sarah beth thornton
Vice President, Community Partnerships
sstewart@retailstrategies.com
256.679.7431
Birmingham, AL
Vice President, Community Partnerships

Sarah Beth Stewart

Sarah Beth is the Vice President of Community Partnerships for Retail Strategies. In this position, she leads a team of retail consultants who specialize in assisting municipal leaders on their retail recruitment and business development initiatives. Her team engages with cities nationwide. 

Sarah Beth brings a consultative background and approach to Retail Strategies’ clients with her passion for helping communities reach their untapped potential.

Prior to Retail Strategies, she worked in the media industry at both FOX and NBC affiliates. She utilized data and local drivers to assist small businesses in promoting their brands and services.  

In 2020, she was named Top 35 Under 35 for her efforts through Retail Strategies and her contribution to local economies. Sarah Beth has been a featured speaker at numerous young women’s conferences speaking on the importance of building a personal brand. Her industry speaking experience includes the International City and County Manager’s Association (ICMA) annual conference, the Wisconsin Economic Developer’s Association (WEDA) annual conference, and numerous countywide engagements in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Florida.

She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of Alabama Huntsville. An active volunteer for her sorority, Delta Zeta, she serves on the National Recruitment team and is currently the President of the Birmingham Alumnae Chapter.

The people. I love meeting new people and discovering what makes them tick. When people talk about their passions their faces just light up. I’ve had the opportunity to meet and get to know a diverse group of people through my career and it never gets old!
My dad grew up in Louisiana and has a book called the Cajun Night Before Christmas where ole St. Nick is pulled in a skiff by eight alligators and one is even named Tiboy. Every Christmas eve my parents, siblings, and I pass the book back and forth reading the story to each other complete with the Cajun accent.
Volunteer- there are so many organizations and groups of people that I am so passionate about helping. My dream is to one day start my own non profit that helps drug abusers find what they are passionate about and help them make it a reality.