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FOLEY - Ed Bushaw has joined the staff of the South Baldwin Chamber as Director of Talent Development and Recruitment. Bushaw will lead a talent development program via collaboration with regional, community and educational partners to provide an educated and trained workforce fully prepared to fulfill the needs of local business and industry, as well as establish a recruitment program to bring qualified employees from across all industry segments to South Baldwin County.

Michelle Nelson, President of SH Enterprises and Co-Chair of the Business-Driven Talent Development and Recruitment Initiative, had this to say about the hiring process and the selection of Bushaw: “Knowing the significance that a successful hire would have on the Business-Driven Talent Development and Recruitment Initiative, we posted an encompassing job description that we knew would take a very talented, committed and passionate person to fill. So much time has been invested identifying the goals of this committee in order for our business community to feel the intended impact of the Gateway Initiative, and the right leadership behind this initiative is vital. We are fortunate to have found the most appropriate and qualified candidate right here in our own community. Ed Bushaw is intimately familiar with the various facets and complexity of the workforce needs in our businesses and industries; his knowledge and relationships are long-standing, trusted, and respected among industry partners, educational partners, and the business community. We are excited to welcome Ed to the South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce and know he will serve our community exceptionally well!”

Bushaw is a seasoned and well-respected executive with extensive experience in staff recruitment, training education, and employee retention. He worked as a director of training and development for the Statler Hotel Corporation before transitioning into a position with State University of York (SUNY) at Jefferson as Department Chair for Hospitality & Tourism. He moved to Baldwin County in 1994 to chair the Hospitality Administration program at Faulkner State, and retired from his position as Director of Program Development and Expansion for Coastal Alabama (formerly Faulkner) this past March.

Chad Watkins, Principal, WAS Design, Inc., Landscape Architecture and serving as Co-Chair of the Gateway Initiative Talent Development and Recruitment added: “Ed will be a terrific asset to the Chamber in this role. His vast experience seems to have always connected workforce to education to private enterprise. That is what this part of the initiative is about, and Ed is set to propel our impact exponentially.”

Bushaw received his bachelor’s degree from SUNY Geneseo and his master’s degree in Training Education from SUNY Oswego. His wife is an associate broker with ReMax paradise in Orange Beach. They have three children: Jacob, Caitlyn and Regan. Bushaw can be reached at ed@southbaldwinchamber.com or 251-943-1065.