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, VICE PRESIDENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
David joined the Mobile Chamber’s Economic Development Department in January 2015 and was promoted to Vice President in 2018. In this role, David oversees the day-to-day operations of the department: industrial recruitment, international trade, foreign direct investment, workforce development, talent attraction and existing industry relations. David has led his team in announcing 4,573 new direct jobs and more than $3.5 billion of new investment in the Mobile community. Before being named 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 serves on the Boards of Directors for the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission, the South Alabama Center for Business Analytics, Real Estate, and Economic Development and the South Alabama Workforce Development Council, where he currently serves as Chairman. He completed the University of Alabama Economic Honors Program and Oklahoma University’s Economic Development Institute (EDI). In 2022, David earned the designation of CEcD, the highest certification for economic development practitioners. David was born and raised in Mobile and attended the University of Southern Mississippi. He and his wife, Lauren, have two young sons.
KAYLA BYRNEPROJECT MANAGER
Kayla Byrne serves as Project Manager 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 currently enrolled in Oklahoma University’s Economic Development Institute. Kayla is a member of the Economic Development Association of Alabama and serves on the Marketing Advisory Council for the University of South Alabama’s Mitchell College of Business.
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 Hospitality and Tourism Management from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Master’s Degree of Economic Development from the University of Southern Mississippi.
JENNIFER TREMAYNEEXISTING INDUSTRY MANAGER
Jennifer Tremayne is the Existing Industry Manager 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.
ABBEY HUGULEYTALENT DEVELOPMENT & ATTRACTION MANAGER
Abbey Huguley is the Talent Development and Attraction Manager in the Economic Development department at the Mobile Chamber. Her role is to attract, retain and develop talent in the Mobile region. Huguley holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations from Mississippi State University and received further training from the True South Economic Development Course at The University of Southern Mississippi. Huguley is a member of the Economic Development Association of Alabama, the Alabama Association of Colleges and Employers and the Mobile Society for Human Resource Management.
KELLIE SNODGRASSWORKFORCE & CAREER DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Kellie Snodgrass is the Workforce and Career Development Manager at the Mobile Chamber, where she has been a part of the Economic Development team since January 2023. With over 15 years of experience in Career Technical Education, her expertise lies in developing, managing and maintaining workforce development strategies and partnerships that leverage resources and ensure the sustainability of the program of work. Kellie’s responsibilities also include maintaining relationships with education partners, engaging with students to promote employment opportunities, investigating new programs and scholarships and researching workforce needs for existing and new businesses. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Spring Hill College and later obtained a Master’s Degree in Science from the University of South Alabama.
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.
OLIVIA GRIFFITHSECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
Olivia Griffiths is the Economic Development Coordinator for the Mobile Chamber’s Economic Development team. Her role is to support the department across a wide range of initiatives, projects, and events to strengthen efforts in business development, existing industry, workforce development, and talent attraction program areas. Olivia has recently relocated to Mobile from the United Kingdom, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business and Events Management at Leeds Beckett University. Olivia has more than 6 years of experience in live event production, project management, employee engagement and providing executive support at C-level.