer of Lee County Alabama.

Founder & CEO, 3G Chemical Solutions, LLC

Aleia Shipman is the founder and CEO of 3G Chemical Solutions, LLC. an industrial chemical supplier headquartered in Bessemer, AL. A graduate of Alabama A&M University, Aleia is a 2nd generation entrepreneur. Her experience and love for sales solidified her decision in 2016 to start her own company. 3G Chemical provides industrial maintenance and chemical supplies such as deodorizers, lubricants, odor control solutions, and sewer maintainers and has most recently added COVID-19 disinfecting services and PPE supplies to their list.

Aleia and her team work tirelessly seeking new opportunities to expand 3G’s footprint and through continued education, she consistently positions the company to have steady and upward growth. Industrial chemical sales is a very gender and culture-specific industry and she would like to introduce more women and minorities into chemical sales and distribution. It is her desire to utilize as many opportunities and resources for systems and processes that will help the organization run smoothly, generate profit, and provide job opportunities within the surrounding community.

Recently, 3G Chemical Solutions awarded their 2nd Annual Entrepreneurial Scholarship to a deserving high school student. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and being with her 3 beautiful kids Gavin, Giyah, and Gerrisyn who are also the inspiration behind the company name.

Co-Founder & CEO, Naughty But Nice Kettle Corn Co.

Tanesha Sims-Summers an award-winning graduate from #UAB, where she studied marketing and Spanish has always had a passion for people and community. After nearly 15 years in a corporate career of #investmentbanking and later #digitalmarketing, she decided that the time had come to pursue her passion for entrepreneurship. While #kettlecorn was never on her radar of pursuits, it has become a fun endeavor that has been the catalyst to work she feels God has called her to do. She co-owns and operates Naughty But Nice Kettle Corn Co. with her rock and ride-or-die, a partner in business and in life, husband Clem Summers, a graduate of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa and a graduate of the Prosper Supplier Scale Accelerator. Her joy is in raising her 4 extraordinary children 18, 18, 7, and 6.

NBNKC, based in Birmingham, AL, and established in 2014, has coined itself as #Birmingham and Beyond’s Favorite Snack, specializing in unique sweet and salty kettle corn blends, their small-batch kettle-to-hand process allows for the freshest snack possible. The high-quality flavorings keep #Popheads (customers) coming back for more. NBNKC helps people celebrate life’s sweet moments whether it’s weddings, employee engagement celebrations, or a family movie night.

It’s Not Just Popcorn with NBNKC, the brand is FUN, FRESH & FESTIVE and exists to make the world a sweeter place to live.

We are a proud Top 40 Under 40 Recipient 2020 recipient. Minority Business of the Year Recipient 2021, Goldman Sachs 10KSB Graduate 2021, SBA Emerging Leaders Graduate, 2018, Trufund EmpowHER Graduate 2019, CARA Graduate 2021, Co Starters Graduate 2015, PNC Bank Big Pitch Winner 2015 Renasant and Roots Accelerator with Birmingham Business Resource Center Graduate, 2019

Small Business Council for the City Of Birmingham 2019 – present
I3 Academy Board Member, 2019
CARA Advisory Board Member, 2022
Jones Valley Teaching Farm Board Member, 2022
UAB Excellence in Business Top 25, 2022

My Motto is to doubt your limits and never stop learning.

Founder & Manager of the Academic Small Business Alliance

Demetria Scott is a seasoned professional with thirty years of experience in business diversity. As an Officer in UAB's Small Business Development, she manages the Academic Small Business Alliance (ASBA) Bridge to Success Internship Program. Recognizing the need to support small businesses in addressing their talent challenges, Demetria has facilitated opportunities for UAB students to gain professional work experience. Over the past decade, she has identified, recruited, and developed partnerships with local and small businesses in the greater Birmingham area, pairing them with UAB students to strengthen their talent pipelines and meet human resource needs.

Under her leadership, more than 150 local and small businesses have participated in the ASBA Program, and the team has successfully recruited over 285 student interns through proactive outreach efforts. Demetria’s unwavering dedication has not only benefited these businesses by providing them with vital talent but also enriched the students' professional lives, with many internships leading to full-time employment, thereby contributing to the economic vitality of the community. Demetria’s work at UAB and in the Birmingham community is marked by her quiet but powerful impact. Her initiatives have played a significant role in fostering a stronger, more prosperous community by supporting the attraction, development, and retention of small businesses and future employees.

Her contributions have earned her several awards from UAB, community organizations, and advocacy groups, recognizing her visible commitment, compassion, and continuous devotion to enhancing the growth of local small and diverse businesses and students. In July 2022, Demetria was honored with the President Joseph R. Biden Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award.

Demetria is also a proud mother to her son, Johnathan DeMarco Scott, and daughter-in-law, Jessica Gardner Scott. She is an active member of Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church-Rising, where she serves on the Steward Board, Myrtle J. Glover-Women’s Missionary Society, and as a finance team member.

Customer Experience Manager, Alabama Power

Foster is a native of Montgomery, AL, and a graduate of Tuskegee University where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and was named to Coca-Cola’s Division II All-Academic Football team. He earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, where his studies focused on health industry management and marketing.

Foster is currently serving as Customer Experience Manager in the customer operations business unit. In this role, he leads our strategic efforts to deliver extraordinary customer experiences while also bringing to market innovative solutions to keep pace with evolving customer needs and expectations.

Before rejoining Alabama Power, Foster served as General Manager of Marketing & Sales for Gulf Power Company in Pensacola, FL. In that role, he provided leadership for the company’s major accounts, energy efficiency, and renewable energy efforts. He also served as the Product Development and Sales Manager for Gulf Power where he was responsible for developing innovative products along with overseeing the company’s lighting service business and traditional electric sales.

Foster’s previous roles at Alabama Power include Division Area Manager and serving as the External Affairs and Marketing Manager for Birmingham Division. In those roles, he had responsibility for company operations, external affairs, and marketing. Prior to his area manager role, he served as Governmental Relations -Legislative Affairs Manager in Montgomery where he was responsible for monitoring state legislation and its possible impact on Alabama Power customers. Ware joined Alabama Power in 2011 as an industrial account manager, serving industrial customers by identifying energy savings and conducting an economic analysis of equipment for energy audits.

Prior to joining Alabama Power, Foster served as director of cardiovascular solutions at Sg2- LLC in Skokie, IL, focusing on the impact of healthcare reform and economic modeling for cardiovascular administrators. Prior to Sg2-LLC, Ware was employed with Schering-Plough Corporation as a regional account manager in the Illinois market and served as a registered lobbyist in governmental affairs. Foster began his career in engineering at Abbott Laboratories as a project manager in the chemical, diagnostic and pharmaceutical products divisions.

President & CEO, Complete3Tech Solutions

Chris White
Chris serves as the President and CEO of Complete3 Tech Solutions, LLC. He decided to pursue a family life-long dream of becoming a business owner. He, along with his siblings, established Complete3 Tech Solutions in 2015. March 2016, Complete3 Tech Solutions acquired Lyons Computers & Technologies. This venture results in forty (40) plus years of technology experience and gives C3TS the ability to provide the latest innovative solutions.

As Chief Executive Officer, Chris negotiates contracts, oversees daily operations, supervises the technology team, and makes strategic decisions that will align his company with proven leaders in the tech industry. As a result, Complete3 Tech Solutions offers a wide range of innovative, high quality, cost-effective, and personalized technology solutions. Chris and his team created the VBoxS3, a centralized Cloud solution that allows businesses to access all their data and applications at any time from any location all securely. This solution provides a cost savings benefit to companies by “never having to buy another PC” and includes Cybersecurity, Virtualization, and Business Continuity for small to medium businesses, enterprise corporations, local, state, and federal government agencies.

Also, under his leadership, the company has obtained Minority Business Enterprise Certification (MBE), Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Certification (DBE), National Minority Supplier Development Council Certification (NMSDC), Class 1 MBE Supplier of the Year (SRMSDC), Emerging Leader 2019 Graduate, and an Award of Excellence with Mobile Area Water & Sewer System Mentor Protégé Program. Chris serves as Vice Chairman on the Central Alabama Redevelopment Alliance and Chairman of the “Top 50 over 50” Positive Maturity board.

Chris’s desire is to help businesses understand that up-to-date technology is a critical element for their business to grow and become more successful. He is enthusiastic about helping clients see the need to evaluate their current infrastructure and how utilizing modern technology can be more profitable and increase security. He is a native of Mobile, Alabama. Chris currently resides near Birmingham, AL with his wife and three young children.

Community Development Director, City of Montgomery

Regional Director Legislative & Ex. Affairs, AT&T

Hometown –Tuscaloosa, AL

BS Degree in Advertising, Minor in Business Marketing from The University of Southern Mississippi

Lived in Shelby County for 28 years

Worked for the Birmingham News for 8 years, and the BellSouth Advertising and Publishing Company for 5 years, prior to her current position as Regional Director of Legislative and External Affairs for AT&T-Alabama (2008-present).

Current role description: Representing AT&T-Alabama in 22 counties as a liaison to state and elected officials, city leaders, business leaders, non-profit organizations, education leaders, emergency officials, etc. Cultivating relationships for significant impact as a community partner.