Emily Jerkins Hall, Cecd Email & Phone Number

Growing up in small-town Alabama, I watched the Great Recession hit my community hard. That experience taught me something I'll never forget: what makes a community strong is its people – how they support each other and adapt when times change. Being the first in my family to go to college showed me firsthand how the right opportunities can change lives.These days, my mission is to help communities and organizations deal with big changes in how we work and live. With the pace of change accelerating faster than ever, my goal is simple: make sure everyone has a fair shot at building a good life as our economy changes.I've been lucky to work on projects that brought over 15,500 jobs and $4.8B in investments to communities. Along the way, I learned that the best solutions come from building on what makes each community special while helping people prepare for what's next. When we started the Magic City Data Collective (MCDC), we proved that giving people new skills and opportunities can change not just their lives, but whole families and communities.Right now: VP of External Affairs & Economic Development at QuantHub- Leading Alabama's data science and AI education ecosystem development, from K-12 to workforce- Building national partnerships and programs that create pathways to data and AI careers- Driving thought leadership and strategic initiatives to expand access to the digital economyDuring COVID, I used my data and problem-solving skills to create a rapid response system that helped our team serve over 600 small businesses. Later, I stepped up to co-lead my organization through uncertain times, where we grew program revenue by 230%, cut our operating deficit in half, and retained our key investors and team members. My biggest leadership lesson was simple: real change starts with being kinder to ourselves - it makes us better leaders. I learned to focus on what I could control, letting the rest fall away. While doing hard things means facing discomfort, emerging stronger and clearer about who you are makes it worthwhile.My most meaningful moments have been the small ones: seeing someone wearing the uniform of a company we helped bring to town and knowing they're supporting their family. Or watching a first-generation student light up when they realize they have what it takes to succeed in the digital economy. Through MCDC, over 75 students have transformed their lives and lifted up entire families.If you're interested in building stronger communities or making sure no one gets left behind as our economy changes, let's connect.

Listed skills include Public Speaking, Microsoft Office, Event Planning, Leadership, and 14 others.

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  University Of South Alabama

  Economics And Finance