Carolyn Turner Named State Star

Carolyn Turner, an International Trade Specialist with the Alabama International Trade Center at the University of Alabama, has been selected as the 2015 Alabama State Star for the Alabama SBDC Network. State Stars are exemplary performers who have made a significant contribution to the SBDC program and have demonstrated a strong commitment to small business.

Small businesses in Alabama are adding to their bottom line through export sales, thanks in part to the extraordinary efforts of Carolyn Q. Turner, an International Trade Specialist at the Alabama International Trade Center.  Carolyn was recently recognized as the 2015 Alabama State Star, based on her significant contribution to Alabama’s small business community, and to the success of the Alabama SBDC program.  Carolyn was the top performer in the state, counseling 194 entrepreneurs & small business owners that are growing their businesses through international trade.  She is part of a team that serves as the greatest source of international trade counseling in the state last year, with over 2,800 hours of one-on-one assistance and research.

[message type=”simple”]“Carolyn is a consistent high-performer at the Trade Center and she has helped hundreds of small firms to start exporting,” says Brian Davis, Director of the AITC at the University of Alabama. Bill Cummins, Executive State Director of the Alabama SBDC Network notes that, “As a member of the Export Alabama Alliance, Carolyn serves as a key resource and dependable guide for both her clients and for other Alliance members.”[/message]

Turner was recognized in San Francisco at the annual conference of America’s Small Business Development Centers, where she was invited to visit the offices of Google, Facebook, and Intuit, to discuss how technology can help small businesses succeed.  The Annual Conference brings together over 1,800 small business advisors, mentors, trainers, and consultants.

Turner holds a BS degree from UA, with a double major in International Marketing and Spanish and a double minor in International Studies and Latin American Studies.  In 2011 she completed her Masters in Global Business Management.  Before joining the Trade Center, Carolyn worked as a Licensed Customs Broker at a logistics company in Mobile, AL. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for JASA, the Japan America Society of Alabama, and has met the requirements of the NASBITE Certified Global Business Professional (CGBP).  She assists Alabama’s small businesses with logistics, documentation, marketing, distribution, financing, export compliance, NAFTA, and FTZ’s among other topics.  Carolyn works out of the Greater Birmingham SBDC office at the Innovation Depot.

Download the Press Release.