Greg Canfield
John Gregory Canfield (born July 12, 1960 in Birmingham) served as the first Alabama Secretary of Commerce.
Canfield graduated from Huffman High School in 1978 and enrolled at the University of Alabama. He transferred to UAB in 1981 and earned his bachelor of science in finance there in 1983.
He worked in sales for Purolator and as sales manager for Emery Worldwide prior to 1991. Since then he was an agent for Provident Life & Accident and, in 1993 founded his own insurance and financial services agency, which he sold to Nationwide in 2008. He has also been employed as a vice president of business development for PowerSouth Energy Cooperative in Covington County and as an executive with the J. H. Berry Insurance Company in Birmingham.
Canfield served on the board of directors for the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce for six years and was the chamber's president in 1997. In 2000 he was elected to the Vestavia Hills City Council and served two terms, the first as president. He was a member of the 2005 class of Leadership Birmingham and was in the inaugural class of Leadership Vestavia Hills, convened in 1997. He later served as a board member and was president of Leadership Vestavia Hills in 1999–2000. He is also a charter member of the Vestavia Hills Civitan Club.
Canfield was elected to represent Alabama House District 48 in the 2006 general election and re-elected in 2010. He chaired the House Committees for Commerce and Small Business and served on the Insurance Committee and in the Jefferson County Legislative Delegation. Governor Robert Bentley appointed him to his present post in July 2011. He succeeded Seth Hammett in that position.
In 2012 the Development Office was reorganized as a the Alabama Department of Commerce with Canfield as Alabama Secretary of Commerce. He oversaw the compilation of the Accelerate Alabama strategic economic development plan and was heavily involved in recruiting the $2.3 billion Mazda Toyota Manufacturing plant which was constructed in Huntsville in 2021. He resigned effective December 31, 2023 to become managing director of economic development for Burr & Forman. Governor Kay Ivey appointed Montgomery Chamber of Commerce economic development officer Ellen McNair to succeed him.
Canfield and his wife, Denise, have two children: Rachel and John. He is a lector at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Homewood.
| Preceded by: Charles Davis |
Vestavia Hills City Council president 2000–2008 |
Succeeded by: David Carrington |
| Preceded by: Jim Carns |
Alabama House District 48 2006–2011 |
Succeeded by: Jim Carns |
| Preceded by: Seth Hammett |
Alabama Development Office director 2011-2012 |
Succeeded by: none |
| Preceded by: none |
Alabama Secretary of Commerce 2012-2023 |
Succeeded by: Ellen McNair |
References
- Tomberlin, Michael (July 6, 2011) "Vestavia's Canfield named new head of ADO." The Birmingham News
- Thornton, William (October 20, 2023) "Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield stepping down, successor tapped." AL.com
External links
- Greg Canfield website
- Greg Canfield on Facebook.com