Barbara came to Birmingham having spent 30 years in New York. Awestruck by the dedication of friends and business people to create a better Birmingham, Barbara was inspired to contribute in some way. She saw an opportunity to do great things in a great place – to be a part of the sincerely generous nature of her new hometown. This is the environment from whence Chalker Group was born. Through Chalker Group, Barbara aims to share the magic of Birmingham with individuals and families who will never view this city quite the same way again.
Barbara Burton - President
With a BA in Health Services Administration from Auburn and a number of years in healthcare-related positions, Tiffany knows the healthcare landscape here in Birmingham. She also knows the things that make Birmingham a family place: the quaint feel of the villages in Mountain Brook and Homewood, the child friendliness of certain restaurants, and where parents should go when they have a night on the town all by themselves.
Tiffany Polmatier
Jeamer is a listener. She’ll tell you she developed unique listening skills through eight years of teaching, two of them in Dusseldorf, Germany. At Chalker, Jeamer listens to the recruits for the hints of special attributes they seek in a hometown. On a nice day, you might find Jeamer on the bocce court behind Chez Fon Fon or the trails of Ruffner Mountain, a couple of those special attributes she loves to share with clients.
Jeamer Nichols
Having co-owned and operated a retail store for a decade, Jeanie feels the need to deliver a positive client experience. The adage, "the customer is always right” applies to her mindset in that all interests or hobbies of a client are “right" for them and she strives to mirror that experience in Birmingham. She knows it is not hard to sell Birmingham; the hard work comes in narrowing down all the possibilities available here. Giving a meaningful representation of Birmingham is her specialty.
Jeanie Mackenzie
Casi is the Area Director for the Birmingham chapter of United Negro College Fund. She sees the challenge of sharing Birmingham through the sophisticated perspective of one who’s worked in marketing at the Fortune 15 level, but knows intuitively that sharing the city isn’t marketing, per se. As a graduate of Talladega College, Casi's wealth of experience in business development allows her to provide insight that creates an individualized blueprint for each recruit’s visit.
Casi Ferguson
Walton is Chalker’s go-to for the arts. With a degree in Art History from W&L and many years of experience in galleries and museums in Birmingham, Nashville, and New York, she’s a natural. Walton shares a wealth of information with Chalker clients. A perfect Saturday for her would be one spent at the Pepper Place Farmer’s market and strolling through nearby galleries, followed by a stop at the Birmingham Museum of Art and dinner at The Silver Coin Indian restaurant, one of many amazing international options in town.
Walton Foster
Having grown up with a love of literature and a degree in English from Sweet Briar College, Caroline sees Birmingham through the eyes of a writer. She sees its many chapters, its challenges in the ’60s, it’s triumphant rise to the culinary and artistic center it has become. She sees its current struggle to transcend stereotypes that have weighed it down for so long. And she sees it as home, for her, and for those who discover its real story.
Caroline Sparrow
Sumner’s abiding love for Birmingham inspires her desire to share our city. As a private banker, she learned the art of listening in order to understand client needs. It was a natural extension of a tradition she adopted during her years at Washington & Lee, a campus tradition of always speaking to people as you pass them, acknowledging their presence and valuing civility. On a beautiful spring day, you might find Sumner and her family strolling through the Birmingham Botanical Gardens or enjoying a game of boules behind Chez Fon Fon.
Sumner Starling
Having worked in the world of corporate law, Melinda has learned the importance of attending to the details, and has developed a keen sense of what our clients’ high-level recruits expect. A native Floridian, she loves her adopted city, especially its natural beauty and the passing of the seasons here in the foothills of the Appalachians.
Melinda Shallcross
As the external and internal “voice” of Chalker, Jasmine tells our story to all of our many audiences in all the ways a story can be told. Having come from the non-profit sector, she’s used to connecting people with services. Now, she’s helping a team of people connect newcomers to Birmingham. And to say that she loves it is a woeful understatement. Writer, gourmand, student of human nature, and a budding multi-channel marketer, Jasmine brings a freshness to Chalker that goes well beyond “voice."
Jasmine Shaw
Kathleen has lived in some of the most desirable cities in the country. She’s worked and lived in New York, Washington DC, Atlanta, even Dallas where she earned her undergraduate degree in finance at SMU. But, in Birmingham she’s found the magic that makes us the Magic City, and she loves to share it with recruits. She enjoys showing them the robust food scene (her favorite might just be Ollie Irene), our gorgeous green spaces and all that is Birmingham. She will tell you that we have everything you could want from one of those other cities, with the easy vibe of a small town.
Kathleen Doss
Having relocated to Birmingham 15 years ago, Christiana knows what it’s like to encounter Birmingham for the first time, and then get to know our city for what it’s really like. She has come to see Birmingham as a place where EVERYONE can find “their people.” Moreover, as a gourmand, national food writer, member of the Birmingham chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, and an avid reader of culinary memoirs, she’s uniquely qualified to introduce candidates to one of Birmingham’s big draws – our food scene.
Christiana Roussel