Regional Economic Development Alliance Names Executive Director

January 9, 2011

The Coastal Gateway Regional Economic Development Alliance has named a new executive director.

Jim Searcy was named director by the five county partnership that seeks to market and promote Escambia, Conecuh, Monroe, Choctaw and Clarke counties in Alabama. Searcy will be responsible for implementing programs for new business attraction, business retention and expansion, and investor relations.

The director works closely with local economic developers, elected officials, chambers of commerce, and industrial boards across the five county region.

Dr. John Johnson, Vice-Chairman of CGEDA, stated that the Board is extremely pleased to bring Searcy on board. “Jim brings over 20 years of economic development experience to the Alliance. Members of the CGEDA Board of Directors are extremely pleased at being able to attract one of the state’s top economic development officials,” said Johnson.

“The Coastal Gateway Executive Director position was very appealing. This region has tremendous potential. An excellent workforce, dedicated education partners, and effective community leadership are important assets in the economic development process,” Searcy said. “This region is fortunate to have those and many other essential attributes. I intend for the CGEDA to be a catalyst in this process. The CGEDA Board is enthusiastic and I look forward to translating that enthusiasm into results.”

Searcy currently serves as Vice President of Business and Industry Retention at the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA). Before the 2009 merger of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Birmingham Metropolitan Development Board into the BBA, Searcy served at the Metropolitan Development Board for 13 years as the Vice President of Marketing.

Prior the Metropolitan Development Board, Searcy worked for the Alabama Development Office (ADO) for seven years as a Senior Project Manager.

Searcy is a past board member at the Economic Development Association of Alabama (EDAA). He holds a achelors Degree in Public Administration from Auburn University and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from Auburn University Montgomery.

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