Chamber President & CEO Jim Page Stepping Down For New Role In March

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama President and CEO Jim Page has announced he will step down from the role in March for an executive position with a Huntsville-based company.

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Page has led the Chamber for the last decade and made the announcement during the Chamber's last Board of Directors meeting.

In March 2023, he will transition to become executive vice president of MartinFederal Consulting, LLC — a firm with more than 150 employees across nine states that provides technical solutions in cyber, engineering, information technology, and training to multiple federal organizations including NASA, the FBI, ATF, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense.

“The timing of this transition has been very important to me because of my love for this organization and its people,” Page said. “The chamber now has a new five-year strategic plan, is completing a highly successful five-year capital campaign, and is settled into its expanded physical footprint in the heart of downtown Tuscaloosa. With a bold vision for the future, exceptional volunteer leadership, and a world-class professional staff all in place, this organization is stronger than at any point in its 122-year history. I can’t imagine a better time to hand the baton over to a successor to take the chamber to even greater heights.”

As part of the new role, Page will be tasked with leading all government relations efforts, while managing corporate and organizational partnerships, overseeing corporate marketing and branding, and providing leadership for mergers, acquisitions, and integrations.

“I have been blessed to enjoy 20 great years in the chamber industry and I am beyond proud of our extraordinary accomplishments here over the past 11 years, but this is an amazing career opportunity for me in the private sector to join a dynamic, fast-growing company," Page said in a press release on Thursday. "In addition to working with an incredibly talented team on critically important programs that provide for the safety and security of our nation, it also gives me a chance to scratch a longtime entrepreneurial itch. The icing on the cake is that this takes Sara, Elly, Emery, and I back home to Huntsville and much closer to our family.”

Page first joined the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama in January 2012 and in the time since has been a part of highly impactful initiatives, including:

• The development of The EDGE - Incubator and Accelerator
• Passage of legislation that created the Tuscaloosa County Road Improvement Commission
• Overseeing tens of millions of dollars in local infrastructure improvements.
• The launch and growth of the nationally-recognized West AlabamaWorks!
• The creation of the West Alabama Workforce and Community Development Center.
• Overseeing the well-received economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama was named the 2021 Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.

Chamber Board of Directors Chair Tripp Powell said Page has worked tirelessly through the Chamber to improve the community in innumerable ways.

“This opportunity for Jim to take the next major step in his career is one he simply cannot let pass," Powell said. "While I’m sad to see Jim, Sara, and their precious girls leave, I’m excited for their next chapter and for them getting closer to family. I also know the future of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama is brighter than ever.”

Powell said he will immediately appoint a committee of prominent business and community leaders to facilitate a nationwide search for a new president and CEO, with the goal of having a seamless leadership transition upon Page’s departure in March.

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