The Alabama State Council plans to build statewide support for Congressional action to end the travel ban and trade embargo on Cuba.
Engage Cuba today launched the Engage Cuba Alabama State Council to advocate for a change in US policy towards Cuba. The founding members of the State Council include Alabama leaders from a broad range of sectors including agriculture, business, technology, manufacturing, education, energy and government leaders. The Council seeks to expand trade with Cuba in order to provide economic opportunities for Alabamians and empower the Cuban people.
“We’re very pleased to work with all of our Engage Cuba Alabama State Council members to lift the embargo that is costing Alabama jobs and preventing economic development for the Cuban people. It’s time to end 50 years of failed, isolationist policies toward Cuba,” said President of Engage Cuba, James Williams. “Alabama businesses are stuck on the sidelines as our foreign competitors continue to take advantage of Cuba’s growing markets. Opening up trade with Cuba would provide tremendous opportunities for Alabama ports, agriculture and manufacturing sectors.”
As Cuba’s markets continue to grow given the rise of tourism and the increasing purchasing power of 11 million Cubans, demand for high-quality U.S. exports will continue to rise. In May, Engage Cuba released a report with the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC) highlighting the significant economic benefits that increased agriculture trade between the U.S. and Cuba would bring to Alabama.
Given Alabama’s Gulf ports and its standing as a top exporter of U.S. agriculture, the report states that Alabama exports have significant room for growth if changes in U.S. policies open opportunities for agricultural trade with Cuba and allow U.S. exporters to extend credit.
“We are interested in growing Alabama’s export performance. Exports create new agricultural and manufacturing jobs and that is why we support efforts to engage with Cuba. This year, the Alabama Legislature unanimously passed Senate Joint Resolution 43, which calls for an end to the embargo,” said Alabama Sen. J.T. Jabo Waggoner (R-Vestavia Hills). “Cubans need a whole array of goods and services and Alabama’s exports are second to none. We have recognized that restricting American freedom and business has not brought about the democratic change in Cuba we hoped it would.”
“Our focus is to continue to build on our poultry exports with Cuba, which are significant. We further hope that we can expand our trade relationship to include importing Cuban fruits and vegetables,” said Commissioner John McMillan of the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries.
On Wednesday, Engage Cuba will launch their Mississippi State Council. In addition to Alabama and Mississippi, Engage Cuba has launched state councils in Arkansas, Louisiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Georgia, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas.
While Engage Cuba will continue to add members, the Founding Members of the Engage Cuba Alabama State Council are:
John McMillan, Commissioner, Department of Agriculture and Industries
Greg Canfield, Secretary of Commerce, Alabama Department of Commerce
J.T. “Jabo” Waggoner, Former Senate Majority Leader, Alabama Senate
Vivian Figures, Former Senate Minority Leader, Alabama Senate
Victor Gaston, Acting Speaker of the House, Alabama House of Representatives
Sandy Stimpson, Mayor of Mobile
James K. “Jimmy” Lyons, Director/CEO, Alabama State Port Authority
Jo Bonner, Vice Chancellor, University of Alabama Systems
Johnny Adams, Executive Director, Alabama Poultry Association
Billy Powell, Executive Vice President, Alabama Cattlemen Association
Jerry Carl, President, Mobile County Commission
Greg Reed, Senate Majority Leader, Alabama Senate
Quinton Ross, Senate Minority Leader, Alabama Senate
Hank Sanders, Alabama Senate
Tom Whatley, Alabama Senate
Rusty Glover, Alabama Senate
Clay Scofield, Alabama Senate
Tim Melson, Alabama Senate
Gerald Dial, Alabama Senate
Bill Hightower, Alabama Senate, Tower Strategies, Inc, Thermission Board
Cam Ward, Alabama Senate
Micky Hammon, Majority Leader, Alabama House of Representatives
Jack Williams, Alabama House of Representatives
Randy Davis, Alabama House of Representatives
Michael Ciamarra, Executive Assistant & Policy to Senate Rules Chairman
Scotty Colson, Director, Economic Development Birmingham; Sister Cities
George Henry, President, Alabama County Managers Association
Mark Jackson, Alabama Honorary Consul General of Japan
John Key, International Trade Consultant, Pan American Council on Trade, LLC
Jerry Lathan, President, Lathan Company
Scott Myers, Director, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
Mitt Walker, Director, Alabama Farmers Federation
Scott Phillips, President, Strada Professional Services, LLC
Mayra Diaz, Vice President of International Sales, Amerex Corporation
Grey Redditt, Maynard Cooper and Gale Law Firm; Mobile Sister Cities Commission
Stanley Murphy, Murphy & Murphy, LLC; The Cuba Center, University of Alabama
Christina McInnis, Representative on Bilateral Trade with Cuba, GulfWise Commerce
- Davies Hood, Jr., President, Induron Coatings
Springna Zhao, Partner for LAN Consulting LLC
Beth Chapman, Former Alabama Secretary of State, President, Beth Chapman & Associates, LLC
Mark A. Froehlich, Principal, Impact Partners
Sara Kate Sullivan, Ph.D Candidate at Universidad Torcuato Di Tella
Horace Clemmons, CleBer Tractors, LLC
Wes Long, Entrepreneur, Former State Representative, Alabama House of Representatives
Marty Connors, M. J. Connors Consulting
