About
The Birmingham Business Alliance was created by the merger of Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Metropolitan Development Board, a process that began in August 2008, and culminated in the creation of the BBA on July 10, 2009. The BBA will focus on the economic growth of the entire seven-county Birmingham region. Bringing the Chamber and MDB together allows business leaders to create a much stronger and well-rounded entity to promote dynamic growth and improve the quality of life in the region.
our mission
The Birmingham Business Alliance is a dynamic advocate, unifying voice and constant catalyst for economic development and business prosperity for the Birmingham Region.
our vision
Birmingham is the centerpiece of a thriving region which embraces the spirit of innovation, progress and growth. It is a community known for its unique quality of life, where strategic partnerships are forged and jobs are created, bolstering the region's competitiveness as a desirable location for businesses to grow and prosper.
The Birmingham Business Alliance takes a leadership role in promoting the region's economic development and business prosperity through four key initiatives:
- Creating a unified forum for business and community leaders
- Capitalizing on the region's strengths to unleash its potential
- Implementing an aggressive program for economic development
- Cultivating a 21st century workforce
Barry B. Copeland
Interim President
Barry Copeland is Interim President for the Birmingham Business Alliance. Copeland is also responsible for the finance and investor relations departments of the organization and leads a group that will handle events and special projects.
Copeland previously served as the executive vice president for the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce where he was responsible for the daily operations of the organization. Before joining the Birmingham Chamber in 2001, he was regional director of external affairs at BellSouth where, for almost 17 years, he directed the company's corporate and external affairs programs in the Birmingham metropolitan area.
He was news director of Birmingham television station WVTM-TV (NBC 13) in the early 1980s and held a similar position at station KTVI-TV (ABC 2) in St. Louis, Missouri from 1982-1984.
He has served as board chairman of several community agencies, including Operation New Birmingham, the Literacy Council of Central Alabama and the Metropolitan Arts Council. He was founding chairman of Birmingham's Downtown City Center Partnership and has served on the boards of numerous chartable and civic agencies including United Way of Central Alabama, the Rotary Club of Birmingham, the Birmingham International Festival, the March of Dimes and the foundations of both the Homewood and Jefferson County public schools.
Copeland is a graduate of the 1991 class of Leadership Birmingham and the 1999 class of Leadership Alabama. He is a graduate of the University of Alabama, holding both B.A. and M.A. degrees in communications. He also completed a postgraduate course of study in the executive management education program of New York's Columbia University School of Business. He and his wife, Kathy, have three adult children.
Myla Calhoun Choy
General Counsel and Senior Vice President Regional Development and Public Policy
Myla Choy is General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Regional Development and Public Policy for the Birmingham Business Alliance. Choy is responsible for all legal matters and public policy initiatives of the organization. She also directs the development of initiatives and programs that will enhance the quality of life and create a more livable seven-county region including regional revitalization, intellectual capital and small business initiatives.
Choy previously served as chief legal counsel for United States Pipe and Foundry Company, LLC. At U.S. Pipe, she was directly involved in negotiating the project development agreements that led to the site selection and construction of the company's Marvel City Mini-Mill in Bessemer, the first ductile iron pipe facility built in the U.S. in more than 60 years. Before joining U.S. Pipe, Choy was associated with Spain & Gillon, LLC, where her practice focused on urban renewal and revitalization, municipal finance and governmental affairs.
She is a founding member and President of the Board of Directors of Main Street Birmingham, Inc. and also serves on the board of directors for the YWCA of Central Alabama, Jefferson County Assisted Housing Corporation and the Birmingham Museum of Art. Choy was a participant in the 2004 class of Momentum, a women's leadership development program in Birmingham. In June 2009, Governor Bob Riley appointed her to serve on the Board of Trustees of Tuskegee University.
Choy is a graduate of Spelman College in Atlanta and the University of Alabama Law School and is admitted to practice law in Alabama and Georgia. She lives in Birmingham with her two daughters.
Patrick T. Murphy, Jr.
Senior Vice President of Economic Development
Patrick Murphy Jr. is Senior Vice President of Economic Development for the Birmingham Business Alliance. He is responsible for all economic development recruiting, business retention and expansion activities. Murphy will also oversee the targeted marketing of the Birmingham region to the world.
Murphy previously served as vice president of Metropolitan Development Board where he focused on external recruitment, area business development and project management. He joined MDB in September 2007. He moved to the Birmingham region from Atlanta, where he was a commercial real estate broker and site location consultant for the Hart Corporation. Hart specialized in the disposal of industrial properties and the representation of companies looking to locate in the Southeast.
Prior to that position, Murphy was a project manager for the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Georgia's lead agency for attracting new business investment and encouraging the expansion of existing industry.
Murphy graduated from Auburn University with a B.S. in Finance. He lives in Birmingham with his wife, Kerri, and their four children.
David C. Rickey
Senior Vice President of Communications
Dave Rickey is Senior Vice President of Communications for the Birmingham Business Alliance. His responsibilities include serving as the organization's spokesperson, overseeing media relations, communications, web development and online presence. He is also responsible for the publishing of Birmingham magazine.
Rickey previously served as vice president of public relations for Alfa Insurance and Alabama Farmers Federation where he directed public relations and consulted executive management on critical public relation issues and served as the primary company spokesperson. Prior to that position, Rickey served as senior vice president of public relations for AmSouth Bancorporation from 2000-2004. He also worked in public relations at Alabama Power Company for eight years in the 90's, and served as vice president of public relations from 1998-2000. Rickey began his career at WSFA-TV (NBC 12) where he worked for seven years in a variety of positions, including assistant news director.
He serves on the board of directors for Kid One Transport and has previously served on the board of directors for A+ Education Foundation, Public Relations Society of America, Public Relations Council of Alabama and the Southern Public Relations Federation.
Rickey graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Journalism. He is also a graduate of the Executive Development Consortium Program at Emory University and is an Accredited Public Relations Professional. He and his wife, Lisa, have three children.
