On Friday, Governor Kay Ivey announced that Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield will step down after 12 Years of Service. Ivey announced that she will appoint economic developer Ellen McNair to take over next year. Canfield will stay on until the end of the year.
“Throughout my time as governor, we have proudly solidified Alabama as a top state for doing business, and no doubt, Greg has been a key part of that success,” Ivey said. “Together, we have secured more than $42 billion in new investments in our state, which has created 78,000 good-paying jobs,” said Governor Ivey. “Greg will go down as one of Alabama’s best economic development heads, and he will be noted for projects like Mazda Toyota and credited for branding the Made in Alabama name worldwide. I will forever be grateful for all that Greg has accomplished for our state, and I know he will continue having great success in his career.”
Previously, Canfield served in the Alabama House of Representatives. In both his role at Commerce and in the Legislature, Canfield has been a champion for pro-business legislation. In this past legislative session, he helped Gov. Ivey pass Alabama’s economic incentive package, “The Game Plan.” Ivey says this legislation will help the state continue attracting businesses and industry and support existing companies for years to come.
After a long career in the private sector, Secretary Canfield took the helm of the Alabama Development Office in 2011 and reorganized the department into the Department of Commerce. During his tenure, Alabama launched its first-ever strategic economic development plan: Accelerate Alabama. The state has established new records in international exports, capital investment, and job creation. Secretary Canfield represented Alabama on business and trade missions to 30 countries across the globe and is credited for launching Commerce’s successful rural development strategy.
“I am proud to have been a part of Governor Ivey’s cabinet, and I am proud of the team of professionals we have assembled at Commerce. I am more confident than ever that Alabama is poised for a robust era of economic expansion that will transform the trajectories of communities and families across the state,” said Secretary Canfield. “I am honored to have made a contribution to the effort to improve Alabama’s future, and I know that the momentum we’ve built will continue to grow in the capable hands of Ellen McNair.”
McNair will take over the Commerce Department on January 1. McNair is currently chief economic development officer with the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce. Throughout McNair’s tenure at the Chamber, she has successfully worked on almost 600 national and international projects with a capital investment of over $8 billion, resulting in nearly 30,000 new jobs for the Montgomery community.
“I have known Ellen since my days at the Alabama Development Office, and I know she will be of tremendous value to the state of Alabama,” Ivey said. “She sees past just the investment and jobs numbers and knows that these results are changing the lives of Alabama families. Ellen has partnered with Greg and I to bring growth to the Montgomery area, and I am confident we will see success like that all over the state.”
McNair was the senior project manager and a member of the negotiating team that brought Hyundai Motors Corporation to Montgomery. Former Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange and current Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed described McNair as a “smooth bulldog” and “tenacious.”
“I am extremely honored to have been selected by Governor Kay Ivey for this very important role,” McNair said. “Economic development has been a passion and focus for the governor her entire career. The success of the state under Governor Ivey’s and Secretary Canfield’s leadership is unprecedented. These will certainly be big shoes to fill.”
“I have great respect for Secretary Canfield and the Commerce team, and we will work together for a smooth transition,” McNair continued. “The state of Alabama is blessed with many strong local and regional economic development professionals, and I look forward to working closely with them and the entire state team to continue Alabama’s smart and strategic economic development.”
Before working with the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, McNair worked for the Alabama Department of Commerce. McNair first entered the economic development sector after graduate school in the Department of Economics at Auburn University. At that time, Governor Ivey served as assistant director of the Alabama Development Office, now known as the Department of Commerce.
McNair comes to lead the Department of Commerce with 40 years of economic development experience and a handful of firsts. On top of being the first female project manager at the Alabama Department of Commerce, she was the first woman Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) in Alabama and one of a handful of economic development professionals in Alabama with this designation. She was also the first woman president of the Economic Development Association of Alabama and the first woman to lead a major metro area’s economic development effort in the state.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
