Category: Upcoming Speakers

Speaker Bio – Mike Sledge

Mike Sledge began his career in the hardware and industrial supply business as a teenager, working as a stock boy in a small, family-owned hardware store in the late 1980s. That early experience sparked a lifelong passion for the industry. He went on to build a successful career with a Fortune 500 industrial distribution company, managing locations across the Southeastern United States.

At age 39, Mike took a leap of faith and, alongside his wife Suzy, founded Coastal Industrial Supply in 2010. Today, their company supplies materials to companies and job sites across the country. A Baldwin County, Alabama resident since 2003, Mike is proud to work alongside his children, Jake and Maggie, who help run the family business. His youngest, Marley, is currently attending the University of Montevallo. Mike and Suzy are also the devoted owners of Woody, their lovable (and slightly dopey) golden retriever.

The Sledges split their time between Alabama and New Orleans, where they recently purchased a small shotgun home in the St. Roch neighborhood, allowing them to stay connected to a city they fell in love with decades ago.

Mike joined Rotary in 2017 and has been an active and dedicated member ever since. He has served as Club President and Assistant Governor and currently serves as District PolioPlus Chair and District RYLA Chair for Rotary District 6880 for the 2025–2026 Rotary year. His commitment to leadership development and global service reflects his deep belief in Rotary’s mission.

Outside of work and service, Mike enjoys restoring vintage automobiles, especially classic Volkswagens, and traveling in search of new adventures. In the summer of 2024, he spent 18 days riding a Royal Enfield motorcycle through the Himalayan Mountains of Northern India as part of the International Fellowship of Motorcycling Rotarians. Along the way, he survived harrowing roads, questionable food, unforgettable hospitality, and some of the most breathtaking scenery on Earth, all while raising funds for The Rotary Foundation.

A little-known fun fact: Mike has two cocktails named after him. If you find yourself at C’est Le Vin in Foley, Alabama, order a “Sledgehammer,” or at The Gemstone in Amory, Mississippi, try the “Mike Sledge.” They are entirely different, equally memorable, and guaranteed to be enjoyed.

 

David serves as the Executive Vice President of Economic Development at the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. He joined the economic development department in January 2015. David’s department is the lead economic development agency for the City of Mobile and Mobile County. Under his role, David oversees the day-to-day operations of the department, which consists of business recruitment and expansion, international trade, foreign direct investment, workforce development, talent attraction, existing industry relations, and investor relations. Prior to his role as Executive Vice President, David served as the Vice President, Senior Project Manager, and Project Manager, where he managed lead generation, project recruitment activity, and industrial site development for the Mobile area. David has led his team in announcing 10,211 new direct jobs and more than $8.4 billion of new investment in the Mobile community. David serves on various local boards, including the Board of Directors for the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission and the Board of Directors for the USA Research and Technology Park. He completed the University of Alabama Economic Honors Program and Oklahoma University’s Economic Development Institute. In 2022, David earned the designation of CEcD, the highest certification for economic development practitioners. David was born and raised in Mobile and attended the University of Southern Mississippi. He and his wife, Lauren, have two young sons.