Jonathan Sangster, First Vice President, CBRE Consulting
Jonathan Sangster is a recognized and leading national business location and site selection consultant. His previous projects have included corporate headquarters, customer care operations, manufacturing, distribution, and research and development. Mr. Sangster has represented and assisted many clients including American Pharmaceutical Partners, Arbonne International, Arby’s, BellSouth, Caterpillar, Cox Communications, Medco Health Solutions, Patheon, Regions Bank, Schneider Electric / Square D, Siemens Healthcare and Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). He has been a featured speaker at various industry events including Expansion Management’s Executive Roundtable, Area Development’s Consultant Forum, Urban Land Institute chapters and CoreNet Global sessions.

Carol Johnson, Founder, Continuous Dialogue
Carol Johnson is an outstanding trainer, speaker, coach and facilitator.  Carol is a sales expert and is the founder of Continuous Dialog, a professional consulting company specializing in economic development sales training. Private and Public organizations such as Alabama Power, Tennessee Valley Authority, EDAA, SEDC, Columbus Lowndes Development LINK, and state organizations including: TN, SC, GA, MS, AR, OK, have realized tremendous success using Continuous Dialog's proven approach. Find more testimonials at cdialog.com.

Phil Marshall, Vice President
Production and Recurring Operations, United Launch Alliance
In 1997, Boeing announced it would build a rocket plant in Decatur that could employ 2,000-3,000 people. At the time, it represented the single-largest project ever announced in Alabama (in terms of initial employment projections).  In terms of capital investment and total price tag, the facility was comparable to the Vance Mercedes plant.  Employees of the facility would build the common core of Boeing’s Delta IV rocket.  It would be the newest, largest and most advanced rocket plant in the world. Phil Marshall was named general manager of the facility in 2003 after serving as general manager of the Boeing Delta facility in Pueblo, Colorado.  In 2006, Boeing and Lockheed Martin partnered to create the United Launch Alliance.  As part of this agreement, the Decatur facility would produce and assemble both Boeing Delta rockets and Lockheed Martin Atlas rockets. ULA promoted Marshall to Vice President of Production and Recurring Operations for all ULA locations nationwide.

Chris Roik, Vice President and General Manager, Lakeside Steel Alabama
In July 2010, Canadian steel pipe manufacturer Lakeside Steel announced it would open a pipe manufacturing facility in Thomasville that could employ as many at 120 people and lead to another 60-80 indirect jobs.  The facility represents the first manufacturing spin-off industry from Alabama’s record-breaking ThyssenKrupp plant.  The company looked at 40 to 50 other communities before settling on Thomasville. Once completed, the new facility will be Thomasville’s largest industrial employer.  Prior to his current position, Chris Roik was Lakeside's senior most experienced operations manager in Welland, Ontario.  He was a key member of the company’s site selection team that chose Thomasville and was appointed as the facility's vice president and general manager.

Bill Taylor (Tentatively Confirmed), President, EDPA
Former President and CEO, Mercedes-Benz U.S. International
Prior to joining EDPA, Taylor was President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz U.S. International. A native of London, Ontario, Taylor came to Alabama when MBUSI located in the state in 1993. He was a key figure in the start-up of the new plant, led production for five years and became president of the company in 1999. Taylor oversaw the plant’s $600-million expansion, which was completed at the end of 2004, as well as the beginning of a $300-million expansion underway to prepare for successor models. The plant employs more than 3,000 Team Members – significantly more than the 1,500 originally planned back in 1993.  As president of one of the best-known companies in the state, Taylor was often called on to meet with prospective companies considering Alabama for new facilities.

Alex Hardy, President, LUX Development Group, Inc.
Alex Hardy has extensive experience in assisting communities, retailers, and large companies with the site selection process. In addition to his current position as President of LUX Development Group, Mr. Hardy has held positions with the New York City Economic Development Corporation; Fluor Daniel Global Location Strategies; the Cummings Research Park in Huntsville; O&S Holdings, LLC; World Business Advisors; and Photon-X. He has worked directly with a large community in an effort to recruit technology employers, as well as for a major site selection firm assisting companies in selecting communities. In addition, Mr. Hardy has worked for a large private developer in the direct recruitment of retailers and recently began a new effort where he had worked with direct negotiations related to the site selection process.

William N. Hearn
Managing Director, SiteDynamics and Senior Technologist, CH2M HILL
Will Hearn has provided site selection and development advisory services for 20 years.  Mr. Hearn has recently conducted major site selection studies for Schott Solar, Kureha NA, Bridgestone Aircraft Tire, DuPont, PrimeStar Solar, Southern Company and others in identifying locations for manufacturing facilities, data centers, solar component manufacturing sites, power generation facilities, headquarters operations and biotechnology facilities. In 2008, he developed a web-based site selection application under Site Dynamics that is designed to help areas better market sites and properties to expansion-ready companies. He has also been involved in developing incentive programs for research park growth and development (including for the World Bank and the Oklahoma City Chamber).

Donald Yates, CEcD, Principal, Geographic Business Solutions, Inc.
Donald Yates has a strong record of success in business development, marketing, industry recruitment, site selection and land-use planning. Formerly responsible for economic development in the largest public power utility in the US, he organized a team that was responsible for domestic and international marketing. He was member of the Georgia team that recruited the Kia assembly plant and Tier 1 suppliers to Georgia.  He works for worldwide clients seeking investment opportunities in new markets for their products or services.  This scope of work has involved providing competitive intelligence and prospect targeting, leading company identification and evaluating potential industrial sites and communities. He has also led marketing trips to potential investor companies located in the US, UK, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, South Africa, Sweden, Denmark and Canada.

Jay A. Garner, CEcD, CCE
President and Founder, Garner Economics, LLC
Jay Garner is the president and founder of Garner Economics, LLC, an economic development consulting firm headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. His firm assists clients throughout the U.S., Asia and Europe. Mr. Garner often lectures and provides counsel on creating and implementing proactive global business development strategies and tactics. His firm is also a leader in providing assistance to corporate clients in their site selection process, such as Anchor Glass, Academy Sports, Hatfield Quality Meats, Stork Food Systems, Future Pipe Industries and others. His firm is the exclusive provider of site location services for ONE Source Facility Solutions—a global leader in architecture, engineering and construction management, based in Atlanta—and their worldwide clients. Mr. Garner serves as an instructor in international prospecting for the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma. He has led over 25 trade and business development missions on four continents leading to the creation of thousands of jobs and several billion dollars in capital investment. In 2009,  the readers of Southern Business & Development magazine named Garner Economics as one of the best consulting firms in the U.S. As a practitioner, he was selected as one of ten outstanding leaders in economic development in the United States by Site Selection magazine.  The same publication also recognized him for running one of the ten best development organizations in the U.S. for six consecutive years. He is a past chairman for the International Economic Development Council.