Helena Duncan Shares How the Business Council of Alabama Supports Business throughout the State

Rotarian Mike Kemp with Helena Duncan and RCB President Chuck Redden

This week the Rotary Club of Birmingham welcomed Helena Duncan, Business Council of Alabama President & CEO. She shared how BCA supports business throughout the state of Alabama through a variety of initiatives and programs.

About Helena Duncan
Helena Thomas Duncan was born and raised in Opelika, AL and is the youngest of five children. She received her Bachelor of Science in Finance degree from Auburn University Montgomery.

Duncan began her professional career as a teller at Southtrust Bank. Throughout her career in the financial sector, Duncan was able to offer support to individuals and main street businesses to help them succeed. In 1994, Duncan became Executive Vice President of Colonial Bancgroup, Inc in Montgomery, AL. During her time at Colonial, she oversaw Human Resources of over 5,000 employees in five states and was responsible for executive level recruitment. Her additional responsibilities included directly managing corporate security; development and management of private banking; and was a part of the group that prepared the strategic plan and planned mergers and acquisitions.

In 2005, Duncan opened American Legacy Mortgage in Montgomery. As Owner and Broker, she helped identify mortgage loan clients and find the best product to meet their needs, while establishing and maintaining excellent relationships with real estate agents. Two years later, Duncan joined First Tuskegee Bank in Montgomery as the Executive Vice President. During her time at First Tuskegee, she was responsible for the branch growth of both loans and deposits, and corporate governance relationships with federal, state, local supervisory authorities. She also oversaw IT; operations; bank security; the compliance department; Human Resources; and supervised all bank legal matters.

Prior to joining the team at BCA, Duncan was the Regional President of Liberty Bank & Trust, where she was responsible for the overall growth, development, and safety of all Alabama branches. Duncan joined BCA as Director of Strategic Operations and Growth, later moving to Senior Vice President of Operations and Investor Relations. Her focus as BCA Senior Vice President of Operations and Investor Relations was membership growth, which included member satisfaction and enhancement of the BCA membership experience. She oversaw all functions of Human Resources; Finance; Operations; and coordination of all communications, marketing, and events.

The veteran businesswoman began her role as BCA President and CEO in December 2022 and has continued to strengthen the organization’s advocacy efforts as the voice for the Alabama business community.

Duncan was recently named a Yellowhammer ‘2022 Woman of Impact’ for her influential role and contribution to business and the community across Alabama. She has served as Chairman of the Board for Saint James School, as board member for the Montgomery Chamber of Commerce, Child Protect, and Board of Controls Committee of 100. She currently serves as a board member for Dixie Electric Cooperative, YMCA, the Montgomery Committee of 100 and Synovus Bank.

Duncan is married to Clarence Duncan; they have two sons: CJ and Collin. Helena and Clarence reside in Montgomery.