By Jordyn Davis | For The Birmingham Times
When Cornell Wesley left Birmingham at age 18 to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta, he remembers taking a part of the Magic City with him everywhere he went and was immeasurably proud of the growth of the city when he returned 4 ½ years later in 2021.
Now the city’s executive director of the department of innovation and economic opportunity is preparing to depart again.
After serving in his hometown for nearly 5 years, Wesley, has been named executive director of Prosper Portland, an urban development agency focusing on economic development and is set to begin work there on Monday, August 4. His last day at City Hall is Wednesday July 23.
As a Birmingham native and graduate of the city’s historic A.H. Parker High School, Wesley was able to closely observe the economic advantage of neighborhoods in the city. His work throughout Birmingham has served as a thank you to the lessons he’s learned growing up and will carry to his next stop, he told The Birmingham Times, ahead of a farewell party held July 17 at Prvlge on 1st Ave. North.
“There are many things I love about Birmingham. There’s a strong sense of community and truly a pulse and heartbeat that you can feel, and you know something transformational happened here. I love the fact that my family played a role in it. I stand on the shoulders of the members of the Children’s March,” Wesley said. “I’m a proud A.H. Parker High School graduate, and I love how its history has changed and how it has played a significant role.”
Finding His Passion
After graduating from Morehouse College in Atlanta in 2005 as an economics major, Wesley entered the workforce fresh out of college. He began working for popular banks in Atlanta, beginning as a vice president financial center manager and Fidelity Bank and soon moved across the South, finally settling into Oklahoma, where he became an economic development representative at the U.S. Department of Commerce.
After finding his passion for economic growth and using his skills to expand global recruitment efforts, Wesley received a call from the current City of Birmingham administration to bring his career accomplishments back home. He would go on to become the executive director of the department of innovation. In 2024, Wesly was selected to serve a two-year term on the board of directors for the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) for the City of Birmingham.
“I definitely want to thank the Woodfin administration. Without that call I wouldn’t have been able to return home so, I want to honor that.”
Once he returned to the Magic City Wesley immediately got to work. During his time, he was able to play a significant role in the Coca-Cola Corporate Headquarters expansion which created dozens of jobs, the transformation of the Kingston community and has brought thousands of patrons to Birmingham via the World Police and Fire Games sporting events.
“The Coca-Cola Corporate Headquarters expansion here in Birmingham will and has created dozens of jobs and transformed the Kingston community. The World Police Fire Games has truly given our city an identity in sports and entertainment,” Wesley mentioned.
“The economics in Birmingham are important to me personally because it’s based on where I grew up and the lenses I viewed Birmingham as a child growing up in the Titusville community,” he said. “Seeing what others had versus what others did not … sparked my level of curiosity. That curiosity became a career that started in banking and financial services and pivoted into economic development,” Wesley reflected.
Prosper Portland
On June 27, 2025, Prosper Portland announced Wesley as the next Executive Director via press release. According to prosperportland.us, the agency is rooted in “building an equitable economy by carrying out a comprehensive range of economic development programs that’s support small businesses, improve access to workforce training and create jobs for Portland residents.”
Prosper Portland is a large organization with over 90 employees. Wesley will be tasked with managing a $300 million annual budget and continue to contribute to its mission of creating new jobs, advancing opportunities and creating vibrant communities.
The Birmingham native said he is looking forward to new challenges that may come his way as well as embracing Portland and being able to duplicate his success.
“In most cases, being the second most visible person in the city of Birmingham beyond the mayor in terms of project related topics or being able to manage and develop staff has prepared me for this role. I’ve been able to travel internationally on behalf of the city and recruit companies back to our community and so all of these things have prepared me for this moment” Wesley said.
A Fond Farewell
Asked about a specific message he would like to leave Birmingham with Wesley reflected on his growth and dedication to his hometown:
“I hope that I have made you all proud. I will continue to represent you well, to honor the sacrifice of our civilized history and how it has shaped our country. I will carry those stories, those narratives and those experiences wherever I go, and I will honor this city by being better, stronger and hopefully being able to retire.”
He also spoke of how Birmingham “is truly a special place unlike any other place I’ve lived in. I love, quite candidly, how Black it is. Unlike many places in country, it’s [Birmingham] led by leadership that looks like me,” he said.
