Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce Staff

Bill Powell - Executive Director
bill@hooverchamber.org
Currently serving as the CEO of the Chamber, Bill is responsible for implementing programs that have taken the Chamber membership from 300 to over 1,200 members in fourteen years.

Responsibilities include: Overseeing a monthly newsletter sent to over 1,600 Hoover-area business leaders. Overseeing committees, including Economic Development Committee, Education Committee, Ambassador Committee, Scholarship Committee, the Chamber Golf Committee, the Chamber committee on the Regions Charity Classic Golf Tournament (rated #1 on the PGA Champions Tour by Sports Illustrated Magazine), and the Chamber's committee on the Southeastern Conference Baseball Tournament, held at Regions Park (formerly known as the Hoover Metropolitan Stadium) for twelve consecutive years.

Bill implemented the Board of Trustees membership program, adopted by the Board of Directors in 2007.  This program has resulted in the addition of dozens of new members and tens of thousands of dollars in additional revenue for the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce, allowing the Chamber to expand services to the membership, the city, and the business community in countless areas.

Bill also is responsible for overseeing development of the annual Hoover Magazine, a high-gloss, first class magazine used by the Chamber to showcase Hoover, particularly for newcomers to the area and for businesses considering locating in Hoover; Developing and implementing the Annual Hoover Chamber Golf Tournament, the largest fund raiser in the Hoover Chamber; Developing and implementing Firefighter and Police Officer of the Year Awards; Developing and implementing the City and School System Employee of the Year programs; Developing and implementing the Hoover Chamber Scholarship program.

Bill holds a B.S. Degree in Marketing and a Masters Degree in Business Administration - MBA  - both from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Verona Petite, Account Executive
verona@hooverchamber.org

Verona came to the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce in November of 2008 as an account executive after working in the mayor's office of the City of Homewood for eleven years. Prior to that time, she was in office equipment sales, having earned awards with several different companies.

Her primary responsibilities involve the recruitment and retention of members to the Chamber by identifying leads through business journals, trade magazines, newspapers and community involvement, as well as by meeting new contacts through chamber events and making outside calls. She also assists the other professional staff members in all chamber functions and events.

Verona's husband, Angelo, is a representative with Kraft foods, and they have two children.

Leah Studdard, Executive Assistant
leah@hooverchamber.org

Leah has re-joined the staff of the chamber in August 2010 as Executive Assistant after having worked with the Chamber from 1997 to 2001 as the Membership Services Director.  During that time she had set records in recruitment of new members that still stand at this time.  In her new role as Executive Assistant, she will be working to recruit new members, but will have additional responsibilities, including working with various committees in the chamber, working with the Board of Trustees, and occassionally reporting to the Board of Directors.

Leah is married to Ron Studdard, and has one teenaged daughter, Anna, who attends Hoover High School. 

More information coming soon.