Jim Page to step down as president of Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama

Jim Page, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama since Jan. 1, 2012, will step down in March to take a job as executive vice president of MartinFederal Consulting in Huntsville.

Page announced the change Thursday during the chamber's board of directors meeting.

“I have been blessed to enjoy 20 great years in the chamber industry and I am beyond proud of our extraordinary accomplishments here over the past 11 years, but this is an amazing career opportunity for me in the private sector to join a dynamic, fast-growing company," he said.

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"In addition to working with an incredibly talented team on critically important programs that provide for the safety and security of our nation, it also gives me a chance to scratch a longtime entrepreneurial itch.

"The icing on the cake is that this takes Sara, Elly, Emery, and I back home to Huntsville and much closer to our family.”

Before coming to Tuscaloosa, Page served nine years as vice president of public policy and business development for the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce. He earned his bachelor's degree in political science and marketing at the University of North Alabama, where he now serves as a member of its board of trustees.

Tripp Powell, chairman of the chamber's board, will appoint a committee of business and community leaders to begin a nationwide search to fill the position, with hopes that the new leadership will be in place by the time Page leaves in March.

“Jim Page has worked tirelessly through the chamber to make this community better in so many ways,” Powell said. “This opportunity for Jim to take the next major step in his career is one he simply cannot let pass. While I’m sad to see Jim, Sara, and their precious girls leave, I’m excited for their next chapter and for them getting closer to family. I also know the future of the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama is brighter than ever.”

Page is a graduate of Leadership Morgan County, Leadership Tuscaloosa, Leadership Alabama, and the U.S. Chamber's Institute for Organization Management. He holds designations of Certified Chamber Executive and Alabama Accredited Chamber Executive and is a member of the boards of directors of the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, the Business Council of Alabama, and the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama, of which he is a past chairman.

Among accomplishments during his tenure at the Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama:

• Development of The Edge, Incubator, and Accelerator

• Passage of legislation creating the Tuscaloosa County Road Improvement Commission

• Overseeing tens of millions of dollars in local infrastructure improvements

• Launch and growth of the nationally-recognized West AlabamaWorks! workforce development system

• Creation of the West Alabama Workforce and Community Development Center

• Chamber industry-leading response efforts to support local small businesses during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic

• Led the organization to be named 2021 Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives.

MartinFederal has more than 150 employees over nine states providing technical solutions in cyber, engineering and information technology, and supplying training to federal organizations including NASA, the FBI, ATF, the Department of Energy, and the Department of Defense.

In his new job, Page will lead government relations efforts, manage corporate and organizational partnerships, oversee corporate marketing and branding, and provide leadership for mergers, acquisitions, and integrations.

Page said he felt the timing of the transition was right.

“The chamber now has a new five-year strategic plan, is completing a highly successful five-year capital campaign, and is settled into its expanded physical footprint in the heart of downtown Tuscaloosa," Page said. "With a bold vision for the future, exceptional volunteer leadership, and a world-class professional staff all in place, this organization is stronger than at any point in its 122-year history. I can’t imagine a better time to hand the baton over to a successor to take the chamber to even greater heights.”

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Jim Page leaving Chamber of Commerce of West Alabama, Huntsville job