HBJ Oct 2021

Keeping you informed and inspired.

October 2021

VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 10

ENTERTAINMENT

COVER STORY

Huntsville’s New Music Streaming Platform is a Blast!

Launched August 31 by the Huntsville/ Madison County Public Library as their contribution to Mayor Tommy Battle’s Music Initiative, Blast is Huntsville’s first streaming platform to feature local artists, build local music libraries and catalogs, and to engage and support local artists throughout the community.

By Kimberly Ballard- Page 6

GOVERNMENT

The City of Huntsville’s 2022 Budget: DEVELOPMENT Workforce Development, Quality of Life, and the City’s Standard

Huntsville’s growth is known far and wide, and lMayor Tommy Battle introduced the City of Huntsville’s FY 2022 General Fund Budget to keep up with the city’s growth.

By Gus Wintzell - Page 17

ADDITIONAL STORIES • Quaint and Historic Meets Low-Rise Luxury at Avenue Madison

By Kimberly Ballard • Page 5

• Pandemic, Entrepreneurship, and Fried Chicken: A Story of Small Business Success in Madison County

By Mike Easterling • Page 8

• The Catalyst: Leading Ladies Boosting the Entrepreneurial Trajectory of North Alabama

See story on Page 12

By Lori J. Connors • Page 20

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HUNTSVILLE

BUSINESS JOURNAL Vol 4, Issue 10 October 2021 600 Boulevard South Suite 104 Huntsville, AL 35802

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

October 2021

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HBJ INTRODUCTION

Welcome New Editor: Gus Wintzell We are beyond excited to welcome Jacob “Gus” Wintzell to our team, as the new Editor in Chief of The Huntsville Business Journal. Wintzell has been a resident of Huntsville since 1999 and we are positive that he will help us grow along with the city of Huntsville and North Alabama for the foreseeable future.

An experienced writer, Wintzell received his master’s degree in History in the spring of 2021 from The University of Alabama Huntsville. In addition to his former experience with HBJ as a writer, he was a founding member and editor of UAH’s academic journal Perpetua.

Gus is very passionate about our City and his vision for The Huntsville Business Journal reflects that.

“My vision is to grow The Huntsville Business Journal in accordance with the Huntsville

“My vision is to grow The Huntsville Business Journal in accordance with the Huntsville and Madison County area. As they grow, so should we.

It’s not just about growing as a business though; it’s also about providing a service to the community” and Madison County area. As they grow, so should we. It’s not just about growing as a business though; it’s also about providing a service to the community,” he explained.

“We provide a very specific type of news with a focus on letting our readers know what is going on within the community around them,” he continued. “One of the

best things about Huntsville is the sense of interconnectivity and networking we have. We want to strengthen that by acting as a liaison between all the various branches of our community.”

His focus on community shows in his past work experience as well. Gus served as the lead grant writer for the Future Ambassador Program at UAH. This program brings foreign exchange students to Huntsville from all over the world. He specifically focused on bringing in students and educators from the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.

When asked about his favorite aspects of Huntsville, Gus says he loves how the city has kept a sense of familiarity due to the amount of various small businesses in the area.

“I love the small business scene here. Even though we do bring in huge businesses to the city,

Huntsville is still a place where you can put a face to the name.

Our lucrative small business scene is a big reason why that is true. We want to help add to that sense of community as a publication.”

Please join us in welcoming Gus Wintzell to the HBJ team. u

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

Subsidiary of EVENT Publishing

President /Publisher................................................................ Todd Stephenson Editor ................................................................................................Gus Wintzell Writers.........................................................................................Kimberly Ballard

Alan Clemons

Lori J. Connors

Mike Easterling

Noah Logan Graphic Design ............................................................................. Justina Simon Website................................................................................................ Jim Gharib Photographers...................................................................................Steve Babin

Kimberly Ballard

Justina Simon Director of Sales ................................................................. Carolyn Stephenson Account Executives......................................................................... Noah Logan Distribution......................................................................................Glenda Mace Huntsville Business Journal is published monthly by EVENT Publishing,

PO Box 14219, Huntsville, AL 35815.

For advertising information call 256.533.8078, e-mail todd@eventhuntsville.com, or visit us on the web at www.huntsvillebusinessjournal.com For editorial information contact editor@huntsvillebusinessjournal.com ALL CONTENTS ©2021. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. REPRODUCTION OR USE IN WHOLE OR IN PART OF THE CONTENTS WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER IS PROHIBITED. HUNTSVILLE BUSINESS JOURNAL IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF EVENT PUBLISHING. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. UNSOLICITED PHOTOGRAPHS OR ARTICLES ARE SUBMITTED AT THE RISK OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER OR AUTHOR. EVENT PUBLISHING ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR THE RETURN OF ANY UNSOLICITED MATERIALS AND MAY USE THEM AT ITS DISCRETION.

October 2021

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DEVELOPMENT

Quaint and Historic Meets Low-Rise Luxury at Avenue Madison Downtown Madison has always been known for its small-town charm with a historic train depot and jailhouse converted into a familyowned restaurant, a southern style downtown gazebo, firmly planted bungalow homes with wraparound porches, eclectic retail shops, and the town’s favorite event space known as The Barn.

But downtown Madison is going through a rejuvenation of spirit with the grand opening of its first low-rise luxury living mixed-use community, Avenue Madison.

In fact, the 190-loft-style luxury studio, 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom apartment community is the perfect fit for downtown Madison with its walkable village-like atmosphere and its own spattering of retail and restaurants.

According to Whitney Butler, regional manager for Sealy Management Company, who will be managing the property, Avenue Madison was built with Avenue Huntsville in mind, only a bit more spread out and with three buildings instead of just one.

“We were trying to create something similar to Huntsville with connectivity to downtown Madison and its shops, restaurants, and brewery,” said Butler. “Avenue Madison is a lot more walkable, and because of that, we believe it will entice not just Avenue Madison residents, but more Madison residents in general to come and hang out downtown, go see a concert

Ribbon Cutting of the Avenue Madison with the Madison Chamber, developers Charlie & Sasha Sealy, and Madison Mayor Paul Finley

or event at the renovated Home Place Park Amphitheater, or grab a drink and dinner somewhere downtown.”

As he and the Madison Chamber of Commerce shared ribbon-cutting duties, Madison Mayor Paul Finley said, “We were excited when Avenue Madison first broke ground, and we are excited now that it is open and already at over 80 percent occupancy on ribbon-cutting day. It is very much a big part of downtown Madison as it just keeps on growing.”

Charlie Sealy and his wife Sasha developed the property and will be managing it as well.

“That was our vision from the beginning, to get more people and residents here that will support downtown,” Sealy said.

“We are very excited to be here today. You know we have been working on Similar to Avenue Huntsville, Avenue Madison features a Avenue Madison central courtyard-style pool with other outdoor amenities since 2018 if you include acquiring the land and all the planning and the upfront design.

Our goal is to really have this connected with downtown … and then further connecting it with the park

and the new middle school going up to the south of the football stadium that is currently under construction.

“With a pedestrian environment and shops and restaurants, hopefully,

By Kimberly Ballard

this will lead to more shops and restaurants in the immediate area.”

Avenue Madison studios start at $925 to $950 a month with threebedroom apartments priced at $1,400 to $2000 per month.

The bright and airy lofts feature 9-foot to 14-foot ceilings, gourmet kitchens with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops, walk-out or Juliette-style balconies, and stained concrete and urban plank flooring.

The resort-style courtyard features a saltwater pool with inwater tanning ledges, an outdoor fire pit and lounge, bocce ball court, and a grill and dining area.

Other amenities include a pet spa and grooming station, 24/7 fitness center with Peloton bikes, airconditioned interior corridors with elevators, package acceptance and delivery, and co-working space. u

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

ENTERTAINMENT

Huntsville’s New Music Streaming Platform is a Blast!

You don’t need a library card to check out Blast, Huntsville’s new online platform for streaming music from local artists.

Launched August 31 by the Huntsville/Madison County Public Library as their contribution to Mayor Tommy Battle’s Music Initiative, Blast is Huntsville’s first streaming platform to feature local artists, build local music libraries and catalogs, and to engage and support local artists throughout the community.

Annie Phillips, digital services manager for the library and the project manager for Blast, said they started the platform in February and spent about a month accepting the first round of submissions from Tennessee Valley artists.

“It’s a blessing the diversity of music we have in our market,” Phillips said. “Blast feeds into the mission of the Huntsville Music Board to improve the music economy.

Artists uploaded two or more musical tracks to the Blast platform, along with album art and their profile. They can also add a PayPal link so listeners can tip them for their work.

“In addition to streaming their music, artists accepted onto the

platform are paid between $200 and $300 as an honorarium,” said Phillips. “We will be featuring a new artist every week and we want to keep the buzz going as we move towards a second round of artists in February 2022.

“It is a great way to help the community discover new artists and follow musicians they have been listening to a long time.”

There will be two selection rounds per year and over 40 local musicians were accepted for the first round by a music curator team made up of community musicians and local music aficionados.

The first Blast curator team consisted of Codie Gopher, a local musician and member of the Music Board of Directors under Mayor Battle’s Music Initiative; Michael Kilpatrick, one of Huntsville’s own award-winning musicians with a 35-year career in music, radio and television; and Matt Wake, a music journalist for the Huntsville Times, Spin, Rolling Stone and Billboard.

Four members of the library staff were also on the team: branch manager of the Calvary

Hill library, Courtney Braggs, who is responsible for giving the Blast platform its name; Suzanne Flynn, coordinator of the HMCPL Summer Concert Series; David Lilly, librarian in the Special Collections Department; and Phillips herself.

“Blast represents a quintessential and fundamental

By Kimberly Ballard

story of what Huntsville is doing to support music and local musicians,” said Ryan Murphy, president of the Venue Group who is managing the new Huntsville Amphitheater at MidCity for the City of Huntsville.

“The Huntsville Amphitheater will provide cultural programming and support the local music scene in part by supporting the public library’s streaming platform, Blast; and by offering the more than 40 local musicians from around the Tennessee Valley opportunities to perform the platform’s music live onstage starting next spring.”

The Blast platform is easy to use. Go to https://blast.hmcpl. org, choose an artist or an album and hit ‘Play’. The tunes stream in your browser. u

October 2021

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

FOOD / DINING

Pandemic, Entrepreneurship, and Fried Chicken: A Story of Small Business Success in Madison County Eugene Jung and his partner weren’t just looking for a good business location when they brought their restaurant to Madison Boulevard.

At least for Jung. He was looking for a community relationship and found what he was looking for with Champy’s World Famous Fried Chicken, partly because of the pandemic.

The arrival of COVID-19 about 17 months after the opening of Champy’s allowed Jung to get off the road from his day job as a software salesman for IBM. “One of the positives of the pandemic,’’ he said, “was I’m usually traveling 150-180 days a year. The pandemic allowed me to stay here not only to dig in with the restaurant but the

Champy’s Chicken located off Madison Boulevard in the Publix Shopping Center

community itself.’’

Champy’s, which is based in Chattanooga but is not a franchise, also has a location at the concessions area of Toyota Field.

A self-described “kissing babies

and shaking hands’’ entrepreneur who had never worked in a restaurant before, upped his efforts during the pandemic shutdown to branch out beyond the walls of Champy’s to build bridges.

By Mike Easterling / Photos by Steve Babin

During the shutdown, for example, he bought his skeleton curbside-only staff, meals from all surrounding eateries.

“I want all the restaurants around here to be wildly successful,’’ he said as a large lunchday crowd filled into Champy’s dining room after the shutdown was lifted.

Jung, 46, has previously only worked in business. His brother-inlaw approached him about opening a restaurant and they decided to go with Champy’s instead of a chain.

Next was finding a location.

Jung, whose family settled in Atlanta from Korea when he was 4 years old, had considered Kennesaw (Ga.) among 15 other locations including the Bahamas, which would prove impractical. Madison, and the former Buffalo’s site, proved

October 2021

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FOOD / DINING

to be the final destination.

A fast-food franchise wasn’t an option.

“We’d always talked about doing something like this,’’ Jung said. “We wanted to do something we believed in.’’

Champy’s in Madison opened July 3, 2019. Jung said business was “very, very good’’ until the pandemic hit. Then a funny thing happened -- business not only continued to be brisk but it may have gotten better.

“We had built a strong following,’’ Jung said. “There’s a lot of housing right down here on Zierdt Road. We were really the only sit down bar with food (nearby) and we had captured a lot of those customers.

“During the pandemic they did a great job of supporting us. They would order dinner for their family and would tip extraordinarily, like for a $25 order they’d tip $50 or $100.’’

Eugene Jung opened Madison’s location of Champy’s on July 3, 2019

Jung said the tips were high because customers wanted to show their appreciation for the curbside service. Champy’s only closed during the shutdown for

two days after two staff members tested positive for COVID-19.

Otherwise service continued. Chicken is only part of the vast menu.

Sausage cheese pickles and Mississippi Delta tamales are the signature dishes.

“Cars were lined up for orders to go, which was great,’’ Jung said.

“People were like, ‘Here’s $100, thanks for being open.’ It was great. Built relationships in the community. That’s kind of my thing.’’

Servers made so much in tips one was able to replace a wrecked car with the money she made.

“We were lucky,’’ said Jenny Helft, Champy’s general manager.

“I think it went smoothly (during the shutdown), considering.’’

Being off the road, and

“networking,’’ allowed Jung to develop relationships with his neighbors. He became good friends with staff and owners at surrounding restaurants and businesses and others including Madison schools, of which his store makes regular donations.

Jung said he’s become pals with the likes of Mayor Paul Finley and city council members. Champy’s, along with the city council, Old Black Bear Brewing Company and Chuckwagon BBQ are hosting a festival in downtown Madison on October 23 with performer Rodney Atkins scheduled to headline..

“It’s sort of like (Huntsville’s) Whistlestop,’’ Jung said. “That wouldn’t have happened if I wouldn’t have been able to get into the community.’’

The festival is all part of Jung’s motto.

“Pay it forward, pay it back,’’ he said. u

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Newest Renovations Add to the Long History of Lincoln Mill Huntsville’s historic Lincoln Mill has been undergoing a complete renovation to “transform the development into the amenity-rich office complex it was meant to be,” according to Crunkleton Commercial Real Estate.

Crunkleton’s effort to renovate the site is just the latest example of a community that aims to preserve pieces of its past that help tell the story of Huntsville Lincoln Mill first opened in 1900 and quickly became the largest textile mill in Huntsville. It operated under multiple different names in its first few decades of operation, such as Madison Spinning Company, rebranded as Abingdon Mills in 1908, and finally became Lincoln Mill in 1918.

The idea of transforming Lincoln Mill into a dedicated office space came in the late 1950s. Local business representatives took control of the site in 1957 after multiple worker strikes in 1950 and 1954 that forced the textile

mill to close its doors for good.

Their main goal was to reopen the mill as the Huntsville Industrial Complex (HIC) in order to attract Wernher Von Braun and the Army Missile Command to the city.

After the largest fire in the history of Huntsville raged through its campus in 1982, new owners took control of HIC and renamed it the Downtown Industrial Complex. Major renovations would take place at the oldest structures that survived the fire, Mill No. 3 and the Dye House, and they became home to tenants from engineering companies, educational facilities and government offices.

The complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010 and was acquired by Crunkleton Commercial Real Estate in 2020 with big plans for major renovations The updates have not only added to the look of Lincoln Mill but also its functionality. Officials at Crunkleton are aiming to take Lincoln Mill from

just offices to a community hub that everyone can enjoy.

The project team for Lincoln Mill’s redevelopment is made up of local experts including Matheny Goldmon, Joe Still Building Company, and Lanier Ford.

Some of the most recent changes are clearly visible even when driving by. The Dye House, now the property’s retail hub, received new paint and added storefronts in a new facelift. A massive sign featuring the new logo was also installed on the roof of the main

By Noah Logan / Rendering courtesy of Commercial Real EstateCrunkelton office building in September.

Additional signage has also been placed in order for the North and South lobbies to be easily identified as well as a new branded monument located on Meridian Street.

There’s also a new station for Downtown Huntsville’s Blue Bike program. The bike rack provides rentable bikes that anyone can use with the use of the free Movatic app. Finally, a brand new court yard has also been added to the South Lobby.

For those who wish to stay up to date on the Lincoln Mill revitalization process, Crunkleton Real Estate’s website publishes all of the updates including new tenants, amenities and completion timelines in its blog at www. crunkletonassociates.com/blog/. u

October 2021

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

COVER COVER S

Huntsville Takes the Lead to

By Kimberly Ballard /

Presentation of the Artemis Project at Huntsville’s Space and Rocket Center

Growing up in the shadow of the Saturn V rocket and the Apollo missions was an inspiration to the Huntsville community. For many, it meant your dreams could become reality; that there is nothing to stop you from reaching for the stars; that those dreams had the power to reshape the future and take you far beyond where you ever thought it possible to go.

Today, a new generation of space explorers is taking over. They are watching and learning and building their own bright futures right here in the Rocket City. They are the Artemis generation, who will once again lead the way as America

returns to the moon, this time with the Space Launch Systems (SLS) – the most powerful rocket ever developed.

This is the way Hartselle native, Jody Singer, director of Marshall Space Flight Center described her experience this week as she officially introduced the SLS and Artemis program from the podium of the National Geographic Theater at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s Davidson Center.

Artemis is NASA’s next great space exploration mission. In Greek mythology, Artemis is Apollo’s sister, a fitting choice since it will ultimately deliver the first woman

and person of color, whom have yet to be determined, to the surface of the moon.

SLS is the rocket that will get them there.

“Sixty years ago, we developed and tested that breathtaking Saturn V rocket that stands as a mascot for North Alabama and a beacon for everyone who passes through Huntsville,” Singer said. “For more than 60 years, Huntsville has built and tested space hardware,

performed science, and supported the International Space Station.

Now, SLS will soon take its place alongside Saturn V as just one more grand achievement of the American Space Program.”

Tentatively slated to launch by the end of this year or early next year from Kennedy Space Center, Singer said it isn’t just about MSFC, but it’s about Huntsville, about the state of Alabama and the North Alabama region.

“Space exploration is in our DNA,” said Singer. “Over 1,100 industry partners have been living and working in this city a long time, preparing for this event.

“While much of the hardware has been built and tested right here at MSFC, it is still very hard cheating gravity and doing what it takes to make sure our astronauts are safe. It’s important to have a city, a state, a country, that supports us and works alongside us.”

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle explained why SLS and Artemis are so important to our community, and why the moon is still a viable target.

“Currently, the SLS program has contributed $2.4 billion to Alabama’s economy; 13,000 jobs across the state; and generated more than $55 million in state and local taxes,” Mayor Battle said. “When you look at how much it is adding to

October 2021

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STORY STORY

o “Rock-it” Back to the Moon Photos by Steve Babin

our economy and then look at what it is adding to the world, you realize we are doing something no one else can do, that we’ve done it before, and we are doing it again.

“Huntsville will show the world we are ahead of everybody else in the world technology-wise. Artemis will take mankind beyond this world, to sit on other planets and other moons, and we will be able to look back at the world … a leader in a race to make our world a better place.”

Many people have asked, “Why the moon? We have already been there.”

But according to experts, the moon is imperative to our aspirations for going deeper and deeper into space; to deliver humans and their systems into that deep space; and to ultimately put them on the face of our nearest planet, Mars.

“SLS is a result of a national effort with the ability to evolve and support our deep space aspirations,” said Singer. “It’s not just the first mission, it is missions to come and how we are going to evolve and support and deliver humans and their systems in one launch, into deep space. Artemis’ lunar exploration crew will establish a long-term presence on the moon and ultimately help us understand what it takes to live off-planet so we can make our next great leap into deep space and to Mars.”

SLS is the only rocket right now, capable, with the Orion crew capsule holding astronauts and cargo, to get us to the moon in a single mission.

When Artemis launches, SLS will be the most powerful rocket in the world. As this advanced space craft circles the moon, it will demonstrate a complex integration of many systems and components working together.

It will also be carrying several hitchhikers in the form of science experiments. These experiments will deploy on their own and show what

space exploration looks like.

“SLS will be a continuous steppingstone to preparing us for the next phase of the next missions that carry our astronauts back to the moon,” said Singer. “Artemis will be around for a long time.”

“Since 1953, Huntsville has been known as the Rocket City, and it is about to ‘Rock-it’ one more time as we take ourselves back into deep space, and from there, we go beyond,” said Mayor Battle. “I am very proud to be a part of a city that can put that together – to produce systems and propulsion systems that can take us back into deep space and bring us back safely to earth.

“So, let’s go – let’s go to the moon!” u

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle addressing the impact and goals of the Artemis project

Demonstration of the various components making up the SLS rocket

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

GOVERNMENT

2020 Census Speaks: Huntsville Metro the Largest in the State The headline is simple: Huntsville proper has become the largest city in Alabama with a 1.9 percent annual growth rate that is about 2.5 percent faster than annual census projections predicted.

The actual raw data from the full 10-year census showed that Huntsville saw a significant increase in population to 215,006, edging out Birmingham as the largest city in Alabama with the biggest gains found in Madison County.

Huntsville added 35,000 people in 10 years, or 3,500 people per year, which impacts housing, job opportunities, and workforce issues.

“The numbers were very good for the Huntsville metro area,” said Ken Smith, the Huntsville/ Madison County Chamber of Commerce’s senior director of Research & Information Services.

“But Huntsville’s gains are only part of the story. It was also good news for the 2-county Huntsville metro that includes Limestone County, and great news for the state of Alabama.

“Alabama’s good census turnout means we will keep a congressional seat many have been concerned we would lose over the past two years.

“You also have to look at the City of Madison, which added about 11,000 people in 10 years, or 1,100 people per year.”

Looking at the North Alabama counties that make up the Huntsville's metro, Madison County’s growth rate was 1.6 percent per year.

Limestone County was the second fastest growing county in the state adding 21,000 people in 10 years bringing it close to 100,000. When combined with Madison County, which makes up the Huntsville metro, the total population is almost 500,000 (488,000) amounting to the second largest metro in the state and certain to remain that way for many years to come.

“About 74,000 people have come into Huntsville’s metro over the past ten years, which averages out to about 20 people per a day and about 30 percent of the state’s total population growth,” said Smith.

“Then compare Alabama’s 5 percent growth to the overall U.S. growth at 7.5 percent. Those are very good numbers.”

Smith said more census data will be released in late September and understanding how the census’ Office of Management & Budget determines a city’s metro is significant as more in-depth data is analyzed.

“Some people are saying we are comparing apples to oranges when we compare Huntsville’s two-county metro with Birmingham’s 7-county metro, but they use a formula based on 25 percent of a county’s workers who live in one county and work in another county,” Smith said. “If a

city meets a certain threshold of 25 percent, then that county becomes part of your metro area.

“Those numbers are not yet released, so it may well be that we gain another county in our metro area – likely Lincoln County, Tennessee because we have a good number of people driving in from there every day.

“Also, Decatur (Morgan County) has its own metro area,” he said. “Depending on how the numbers work out down the road, one day it might be possible the two-county Decatur metro and the two-county Huntsville metro, along with Lincoln County, Tenn. will combine into one metro area.

By Kimberly Ballard

“We’ll just have to wait and see since it is based on the formulas and traffic patterns, but the data coming later this month may tell an interesting story.”

A list of the top 20 fastest growing metros in the country places the Huntsville metro at 18th.

Some of the growing metros on the list are retirement communities in Texas and second home destinations in Florida. Others are like Huntsville in terms of competition for high technology workforces. Many of them are in southeastern states, but not many are in the Midwest and northern metros.

“What this means is our entire region is growing, some a little faster than others, but the way we look at our workforce region, the 16-county area and a growing 2-county metro will help us when marketing to companies that are looking for workers,” said Smith.

“We have now crossed the threshold of over 1 million to a labor pool of 1.3 million people, so we are very excited about what that means.” u

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

GOVERNMENT

Post 2020 Census: What Does Alabama’s Redistricting Process Look Like?

Now that the 2020 U.S. Census data has been released, what does it mean in terms of redistricting the state of Alabama?

According to Jimmy Entrekin, general counsel for the Legislative Services Agency, a nonpartisan professional staff that works for both the Alabama House of Representatives and the state Senate - probably not that much.

Entrekin and Legislative Services Agency director Othni Latham recently joined Mike Ward, senior vice president Government & Public Affairs for the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce, to discuss Alabama’s redistricting process now that the data from the 2020 census has dropped.

“The ideal population for each House district is close to 48,000 (47,850) and for the Senate districts it is a little over 143,500,” said Entrekin.

“A 5 percent deviation was approved in May so every plan that comes up during the legislative process will reflect an up or down of 5 percent for both House and Senate districts.”

House districts he said are more sensitive than senate districts because of their population size.

“If you have a bigger district and significant gains or losses, you’re looking at gaining or losing a neighborhood if it’s an urban population center; but if you are a rural population center like Dallas and Monroe counties, that is the equivalent to losing an entire township within that district, or maybe even an entire county if you gain or lose population.”

He gave the following example: House District 10 gained 13,000+ people since the last census, and that’s 11,000 over their ideal goal.

That means they are going to have to find 8,500 voters to put into different districts, whether that is losing some to the north, the south, the east, or the west part of the state depends, but that is what is likely to happen in that district.

“Eight thousand people is a lot of neighborhoods so that could be a significant change, but where that lands, we will have to see once the

redistricting committee finalizes plans and files it. When they do, there will be plenty of time for the public to see it and start digesting it before it gets passed.”

LSA director Othni Latham explained why legislators need to redraw the congressional and legislative district maps every 10 years, and what that means for the people of Alabama.

“The ultimate goal of the census is to abide by what we as a country strive for on the election front as ‘one person, one vote’, or the equal representation of persons across the country on both the federal and state level,” Latham explained.

Following the release of census data, this redistricting process follows a reapportionment process, where legislators re-divide the 435 congressional seats to ensure every member of the House of Representatives represents roughly the same amount of the population.

According to Latham, when the census gets into the edges, the lines are very thin. As an example, the state of New York lost a House seat by 89 votes.

“Alabama has been on pins and needles for a couple of years leading up to the 2020 census, concerned we may be the last one out, using the March Madness bubble as an analogy, and we were very concerned we would lose a district and go from seven Congressional seats to six,” he

said. “Thankfully that did not happen.”

The reapportionment process determines what Congress looks like at the state level, and those numbers also play a role in how many people each member of the Alabama House and the Alabama Senate represents.

The overall redistricting process then redraws state maps to reflect the new numbers.

The LSA plays a role advising the legislative committee that governs the redistricting process.

Their legal division drafts all the bills and prepares all the amendments, and the final House redistricting plan is in essence, a bill that must go through the same legislative process as any standard piece of legislation to become law. It has to pass both the House and the Senate.

Each House member is going to represent roughly 45,000 persons, so in places like Huntsville, those make for very small geographic House districts and Latham said the geography of getting 45,000 persons is somewhat compact. However, some parts of the state’s Black Belt require several counties to get to 45,000 persons.

“Those districts can get much bigger, but as a country, our foundational principles of ‘one person, one vote’ demands that elected members be representative of people, and not land,” said Latham. “We draw maps to give roughly the same amount of representation in terms of population, at least at the House level when referencing the federal level; and both the House and Senate level when referencing the state levels.”

All redistricting plans and guidelines come from a 22-person permanent legislative committee consisting of 11 senators and 11 House members, established by joint rule of the legislature.

“Right now, we are at the point where they are getting public input, said Latham. “The committee is

By Kimberly Ballard

holding almost 30 hearings around the state right now. We have physical locations where the public can join virtually if they prefer due to COVID, and there is still plenty of opportunity for action between the public and the committee as they work on the process.

“Any member can file a proposed redistricting plan and it must go through the redistricting committee before it goes before the legislature for consideration,” he said. “Even though a deviation of 5 percent is allowed as stated above, one district affects the next district which affects the next district, so this part of the requirement is to ensure that if somebody presents a plan, it all fits together correctly and matches the rules and guidelines established by the committee.”

In other words, the plan must be contiguous so part of District ‘A’ cannot be in North Alabama, while part of District ‘B’ is in South Alabama.

The committee also tries to preserve existing cores of existing districts.

With the public hearing currently in progress, the next step involves the committee officially adopting a plan from both congressional districts and the school board districts and filing them in the legislature.

The bill goes to a House and Senate Affairs committee and to the House and Senate leadership where it is debated and voted out of committee.

“Then we call a special-order calendar and most of the members are aware what the bill contains, so they either agree or disagree,” said Entrekin. “Once approved by both chambers, it goes into law where it is passed along to all the different probate offices and election offices around the state so they can plug it in and update their maps and precincts accordingly, but …” he warns. “When it becomes law, that’s when the lawsuits begin, so we will have just scratched the surface at that point. These lawsuits concerning redistricting have been going on since the 1960s, so we don’t expect this year to be any different!” u

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GOVERNMENT

The City of Huntsville’s 2022 Budget: Workforce Development, Quality of Life, and the City’s Standard Huntsville’s growth is known far and wide, and when Mayor Tommy Battle introduced the City of Huntsville's FY 2022 General Fund Budget, it was to keep up with this growth.

“Now that the 2020 census has deemed us the largest city in the state, we will continue our goal to be the best,” said Mayor Battle Yesterday, the Huntsville City Council met to discuss the specific details of the budget and to address any questions council members might have.

The budget proposed by Mayor Battle encompasses a $245 million operating budget focused on public safety, road resurfacing, mental health care, parks and recreation, and an increased focus on workforce development.

The FY 2022 General Budget represents a 4% increase in spending over the FY 2021 budget.

According to Penny Smith, the Director of Finance for the City of Huntsville, this increase comes from a few changes.

Among these changes is a transition of the Office of Multicultural Affairs into the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Another change is moving sanitation from the general funds to the specific revenues in order to make this department its own fund.

“There’s more demand than ever for city services and we believe this budget allows us to meet those critical needs while remaining fiscally responsible in our spending,” Mayor Battle.

As Mayor Battle noted, the FY 2022 budget focuses primarily on adapting city funds to an ever growing Huntsville city.

“More people plus more land mass means more to manage,” said Mayor Battle An example of this is an increase of 111 City employees over the last fiscal year, which brings Huntsville’s part-time and full-time employment to around 2,978 individuals.

Over the past year, three of the largest administrative departments that saw higher numbers of employment were the fire department with 20

Mayor Tommy Battle of the City of Huntsville discussing the importance of moving forward with the FY 2022 Budget

new hires, the police department with 29 new hires, and the Parks and Recreation Department with 35, the highest increase in employment of any department.

In total, the General Budget allocates $219 million to Departments, the bulk of these being the Police and Fire Departments.

“The department heads came with their ideas, their passions, their commitments for their missions inside of the city,” said Smith, “so this Budget includes initiatives and programs as well as just growth to meet all of the demands of our growing community.”

“Most got at best 99% of what they

asked for,” said Director Smith.

One of these major demands that Departments seek to deal with is workforce development.

Councilman Bill Kling, the third presiding officer of the city council and representative of District 4, asked how the recent labor shortages affected Department allocation of funds from the FY 2022 General Budget.

John Hamilton, the city of Huntsville administrator, stated that much of the labor shortages came from competition with private companies.

For Hamilton, the challenge is not increasing the number of available positions, but “finding the right people for the job.”

To counteract said competition, Hamilton discussed the implementation of a 3% increase in employee pay, which remained the major crux of the conversation over the past week Besides the 3% increase, there also would be changes to Health Benefits.

The FY 2022 Budget allocates funds to move from providing Tier 2 Health Benefits to Tier 1 health Bbenefits, with an overall 17% cost increase in Health Benefits overall for city employees, according to Director Smith.

Director Smith pointed out that the pandemic had something to do with

By Gus Wintzell Photos by Gus Wintzell

this increase, but she also stressed that the FY 2022 Budget accommodated fully for this expenditure.

Both Hamilton and Director Smith stated that the Budget also provides an easy structure and source of funding to not only help hire competitively, but to increase long term retention of City employees.

“Our biggest challenge is filling the jobs that we have been able to bring here, and making sure we have the workers to do that. In order to do this, we have to make sure we have the quality of life that entices people to come over and live here,” said Mayor Battle.

Frances Akridge, the city of Huntsville Councilwoman representing District 2, asked how this focus on employee retention, competition, labor, and the mission of the City intertwined in this Budget.

For Mayor Battle, raising the quality of life for City employees raises the quality of service and life for the City as a whole.

“Making sure your house is safe, making sure you have a clean city to come to, making sure that when people come here that they are proud of what they see” is the most important dayto-day process of the Administrative Departments and their employees, according to Mayor Battle.

In this way, the FY 2022 General Budget resembles a cycle focused on providing funding for workforce development that not only maintains the standard of living increased by the day to day work of City of Huntsville employees, but helps increase the quality of service offered as the city continues to grow.

For Mayor Battle and Director Smith, passing the FY 2022 Budget would mean a major success for workforce development in North Alabama, as well as a major success in holding the City of Huntsville to the standard of Alabama’s fastest growing city.

The Council is expected to vote on September 23, right before the beginning of the 2022 fiscal year on October 01.

For more information, https:// www.huntsvilleal.gov/government/ city-council/. u

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CONSTRUCTION

And the Beat Goes On As the Huntsville Amphitheater Takes Shape Like the first composition by an omnificent maestro, the Huntsville Amphitheater is rising from the firmament at MidCity with its own unique structure and harmonious arrangement - a masterpiece of design, acoustics, provision, and intimacy.

Going up so fast its benefactor Ryan Murphy of Huntsville’s Venue Group could barely contain his giddiness in the recent update to the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce. There he planted a flag of assurance that the first sounds of music will rise from its stage in May 2022.

“I’ve never seen anything of this scale go up so fast so after looking at drawings of it for 3 years, seeing the real thing is exciting and absolutely incredible,” said Murphy whose company will manage the Amphitheater and all its activities for the City of Huntsville.

He showed images of the venue’s steel structure firmly planted; the bowl taking shape surrounded by prefabricated seating and some of the archways that lend itself to the coliseum-type design.

“We’ve been holding a lot of hard hat tours, bringing in local organizations that want to see it under construction,” said Murphy. “Even at this point in the construction, you can feel the intimacy of the venue and sense the presence of someone onstage as you walk the site. Eight thousand people is not a small venue, but this amphitheater is designed so there is not a bad seat in the house, even in what can be called the ‘nosebleed’ section, you will be able to see the whites of the performer’s eyes. People can already feel the density of the venue’s footprint and experience its awesomeness.”

Visitors will have what Murphy calls an ‘immersive experience’ created by the designers, Matheny Goldmon Architecture + Interiors, along the concourses where many of the food and beverage vendors and merchandise vendors are located.

“It will be different from the

cookie-cutter beer and hotdog concessions you see in many outdoor venues,” said Murphy. “We are leaning into a lot of great stuff, for instance, you will be able to order a special cocktail, a glass of wine or a beer, a cup of kombucha or a cup of coffee; and we are trying out some food ideas that will ensure an elevated experience for visitors on the F&B side.”

Earlier this year, the Huntsville Business Journal discussed the importance of the food element with Venue Group owner and Grammy award-winning Mumford & Sons musician Ben Lovett.

“The food experience is very important to us, but probably not something people deem as important across the industry,” Lovett said.

“Most venues see the show as the main event, but if you go beyond the show, those people are going to want to park efficiently. They will want to have dinner and some drinks. We see these things as a kind of equal match to the main event itself.”

According to Lovett and Murphy, many impressive public venues open only to discover drastic traffic and parking problems getting in and out of the venue before and after a show.

For that reason, the Venue Group is building a main parking lot, plus several smaller lots, while offering multiple parking options throughout the site that will accommodate a full

capacity of 8,000 people.

“We are consulting with logistics experts about traffic and discussing the phasing of ingress and egress parking, while working with rideshare companies about other options. We are saying with confidence we will nail it,” said Murphy.

The Huntsville Amphitheater is a city entity, a facility funded by the taxpayers. Bringing in 20 to 30plus big-name artists from around the country and around the world is only a piece of the economic strategy behind the amphitheater.

“The Huntsville Amphitheater will provide cultural programming and support the local music scene and all types of community engagement,” said Murphy. “We will support the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library’s new music streaming platform, Blast, and give the more than 40 local musicians from around the Tennessee Valley plenty of opportunities to celebrate the platform’s music catalog live on stage.

“We will also work with local organizations to put together a night market and a farmer’s market.”

The Huntsville City Council voted to give the Venue Group a ground lease to a parcel of the new West Huntsville Park adjacent to the amphitheater, so they can elevate and invest in a Food Village. In

By Kimberly Ballard Photo by SellersPhoto turn, the Venue Group is investing millions of dollars into it to solidify the longevity of their relationship with the community.

“We want it to be very clear in everyone’s minds that the Huntsville Amphitheater is an extension of the new park,” said Murphy.

It also opens the door to something bigger - festivals.

Murphy said the Amphitheater campus and park can accommodate multiple stages with many acts and events going on to create an amazing stretched-out regional festival like an artist’s meadow, a student Shakespeare series, and more.

The benefits to local businesses and attractions are also incalculable as they have opportunities to entertain the entertainers.

“A concert act brings an entire crew to town when they arrive, and it is important for us to have things for the entertainers and their families to do when they are not performing, so we are open to local attractions and businesses interested in engaging the artists.”

Built by Robins & Morton, Murphy said they have adjusted well to staying in sync with the timeline despite the starts and stops caused not only by the pandemic last year, but by the curveballs thrown at them this year as the virus waned and then returned.

The timeline is important because Murphy said there is a window of opportunity to book some huge artists in May and June next year, stretching into fall.

“We are going to come out of the gate really strong in May 2022,” he said. “The entire entertainment industry has faced the same fits and starts due to COVID as everyone else and many of the big acts started back touring but had to recalibrate tour dates as people again began retreating. But we are back on track and have some great confirmations I am not allowed to talk about yet.”

He expects however, to make some announcements in October this year, for next spring’s opening. u

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Huntsville BUSINESS JOURNAL

SMALL BUSINESS

The Catalyst: Leading Ladies Boosting the Entrepreneurial Trajectory of North Alabama It takes a village when it comes to traveling the entrepreneurial journey.

Leave it to the Catalyst’s team of Leading Ladies to have all the bases covered.

Hosted at the Huntsville Botanical Garden, the 7th Annual Women’s Conference was merged with the highly successful “Mompreneur” event.

The event’s theme was inspired by the “leading ladies” of the motion picture industry.

This was the first Catalyst inperson event since the pandemic hit last March. Due to the uptick in the delta variant, the event was adjusted to be presented as a hybrid. Participants either attended in person or via online.

The conference featured a wide assortment of guest speakers and relevant workshops, geared towards the ins and outs of government

contracting, reframing one’s brand, effective networking, balancing the work-life balance, empowerment, and finding one’s tribe.

The Botanical Garden served as an ideal location for an all-day conference that emphasized growth and successfully blooming into one’s best self.

“This is a day to build everyone up,” said Lisa Davis Mays, the Catalyst’s CEO. “This is what it looks like to be a dreamer, to see all the beauty that has

grown and taken root.”

As the successor to Joanne Randolph, the Catalyst’s former CEO, Mays had her “baptism by fire” in the spring of 2020 and it’s been quite a busy fifteen months, filled with pivoting, shifting gears, and zooming.

Throughout it all, Mays has been a champion; maintaining her enthusiasm, as well as her sense of humor.

Harvalee Harbarger, featured guest speaker, talked about her early beginnings, being a “mompreneur,”

By Lori J. Connors Photo by Lori J. Connors

long before there was a term for it.

Most importantly, Harbarger spoke of the Botanical Garden’s beginnings and the importance of being persistent.

Harbarger, along with a dozen other Huntsvillians had a vision and steadfastly continued in their efforts to bring the dream of the Botanical Garden to life. The Garden began as a seed in the determined minds of those who emphatically refused to “Dream no small dream.”

The midday Roundtable featured four winners of the Catalyst’s 2021 Entrepreneur Awards. Marvinia Adams, owner of Martinizing Dry Cleaning; Alice Lessman, CEO of Signalink, Inc; Megan Nivens-Tannett, Founder and CEO of Flourish; and Amy Roark, CEO of Give256. The women talked about their entrepreneurial paths, as well as successfully navigating the

October 2021

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SMALL BUSINESS

Lisa Davis Mays, CEO of the Catalyst

mom-as-boss life.

In the presentation, “9-5? The Future of Work” discussed increased connectivity, emerging technologies, and the how gig economy reinvented the typical “9-5” job. It also addressed ways to adapt, to be flexible, and to

unleash human potential.

“Change is happening faster than anticipated,” said Stephanie Miller, human capital manager in the Government and Public Services Organization Transformation Practice of Deloitte Consulting. “Work

done at the office got flipped on its head. Remote work is driving down infrastructure costs, people have been more productive.”

UMC pastor Kelly Clem spoke about being a woman in a maledominated arena in her presentation, “Outside the Box.” Clem talked of the importance of getting out complacent ruts, getting into the arena, and putting oneself out in the world. “Boxes can be cozy and safe,” said Clem. “The moment of joy is when we breakthrough the box, overcoming and breaking through those fears.”

The event concluded with speaker Mallory Hagan, an Alabama native and Miss America 2013. Hagan is the communications manager for Business Outreach Center Network, and CEO of her business, Hagan Strategies. In her keynote closing, Hagan emphasized the importance of body image, along with the negative messages young ladies endlessly receive. She shared her own personal experiences, as well as discussing the importance of changing the “ideal body” narrative.

The Catalyst Center for Business & Entrepreneurship serves entrepreneurs and small business owners in every stage of business. Through providing the best coaching, in-demand services, and relevant programs, the Catalyst endeavors to foster the success of small businesses.

On its metamorphic rise from serving primarily women clientele to expanding its services to encompass a broad spectrum of entrepreneurs, The Catalyst Center for Business & Entrepreneurship has distinguished itself as one of Huntsville’s leading entrepreneurial hubs.

During the pandemic, The Catalyst adeptly shifted gears to the digital platform, a successful strategy that expanded its reach, far beyond North Alabama. Since its inception, The Catalyst has served nearly 30,000 clients. Through the success of their business endeavors, these entrepreneurs in turn, have created hundreds of new jobs in North Alabama.

For more information, go to: https://catalystcenter.org/. u

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BIOTECHNOLOGY

HudsonAlpha’s Navigate: A Boost for Startups

Thanks to a welcoming environment, new ventures are blooming everywhere. Business development initiatives are ushering in the golden age of the entrepreneur.

The state of Alabama has a long-established business-friendly reputation through its enthusiastic support of innovative and emerging companies. Many entrepreneurial ventures have enjoyed long and successful histories, especially here in the Rocket City.

HudsonAlpha is an undisputed leader as a business incubator for all things Biotech. Therefore, it was a logical choice for the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA) to invite HudsonAlpha to to develop and implement Navigate, a business mentoring program.

Over the years, EDPA has invested heavily in new business startups, over $4 million, in fact.

Through its efforts, the state endeavors to seek, attract, and retain world-class talent across a diverse variety of interests and industries. What’s more, EDPA supports minority, women-owned, and rural businesses, thus ensuring that every type of entrepreneur has an opportunity to succeed in Alabama. Support also includes enhancing digital resources to mitigate the “digital divide” and to promote entrepreneurship throughout the state.

Navigate is a fitting name for a program specifically designed to help startup businesses successfully find their way through the entrepreneurial process.

The first seeds of Navigate were

“It’s about startups, mentoring entrepreneurs, and meeting them where they are.” planted in 2019, when the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA) received a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission (APC). This grant was for implementing a business mentoring program in north Alabama.

EDPA approached HudsonAlpha to develop a suitable business mentoring program, one specifically geared towards startups and entrepreneurs. In its quest for a top-notch program, the HudsonAlpha business development team looked to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and its Venture Mentoring Service (MITVMS) and obtained licensing for use of its methodology, materials, and curriculum.

Navigate is a volunteer-based business mentorship program for entrepreneurs at HudsonAlpha, as well serving all of North Alabama.

Mentors come from a variety of business backgrounds, such as CEOs; C-Suite executives; subject matter experts in a particular field, such as law or finance; and a wide assortment of serial entrepreneurs.

Startups seeking to refine their business plan and hone crucial management skills can receive objective business advice on their strategy, all in confidence.

Aspiring entrepreneurs are eager to participate because they can get

By Lori J. Connors

candid feedback from a variety of mentors, experts who are passionate about transferring their valuable knowledge to entrepreneurs in north Alabama.

Navigate serves to benefit the entrepreneur, the mentor, and the community, as well. Entrepreneurs receive in-person bias free input.

Participating mentors have the opportunity to share their passion, insights, and valuable knowledge.

“It’s a very specific program focused on business mentoring,” said

Alex Cate, HudsonAlpha’s director of Entrepreneurship Programs.

“It’s about startups, mentoring entrepreneurs, and meeting them where they are.”

Navigate provides a solid foundation to help new business venture grow into strong, successful revenue generating organizations, ones that require a dedicated labor force. A win for the entrepreneur is a win for the community.

For more info: https://www. hudsonalpha.org/biotech-mentors/. u

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BRIEFCASE RECOGNITION Huntsville-Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau Welcomes new Visitor Center Manager The city of Huntsville, Alabama and Madison County brought in Terry Winland as the new CVB Visitor Center Manager.

Since its conception and development in 1970 as a non-profit 501(c)(6) organization, the Huntsville-Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau continues to generate economic development and growth for Huntsville and Madison County by promoting the city as a chic, modern, tech-savvy city with plenty to offer in terms of tourism and as a key stop for tourists coming to North Alabama.

In terms of customer service, Winland’s background as both a medical clinic coordinator and a medical practice office manager provides her with what the CVB’s Marketing Director, Kristen Pepper, states as “a myriad of experience in a variety of customer service related positions.”

Winland also has a direct connection with Huntsville, Alabama and its budding community.

Winland was born in Huntsville and, after returning from military service with deployment overseas, she worked for ten years at the Space and Rocket Center, an award winning museum and one of the most visited locations in North Alabama.

Her connection with Huntsville “gives Terry an appreciation for our community and the points of interest, attractions and activities that it has to offer to residents and visitors alike,” says Kristen Pepper.

Combined with the award winning staff and services of the CVB, Terry Winland will lead Huntsville’s first impression for visitors and strive to continue the city's positive economic growth.

RECOGNITION Von Braun Center Announces New Director of Sponsorship Sales, Adds New Member to VBC Team The Von Braun Center (VBC) added Abby Lee Casey to their team as the new Director of Sponsorship Sales on.

Focusing on providing venues from cultural, education, entertainment, and sporting events, the VBC is a large part of the entertainment and developmental growth in the heart of the City of Huntsville. With over 170,000 square feet of meeting space, the VBC hosts a variety of events such as concerts, the Von Brewski Beer Festival, and the Huntsville Havoc hockey team who play in the Propst Arena.

According to VBC Executive Director Steve Maples, Casey brings to the VBC over nine years of sales experience with a history in both the marketing and advertising industry, as well as holding a post as Director of Sales, Marketing, and Public Relations at Harmony Landscape and Pond.

“We are excited to have Abby Lee join our team and help businesses in our market find creative ways to put their brand in front of the thousands of people who visit our facility throughout the year,” said Maples.

Casey, a Madison County Native, also worked as the Manager of Investor Relations at the Madison County Chamber of Commerce and, most recently, the Account Executive at Alabama Media Group, and invested much of her time working to grow the Huntsville-Madison County community in various ways.

As the new Director of Sponsorship Sales, Casey will seek to utilize this past experience in the Huntsville-Madison County community to work on soliciting, securing, and maintaining sponsorships for the VBC and special events.

RECOGNITION NAI Chase Commercial Adds New Property Manager to Huntsville Office NAI Chase Commercial welcomed Chris Windom as the Property Manager for the real estate firm’s Huntsville office.

As an Accredited Management Organization, NAI Chase Commercial is responsible for providing Retail Office and Industrial Commercial Property Brokerage, Leasing and Sales, Commercial Property Development, Commercial Property Management Services, Investment Property Brokerage, Construction Management Consulting, and Building Renovation Services.

NAI Chase Commercial, with offices in both Huntsville and Birmingham, are a member of NAI Global, an international network of commercial real estate firms. Established in 1978, NAI Global has more than 375 offices globally and works with more than 380 million square feet of property.

Windom arrives at NAI Chase Commcerical’s Huntsville office to continue working on their goal of creating bonds with local clients to tackle specific multimarket challenges facing many customer and business goals of North Alabama.

“We are thrilled to have Chris Windom join our team. His depth of knowledge, expertise, and disposition compliments our growing team of experienced professionals and will contribute to the company’s success”, said Tracy Hunter, Executive Vice President of NAI Chase Commercial.

Prior to accepting the Property Manager position, Windom worked as the Senior Project Manager, Operations Manager, and Facilities Manager, working these positions for a combined 24 years of experience.

These positions included working in the commercial real estate industry for 5 years, managing construction projects, tenant improvements, and developing preventative maintenance programs and informed property inspections, as well as working in the Modular Furniture Industry for 12 years, managing large projects on the Alabama Power Corporate Headquarters, AmSouth Bank Corporate Headquarters, Hospital renovations and additions, and much more.

For more information, https://www.chasecommercial.com/.

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