South Shelby Chamber of Commerce Executive Director April Stone will take the same role with the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Hoover Chamber’s Board of Directors announced that Stone’s tenure will begin on Feb. 19, following the retirement of Bill Powell, who served as the Chamber’s executive director for more than 22 years.

Stone, a graduate of the University of Montevallo, has worked as the executive director of the South Shelby Chamber of Commerce since February 2013. Prior to that, she worked as the director of member relations for the Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce for nearly 11 years.

“I want to thank the Chamber’s Board of Directors for their vote of confidence and enthusiasm as I transition to the executive director role at the Hoover Area Chamber of Commerce,” Stone said. “I am very excited to work with this Chamber as we determine our future while still focused on a comprehensive and vibrant membership program.”

Jacqueline Gardner, chairwoman of the South Shelby Chamber’s Board of Directors, said the Board is working on a transition plan and will announce information as it is available.

A celebration of Stone’s accomplishments will be held at the Feb. 1 luncheon at Columbiana First Baptist Church.

“The Board of Directors wishes April all the best in her new role with our friends at the Hoover Chamber. We have valued April’s accomplishments over her past five years of service and appreciate her dedication to our business community,” Gardner said. “Under April’s leadership, the South Shelby Chamber has grown to serve more than 300 businesses across the South Shelby communities by providing networking opportunities and business growth and development.”

The Hoover Chamber’s Board appointed a search committee comprised of Jerome Morgan Jr., board president, Oncort Professional Services; Ira Levine, Levine & Associates Commercial Real Estate; Kathleen Spencer, Hyatt Place Birmingham/Inverness; Lynn Ray, Business Telephones Inc.; Jeff McDowell, McDowell Security; and Jason Cobb, America’s First Federal Credit Union.

The search committee, with the help of a national search firm, selected Stone from nearly 60 applicants, narrowing the field of candidates to 10, and eventually down to three finalists.

“We look forward to an awesome future for the Chamber with April at the helm,” Morgan said. “I want to thank our search committee, who put in well over 100 hours in meetings and interviews during this process. And, I want to thank Bill Powell, on behalf of our board and more than 1,200 Chamber members, for his 22-plus years of service to our Chamber and the city of Hoover.”