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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney.
Shay Gartman, the new director of the Homewood Chamber of Commerce, at Homewood City Hall Plaza.
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Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
From left, Rosa Hill with ARC Realty Homewood, Ashley Deforest with Keller Williams Homewood, Shay Gartman, Meredith Drennen and Danielle Womack with Evolve I.T. at the annual Chamber Golf Classic in October 2023.
The Homewood Chamber of Commerce’s new executive director is no stranger to business and commerce activities in the city.
Shay Gartman began her new role on March 25. Gartman has served as the chamber’s office and events manager since 2021.
“I am so excited about this opportunity to continue to work with the businesses in Homewood,” Gartman said. “To work to find ways that we at the chamber can better serve the businesses and our community.”
Gartman replaces Meredith Drennen, who served as executive director for nine years. Drennen is taking a role with the Birmingham Business Alliance (BBA) as the new vice president of investor relations.
As the chamber’s office and events manager, Gartman spearheaded coordination for events including the Annual Golf Classic, Taste of Homewood and monthly membership luncheons.
“We have great events, but the Holiday Open House is my favorite,” Gartman said. “I love engaging with our community and being able to show off the great businesses we have in our area. We are fortunate to have a variety of businesses in Homewood.”
Gartman, a resident of Homewood, has lived in the area for two decades. She grew up in Mobile and attended the University of Alabama, where she earned a degree in advertising.
“My husband and I moved here a little over 20 years ago,” Gartman said. “At the time, we had one child and we were looking for a place that had a strong community feel and great schools. There is no better place than Homewood for that.”
Since moving to Homewood, Gartman has had three more children, including one Homewood High graduate and three currently in the Homewood school system.
Some of her favorite things to do in the city include eating at the various restaurants throughout the city, visiting local parks and appreciating the sense of community.
“I love going on morning walks on the trail with my husband,” Gartman said. “I love that there is nowhere in this town my kids can go and not run into someone we know.”
With her ties to the community, Gartman has been able to grow the silent auction portion of Taste of Homewood.
“The silent auction sector of Taste of Homewood is a new part of the event,” Gartman said. “This year will be the third year we have done one. As the Taste of Homewood grows, we were looking for ways to spotlight our other Homewood businesses who aren’t restaurants or in the food industry, necessarily. This is a great way to do that.”
As Gartman prepares for her new role with the Chamber, she wants to continue the work she and Drennen have done to help to grow the Chamber.
“I have loved working for Meredith Drennen,” Gartman said. “She is a wonderful mentor and friend. I would like to see us integrate a 501(c)3 foundation for the chamber. 501(c)3 foundations have opportunities not available to 501(c)6 organizations. Having an avenue to help distribute federal grant money to our local business community in case of an emergency like the pandemic would be a great peace of mind. I want to do my part to ensure our businesses have every opportunity to be successful.”
I want to do my part to ensure our businesses have every opportunity to be successful.
Shay Gartman
Drennen cited Gartman’s experience with the chamber since 2021 in developing strong relations with volunteers, board members and key stakeholders.
“Having that institutional knowledge will serve her well as she grows professionally at the chamber,” Drennen said. “Shay has a positive attitude and excellent volunteer management skills. A chamber director has to wear many hats and multitask, so having those skills in advance starts one on the right foot.”
Drennen said working with Gartman on a day-to-day basis for the last two years has been a delight.
“I feel confident handing her the reins to such a great organization,” said Drennen, who was named the 2023 Chamber of President of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama.
Chamber Board of Directors President Hugh Nickson said the executive director is a full-time administrator who works closely with the board to develop programs and strategies that advance the chamber’s mission for the Homewood business community.
“We were honored to be able to consider a wide variety of qualified candidates, and through this process, Shay Gartman stood out because of her professional administrative work with our chamber for the last few years,” Nickson said in a release.
“Our directors and members have come to know her as one who has the attitude to sustain and the aptitude to build upon our chamber’s 84-year-legacy of service to Homewood. Shay loves Homewood and is committed to its ongoing success as one of Alabama’s most desirable communities. We are excited to advance our work with Shay’s positive leadership,” Nickson said.
Gartman transitioned into her new role following the 21st annual Taste of Homewood on March 21.
The Homewood Chamber of Commerce has been in existence since 1940, and it now has more than 500 members representing businesses of all sizes located in Homewood and outside the city.
For more information about the Homewood Chamber of Commerce, visit homewoodchamber.org.
