Courtney Ross is the Senior Manager of External Affairs for Amazon. Courtney works on the Amazon Public Policy team and leads the effort of supporting and driving engagement with local stakeholders, business organizations, and civic associations on behalf of Amazon Nashville. Prior to this role, Ross spent 12 years at the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce in two roles. Ross served as the Chief Economic Development Officer from 2014 – 2020. She led the economic development team that acts as the Nashville regi on’s lead marketing agency for economic development, with functions including business recruitment, business retention and expansion, talent retention and recruitment, and international business. Successful relocation and expansion projects in which Ross h as been involved include Amazon, AllianceBerstein, Bridgestone Americas, UBS, Asurion, HCA, AIG, LifePoint Health, Hankook Tires, ServiceSource and numerous others. Courtney joined the Chamber in 2008 as Vice President of Business Retention and Expansion.
Under her leadership, Site Selection magazine named the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce one of the nation’s top economic development groups for 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014. In 2015, Ross was named one of North America’s Top 50 Economic Dev elopers by Consultant Connect. In 2021, the Nashville Business Journal named Courtney to their People to Watch list and in 2018 their Power of 100 list in the dealmaker category.
Courtney’s over 20 – year economic development career has included positions at the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, Memphis BioWorks and the State of Tennessee. She previously or currently serves on the following boards; Nashville Downtown Partnership, St. Bernard Academy, Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, NAIOP, Y WCA AMEND Together, Nashville Technology Council and Nashville Film Festival. Courtney is a member of the Leadership Nashville class of 2017 – 2018.
Ms. Ross is a native of Memphis, TN and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Arkansa s in Fayetteville. Courtney and her husband, Jason, and their two children, Jake and Ellie, reside in Nashville