Tucson Roberts has practiced economic development for over 35-years in Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. His economic development career began when Craig Air Force base closed in 1979. He became the first executive director of newly-formed Craig Field Airport and Industrial Authority near Selma, Alabama that included an operating airport, housing, utility department and industrial park. Since that time, he has managed local-economic development organizations in Scottsboro, Dothan and Andalusia, Alabama as well as Meridian, Mississippi. He has extensive experience in both industry and retail recruiting and workforce development.

He is perhaps best known for his successes in airport and industrial and recruiting. He has recruited numerous aerospace and industrial companies, managed an airport and served for two-years as Dean of the Alabama Aviation Center (AAC) in Ozark, Alabama. The State of Alabama’s aviation school (AAC) specialized in the training of FAA certified aviation airframe and power plant mechanics and technicians. He currently serves as President of Tucson Atlantic Consulting. His recent consulting activities include: Technical assistance to communities, community assessments, aviation assessments, strategic plans as well as industry and retail recruitment. Recent projects since 2013 ,include:

Technical Assistance (Ongoing):

• Lowndes County AL, Retail Recruitment & Workforce Development
• Etowah County, AL, Mega-Site Marketing
• Atmore AL, Retail & Industrial

Assessments, Strategies and Marketing Plans:

• The Slocomb AL Industrial Board- Community Assessment and Marketing Strategy
• Phenix City AL- Retail and Marketing Strategy
• Citronelle AL- Community Assessment and Marketing Strategy
• City of Cullman AL- Summary Aerospace Assessment
• Mobile and Baldwin Counties- Economic Development Strategy
• Monroeville Monroe County EDC- Community Assessment and Aerospace Assessment
• Portsmouth OH- Aerospace Assessment & Marketing Strategy
• One Kentucky (Nine County Region in KY) Aerospace Assessment & Marketing Strategy
• Ashland KY-Aerospace Assessment & Marketing Strategy
• Huntington WV- Aerospace Assessment & Strategy
• City of Pritchard-Retail Assessment and Marketing Strategy
• Lowndes County AL- Industrial Assessment and Marketing Strategy, Retail Assessment & Marketing Strategy. Ongoing Technical Assistance
• C3 Region AL, Summary Aerospace Assessment
• Shreveport LA Aerospace Assessment and Marketing Strategy
• Bullock County, AL, Aerospace Assessment
• City of Madison, AL, Economic Development Strategy
• Corpus Christi MSA, TX, Aerospace Assessment & Marketing Plan
• Ace Aero- Economic Impact on Marshall County AL
• Bayou la Batre Industrial Building Evaluation

Professionally, he has served as:

• Chairman of Economic Development Association of Alabama (Montgomery 1992),
• Chairman of the Southern Economic Development Council (Atlanta 2008),
• Chairman, South Alabama Aviation Advantage (2003-2010),
• Chairman of the eight-county Region 6 Alabama Workforce Council (Dothan 2006-­‐2010),
• Chairman of the Southeast Alabama Council for Economic Development (Dothan, 2009, 2010)
• Vice-Chairman of the Janus Institute (2010-present).

He earned two Masters Degrees and an Urban and Regional Planning Certificate from the University of Alabama. He and his wife, Kathy, currently reside in Point Clear, Alabama.