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Greg Canfield has served as secretary of the Alabama Department of Commerce since July 2011, making the former businessman and state lawmaker from Vestavia Hills the state’s top-ranking economic developer. Greg also serves as chairman of the Alabama Economic Development Alliance, an organization set up to implement Accelerate Alabama, the state’s strategic growth plan adopted in 2012 that targets 11 key sectors for expansion opportunities. Since Greg has taken the helm, economic development activities in Alabama has resulted in capital investment exceeding $13 billion and nearly 56,000 announced new jobs.

Greg began his career in sales with Purolator Corporation, a Fortune 500 company. At Purolator, he served both as Regional Administration Manager and Southeastern Regional Sales Manager. Greg later served as a National Account Manager for Transus Freight Systems, overseeing territory from Alabama to New Jersey.

Greg was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 2006, serving for nearly five years. In January 2011, he became chairman of the House’s Commerce & Small Business Committee. Alabama Governor Robert Bentley appointed Canfield as director of the Alabama Development Office (now Commerce) on July 18, 2011.

Greg graduated from Huffman High School in Birmingham and attended the University of Alabama and UAB, where he earned a finance degree.