Longtime CEO of Create Birmingham retiring soon

The longtime head of Create Birmingham announced last week that he will soon retire from the organization he has helped shape.

Buddy Palmer, president and CEO of the nonprofit, recently told the board of directors that he plans to retire this fall after 13 years running Create Birmingham, which is dedicated to the economic development of the creative sector in the Birmingham area.

Palmer “has had a transformational impact on this organization, always focused on our mission to serve the creative entrepreneurs, small businesses and nonprofits that enhance our quality of life and fuel our region’s growth,” said Create Birmingham Board Chair Kathryn W. Corey in a Feb. 15 news release.

Create Birmingham supports workforce development, entrepreneurial ventures and job growth in the commercial and nonprofit creative industries, including performing arts, visual arts and crafts, culture and heritage, media and film, design and culinary arts, according to the news release.

Prior to working at Create Birmingham, Palmer served first as executive director of the Selma/Dallas County Arts Council and then as executive director of the Acadiana Arts Council in Lafayette, Louisiana. 

In 2008, he joined the Cultural Alliance of Greater Birmingham, as the organization was then known, launching initiatives in arts in education, collaborative marketing and arts for social change.

Palmer helped develop numerous popular programs at Create Birmingham, including CO.STARTERS, a program for creative entrepreneurs; Film Birmingham, a one-stop shop for the city’s film industry; and Birmingham365, an online calendar of local events.

"It has been my privilege to work with Birmingham’s creative community to create more equitable access to opportunities and remove some of the traditional barriers to success,” Palmer said. “Create Birmingham today is the result of the collective efforts of a dedicated board, a talented staff, our generous donors, and the innovative constituents who inspire us to think creatively every day. I could not be more excited to see what’s next for this organization.”

For more information, go to createbirmingham.org.