April Stone
From a young age, April Stone thought she wanted to go into broadcast journalism. She earned her degree in mass communications and dove straight into the field of journalism, but, just a few years in, Stone realized that she might be happier in a different field, and she joined the Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce.
“I found that my passion is helping people and helping small businesses,” Stone said.
She worked for the Greater Shelby Chamber of Commerce for 11 years until she moved on to the position that she currently holds, executive director of South Shelby Chamber of Commerce.
“When this opportunity [to become executive director] presented itself, I felt like this was a chance for me to work one-on-one with the business community,” Stone said. “I have a greater respect and empathy for small business owners now.”
Stone’s main focus is to build better business relationships in Shelby County, and she does so by providing as many networking opportunities as possible.
“I work so hard to make sure that we have good speakers at our luncheons [and] that we provide networking opportunities throughout the year,” Stone said. “We partner with the other chambers of commerce in Shelby County, the Greater Shelby Chamber and the Montevallo Chamber, because it is important that we all work together.”
Stone believes connecting the different communities within Shelby County is vital, but often finds hesitation from community members, which Stone said can be frustrating because she sees the potential for all of the communities to grow.
“The thing that I fight all of the time is, ‘Is it way down there in Columbiana?’ Or, ‘Is it way over there on 280?’” Stone said. “Yes, we have a very large county, but let’s work that to our advantage.”
Stone said the potential for growth is undeniable with new businesses popping up all along U.S. 280. Stone also commended the many communities in that area for the growth that they have seen in recent years and urges community members to make the drive to visit these developing towns.
“Those communities are going to be in a direct benefit of the growth that is coming along the 280 corridor,” Stone said. “I would say that it’s worth the trip.”
Stone said she wants to keep the cycle of development going and said that the best way to do that is through focusing on development in residential areas.
“I would love to see residential development, understanding that retail follows rooftops,” Stone said. “The more rooftops you have in your community, the more retail you can attract.”
Working with the first established part of Shelby County can be difficult at times because Stone said there is a common perception that because the area is old it means that they do not want to develop.
“That’s not the case,” Stone said. “These areas want to grow, and they want to do it in a smart way, and they want to be able to provide services and amenities to their residents.”
Beyond exploring what the different communities of Shelby County have to offer, Stone said she also urges for people to take advantage of the events she puts on through the South Shelby Chamber of Commerce.
“Make your membership work for you. That means, when you sign up, come to events that you can,” Stone said. “It’s mutually beneficial to everyone that is concerned. That’s what chamber membership is to me, building those better business relationships.”
► WHERE: 208 E. College St., Columbiana
► CALL: 669-9075
► WEBSITE: southshelbychamber.com
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