Executive Leadership Conference 2026 Speakers
Allison B. Walden, CCE, CFRE, IOM
Allison serves the Tulsa Regional Chamber as senior vice president of resource development, to guide and execute the chamber’s comprehensive development plan. She oversees a team of six to generate memberships, sponsorships and foundation gifts which have garnered more than $80 million in contributions to the Chamber during her 15-year tenure.
Walden is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE®) and earned her Certified Chamber Executive (CCE) credentials from the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) in 2020. She is Past Chair of the Membership Development Division of ACCE and continues in her role as a coach and mentor to membership and fundraising professionals across the nation. Walden is Past Chair of the Curriculum Committee for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management, and was 2024 Chair of the Southeast Board of Regents for the program's summer site in Athens, Georgia.
In 2020, she was named Chamber Staff Person of the Year by the Western Association of Chamber of Commerce Professionals (W.A.C.E.).
Caitlin Burns
Caitlin Burns has served the Shoals Chamber of Commerce as its President since June, 2017 having previously been its Vice President of Investor Relations and Public Policy.
Caitlin is Past Chair of the Alabama Chambers' Board of Directors and a former member of the Business Council of Alabama Board of Directors. She is a member of the University of North Alabama’s Executive Business Council, and was selected to Alabama Leadership Initiative’s inaugural, expanded class as well as Auburn University’s Young Alumni Council. She is the former President of the Colbert County Bar Association.
Caitlin is a 2008 graduate of Auburn University with a degree in Mass Communication and Political Science, and a 2011 graduate of Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law. She graduated from the Institute of Organization Management in 2021 and earned her Alabama Accredited Chamber Executive Designation in 2023.
Libby Spears
Libby Spears spent a lot of time in the principal’s office when she failed to follow the rules of the classroom. She loved learning, asking questions, and talking. Turns out her teachers were not too keen on the talking part. She would regularly bring home an all A report card with a lone C in citizenship. There would be a handwritten note from the teacher, “Please encourage Libby to stop visiting with her classmates during lessons.” A natural born rule breaker, it took years for Libby to turn her love for talking into her superpower.
In high school she found “her people” on the speech and debate team. Winning a college scholarship for all those weekends at tournaments all over Texas and the United States, Libby pursued a bachelors and masters degree in communication studies. She dreamt of a tenure tack position as a university professor. She taught at the University of North Texas and Texas Christian University in the Communication Studies Departments. But as fate would have it, her professional career took a turn after a serendipitous consulting gig came her way.
After training a group of architects on how to be better public speakers, she figured out what she wanted to be when she grew up. Libby founded Bravo cc in 2004 and 20 years later she has traveled the world evangelizing a simple message: Confident leadership is the product of three things: find and fuel your purpose, be powerful and never stop maximizing your potential. A certified Clifton Strengths Coach, Libby knows the greatest contribution a leader can make is to amplify and leverage their strengths to better their team, organization, and community.
Libby uses her strengths to own every stage she is on from the corporate classroom to international conferences. People leave her talks feeling energized and excited to get to work and make big things happen.
Her extensive client list including Southwest Airlines, GameStop, Dell, Lockheed Martin, Accenture, Overhead Door, Young President’s Organization, and Stantec Engineering speak to how in demand she is.
A native of Texas, Liby’s first paid gig as a speaker came at an early age. As a seven-year- old she was invited to tell a joke at an in-studio taping of a game show. When she was done, her life changed forever: She got paid! Libby is a professed coffee addict (Grande Vanilla Latte please), remembers way too much pop culture trivia from the 1970s and 1980s, an introvert who knows how to extrovert, and knows every word to the 1980s rap classic, Bust a Move.
Paige Hutto, IOM
Paige Green Hutto has spent 20+ years in the chamber world and has led the Chamber of Commerce Association of Alabama since 2021. A champion for chambers across the state, she provides advocacy, training, and professional development to help chamber leaders thrive.
She started chamber life in her early 20s at her hometown chamber in Eufaula, Al, followed by a stint with BASS/ESPN Outdoors—yes, the fishing folks. In 2008 she returned to the industry to lead the Gilmer County (GA) Chamber, launching economic development initiatives, boosting tourism, and growing the organization’s membership, programming, and influence.
Armed with an MBA from Troy University and professional designations like IOM, GCCE, and TMP, Paige currently serves as Chair of the Southeast Board of Regents for the Institute for Organization Management.
She lives in Wetumpka with her husband, Chris, bonus sons- Jacob, a junior at Troy University (Go Trojans!) and Jaxon, a junior at Wetumpka High School and her husband’s cat B-man.
Whitney Barlow, J.D.
Whitney Barlow serves as the Supplier Development Manager at the Alabama Training Network (ATN), where she works with manufacturers across the state to strengthen supplier capabilities, develop leadership within organizations, and support long-term business growth. With a strong background in business development, economic development, and workforce, combined with her legal education, Whitney brings a thoughtful and strategic approach to leadership development and organizational improvement.
In her role at ATN, Whitney partners with industry leaders to connect businesses with critical resources, training, and growth opportunities. She is particularly passionate about helping companies develop effective leaders, strengthen communication, and build workplace cultures that foster productivity, innovation, and long-term success. Whitney also works closely with manufacturers to optimize operations and establish strategic partnerships that enhance competitiveness and support continued economic growth across Alabama’s manufacturing sector.
Before joining ATN, Whitney served as the Executive Director of the Industrial Development Authority of Chilton County, focusing on industry engagement and supplier relations. Her leadership in economic development equipped her with the expertise to help businesses navigate challenges and seize new opportunities.
Beyond her professional role, Whitney is actively involved in community and industry organizations. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Alabama Outdoor Ethics and Education Partnership, CAWCO R C & D, the City of Thorsby Chilton County Strawberry Festival Committee, and Outdoor Women Unlimited, Inc.
Whitney is married to Ben Barlow, and they share three children: Addison, Easton, and Stella. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and embracing the outdoors, whether it’s hunting, kayaking, shooting sports, or archery. Her favorite outdoor pursuit is bird hunting, especially turkey hunting.