For immediate release: January 10, 2023
The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta announces the appointment of Melanie Bridgeforth and Randy Breaux to the Birmingham Branch board of directors. Bridgeforth was appointed by the Atlanta board of directors and Breaux was appointed by the Board of Governors. Both will serve a three-year term beginning January 1, 2023, and ending December 31, 2025.
Bridgeforth is president and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Alabama, a statewide philanthropic organization dedicated to accelerating economic opportunity for women. She is a graduate of the University of Alabama. Breaux is president of Motion Industries Inc. in Birmingham. He is a graduate of Webster University and Nicholls State University.
Additionally, Hafiz Chandiwala has been appointed by the Board of Governors to an unexpired term beginning January 1, 2023, and ending December 31, 2023. Chandiwala is executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Coca-Cola Bottling Company United Inc. in Birmingham, and he is a graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The other directors of the Atlanta Fed's Birmingham Branch are:
- Christy Thomas (board chair), chief financial officer of BLOX in Bessemer (term expires December 31, 2024),
- David Nast, president and CEO of Progress Bank in Huntsville (term expires December 31, 2024), and
- Michelle Lewis, chief financial officer of AAA Cooper Transportation (term expires December 31, 2024).
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta branch directors provide economic information from their industries and the branch territory to the district Bank's president and head office directors, who use the information in discussing monetary policy options and making discount rate recommendations. The Board of Governors appoints three of the Birmingham Branch directors, and the Atlanta head office directors appoint four.