FLORENCE – The Shoals Chamber of Commerce yearly meeting marked the end of Dr.Greg Carnes’ tenure as Chair of the Chamber Board. Carnes, who serves as the Dean of the College of Business at UNA, took over the chairmanship in April of last year. During that period he oversaw the search for a new Chamber President. The search resulted in the hiring of Caitlin Holland.
“Dr. Carnes was the perfect individual to lead the Shoals Chamber of Commerce through a
Dr. Greg Carnes
year of transition and change,” states Holland. “The emphasis that he placed upon membership growth value to the Chamber’s members provided a common vision for the staff and Board. Because of Dr. Carnes’ leadership the Chamber did, in fact, thrive in 2017-18, introducing new programs and initiatives and fostering relationships with new and existing members.
Caitlin Holland
In his remarks to the crowd, Carnes recognized that the area is rich in resources. He stated, “We can never have too much vision, wisdom, and leadership as we look to utilize resources to continue to make the Shoals great.”
Before he concluded and passed the chairmanship to this year’s Chair Jan Ingle, he presented The Chairman’s Award to his UNA College of Business colleague, Janyce Fadden. The Chairman’s Award is given each year to an outstanding individual on the Board of Directors that’s been key to the successful operations of the Shoals Chamber of Commerce., and has significantly helped the Chair.
Janyce Fadden
Carnes specifically noted Fadden’s involvement in the establishment and growth of Shoals Shift, a program initiated to attract, nurture and promote The Shoals creative & tech economy through collaborative meet-ups & mentorships to support sustainable growth. Shoals Shift is sponsored by the Shoals Chamber of Commerce, UNA’s College of Business, the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center, and the Florence Lauderdale Public Library, and is partially supported by a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission.
Jan Ingle
Fadden, who serves as the Director of Strategic Engagement at UNA, has been instrumental in promoting Strategic Doing initiatives to area organizations and business. She has also led the management of Shoals Shift’s start-up events such as Idea Audition, Shoals Alabama Launchpad, and Shoals Spark. As a member of the Institute for Innovation and Economic Development, Fadden supports students, industry, and UNA’s resources in the area of innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic and community development.
Media Release/Bryan Rachal, APR Director, Communications and Marketing/UNA
