Mike Kemp, a successful Alabama businessman hailing from Alabama State University, is making history! Get the full story from William Thornton at AL.com below.

The CEO of a Birmingham construction company has been elected as the first Black chairman of the Business Council of Alabama.

Mike Kemp, a longtime fixture of the organization, was chosen for the post at the BCA’s annual meeting.

Kemp is the founder, president and CEO of Birmingham’s KMS (Kemp Management Solutions), an Inc. 5000 company. He has planned and managed more than 1,500 construction projects valued at over $6.8 billion.

He will serve as the BCA’s 36th chairman, succeeding Gary Smith. Kemp has previously served as the organization’s first vice chairman, an executive member and chairman of ProgressPAC, BCA’s political arm.

Kemp said he is “extremely optimistic about what we can accomplish if we communicate, innovate and work together.”

“BCA has been the foundation of business advocacy for 35 years, and I am honored to step into this position that so many talented individuals have held before me,” he said. “BCA is a member driven organization, and I am going to draw on the talents and experience of our leadership team and membership to meet our goals. BCA always acts in the best interest of our state, our employers and their families and that will not change.”

A graduate of UAB and Alabama State University, Kemp holds degrees in civil engineering and mathematics. According to a BCA biographical sketch, Kemp started his first business at 23 as a pipe and valve distributor for American Cast Iron Pipe Co. Eight years later, he returned to large scale construction before forming his own business in 2011 for smaller scale projects with a high degree of service in project management.

He serves on several corporate and community boards, including First Horizon Bank, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Alabama, Downtown Rotary Club of Birmingham and Operation HOPE.