The Economic Development Partnership of Alabama yesterday announced the appointment of Andalusia’s Greg Henderson to its board of directors.

Henderson, president and CEO of Southeast Alabama Gas District, and Billy L. Harbert Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of BL Harbert International, LLC, were appointed at yesterday’s EDPA board meeting in Birmingham.

Henderson became the second Andalusian on the board of directors, which also includes PowerSouth CEO Gary Smith.

 

“I am delighted to welcome these corporate leaders to our board,” said Bill Taylor, EDPA president. “I’m confident that their considerable expertise in business and economic development will provide valuable insight and guidance to our organization. We are extremely fortunate to have them join us, and we are sure to benefit from their collective years of experience.”

Henderson, who earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an accounting major from Auburn University, was appointed president and CEO in 2006 of the Andalusia-based Southeast Alabama Gas District, which serves 30,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in 34 communities throughout Southeast Alabama.

“It is my honor to serve as a representative of SEAGD on the EDPA Board of Directors in recognition for our company’s efforts in economic development,” Henderson said. “EDPA has long been a catalyst for economic growth for the state of Alabama, and I believe will become even more critical to the state Department of Commerce in these times of smaller government and budgets.”

Harbert was named president of Bill Harbert International Construction in 1996, and he began construction operations in 2000 of his own company, BL Harbert International, a privately-owned construction company with U.S. and international operations, providing preconstruction, construction, design-build and construction management services.

Other EDPA Board of Directors members are:

Board Chairman Charles D. McCrary, president and CEO, Alabama Power Co.

William W. Brooke, managing partner, Harbert Management Corp.

David J. Cooper, president, Cooper/T. Smith Stevedoring Co.

G. Mack Dove, chairman and CEO, AAA Cooper Transportation

Garry Neil Drummond, chairman and CEO, Drummond Co., Inc.

Jay Gogue, president Auburn University

M. James Gorrie, chairman and CEO, Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC

O.B. Grayson Hall Jr., president and CEO, Regions Financial Corp.

James M. Hansen, regional president, PNC Bank

Mark Imig, senior vice president, Wells Fargo & Co.

Donald M. James, chairman and CEO, Vulcan Materials Co.

John D. Johns, chairman, president and CEO, Protective Life Corp.

Fred McCallum, president, AT&T Alabama

James T. McManus, CEO and president, Energen Corp.

Harris V. Morrissette, president, China Doll/Dixie Lily

James H. Sanford, chairman of the board, HOME Place Farms, Inc.

Gary L. Smith, president and CEO, PowerSouth Energy Cooperative

R. Lee Smith, Jr., East Region executive, BBVA Compass

Thomas R. Stanton, chairman of the board and CEO, ADTRAN, Inc.

Michael D. Thompson, president and CEO, Thompson Tractor Co., Inc.

Jim Wilson III, chairman and CEO, Jim Wilson and Associates, Inc.

Robert E. Witt, chancellor, University of Alabama System

Neill S. Wright, president and CEO, First Tuskegee Bank

The non-profit EDPA represents the private sector’s contribution to economic development in Alabama. Fully funded by more than 70 leading companies invested in the state’s long-term economic success.