After a tumultuous month of member company exits from the Business Council of Alabama (BCA), the organization’s President and CEO William Canary announced Friday afternoon he’s retiring in order to take a position with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
According to a release from the BCA, Canary will become a senior fellow at the U.S. Chamber.
“I am announcing today that I am retiring from my position as president and CEO of the Business Council of Alabama to pursue an opportunity as senior fellow at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce,” Canary said. “It has been my great privilege to lead the BCA these past 15 years. During my tenure, we have worked every day to make the BCA the most relevant and effective business advocacy association in Alabama. It has been an honor to work alongside men and women from all segments of Alabama’s economy, who invest hundreds and hundreds of hours of volunteer service to the BCA, for what is in the collective best interest of Alabama’s business community.”
The move is not entirely unexpected as the Montgomery-based nonprofit issued a statement last month saying it would replace Canary no later than Jan. 1 after four of the state’s largest companies quit the organization.
Alabama Power Co., Regions Bank, Blue Cross Blue Shield and PowerSouth Energy Cooperative all left the BCA in June.
Until a new CEO is named, BCA Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President for Governmental Affairs Mark Colson will take over the day-to-day leadership of the organization.
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