Helena resident hired as economic development director of 58 Inc.

Published 8:19 pm Wednesday, October 25, 2017

PELHAM – Shelby County’s new economic development entity, 58 Inc., announced the hiring of its first director of economic development at the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce’s October community luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 25.

Chad Scroggins, 58 Inc. board member and chief development officer for Shelby County, announced Yvonne Murray, 33, as the entity’s leader. Murray’s first day on the job is slated for Nov. 6.

“We posted the job in June and then went through a very extensive interview process,” Scroggins said. “We brought Yvonne on board about a week ago.”

Murray, who grew up in the Oak Mountain area, attended UAB where she earned an undergraduate degree in political science and a graduate degree in public administration.

For the past 10 years, she’s worked in financing, specializing in financing startups and expanding businesses.

Murray, who now lives in Helena, said she is excited to start bringing in businesses that fit the job skills present in the county.

But she said her first priority when she starts the job will be to meet all of the stakeholders in the county, such as business leaders and elected officials.

The goal of 58 Inc. is to retain, recruit and develop retail, industrial and commercial businesses. The organization will also focus on workforce readiness initiatives.

As the director of the organization, Murray will serve as a conduit to increase the economic vitality of the county by working closely with various communities, corporate representatives, local government officials, business owners, private developers, chambers of commerce and land-use planning officials to bring desired economic investment to the county.

She will work under the general direction of the organization’s board of directors, which consists of Scroggins; Bill Keller, commercial banking manager for Renasant Bank; Paul Rogers, senior executive vice president of Noble Bank; Charles Stevens, vice president of sales for Thompson Tractor Company; and Terri Williams, regional director for AT&T Alabama.