Mobile Chamber Announces Executive Committee, Board

The Mobile Chamber has announced that Brent Barkin, former president and CEO of Shoe Station, will be the 2023 chairman of its board of directors. Barkin’s father started Shoe Station in Mobile in 1984. Barkin joined the management team of the family business in 2002 and led the brand for seven years. At the close of 2021, Barkin negotiated the acquisition of Shoe Station by Shoe Carnival, for which he served as senior vice president of new business development and integration and led the Shoe Station brand until December 2022. The chamber also announced that its chair-elect for 2024 is Melissa Cross, president and owner of McAleer’s Office Furniture. Other members of its 2023 Executive Committee members are Raymond Bell of Maynard Cooper & Gale (vice chair of economic development and talent attraction); Janet Cobb of USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park (vice chair of military affairs); Tommy Faust of Trustmark (vice chair of small business development); Kim Garrett of Victory Health Partners (vice chair of community development); Sidney King of Commonwealth National Bank (vice chair of diversity, equity and inclusion); Eliska Morgan of Thompson Engineering, Inc. (vice chair of communications); Patrick Murphy of Alabama Power Co. (vice chair of membership); Catherine Spann of Burr Forman, LLP (legal counsel); George Talbot of Volkert, Inc. (vice chair of advocacy); Matt White of White-Spunner Realty, Inc. (immediate past chair); and Bradley Byrne (president and CEO). Finally, the following new board members have begun serving three-year terms that started on January 1: Joe T. Stough, III, of Infirmary Health; Robin Hanes of Leavell Investment Management, Inc.; and Catherine Spann of Burr Forman, LLP.