Small Business Development Center:Learn About CARA

President & CEO of Birmingham Business Alliance

Steve Ammons serves as the District 5 Jefferson County Commissioner.

Among his duties as Commissioner, Steve is Chairman of the Committee of Economic Development. He also serves as the Chairman of the Committee of Information Technology, member of the BirminghamZoo Oversight Committee, and primary liaison to the Alabama Department of Commerce, the Birmingham Business Alliance’s Economic Development Division, Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA), the Jefferson County Economic and Industrial Development Authority (JCEIDA) and all economic development organizations. He also represents Jefferson County to the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham (RPC), Emergency Management Agency (EMA), E911 Emergency Communications District, and oversight of all general obligation debt, enterprise funds, county capital planning, and strategic investments. Steve currently serves on the executive committee and board of the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA), is an advisory board member to the Central Alabama Redevelopment Alliance (CARA), and serves on the board and is co-chair of Business Services for Prosper Birmingham. He is also on the board of the 2025 World Police and Fire Games.

Before being elected as a county commissioner, he served two terms on the Vestavia Hills City Council with honor and integrity. While on the council, he was Mayor Pro Tem, the liaison to Vestavia Hills Public Safety (Police and Fire), and a former member of the Parks and Recreation Board. He also received specialized training and certification from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S.Department of Homeland Security in multi-hazard emergency planning for schools.

During his tenure, the city saw an increase in revenues, allowing for many quality of life and infrastructure initiatives; among them, the new state-of-the-art City Hall and Police Headquarters.

Professionally, Steve is the President and CEO of Background IQ, which provides employment screening services for various industries nationwide. Steve is also a veteran of the U.S. Navy.

When he’s not working, Steve is involved in a variety of community-based activities. He helped develop the Vestavia Hills Police Foundation and served as its president. Steve is also Past-President of the Sunrise Rotary Club, and an active member of the growing Birmingham lacrosse community, having served as President of the Greater Birmingham Youth Lacrosse Association and a member of the Alabama Lacrosse Association.

Steve is a member of the Jefferson County Republican Party Executive Committee, President of the Mid-Alabama Republican Club, and a member of the Vestavia Hills Sunrise Rotary Club. He is married to Alli McGill Ammons. They have four children and are members of the Church of the Highlands.

Co-founder, EDA University Center at Auburn University

Dr. Baker is certified to provide training, coaching, and mentoring on the lean startup methodologies, value proposition design, and creating and developing sustainable business models by the International Business Innovation Association and is also a certified business coach. Prior to joining GEDI, she served as the Managing Director of the Lowder Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurship, where she guided students, faculty, and community entrepreneurs to creatively generate business ideas, refine their plans to maximize success potential, and prepared them to pitch in front of judges and investors. During her four-year tenure, the student teams she worked with won or raised over $850K in external sources and earned over $930K in revenue. The community startups she mentored won $150K in state competitions to grow their businesses.

Additionally, Baker serves as co-director of the EDA University Center at Auburn University funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The Center is focused on advancing regional commercialization efforts, entrepreneurship, innovation, business expansion, and developing a high-skilled regional workforce. She is the business expert on a research team awarded $1.275M to develop and commercialize biomedical implants and rehabilitative orthotics using additive manufacturing. Baker earned her Ph.D. in Management and holds an MS in Technology Commercialization and a BS in Electrical Engineering.

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.

Executive Director, Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce

Emily Jensen is the Executive Director of the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce, where she works alongside the Board of Directors to promote our businesses, our community, and our quality of life in Mountain Brook. Emily is a native of Mobile, Alabama and a graduate of the University of Alabama. Prior to beginning her career with the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce, Emily spent 17 years in banking, most recently as a Private Banker for First Horizon Bank. Emily has previously served two terms on the Executive Board of the Junior League of Birmingham, in addition to being on the Board of Directors for Childcare Resources, and the Committee for The Future at Children’s of Alabama. Emily is married to Jeff Jensen and has two sons, Wills and John.

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.

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.

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.

Co-Founder and Director, UA Lift

Specialty Areas: Tax accounting, financial accounting.Education: The University of Alabama (B.S., 1994 and Masters in Tax Accounting,1995).

McKinney practiced in public accounting for nine years in Birmingham and Memphis. She specialized in tax consulting and planning with extensive client experience in the real estate industry and partnership tax issues. Ms. McKinney joined The University of Alabama Culverhouse School of Accountancy as a full-time faculty member in 2001 and has taught undergraduate-level courses in taxation and financial accounting for the last 20 years. Primary courses of instruction include an introduction to Financing Accounting, Individual Taxation, and Business Entity Taxation.

McKinney is director of The Culverhouse School of Accountancy LIFT community outreach and experiential learning program. This initiative utilizes University students to teach free computer, financial, and career classes to adults, veterans, seniors, and teens in under-served communities. The program utilized over 600 volunteers and leaders in the Spring 2022 semester, teaching over 30 classes each week throughout West and Central Alabama. During the pandemic, LIFT continued to provide classes virtually.

McKinney also provides tax training and consulting services for many small to mid-sized accounting firms in the Southeast, as well as nonprofit organizations. Over the past two years, McKinney and LIFT have built an accelerator to support minority-owned micro-businesses in Alabama. University students are utilized in this capacity to provide accounting and other business consulting services to both for-profit and non-profit businesses.

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.

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.

Economic Development Director, City of Prattville

I am currently the economic director for the City of Prattville. I graduated from Jacksonville State University with my Bachelor’s in Political Science and my Master’s in Public Administration. I am a PhD candidate pursing my doctorate from Liberty University in Public Administration. I hold Certification from the Alabama City/County Management Association . In addition, I am a graduate of Auburn’s Economic Development Intensive course, University of Alabama’s Applied Economic Development Honors Program, and EDAA’s Leadership Course. I also serve on Governor Ivey’s Government  and Public Administration Technical Advisory Committee of the Alabama Committee on Credentialing and Career Pathways.

Previously, I served as the Economic Director for Randolph County.

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.

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.

Community Development Director, City of Montgomery