Laurel Bailey

Photo by Dennis Keim

Laurel Bailey

Chief Operating Officer

Industrial Properties of the South

Laurel Bailey is a graduate of Birmingham Southern College with a BS in Business Administration, and of UAB Business School with her Master’s in Business Administration. After three years in public accounting in Birmingham, she returned to Huntsville to work for Industrial Properties of the South. She volunteers on the Symphony Board, WEDC Committee, Momentum Leaders Board, and is very active in the commercial real estate community. She has two children and is married to John. Laurel is currently the COO of IPS.

What civic organizations or nonprofits have you been involved with, and why have those been important to you?

I am currently on the Board of Momentum Leaders www.momentumleaders.org. This is an organization and mission that are very important to me.  For more than 20 years, Momentum has delivered training, resources, and networking for high-level leaders in Birmingham to achieve their goals. In 2022, Momentum expanded our highly successful executive leadership program to North Alabama. I was a part of their Executive Class 1 in Huntsville, and it was a very transformative experience.  For any women leaders interested in Momentum, I hope they reach out to myself or another alumna for more details.

 What do you love most about your job?

No two days are the same in my job in Commercial Real Estate.  There are always new challenges, opportunities and areas of growth.  I love working with people and helping people grow their business and my job allows me to do both.  I enjoy meeting potential new tenants who are new to the Huntsville area and helping them find a home here for their business.

How has business culture changed for women since your career started?

When I started working in 2001 in public accounting, all my bosses were men.  Accounting was a challenging field for women because of the long hours required during tax season.  The accounting firm we now use for my company has many female managers, who have more flexibility, which I am sure has helped the industry attract talented women.  In Commercial Real Estate, I have seen more women entering the field, which has historically been male-dominated.  Women have more leadership roles in the business organizations that I am a part of, which has led to more women in management.  Progress has been made, but there is still a long way to go!