Create Birmingham Board Appoints Valerie Collins Thomas as Interim Chief Executive Officer
Birmingham, Alabama – January 13, 2026 – Create Birmingham announced today that its Board of Directors appointed its dedicated board member Valerie Collins Thomas as the company’s Interim Chief Executive Officer replacing Quang Do.
In 2010, Valerie moved to Birmingham from San Antonio, and immediately threw herself into getting to know the city. She fell in love with the historic neighborhoods, the incredible variety of visual and performing arts, walkability, and of course, the food. Recognizing the magic of Birmingham, she formed The VAL Group, and brought her extensive corporate background to the table for her clients.
Valerie’s devotion to the arts in Birmingham, her corporate experience as a systems engineer and marketing representative with IBM, and subsequent nonprofit management and development roles with organizations like the Allentown Art Museum, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, and the National Trauma Institute, make Valerie uniquely poised to lead Create Birmingham through this transition and maintain momentum on key strategic initiatives. According to Angela Wier, Board Chair, “The Board is confident that Valerie’s deep industry knowledge and operational expertise make her the ideal person to step into the interim role and ensure stability and continued progress.”
“I am pleased to be able to serve our community further as Create Birmingham’s Interim CEO during this important time of transition,” said Valerie Thomas. “I look forward to collaborating closely with our talented team to continue delivering value to our clients and stakeholders. My immediate priorities are to ensure seamless operations, support our team, connect with and inform our generous donors until our Board names a permanent CEO.
To connect with Valerie email ceo@createbirmingham.org.
