Chandler takes over Alliance
Published Friday, March 28
By Brant Sappington
Staff Writer

New Alliance President Gary Chandler believes the best days for Corinth and Alcorn County are still ahead and is banking on a dedicated coalition of community leaders to help his organization spur growth in the area. Chandler took the helm of the industrial and community development organization at the beginning of March and has spent the past three weeks getting to know the community and developing a sense of how Corinth and Alcorn County can continue to move forward with job creation and community improvement. He said he's found an area filled with residents and resources ready to move ahead.

"So many of the pieces are in place for us to take off," he said. Chandler said he believes The Alliance should be at the forefront of efforts to better the area. "We want to be that organization that helps continue to transform our community into a better place to live, work and raise a family," he said. Chandler said he's been especially impressed with the dedication of the community's leaders in government and the private sector to working together for the common good.

"I sense a vision and an eagerness to move forward and maybe do things we haven't done before," he said. The area must focus on a two fold approach to job creation with emphasis placed on preparing for potential new industries while also embracing the value of existing business and industry and doing everything possible to support these established partners.

"That's one thing that I don't want to lose sight of is their value to our community," he said. "These are jobs that exist presently and if there's anything we can do to help facilitate an expansion and create more jobs from an existing industry I want this organization to be at the forefront of making that happen." Corinth and Alcorn County are blessed with many of the resources new industries are looking for when searching for a site, including four-lane highway access, good utility access, good schools and others, along with a committed leadership, he believes.

"This community has all the ingredients, I think, to go to the next level and be successful," he said. Chandler said he believes The Alliance and community leaders must continue to focus on marketing the area and on getting potential sites ready for industry.

"I think you're going to see us focus a lot on preparation for the visits," he said. The new president said he wants the community to know that although much of the industrial recruitment process is, by necessity, conducted outside of the public eye, his organization is always working to improve the economic condition of the area.

"We want to make sure the people in our community understand that we're working days and nights and we wake up in the middle of the night thinking about creative ways we can bring jobs into our community and we're going to continue to do that," he said.

Chandler brings a long history of community and economic development work to his new job. While a student at the University of North Alabama he worked on campaigns for Congressman Bud Cramer and after the 2000 campaign went to work in Cramer's Shoals district office doing constituent services work and creating a community development outreach program.

"I sort of developed that community outreach program and at that time the Shoals economy wasn't doing great so I tried to make a particular effort to reach out to those in the community that were involved in the economic development realm and get my boss involved in that," said Chandler.

During this time Cramer and his office were involved in helping bring several major industries to the Shoals area including a tissue plant, a Walgreens call center and most recently the new railcar plant near Barton, Ala.

In 2003 he transferred to Cramer's Huntsville office in a similar role. When the Corinth job came up he saw an opportunity to return the area he grew up with his wife and two children. "I grew up in Tupelo and North Mississippi and coming back here is like coming home to me," he said.

Return home