The Hoover Sun
The Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce on Thursday announced it has chosen an executive from the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) as the new CEO for the Hoover chamber.
The board of directors chose Nan Baldwin, who currently is the Birmingham Business Alliance’s vice president for chamber operations, a position she has held since 2022. Baldwin has been a member of the BBA team since 2009 and in April of this year was named the 2024 Alabama Chamber Professional of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama.
“Nan has the passion, drive and extensive knowledge to move the Hoover Area Chamber to a new level of service for our members and the community,” said Tyler Lipe, chairman of the chamber’s search committee and a consumer banking manager and senior vice president at Regions Bank, in a press release. “Her grasp of the issues facing businesses today is incredible. Nan has proven herself as a leader in the industry and someone who clearly can build teams and collaborate with other groups.”
Baldwin currently leads all initiatives relating to the “chamber of commerce” side of the BBA. She previously served as partner and vice president of regional development.
Other organizations for which she has worked include the Birmingham Metropolitan Development Board, University of Alabama, Samford University, BellSouth Telecommunications and Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp.
She has a bachelor’s degree with a concentration in marketing from the University of Alabama and a master’s degree in public and private management from Birmingham-Southern College. He also is a graduate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute of Organization Management.
In the chamber press release, Baldwin said she is more than excited to be part of the Hoover chamber team.
“The infrastructure for a solid business organization is already present,” she said. “Along with the current internal team of professionals, the board of directors and many other stakeholders in the community, I look forward to evaluating the existing initiatives the chamber has in place as well as building upon some new ideas that have been presented in the Elevate Hoover capital campaign strategic plan.”
Baldwin on Thursday said she plans to grow the Hoover chamber with more programming. “A chamber’s role is not only networking, but also educating members, advocating on public policy issues and providing ongoing programs to help businesses grow and scale,” she said.
She also emphasized the vital role of nonprofit organizations in community change.
“Nonprofits are integral to the community and need donors, board members and business support,” she said. “By involving nonprofits in the chamber and having them speak, we help them grow their causes and find supporters who believe in what they do.”
Rohen Porbanderwala, chairman of the chamber’s board of directors, said in the news release that the board’s goal is to refocus the chamber and its energies.
“Nan is the right leader to provide us the framework to do just that,” Porbanderwala said. “She understands how to partner with other organizations and build relationships that benefit both parties.”
Je’Don Holloway-Talley contributed to this story.
