MDB Staff


Ted vonCannon
(ted@mdb.org), President
Chief executive officer, establishes policies, goals and plans for MDB activities and supervises their implementation.

Gail Belser (gail@mdb.org), Executive Secretary
Serves as secretary to the President, responsible for general clerical duties and time management.

Nan Baldwin (nan@mdb.org), Director of Communications
Acts as liaison in public relations, media relations, & community relations; coordinates events, advertising & marketing materials.

Janice James Douthard (janice@mdb.org), Director of Industrial Parks Development
Assists in the management of industrial parks owned by the City of Birmingham.

Allen Folts (allen@mdb.org), Administrative Vice President
Assists the President in planning and execution of management functions including accounting, human resources, LAN administration and fund-raising, .

Preston Huddleston (preston@mdb.org), Director of Community Development
Acts as MDB liaison to area counties and municipalities to promote support and involvement in development of sites and business parks.

Patrick Murphy (patrick@mdb.org), Vice President
Plans and coordinates marketing efforts to prospective employers in MDB's targeted industry groups.

Michael Shattuck
(mike@mdb.org), Director of Business Development
Recruits "white collar" businesses such as administrative support, claims, call centers, regional headquarters etc.; also serves as research analyst

Shelley Shores (shelley@mdb.org), Marketing Assistant
Assists staff as required in the implementation of MDB programs and preparation of documents. Assists in coordinating travel , meetings and special events.  Maintains the Buildings and Sites databases.

Jim Searcy
(jim@mdb.org), Vice President
Plans and coordinates marketing efforts to prospective employers in MDB's targeted industry groups.

Brenda Smithson (brenda@mdb.org), Operations Manager
Assists the Administrative Vice President with the coordination of MDB's internal affairs, maintains financial records and assists in compiling and distributing marketing materials.