Since 2006 the City of Gadsden has been looking for ways to improve Gadsden and Etowah County’s Economy. During this process, leaders have found a great body of research and strong recommendations from The University of Alabama’s Center for Business and Economic Research at the Culverhouse College of Commerce.  In taking some of the recommendations from Workforce Report X, Mayor Guyton asked the IDA to restructure to better reflect the growing needs of community, employers and other stakeholders.

“With business, education, and government working together, we can create a successful environment for a thriving City of Gadsden, Etowah County and the State of Alabama. The IDA is here to promote industry and trade by helping to facilitate manufacturing, industrial and commercial enterprises in our community. I want to thank the IDA for making changes to its bylaws to create new standing committees especially relating to workforce development and retention,” said Mayor Sherman Guyton.

The reorganization of the IDA provides for six permanent positions based on a person’s job that will make sure that the IDA has education and government represented in the area of continuing workforce development and areas of site development and project completion.

The six permanent positions are:

1)        President of Gadsden State Community College

2)        Director of Alabama Technology Network – Gadsden

3)        Director of the Gadsden Water Works

4)        Director of the Gadsden Airport Authority

5)        Superintendent of Gadsden City Schools

6)        Superintendent of Etowah County Schools

“The City of Gadsden continues to invest substantial financial and human resources in this board and I encourage our educators to work together to create the best Career Technical Programs in the State of Alabama,” said Mayor Sherman Guyton. “Through cooperation and coordination of business, education, and government we can be a model for the state in Workforce and Economic Development. Thanks again for the much-needed restructuring to the IDA and I am sure by working together we all can do great things for Career Technical Education that will create great paying jobs for our students and adults from Gadsden and Etowah County.”