MOBILE CHAMBER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The Mobile Chamber’s Economic Development team is the lead economic development agency for the City of Mobile and Mobile County. The Economic Development team bolsters the local economy through business recruitment, existing industry support, talent attraction and workforce development.
DAVID RODGERS, CEcD, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
David joined the Mobile Chamber’s economic development department in January 2015 as project manager, advancing to senior project manager before being named vice president of economic development. Under his leadership, the department has overseen business recruitment and expansion, international trade, foreign direct investment, workforce development, talent attraction, existing industry relations and investor relations. During his tenure, David has led his team in announcing 10,211 new direct jobs and $8.4 billion in new investment for the Mobile community. Before being named Executive Vice President, David was the Chamber’s Senior Project Manager and Project Manager, managing lead generation, project recruitment activity and industrial site development for the Mobile area.
David holds the designation of Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), which he earned in 2022. The CEcD is the most prestigious certification in the economic development profession, with only approximately 1,100 certified economic developers worldwide. He has completed the University of Alabama Economic Honors Program and Oklahoma University’s Economic Development Institute. His leadership has been recognized beyond Mobile as well. He was recently named to the American Chamber of Commerce Executives 40 Under 40 list and was also named to Mobile Bay Magazine’s 40 Under 40 list in 2024. He serves on various local boards, including the board of directors for the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission and the board of directors for the USA Research and Technology Park. A Mobile native, David attended the University of Southern Mississippi. He and his wife, Lauren, have two young sons.
KAYLA BYRNEDIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Kayla Byrne serves as the Director of Business Development on the economic development team at the Mobile Chamber, where she is responsible for managing activities to attract industrial prospects to Mobile to create jobs and investment in the community. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing Management from the University of South Alabama. She has completed Auburn University’s Intensive Economic Development Training Course, the University of Alabama’s Applied Economic Honors Program and is a graduate of Oklahoma University’s Economic Development Institute. Kayla is a member of the Economic Development Association of Alabama and serves on the board of directors for the University of South Alabama National Alumni Association and the board of directors for BioAlabama.
JENNIFER RICHBURGPROJECT MANAGER
Jennifer Richburg joined the Mobile Chamber’s Economic Development team as a Project Manager in May 2022. As a Project Manager, she works to increase Mobile’s global competitiveness by managing lead generation, project recruitment activity and industrial site development. Jennifer previously worked as an Economic Development Specialist at Wabash Valley Power Alliance, a generation and transmission electric cooperative that is headquartered in Indianapolis and serves twenty-three distribution cooperatives in rural counties throughout Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. Jennifer received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Master’s Degree of Economic Development from the University of Southern Mississippi.
JENNIFER TREMAYNEDIRECTOR OF INVESTOR RELATIONS
Jennifer Tremayne is the Director of Investor Relations for the Mobile Chamber’s Economic Development department. Her role is to connect local businesses to the resources and support they need to succeed and to identify new opportunities for expansion. She represents the Mobile Chamber on several community advisory boards and industry councils, including Partners for Environmental Progress. As a Certified Economic Development Finance Professional, Jennifer has nearly 20 years of experience in Economic Development encouraging job growth and investment. She is a Mobile native and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Birmingham-Southern College.
KELLIE SNODGRASSDIRECTOR OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
Kellie Snodgrass serves as Director of Workforce Development at the Mobile Chamber, where she advances talent strategies that support regional economic growth. Since joining the Economic Development team in 2023, she has led partnerships across K-12, postsecondary education, and industry to build scalable workforce pipelines. Her portfolio includes employer engagement, workforce data analysis, career pathway development, and the design of initiatives that connect students and job seekers to high-demand careers. She also supports business recruitment and expansion efforts by aligning workforce assets to industry needs. Kellie earned a BS in Business Administration from Spring Hill College and an MS from the University of South Alabama.
OLIVIA GRIFFITHSTALENT & WORKFORCE PROGRAMS MANAGER
Olivia Griffiths is the Talent & Workforce Programs Manager for the Mobile Chamber, where she supports regional workforce and talent development by translating strategy into execution. Her work focuses on employer engagement, workforce pipeline coordination, and talent initiatives that strengthen the connection between education, training, and employment across Mobile’s priority industries. She oversees program operations and data tracking to ensure initiatives are aligned with documented employer demand, advance long-term workforce goals, and support the development of a sustainable regional talent pipeline. Olivia brings more than six years of experience in project management, program operations, employee engagement, and executive-level support. She relocated to Mobile from the United Kingdom, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business and Events Management from Leeds Beckett University. She completed Georgia Tech’s Basic Economic Development Course in 2024 and Auburn University’s Intensive Economic Development Training Course in 2025.
TYLER F. WALSHRESEARCH MANAGER
Tyler F. Walsh joined the Mobile Chamber’s Economic Development team as the research manager in May 2024. His role is to collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data about the Mobile area to help guide decision-making and strategy. Immersed in the world of technology from a young age, he was quick to be intrigued about how technology worked. Tyler attended Auburn University and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Business Analytics in May 2024. He brings knowledge about data visualization to help assist the Economic Development team in their mission to bring more economic growth to Mobile. Tyler completed Auburn University’s Intensive Economic Development Training Course in September 2024.