Initiatives - August 2019

PHOTO: HIROKO SEDENSKY

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We are the Huntsville Hospital Health System, a team committed to bringing better health care to you and your family.

We’re all across the Tennessee Valley with more resources, more services and more locations — we’re improving lives, together.

Huntsville Hospital Health System includes Huntsville Hospital, Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children, Madison Hospital, Athens-Limestone Hospital, Decatur Morgan Hospitals, Helen Keller & Red Bay Hospitals, Marshall Medical Centers, Lawrence Medical Center and Lincoln Health System in Tennessee.

welcome new chamber members Joined in May 2019 AC Hotel by Marriott - Downtown Huntsville Acacia Business Solutions Ais Portraits LLC Alabama Digestive Disorders Center Allstate Jason Wallace Agency

Joined in June 2019

BBM Partners - Cotton Farm

Abby Glenn ~ A Quiet Cove Corp. Suites & Apartments

Belk Parkway Place

A-Plus Security Services

Big City Supplies, Inc.

Bechtel

Cayuse Technologies LLC

Chuck Wagon BBQ

Comcast Business

Comfort Care Hospice - Huntsville

Concepts & Associates, Inc.

E3 Federal Solutions, LLC

Core Reaction Pilates

Edward Jones - Financial Advisor: Trey Pope

Dave and Busters

Federated Insurance

Don Howard Studios

GasTOPS Inc

Earth Fare

Golf Huntsville

Elite Technology Solutions, LLC

Huntsville West Coworking Community

FirstLight Home Care

Insight International Technology

Goodall Homes

Interstellar Technologies Corporation

Goo-Goo Express Wash - Memorial Pkwy S

Jeff Davis Painting, LLC

Goo-Goo Express Wash - Sparkman Dr

J-Max Logistics, Inc.

Goo-Goo Express Wash - Waddell Dr

The Joint Chiropractic

Hughes Properties, Inc.

Kirkland’s Pest Control, llc

Hyde Homes, LLC

Knock ‘em Down Tree Services

Industrial Boiler & Mechanical Co. Inc.

Launch Productions and Design LLC

The Institute for Exotic Science JASINT Consulting & Technologies, LLC

Lighthouse Services Insurance & Investments

Joseph Carter Realty-Madison Stephens

National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining Nimble. The Software Company, LLC

LSI Research, Inc. Marketplace Leadership Luncheon NASHRM - N. Ala. Society for Human Resource Mgmt.

Premier Structures, Inc. PrimeLending, A PlainsCapital Company

Promo Items LLC

Riley Security

RCP Companies

Rocket City Knockerball

Redstone Rocket TH Food Services Featuring Tonya Jones SalonSpa

Open Door

RTR Pro Entertainment Siano Appliance Distributors St. Bernard Preparatory School Support Systems Associates, Inc. TechnoMile

If you want to make a valuable investment in your business and the community, the Chamber is the place to start. Contact Donna McCrary, Membership Retention Manager: 256-535-2027 or dmccrary@hsvchamber.org.

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initiatives aug 2019

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

AS OF JULY 23, 2019

INVESTORS HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

DEVELOPMENT PARTNER

DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

CHAIRMAN’S COUNCIL PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE

REGIONAL PARTNERS

LEADERSHIP FORUM

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL BBVA Compass ■ Corporate Office Properties Trust (COPT) ■ Crestwood Medical Center ■ Dynetics, Inc. General Atomics Electromagnetics ■ Lockheed Martin Corporation ■ Northrop Grumman Corporation ■ PNC Bank Raytheon Company ■ SAIC ■ SES - Science and Engineering Services, LLC ■ Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. ■ Yulista

CHAMBER TRUSTEES AEgis Technologies Group ■ Akima, LLC ■ Bill Penney Toyota/Mitsubishi ■ Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Alabama ■ Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. Five Stones Research Corporation ■ Intrepid ■ Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation ■ Jerry Damson Honda Acura ■ KBR Landers McLarty Dodge Chrysler Jeep ■ Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne P.C. ■ PARSONS ■ S3, Inc. ■ Sealy Management Company, Inc. SportsMED Orthopaedic Surgery & Spine Center ■ Synovus ■ Torch Technologies ■ Turner Construction Company

PROGRESS PARTNERS Ability Plus ■ Anglin Reichmann Armstrong ■ ASRC Federal ■ B. L. Harbert International, LLC ■ Baron Services, Inc. ■ BASF Corporation ■ BB&T ■ Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP Brown Precision, Inc. ■ Colliers International ■ Connected Logistics (LogC2) ■ Davidson Technologies, Inc. ■ Huntsville-Madison County Builders Association ■ IBERIABANK J Smith Lanier & Co., a Marsh McLennan Agency LLC company ■ Keel Point, LLC ■ L3 Technologies ■ LMI ■ LogiCore ■ LSINC Corporation ■ National Bank of Commerce The Orthopaedic Center (TOC) ■ Progress Bank ■ Radiance Technologies ■ RE/MAX Alliance ■ SCI Technology, Inc. ■ SELEX Galileo Inc. ■ ServisFirst Bank ■ Sirote & Permutt, PC Spirit Coach, LLC ■ Steak-Out (Rosie’s Restaurants, Inc., & Right Way Restaurants, Inc.) ■ Wells Fargo Bank ■ Woody Anderson Ford PROGRESS INVESTORS 4SITE, Inc. ■ Air Essentials, Inc. ■ Alpha Beta Technologies, Inc. ■ Amanda Howard | Sotheby’s International Realty ■ Armstrong Relocation Company Huntsville LLC ■ Averbuch Realty / Enterprises ■ Bailey-Harris Construction BancorpSouth ■ BID DESIGNS, LLC ■ BRPH Architects-Engineers, Inc. ■ Bryant Bank ■ Canvas, Inc. ■ CB&S Bank ■ Century Automotive ■ CFD Research Corporation ■ CGI Federal ■ Coast Personnel Services ■ Croy Engineering, LLC DC Blox, Inc. ■ deciBel Research ■ Deloitte LLP ■ DESE Research, Inc. ■ Engineering Design Technologies/EDT-THA Architecture ■ Express Employment Professionals ■ Fernandez Financial Group ■ FITE Building Company FLS Translation & Interpreting ■ Fountain, Parker, Harbarger & Associates, LLC ■ Garver ■ HEMSI ■ Hiley Cars Huntsville ■ Huntsville Botanical Garden ■ Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau Huntsville Tractor & Equipment, Inc. ■ INTERFUZE Corporation ■ Investor’s Resource ■ IronMountain Solutions ■ The Karen Morris Team at Keller Williams Realty ■ Legend Realty – Jim Hoekenschneider ■ LINE-X, LLC The Lioce Group, Inc. ■ MAG Aerospace ■ MSB Analytics, Inc. ■ nLogic, LLC ■ PALCO ■ PFM Financial Advisors LLC ■ PHOENIX ■ PROJECTXYZ, Inc. ■ QTEC Aerospace ■ Quadrus Corporation ■ Ready Mix USA ■ Renasant Bank RJ Young Company ■ Rosenblum Realty ■ RUAG Space USA ■ S&ME, Inc. ■ Sigmatech, Inc. ■ Snelling ■ Systems Products and Solutions, Inc. ■ Technicolor ■ TriVector Services, Inc. ■ Troy 7, Inc. ■ U.S. Space & Rocket Center ValleyMLS.com ■ Valor Communities ■ Venturi, Inc. ■ Volkert, Inc. ■ Warren Averett, LLC ■ West Huntsville Land Co., Inc. ■ Wilmer & Lee, P.A. ■ Wiregrass Construction Company

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

aug 2019 initiatives

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aug 2019

BRIGHT STARS

Celebrating some public high school students in all three districts

COVER STORY

Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering picks up speed

DOWNTOWN STAYS

PAGE 27

PAGE 22

PAGE 38

Current and future plans for hotels in walking distance of the VBC

On the Cover (L-R): Pat Sullivan, Sen. Arthur Orr, Joe Newberry, Alicia Ryan, Matt Massey, and Shane Davis celebrate Redstone Federal Credit Union’s $3M donation to the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering Foundation on June 28.

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WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

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HREGI INVESTORS

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT | BOARD LISTING

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS

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CARING COMMUNITY: SPECIAL POPULATIONS

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MILITARY HONORS: ARMED FORCES CELEBRATION WEEK

17 HREGI PROFILE: Caroline Myers with FLS Translation & Interpreting 18

REDSTONE PROFILE: Rob Hamilton, FBI Redstone Operations Support

20 INTRODUCTION: Carlos Mathews, Huntsville Board of Education 30 SPOTLIGHT: Erin Howard, National Spelling Bee Co-Champion 32 REDSTONE PROFILE: JD Underwood, NCETR, ATF 34 BLAST-OFF! Huntsville marks Apollo 11 milestone with special events 36 WORKFORCE & EDUCATION: CyberSmart – new learning module 40

UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS

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COMMUNITY PROFILE

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CHAMBER STAFF | ASSOCIATED ORGS

editorial staff publisher

Chip Cherry, CCE editor

Claire Aiello editorial designer

Kristi Sherrard contributing writers

Erin Braxton Austin Bullock Georgina Chapman Ellie Vaughn Mike Ward ad sales Kristy Drake kdrake@hsvchamber.org

Richard Bigoney rbigoney@hsvchamber.org

Tina Blankenship tblankenship@hsvchamber.org

Keith Johnson kjohnson@hsvchamber.org

Our mission: To prepare, develop and promote our community for economic growth.

HSVchamber.org (additional contact information on page 42) Chamber members: You are encouraged to contribute ideas for our publications, including Initiatives magazine. Please send items to comms@hsvchamber.org. The Huntsville/Madison County Chamber maintains editorial control.

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

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Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

Executive Committee and Board of Directors 2019 Executive Committee Kim Lewis, Chair, PROJECTXYZ, Inc. Kevin Byrnes, Chair-Elect, Raytheon Company Gary Bolton, Immediate Past Chair, ADTRAN, Inc. Ron Poteat, Chair, Chamber Foundation, Regions Bank Lynn Troy, Secretary/Treasurer, Troy 7, Inc. Jeff Gronberg, Vice Chair, Economic Development & Industry Relations, deciBel Research, Inc.

A Message from

Chip Cherry

Dear Chamber Investors, Community Leaders, and Friends: There is an old saying that you can tell a lot about a person by the company they keep.

I’d modify that slightly and say that you are impacted greatly by the mentors you have. When I joined the Chamber, Jim Bolte took it as his mission to help me integrate into the community. Additionally, he provided me with a rare gift – a fair, balanced, and straightforward assessment of how I was doing. Growth happens when we fully understand how our actions are impacting others. Jim provided me with the insight I needed at a critical time. I owe him a great debt. Congratulations to Jim on his upcoming retirement from Toyota. The friendship that my wife, Betty, and I have with Jim and Tami has been and will continue to be a blessing!

In this edition, you will read about the amazing advancements the new Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering is making. Our community, region, and State have a passion for this project, and it’s contagious. A very special thank you to Redstone Federal Credit Union for the contribution of $3M to the school, for the City of Huntsville’s commitment to provide the land for the school, and for UAH providing the temporary home for the school while the permanent one is being constructed. Congratulations to Matt Massey for his selection as president of the new school, too. A few years ago, this was just a concept. It’s exciting to see it begin to turn into a reality!

In July, your Chamber received an award from our national association, the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives, for the Second Chance Job Fair. The event was held in February, and it opened the lines of communication between people who had left the workforce for various reasons and local employers interested in hiring new candidates. The event was both unique and innovative and caught the attention of the judges. We look forward to holding the next Second Chance Job Fair on August 14. It is an honor to work with a talented and passionate group of people who find ways to accomplish our mission and lift up others at the same time. Congratulations to them for a job well done!

I will close with a thank you to the men and women who serve in uniform – those who have served, the civil servants who support them, and most especially the families who make what they do possible. We greatly appreciate your service!

I look forward to seeing you at a Chamber event soon.

Chip Cherry, CCE President & CEO Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

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initiatives aug 2019

Alicia Ryan, Vice Chair, Government & Public Affairs, LSINC Corporation

David Fernandes, Vice Chair, HREGI, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Inc.

Greg Brown, Vice Chair, Marketing & Communications, Brown Precision, Inc.

Frank Williams, Vice Chair, Membership, Landers McLarty Dodge Chrysler Jeep

Laura Huckabee-Jennings, Vice Chair, Small Business & Events, Transcend LLC

Joe Ritch, Vice Chair, Tennessee Valley BRAC, Sirote & Permutt, PC

Penny Billings, Chair-Appointed, BancorpSouth - Huntsville Craig Naudain, Chair-Appointed, SAIC Dr. Karockas Watkins, Chair-Appointed, Ability Plus, Inc. Mayor Tommy Battle, ex-officio member, City of Huntsville Mayor Paul Finley, ex-officio member, City of Madison Chairman Dale Strong, ex-officio member, Madison County Commission

Chris Pape, General Counsel, Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne, P.C. Chip Cherry, CCE, President & CEO, Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

Elected Board Mike Alvarez, Venturi, LLC Bill Bailey, Radiance Technologies, Inc. James Barclay, FLIR Blake Bentley, SportsMED Orthopaedic Surgery and Spine Center David Bier, Rocket City Trash Pandas Lynn Collyar, Deloitte LLP John Dansby, Polaris Industries, Inc. Melissa Davis, MTA, Inc. John Eagan, BB&T Kevin Fernandez, Fernandez Financial Group, LLC Dr. Joe Green, Davidson Technologies, Inc. Joni Green, Five Stones Research Corporation Mike Gullion, Spur John Hall, All Points Logistics, LLC Ginger Harper, IBERIABANK Josh Herren, Yulista Lee Holland, Turner Construction Company Melody Holt, Holt & Holt Entrepreneurship, LLC Tharon Honeycutt, MSB Analytics, Inc. Amanda Howard, Amanda Howard | Sotheby’s International Realty

Hank Isenberg, IronMountain Solutions Lauren Johannesmeyer, Google Fiber, Huntsville Sean Kelly, Regions Bank David King, Dynetics, Inc. Bob McCaleb, Northrop Grumman Corporation Kevin McCombs, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. Janice Migliore, PALCO Alana Parker, Rocket City Drywall & Supply, Inc. Jami Peyton, Canvas, Inc. Jim Rogers, Lockheed Martin Corporation Ashley Ryals, Homegrown, LLC Jeff Samz, Huntsville Hospital Sameer Singhal, CFD Research Corporation Beth Sippel, Synovus Robert “Bob” Smith, Booz Allen Hamilton Sandra Stephens, Keel Point, LLC Cynthia Streams, Domino's (Valley Pizza, Inc.) Ken Tucker, The Boeing Company Mike Watkins, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama John Watson, Torch Technologies Dennis Weese, Line-X LLC A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Proud to be Your Full Service Hospital

As a full-service community hospital, Crestwood offers a wide range of services. It is our mission to serve by providing exceptional patient care and service for patients and their families who choose Crestwood. Thank you for choosing Crestwood.

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ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS South Huntsville: New Branding

SNAP:

A delegation from Huntsville and the State of Alabama recently visited Asia to meet with company partners from Mazda, Toyota, and LG. During these trips, we strengthen relationships and learn more about their culture, and we also ensure our Japanese counterparts that everything is moving forward here in north Alabama with various projects.

Our team consisted of Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, Hollie Pegg of the Alabama Department of Commerce, Harry Schmidt of TVA, and Chip Cherry, our Chamber President & CEO. The first stop was Seoul, South Korea, to visit LG’s new innovation center. We met with executives who are leading the solar panel effort the company is undertaking here in Huntsville.

Then, it was on to Japan, where David Fernandes joined us to meet with Toyota executives in Nagoya and Toyota City. Our delegation then traveled to Hiroshima to meet with Mazda executives. We presented them with ballcaps for the Rocket City Trash Pandas, and these were a big hit!

Production Shift Toyota is shifting future production plans at the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing U.S.A. (MTMUS) joint venture assembly plant. Toyota announced July 10 it will build a new, yet-to-be announced SUV instead of the Corolla at the Huntsville facility. This shift is in response to changing market demands and a growing consumer appetite for light trucks and SUVs which are achieving record sales, including Toyota’s best-selling RAV4. More details related to the future SUV will be released at a later date. Corolla production continues at Toyota’s Blue Springs, Miss. plant.

The South Huntsville Main Business Association has revealed new branding. It includes a new logo and brand wording celebrating the area’s history, while looking ahead to future development.

Some of the wording includes: “We are a meeting at the library, a friendly wave to the friend next door, a workout at the gym, a heartfelt hug among old friends, and a warm welcome to a newcomer. Our neighborhoods define us – they are collections of homes and families. For generations this has been a down-to-earth community with a quiet pride of place.”

There have been several developments in South Huntsville recently, including the Hays Farm announcement, revitalization at Main Street South, and several community events, including First Fridays on Main and Movies at Fern Bell. Check facebook.com/shbahsv for updates.

Listen Local Singer Listen Local Huntsville recently hosted the winner of its global “Music from the Moon” contest, Maiah Wynn of Gresham, Oregon. She visited to perform at the Apollo 11 Homecoming dinner at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center on July 16, and another stop included a recording session at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals.

Garner’s song, “Show The World”, is dedicated to everyone who contributed to the Apollo 11 mission and their continued inspiration to children all around the world today. It won the top spot over 241 entries from all over the world, including Australia, Germany, England, Macedonia, India, and more.

The judges were 4-time Grammy Award winner John Paul White (formerly of The Civil Wars), 6-time Grammy Award winner Mumford and Sons band member Ben Lovett, and longtime iconic musician and songwriter, Mac McAnally.

■ Compiled by Claire Aiello Vice President, Marketing & Communications

New Recycling Program in Effect

Construction of MTMUS in Huntsville, Ala. remains on schedule, with the start of production expected to begin in 2021. Up to 4,000 new jobs will be created, and hiring is underway.

Bolte Retiring

Bolte

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Jim Bolte is retiring this month, after working nearly 32 years with Toyota. Since 2016, he has served as Toyota Motor North America’s Group Vice President of Manufacturing, working with the company’s 15 North American manufacturing sites to improve overall efficiency and competitiveness. Prior to this, he was at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama and became the Huntsville plant’s first American president in 2009. Under his participation and leadership, the plant expanded four times to become the only Toyota engine plant globally to build 4-cylinder, V6, and V8 engines under one roof.

initiatives aug 2019

There’s a new way to recycle, and it’s now available to more residents. The Recycling Alliance of North Alabama (RANA) now picks up recycling once a month from residents in Huntsville, Madison, and parts of Madison County, using new 95-gallon lidded rolling carts.

These are nearly five times larger than the previous 18-gallon bins.

Doc Holladay, head of the Solid Waste Disposal Authority (SWDA), said the bins were upgraded because open top lids allowed material to fly away, creating litter. The new program took effect on August 1, and the service area now includes an additional 20,000 single family households located within Madison County that have historically been outside of the service area.

There is no cost for the recycling service. RANA, which is managed by the SWDA, is funding the program.

RANA’s goal is to obtain clean recyclable materials that continue to have an end user market in our area. Therefore, RANA will ONLY accept #1 and #2 narrow-neck plastic bottles, aluminum and steel bi-metal cans, clean paper products, and flattened cardboard that fits in the cart (cut down to size, if necessary).

You can recycle your old bin by placing it in your rolling cart or leaving it by the curb on your first cart pickup date. Or, you’re welcome to keep it for other use around the house.

If you missed the initial signup for the new recycling carts, visit recycling-alliance.com or call 256-801-CART. ■ Erin Braxton Small Business & Events Intern A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

For information on teams and sponsorships, please visit cm.hsvchamber.org/events or call 256-535-2089.

YOUR GOALS ARE OUR GOALS Intense client focus is at the center of everything we do. Through forwardthinking advice and sound financial guidance, our dedicated team of advisors delivers customized services for both your personal and corporate needs to help you achieve what is important to you: • Comprehensive investment and risk management • Retirement, education, estate and tax planning to protect your personal wealth • Investment planning and administrative support for academic institutions, community organizations and religious foundations • Consulting, plan design and fiduciary services for corporate retirement plans ranging from dozens to thousands of employees

To learn more, call Kelly Clary at 256.713.2669.

Alabama | Florida | Georgia | www.WAasset.com A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

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CARING COMMUNITY

Special Populations Huntsville adds recreation programs for people with special needs

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untsville Parks & Recreation has recently added new programs to serve people with special needs. The Special Populations Program was established in July of 2018 to assist the thousands of individuals in Huntsville who have physical and mental disabilities.

Tia Clayton is the program’s supervisor. The City added her role within the past year due to the growing need to provide these services, and we visited with Clayton and her team during the summer to see children in action.

Clayton says these youngsters are from all around Huntsville, and the goal is to get them out and active.

Clayton is from Birmingham and has a Masters in Kinesiology and a Bachelors in Sports Management from Alabama A&M University. She has experience in recreational facilities from when she lived in Jacksonville, Florida, and she also worked with special needs students at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville. She said she knew the Special Populations Program would be impactful.

According to Clayton, “It always just gave me a different type of excitement, and my employees say it all the time – they don’t feel like they’re at work. We’re playing and we’re enjoying them,

and that’s what they’re looking for – someone to play with them, not someone just sitting behind a recreation counter or who’s just opening up the gym for them. Actually swing on the swings with them, throw the balls with them.”

Clayton says these children don’t want to lounge inside all summer. “They want people to actually play with them,” she explained. That is exactly what Natalie, Andy, and Jordan do. This cheerful staff delights in spending time and playing with these special individuals of Huntsville. Children participate in swimming, arts, crafts, basketball, corn hole, pickle ball, and playground activities.

Clayton shares that the hours of the program are designed for their parents to go to doctor’s appointments, grocery shopping, and other errands. The program tries to keep a ratio of four children to one staff member.

She continues by sharing other special needs opportunities Huntsville Parks & Rec offers, which the students take full advantage of such as adaptive swim lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the Saturday basketball program. Clayton explains connections and friendships made during this program, specifically “the older girls with the kids, they work together well, and they had never met each other before.”

She explains they don’t only get a chance to be around people like them here, they get a chance to exercise and do activities with like-minded friends.

On the day we visited, the program included children ages 9 to 17. There are additional activities for special needs adults.

Any Huntsville resident with special needs is welcome to participate in the Special Populations activities. For more info, call 256-4275490 or email special.coord@huntsvilleal. gov. You can also visit huntsvilleal.gov and search ‘Special Populations’.

Above: Tia Clayton with staff and youngsters in the City of Huntsville’s Special Populations program on a warm summer day in Brahan Spring Park. Top photo: Tia Clayton with Khalil.

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initiatives aug 2019

■ Ellie Vaughn Marketing & Communications Intern A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

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initiatives aug 2019

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

MILITARY HONORS

Armed Forces Celebration Week Annual community-wide events honoring all those who serve

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very year during the last week of June, the Huntsville/Madison County community hosts Armed Forces Celebration Week.

The festivities are an opportunity for us to give back and celebrate the men and women who serve, and the civilians who support them on Redstone Arsenal. This year’s events began on June 24, when Mayors Tommy Battle of Huntsville and Paul Finley of Madison jointly signed a proclamation declaring June 23-29, 2019 as Armed Forces Celebration Week. The proclamation was presented to LTG James Dickinson, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command and Joint Functional Component Command for Integrated Missile Defense as a representative of Redstone Arsenal. The event featured the first local performance of Fort Benning’s Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE) Band.

The Maneuver Center of Excellence Band is composed of eight performing groups, and these musicians accomplish more than 500 military missions a year in support of the military and civilian communities in and around Fort Benning. Founded in El Paso, Texas in 1916, the band has a rich history of service across the United States, and even in other parts of the world. In the past, the Army Materiel Command Band of Redstone Arsenal played during Armed Forces Celebration Week, but the band was dissolved in 2018 due to Army restructuring efforts. We are grateful – continued on page 16

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

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Continued from page 15 –

the MCoE Band made the trip to Huntsville to perform for us, and boy, were they were fantastic!

On Monday, the Band performed a variety of both traditional military and famous hits to a sea of people of all ages at the Concert in the Park, hosted by Arts Huntsville. Nothing says community more than food trucks, folding chairs, freedom music, and a fireworks show lighting up the sky as the band played their last song of the evening. The band returned to the stage at Bob Jones High School in Madison for a concert on Tuesday. Their final performance was at the Armed Forces Celebration Luncheon on Wednesday at the Von Braun Center. Sgt. Scarlett with the MCoE Band sang the Star Spangled Banner and General Gus Perna, Commanding General of Army Materiel Command, delivered the keynote address. More than 100 active duty service members, veterans, and Redstone officials were among the 700 people in attendance.

I N N O VAT I O N B Y L S I N C 256.721.4011 | LSINC.COM | INFO@LSINC.COM

We added a brand new event this year: a Community Bike Ride.

Several partners including the Redstone Garrison, the City of Huntsville, and the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber worked together to create the 7-mile scenic tour of Redstone Arsenal. We had 190 participants for our first year, including Garrison Commander COL Kelsey Smith and Madison Mayor Paul Finley! Special thanks to Janie Miernik, director of the Tour d’Arsenal and All You Can Eat Century Ride for her hard work on this special event. Thank you also to the cycling groups and members of the community who joined us.

Growing people while solving the Nation’s toughest problems.

• Hypersonic Weapon Design • Full Life-Cycle / C4 Engineering Services • Cyber Security & IT Innovative Solutions • Interactive Multimedia Instruction • UAS & Intelligence Training • Digital Missile Simulation • Software & Security Engineering • Hypersonic Ground Test Facility Design & Development

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Community partnerships are abundant during Armed Forces Celebration Week. The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) held a golf tournament on Monday, and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center dedicated Thursday’s Biergarten event to Forever Young Senior Veterans. Local attractions in the community offered free or discounted admissions to those who have served or still serve our country.

While AFCW is a week-long celebration, Mayor Tommy Battle said it best at the Proclamation Signing on Monday: celebration of our military community isn’t just one week here, it’s 365 days.

■ Austin Bullock Government & Public Affairs Program Manager

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initiatives aug 2019

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

CAROLINE S. MYERS DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT

FLS TRANSLATION & INTERPRETING

PROFILE

Tell us about FLS:

Foreign Language Services (FLS) is celebrating its 40th year in business this month. Judy Smith and I founded the company after retiring as French teachers and realizing a vital need in this ever-growing high-tech community – that of communication from and into foreign languages. In our initial letter campaign, we were excited to receive an immediate call from PPG Industries. We translated a Russian-to-English technical document, and FLS was launched!

Several months later, FLS won a contract developing proficiency tests in French, German, and Korean for the Defense Language Institute in Monterey. Even more significant was being awarded a Certificate of Competency by the U.S. SBA after we were turned down by the U.S. Air Force in our bid on a multilingual contract. We went on to successfully administer that contract, a stepping stone to work with the Army, Redstone Arsenal, and other businesses.

Q: What types of businesses/individuals have you worked with over the years?

A: I believe that FLS’s strength has been in our ability to pivot to meet our customers’ needs. Our focus now is in

two main areas: to grow in those markets that still require human interaction/oversight to provide translation and/ or interpreting services, and to embrace new technologies to meet customer requirements for competitive price and rapid response time.

Q: What value do you get from your HREGI investment?

A: Knowing that our donation helps the Chamber promote our area to both U.S. and foreign businesses who are interested in all we have to offer is a very worthwhile feeling. By comparison, it is a small amount, but I hope it demonstrates my belief that the Chamber plays a vital role in our city’s present and future. FLS has benefitted greatly in updates provided to us because of our HREGI investment.

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

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Redstone Arsenal: Leadership Profile

Rob Hamilton, Senior Executive, FBI Redstone Operations Support

T

he Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is undertaking a massive expansion on Redstone Arsenal, and Rob Hamilton is at the helm. It’s a good thing he has a background in business and logistics, because this project has a lot of moving parts.

The FBI Operations Support Building is due to be finished in mid2021. Once complete, it will house 1,350 employees serving 11 different divisions of the Bureau. The building will have a new, modern look and feel, too.

“We’ve gone to the big boys – Apple, Microsoft, Adobe – most are west coast type of environments, but we’ve learned how they set their space up,” said Hamilton. “We believe if you change your space, you can change your culture. It’s in our DNA, by default of who we are – we know we have to collaborate with the private sector, with state and local law enforcement – we can’t be the FBI unless we’re able to collaborate with folks. But being able to do it for our people internally, on one campus, is a big opportunity for us.”

Right now, about 400 people work for the FBI in Huntsville.

Roughly half are at the Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center (TEDAC), which has three of four phases finished. The other 200 employees are a conglomerate of eight other headquarters divisions. These include the Hazardous Devices School, which trains bomb technicians on robotics and improvised explosive devices, as well as human resources, training, weapons of mass destruction directorate, cyber, IT services, and security. Several dozen also work in the FBI’s finance and facilities side, supporting the large construction project underway as well as standing up the enterprise services to support the sprawling campus.

“When you think about building a campus to support 1,350 employees, there’s a lot of work that has to be done ahead of time,” Hamilton explained. “From fleet, to logistics, to warehouse, food services, all those support services have to be stood up and scaled out prior to employees arriving, to support the FBI’s rapid expansion.

That takes a talented team on the ground to thoughtfully think through all that, and create that magical experience for our FBI workforce.”

Hamilton arrived in Huntsville in 2017. He was recruited to the FBI nine years ago through an MBA Special Advisor Program, and served in facilities and logistics for the Bureau. He has also served as a special assistant to both the assistant director of the facilities and logistics services division, as well as the associate deputy director, who holds the No. 3 spot in the FBI. Hamilton says he loves the mission of the FBI. “It’s a family-focused, mission-first organization, and they’re going to do everything they can to make the mission successful serving the American people,” Hamilton said. “And it is a service, make no mistake about it. It’s not your job, it’s a service to the country.”

Hamilton also bleeds Air Force blue. He was a distinguished grad-

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uate of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. During his time in the Air Force, he learned about acquisitions and procurement and then went to flight school. Hamilton flew C-130s as well as HC-130s for Air Force rescues, including hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well as sea rescues. He still serves as a logistician in the Air Force Reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel and drills out of San Antonio, Texas with the 433rd Alamo Wing.

Hamilton even wears cufflinks showing the C-130 (shown below).

“Greatest plane in the Air Force inventory,” he said.

He is a native Texan – born in Fort Worth. His family loves to watch sports, especially the Cowboys. In fact, he went to every Thanksgiving Day game from age 3 to 18. “It was a Hamilton family tradition growing up – we’d eat turkey then go freeze at the game,” he said.

Family is very important to him – he lights up as he talks about his wife and four children. He and Melissa have two sons, ages 14 and 12, and two daughters, ages 8 and 6. Lately, they have enjoyed attending the Concerts in the Park, swimming with the Redstone Arsenal Launchers in the Rocket City Swim League, and they are also active in their church.

Relocating Employees The FBI has been working extensively to bring employees to Huntsville, and just gave letters to those employees whose functions are being relocated here. Many have visited the Rocket City with their families, and the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber has participated in efforts here and in Washington, D.C. to answer questions.

Some have perceptions about north Alabama before they come, but like many who visit here, that changes once they see it for themselves. Hamilton says employee surveys show this.

“We’re bringing folks down here on a consistent basis to give them a TDY opportunity to experience Huntsville and learn more about the FBI strategy. What we’re finding is, that three days of temporary duty assignment on the ground give them a completely different perspective of the Tennessee Valley, and it is changing the conversation considerably. It’s fascinating to see it,” Hamilton said.

There’s a focused effort to show employees and their families many of our community’s legacy points, too.

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

The FBI’s Operations Support Building on Redstone Arsenal is due to be finished in mid-2021.

“We take them on a tour to see all the other partners on the Arsenal – they’re driving by and seeing NASA with their big test stands, they’re seeing the Army with all their sophisticated and advanced technology equipment that they’ve got placed out, on display.”

Hamilton said in his time here, it’s clear that the culture of progress and innovation is evident throughout the workforce and the community. “The support we get from Team Redstone and the budding partnerships with Army and NASA are unprecedented. This federal center of excellence culture is something we are proud to be a part of,” he said.

“There’s some magic here,” Hamilton added. “It’s very clear in the Tennessee Valley and Huntsville, and it starts in elementary

schools and it goes into colleges, and everything is geared towards science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. That’s just such a major part of the DNA here. It’s palpable, because it’s so ingrained in the culture, both on and off the Arsenal. I think that’s the magic piece – everybody is aware of that vision, and everybody supports that vision in some way, shape, or form – whether they’re a contractor, a government employee, or a university developing curriculum to support that vision. Everybody is laser-focused on that.”

■ Claire Aiello Vice President, Marketing & Communications

Whether it’s a luncheon in the old Campus Cafeteria or a workshop in the former AV Room, the Stone Event Center can bring old school charm to any of your corporate events.

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

aug 2019 initiatives

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Meet Carlos Mathews

New Huntsville Board of Education Member

I N N O VAT I O N B Y L S I N C 256.721.4011 | LSINC.COM | INFO@LSINC.COM

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initiatives aug 2019

At the June 27th Huntsville City Council meeting, Carlos Mathews was appointed as the new District 5 board member for Huntsville City Schools. Mathews, a longtime resident of Huntsville and a Huntsville High School graduate, plans to hit the ground running in his West Huntsville district. He cites a desire to see change in the school system.

“I was in the public school system early on in Mathews my education, and I was having problems with my education in an area where some kids have a problem now – reading. I actually left the public school system for four years and went to private school to come up to speed,” Mathews said. He believes that reading is the foundation to academic success in all subjects. Mathews notes that he’s seen parents try to move their children to a different school in the system or even move to another school district entirely to meet education needs. “Wherever you live, you should be able to get a good education,” he said. Mathews hopes to see stability and new programs, especially focused on reading, in place for his district and the system as whole.

Mathews graduated from Alabama A&M University in 1995 with a focus in electrical engineering technology. He’s been a manager, a business owner, and a coach. Now, he’s ready to make things happen as a school board member. Mathews will fill the remainder of Pam Hill’s term through 2020.

■ Austin Bullock Government & Public Affairs Program Manager

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

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Magnet Milestones Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering In one year, our state’s third magnet school will open to its first students.

Classes will be held in facilities on the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) campus while the school’s permanent location is constructed.

This was one of the significant announcements made on June 28, as the pieces really started to fall into place for the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE). Other important developments announced that day included a land gift from the City of Huntsville, the school’s first president, and a major donation from the business community.

“Recently, several of our national leaders commented on the fact that they could not find another place in the nation organized enough to create a cyber and engineering statewide magnet school and coordinate potential partnerships between federal, state, local, academia, and industry, like we have done here,” said Alicia Ryan, president of the ASCTE Foundation. “Today we are announcing definitive steps in the future of this statewide magnet school, designed to prepare eager students and develop the next generation workforce in high-growth cyber and engineering disciplines, to continue and amplify the professional development for teachers across the state who are absolutely critical to preparing students to enter these industries. This school will be a game-changer for our

by Claire Aiello

state and the nation, and all from right here in the Rocket City.”

“The best thing, this school is for all of Alabama – for Alabama to lead the way in our nation,” Ryan added. “For Alabama to be the shining star in the United States.”

Redstone Federal Credit Union President and CEO Joe Newberry announced a $3,000,000 donation to the school’s foundation, to support the construction and establishment of the School. “Education is a wonderful mechanism for bringing positive change to a community,” Newberry said. “This gift to the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering Foundation provides another opportunity for us to give back to our thriving communities. The benefits realized will continue for generations to come.”

Other businesses have donated to the school in recent months, including Davidson Technologies, Torch Technologies, Deloitte and ADTRAN. Students will begin instruction at UAH’s Bevill Center, which has residential spaces, as well as classrooms and a cafeteria. The school will serve students from all over Alabama, some of whom will live at the school.

“The University of Alabama in Huntsville is excited to be the

Local business leaders, education partners, and news reporters attend the announcement on June 28 at Redstone Federal Credit Union on Wynn Drive.

picks up speed with new developments, much support interim location for the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering,” said Dr. Darren Dawson, UAH’s new president. “Our Bevill Center on campus will provide secure living arrangements for students, in addition to classroom space and food services. We appreciate the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers working with us to meet their training needs elsewhere on campus so that the School could begin residency and education on our campus next year.”

The City is working to acquire a parcel of land in Cummings Research Park for the school’s permanent location. The land will be donated to the School’s Foundation for the purpose of constructing and operating the school, and the permanent location is expected to be open in August 2022.

“The City of Huntsville is proud to be an ongoing partner in this cyber initiative by supporting Alabama’s cyber magnet school with a gift of property for a new campus,” said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle. “Once again, Huntsville will continue to be the epicenter for the state’s best and brightest to help Alabama and our nation meet the demand for a future workforce in cyber and engineering.”

School’s First President Matt Massey has served as superintendent of Madison County Schools for the past four and a half years, and was named the magnet school’s first president.

“It’s not only an exciting opportunity to be named president of the school, but to be a resource for teachers and administrators to implement cyber and STEM into their schools,” said Massey. “The A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

result will not just impact 300 students in the school but will exponentially reach students and educators all across the state.”

The school will assist a broad range of teachers, administrators, and superintendents across the State of Alabama in replicating cyber technology and engineering studies in their own schools. Local companies have shared that they need to hire more employees who have skilled training in these fields, and the school will train our nation’s future cyber workforce.

“These are exciting milestones for the future of education in Alabama and for young people across the state who dream of next-generation careers,” Governor Kay Ivey said. “The Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering will be a unique institution, preparing students all across the state with the skills they need for jobs that will be in high demand.”

“The ASCTE Board could not be more pleased with the continued and expanded partnership with UAH, and the tremendous gift by the City of Huntsville through Mayor Battle and the City Council to establish a permanent site in CRP for the school,” said State Senator Arthur Orr, president of the ASCTE’s Board of Trustees.

“Along with that, the equally significant support from the private sector with the pacesetting donation from Redstone Federal Credit Union will go toward construction of the school on our new site.

All in all, it is gratifying to see the Huntsville community, and in particular Redstone Federal, realize the importance of this school to the area and state as we establish a world-class institution.”

– continued on page 24 aug 2019 initiatives

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Continued from page 23 –

Cyber’s Evolution in Huntsville The new magnet school is an idea born through a confluence of ideas and partners, including Cyber Huntsville, Senator Orr, the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber and Governor Ivey. Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle announced the Cyber Huntsville initiative in 2010 to help stimulate the growth of the Cyber sector in the region and to help meet the need for cyber professionals, research, and growth in this field.

Cyber Huntsville is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization made up of industry, government, and academic institutions dedicated to making Huntsville and the Tennessee Valley region recognized nationally, and internationally, in the field of cyber. Its work has already led to the National Cyber Summit, an annual event held in Huntsville that now attracts thousands of cyber security professionals and agencies.

Huntsville’s support for cyber education got a jump start several years ago with the CyberPatriot program, which provides students with a challenging, competitive environment to help them develop skills and knowledge about cyber fields and how these apply to national security interests and personal online security. Schools in our area have excelled in these areas, winning national championships and acclaim. Two Rhodes Scholars have emerged from these local programs as well.

U.S. Cyber Camp Another Cyber catalyst is the U.S. Cyber Camp, the newest STEM camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC). In 2017, Governor Ivey announced $10 million in funding support to help establish the program, and help the USSRC expand its campus. The USSRC worked with Cyber Huntsville and UAH to develop programming for the camp, and has hosted about six camp sessions so far.

“We have fantastic industry support from Cyber Huntsville and UAH. They built out our curriculum, and we’re putting our knowledge base on it, which is how to make it immersive and fun,” said Kay Taylor, Ph.D., Director of Education at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Taylor adds that industry professionals come in and lead discussions with students, answering questions about what path they took to work in the cyber field, and what they do on the job.

“We’re trying to dispel the idea that cyber involves individuals 24

initiatives aug 2019

Students at the U.S. Cyber Camp, U.S. Space & Rocket Center

COURTESY: USSRC

Dr. Joe Green, right, presenting Davidson Technologies’ $250,000 donation to ASCTE to Alicia Ryan and Senator Arthur Orr. [June 6, 2019]

in black-hooded sweatshirts in basements, hacking systems,” said Taylor. “Every business today has a cyber interest. Cyber is about protecting the customer, it’s about protecting the economic security of a business. It’s a form of national security. We want to give a broader vision than what you might see in popular media, or popular culture.”

During the five-day camp, students learn about a variety of cyber topics. These include how networks are created, how data is transacted, firewalls, programming, operating systems, and encryption. There are also discussions about ethics.

“We spend a lot of time explaining that a great deal of cyber focuses on the individual. We talk about the importance of ethical behavior with cyber technology,” explained Taylor. “This is a responsibility for them, with great opportunity. We talk about ways people can exploit information structures to benefit themselves.

We talk about ways to shore up and protect information. It’s not an exaggeration to say we’re in the midst of global cyber warfare right now. We encourage them to use their power for good.”

The USSRC currently plans Cyber Camp around school schedules, incorporating sessions during fall, spring and summer breaks for students. Taylor said initially, as they beta-tested the program, they

provided tuition stipends to students from Alabama. They have continued to refine it with each session, and as word spreads about the camp, students from other states are purchasing slots.

Cyber Camp currently serves high school students ages 15 to 18, but Taylor says they are looking to add in younger ages, because many of the concepts, such as responsibility and ethics, can be introduced at the middle school level.

“It fits perfectly with where we are for information technology,” said Taylor. “What we would ideally like, for our middle school students who are from Alabama, is to identify talent who could go to the new high school. The high school will be a tremendous addition – there will be such a synergy between the IT community and our magnet school. Everyone is looking for talent, and in Alabama, we know we have smart students. This is going to be a great addition.”

■ Claire Aiello Vice President, Marketing & Communications A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

ADVERTORIAL

From the desk of Alicia Ryan CEO, LSINC Corporation President, Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering Foundation Together, we can do so much more than any of us do alone.

I grew up in a military family, then launched a career that pivoted around the federal government. My earliest memory of being part of a united group of us was the government and its supporting industries. When I moved to the greater Huntsville area, my group of us expanded. I was impressed by the leaders in our community who create a collaborative, welcoming environment where families and businesses thrive. Over the last several years, through my connection with the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber, I have had the opportunity to develop my group of us to include leaders across the entire state of Alabama.

What I have learned from this growing, collaborative, servant-leading us, is together we can make a monumental difference in the health and welfare of our local community, state, and nation. We can make a difference for the workforce today and for our children’s tomorrow.

The development of the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering is a tangible result of shared vision and a committed group of us. This residential magnet school will take Alabama’s brightest students and create a prepared professional pipeline to meet the rapidly increasing workforce demand for the direct technical use of cyber skills. This collaborative effort challenges the looming threat to our safety with a flagship curriculum that will have an immeasurable, lasting impact to our community, our state, and our nation. They are the next generation us and with these tools, they will be prepared to combat cyber assaults that threaten our future.

The need was great, and there were leaders from across the state that answered the call to make this school become a reality. Donations, including kick starter funds, a land parcel for construction, and the buildings that will serve as the temporary school location, are all a direct result of us. Several national leaders have commented that no other place in the country had the organization and commitment to create a statewide magnet school focused on cyber technology that could coordinate complex partnerships between federal, state, local governments, academia, and industry. And yet, that is what we have done here.

And you, the us, made it happen.

My time as President of the ASCTE Foundation has demonstrated to me the limitless power of us. With a shared vision and immense commitment to the future of our community, state and nation, we are celebrating what many believed couldn’t be done. Knowing now that nothing is impossible, we relentlessly press forward to create a highly technical workforce pool prepared to lead and protect our communities, industries, and government.

We are the us.

Alicia Ryan

256.721.4011 | info@LSINC.com | 490 Discovery Drive, NW | Huntsville, AL 35806

Celebrating Our Students As the new school year begins, we want to introduce you to some of the bright stars in our public high schools in Huntsville, Madison and Madison County. A few of these are recent graduates. We also include their elementary and middle schools to help show the great work being done by our local teachers to help our youth through their early years. Best of luck on a great new academic year!

■ Claire Aiello & Ellie Vaughn Marketing & Communications

MADISON CITY SCHOOLS

Sylvia Cortes 2019 Graduate, James Clemens High School Elementary & Middle Schools: Heritage, Liberty Sylvia Cortes has a strong background in academics, visual arts, technical theatre and athletics. Her teachers say her character and kindness set her apart, helping her earn the 2019 James Clemens Student of the Year Award.

In the 2019 Scholastic Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, Cortes received gold and silver keys for painting and honorable mention for drawing.

She also created the wardrobe and the lion in the James Clemens Theatre Production: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. Cortes ran cross country her freshman year before finding her home in outdoor track and field, and her team sealed the 7A State Championship in the 4 x 400 for the Jets this year. She is now attending the University of Alabama in Huntsville, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Juanita Monteiro-Pai Senior, Bob Jones High School Elementary & Middle Schools: West Madison, Discovery Juanita Monteiro-Pai is a senior varsity volleyball player for the Patriots and a true leader throughout the school. She enjoys challenging classes and participates in the Medical Academy. Monteiro-Pai serves as a Student Ambassador and is part of the Student Government Association, while maintaining a 4.64 GPA. Her teachers say she is rarely seen without a smile on her face, and she’s been a positive light throughout her academic career with Madison City Schools, exemplifying humility, hard work, and kindness. Monteiro-Pai is a worthy leader in the community and the world at large.

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

HUNTSVILLE CITY SCHOOLS

Mary Kathryn Brooks Senior, Huntsville High School Elementary & Middle Schools: Jones Valley, Huntsville Junior High Mary Kathryn Brooks is a stunning theatrical performer. She excels in her academic studies at Huntsville High, earning a 3.8 GPA while taking several Advanced Placement and Honors courses. Brooks stole the show as the lead actress in Huntsville High’s rock opera musical production of Lizzie last fall. She led her theatrical troupe to be one of two shows to pass the Alabama Theatrical Competition and represent the State of Alabama at the Southeastern Theatrical Competition (SETC) in Chattanooga, Tennessee. At the SETC, Lizzie won Best in Show, Best Technical Production, and Best Costumes. Be sure to look for Brooks on stage this Spring at Huntsville High’s production of The Phantom of the Opera and perhaps later on the big stage!

Brittany Bush 2019 graduate, New Century Technology High School Elementary & Middle Schools: Providence, Williams, and the Academy for Academics & Arts Brittany Bush, a 2019 graduate of New Century, won the 2019 Amazon Future Engineers Scholarship Award.

She is one of only 100 winners nationwide, and will receive $40,000 from Amazon to study computer science in college. Bush will also receive a paid internship at Amazon after her freshman year. She plans to study at Georgia Tech, with the goal of becoming a computer scientist. Bush is also interested in linguistics, and hopes to develop new translation software to help people communicate in different languages.

Matthew Donahue Senior, Lee High School Elementary & Middle Schools: Heritage, Providence, and the Academy for Academics & Arts Matthew Donahue is a well-spoken, talented, and humble rising senior at Lee High School. He is part of the Dance Magnet, the Student Government Association, Ambassadors, Beta Club, Student-2-Student Association, National Honor Society, and the National Dance Honor Society. His teachers say he goes beyond expectations academically and socially, serving as a leader throughout the school. He helps make sure the lunchroom and overall campus is clean every day, modeling student ownership and responsibility. Donahue has been in several plays, and he is an important leader in the overall school and the SGA, and his classmates love and respect him for his leadership and dedication to the FamiLEE. aug 2019 initiatives

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CELEBRATING OUR STUDENTS Ashley Kimbel

COURTESY: WAFF

2019 Graduate, Grissom High School Elementary & Middle Schools: Chaffee, Whitesburg Ashley Kimbel joined the Green Power program in middle school, which sparked her interest in advanced manufacturing.

At Grissom, she had full access to Solid Edge, plastic and metal 3D printers and carbon fiber layups. Kimbel flourished in her medical and engineering classes and created a 3D-printed prosthetic leg for Marine Corps veteran Kendall Bane, a Huntsville native who was injured in Afghanistan. “I want to be a surgeon one day and use my biomedical engineering and medical training to be on the forefront of medicine and doing more projects to help people like Kendall,” Kimbel said. She and Bane were featured on NBC’s TODAY in February. She plans to attend The University of Alabama at Birmingham.

MaHaley Mann Senior, Mae Jemison High School Middle School: Hampton Cove MaHaley Mann has attended Jemison High School for the last three years as part of the College Academy, which is a dual enrollment program with the University of Alabama at Huntsville where students can earn up to two years of college credit while still in high school. She has maintained close to a 4.0 GPA while playing on the Jemison High School Volleyball Team. In addition, Mann will represent Jemison this year as the Student Government Association President.

Jaren Pierre 2019 Graduate, Columbia High School Elementary & Middle Schools: River Ridge Elementary (Augusta, Ga.), Devon Aire K-8 Center (Miami, Fla.) Jaren Pierre was the Class of 2019 Valedictorian at Columbia High School. He garnered a total of $2.2 million in scholarships.

While at Columbia, Pierre was a well-rounded student, participating in International Baccalaureate®, the National Honor Society and serving as Treasurer of the Senior Class. His teachers say Jaren is a true leader and had a great rapport with faculty and his fel28

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– continued from page 27

low students. Pierre often assisted with tutoring students in math, and also brightened everyone’s day as he rendered the afternoon announcements to the student body over the PA system. He plans to attend Vanderbilt University in the fall.

MADISON COUNTY SCHOOLS

Emerson Barrett 2019 Graduate, Buckhorn High School Elementary & Middle Schools: New Market, Buckhorn Emerson Barrett scored a 33 on the ACT and was in the top five percent of her graduating class. She was president of the National Honor Society, received the Superintendent’s Award for number of AP courses passed and is a National Merit Commended Scholar. Barrett was selected as the Scholar-Athlete representative from Buckhorn High School.

She has also been highly involved in her community, active in leadership programs and was a 2018 Girls State representative.

Barrett is a Presidential Scholarship recipient, Auburn Letterman’s Club Scholarship recipient, and a Bryant- Jordan Region 6 Scholar Athlete. She is a six-year member of Buckhorn High School Varsity Girls’ Swim Team, a sectional qualifier and a state finalist for the sport. Barrett will go to Auburn University’s Honors College this fall, attending the College of Science and Math as a Pre-Med major.

Carly Blankenship Senior, New Hope High School Elementary & Middle Schools: New Hope Carly Blankenship is an ambitious Indian at New Hope High School. She scored 25 on her ACT and has a 4.2 GPA, while taking the most rigorous course load the school offers.

Blankenship is a varsity athlete in Cross Country and always maintains excellent character, encouraging morale and diligence among her peers. She was selected for the DAR Good Citizen Award by the faculty, and she participated in the Hudson Alpha Institute for laboratory research. Blankenship is interested in a career in genetics.

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Rebecca Cole Senior, Hazel Green High School Elementary & Middle Schools: Hazel Green, Meridianville Rebecca Cole is at the top of her class and wears many hats at Hazel Green High School, including HGHS Ambassador, National Honor Society President, French Honor Society Member, Art Club Member, Junior Optimist member, a National Merit Semi-finalist, and a member of the ACT 30 Club. She is involved in the Huntsville Ballet and was selected to perform in 11 seasons of The Nutcracker. Aside from her dedication to ballet, Cole’s extracurricular activities include reading, writing and traveling. After high school, she is considering pursuing a degree in English, International Studies, History, or Journalism.

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2019 Graduate, Sparkman High School Elementary & Middle Schools: Legacy, Monrovia Ryan Dahl is known around Sparkman High School for his patriotic spirit and military mindset. He was first a member of the JROTC program, and then became a dynamic leader and mentor to several of the younger cadets. Dahl received Sparkman’s Senator Award and scored above a 30 on the ACT. He has a strong love for this country, and will attend Texas A&M University on an Air Force ROTC scholarship. Dahl plans to major in Meteorology and continue his leadership development with the Corps of Cadets.

Alexis Lopez 2019 Graduate, Madison County High School Elementary & Middle Schools: Central

COURTESY: WHNT

Alexis Lopez is interested in quantum physics, and earned a full scholarship to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “What we normally think of as physics is like common sense, but quantum physics goes against common sense and I thought that was really, really neat,” she said.

Lopez earned a Questbridge National College Match Scholarship, and says she is thankful for all the support she received from her parents, teachers and friends. She plans to double major in math and physics at MIT. A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

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CELEBRATING OUR STUDENTS

L-R: Mountain Gap teachers Laura Pickens, Jonathan Hodgens, Tina Totora, and Bethany Price at Erin’s homecoming surprise. Pickens and Totora traveled to Washington, D.C. to see Erin compete.

“Phenomenal” Erin Howard named National Spelling Bee Co-Champion

I

t’s been a good summer for Erin Howard. She’s finally had the chance to take a breather, and it shows.

“I finally get to read now,” she told us with relief in her voice. “I basically have to stop reading during Bee season because I’m studying so much. So, I’ve done my summer reading, and I also re-read To Kill A Mockingbird.” She also practiced music to prepare for band at Grissom High School. Erin plays trombone, piano, and drums, and composes music, too.

Erin Howard is a household name in Huntsville, as many of us have watched her for the past four years on the Scripps National Spelling Bee. In May, she and seven other spellers made history as the “Octo-Champs” – each winning the $50,000 prize and then going on a national publicity tour. This included network broadcasts, ringing the Opening Bell at NASDAQ, a New York Yankees game,

SCRIPPS NATIONAL SPELLING BEE

and an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in Los Angeles.

Erin has earned it. She spent years working for this goal, starting on the journey in second grade when her teacher, Jerilyn Pang, introduced her to the spelling bee. Erin won the bee at Mountain Gap School that year, and tied for third in the Madison County bee.

“My parents let me stay up late to watch the bee on ESPN, and when I saw those kids spelling these long and incredibly hard words up there, that’s when I realized I wanted to do that someday, too. It was just so interesting to me,” said Howard. “I watched it in second, third, and fourth grade, until fifth grade, when I actually made it there.”

Erin had won the school bee in second and third grade, but hit a roadblock the following year. “In fourth grade, I actually came in second in my school spelling bee, so I didn’t get to go to county,” she said. “That was heartbreaking, but that was when I decided I was going to study even harder than before, and the very next year, I made it all the way to nationals, because I spent so much of that year studying.”

She buckled down. In fact, many times, she would put 25 hours per week to study for the bee.

Her family helped her, especially her mother, Adrienne.

Erin won the Alabama State Bee in grades 5-8, going to the National Bee each of those four years, and making it to the evening finals in grades 6-8.

“What I’ve done is not impossible. Yes, it has taken a lot of hard work, and it seems like a really daunting task when you start, but trying to learn the entire dictionary is never going to happen, and you just need to learn language patterns, and Latin and Greek words so you can decipher words that you haven’t seen,” Erin said. “So I would just say work smarter and also work harder. People say that you should work smarter, not harder, but I Erin Howard’s expressions during the Bee were fun to watch. This picture shows her reaction as she realizes she knew how to spell her final word, erysipelas. think you really have to do both.”

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A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Cyber Summit Connection

What’s Next?

Erin is now in ninth grade at Grissom and a member of the marching band. The band joined in her homecoming surprise at Huntsville International Airport in June, after her spelling bee win.

“That was the coolest thing ever to happen – I wasn’t expecting any of that,” she said. “The Grissom Band being there – it was just the cherry on top. It was so much fun. Them being there – it was really, really kind.”

After high school, Erin says she would like to pursue a degree in biology, and possibly minor in music.

■ Claire Aiello Vice President, Marketing & Communications

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

You never know who you’re going to meet in an airport! A man named Ravishankar Rao was on the same flight as the Howard family, and he had traveled to Huntsville to speak at the National Cyber Summit that week. It is the nation’s preeminent conference for cyber training, education, and innovation. Rao was here to discuss the topic of workforce development, and having people properly trained on skills needed for future cyber careers.

Rao walked through the gate a few minutes prior to the Howards, and looked surprised as he noticed the crowd, the signs, and the television cameras. “We do this for everyone who visits Huntsville,” someone joked, and then filled him in on the details, encouraging him to stick around and join in the celebration.

Rao did, and in the meantime, he met Erin’s teachers. He learned about her journey, and he also learned she was the only speller of the eight champions to not have a hired coach.

“Her teachers said they recognized her talent early, and provided her with continued encouragement, support, and training as she progressed,” Rao said.

“This shows that talent can be widely distributed across a country, and it is up to us as a society to recognize and promote worthy talent no matter where it occurs.”

Rao joined in the cheers when Erin walked through, and when she made her way over to hug her teachers, she also said hello to him and he took a selfie.

Rao worked this into his presentation at the National Cyber Summit later in the week, which was broadcast to an international audience of cyber professionals.

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Redstone Arsenal: Leadership Profile

JD Underwood, Special Agent in Charge, National Center for Explosives Training and Research (NCETR), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

JD

Underwood lives in a city full of engineers, and he initially thought he would be one. But he quickly learned he wanted to do something else, as he attended Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

“I was doing okay grade-wise, but not the best. It just wasn’t my thing,” he said. Underwood continued with his schooling and took a class in police courts and corrections. One of his assignments was to interview a police officer, and he also did a ride-along. “It was just like a movie. Within 10 minutes of being in the police car, I knew that’s what I wanted to do,” he recalled, excitedly. “We were running 100 miles an hour with our hair on fire, right out of the police station – it was a Friday night with a full moon, payday weekend.”

Underwood was hired as a police officer in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1992. In 1997, he was selected to work with the ATF on a violent crimes task force, and was later hired by the Bureau in August 2001 – one month before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He and others were preparing for a big moonshine trial in Roanoke, Virginia that morning, but re-routed as soon as they heard the news.

“We all gathered our gear, and we were northbound on Interstate 81 headed to New York. We were almost to Lexington, Virginia, and we heard the plane had hit the Pentagon. So we got up to Strasburg, made the right turn and headed on in to DC. A month into the job.”

He ended up being a gopher for the ATF’s National Response Team working the scene at the Pentagon, doing whatever investigators needed.

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Underwood admits he has witnessed some tough scenes over the years. “You have to be grounded. You have to put things in perspective,” he said. “Many of our agents have seen more bodies than anyone else. You do [see such things], when you investigate explosions and fires. We’re big into building resiliency in our workforce. You are going to see this stuff – it’s not normal. We share tactics and techniques to help you deal with what you see.”

He met his wife, Chrissy, through a session where he did training on critical incident counseling, in fact. The two have been married since 1997 and have a son in college, at Virginia Tech, and a daughter at James Clemens High School in Madison.

Underwood’s law enforcement career has taken him through Virginia, then on to Des Moines, Iowa; Washington, D.C.; Kansas City, Missouri; and now Huntsville. He arrived in the Rocket City in February 2018.

NCETR As Special Agent in Charge of the National Center for Explosives Training and Research (NCETR), Underwood oversees a staff of about 65 people and a busy schedule involving firearms and explosives training. Law enforcement officers, bomb technicians, explosives handlers, and arson specialists come from all over the world to attend classes, and then return to their areas with new expertise to help them respond to events more safely, and in turn, make their communities more secure.

Every explosives ordnance disposal (EOD) soldier in the U.S. Army must also do training at NCETR before they deploy.

During a demonstration on July 9, students learned about different homemade explosives that criminals have created and used. Many contain items commonly found in your home, such as baby oil, ammonium, kitchen spices, toilet paper, or batteries. An ATF chemist explained how different explosive powders react with these elements when ignited. Law enforcement officers from Oklahoma, Massachusetts, and all branches of the Armed Forces were in that week’s class and watched as more than a dozen bombs were detonated.

In addition to classrooms and labs, the NCETR building also contains a mock courtroom used for training. Law enforcement officers learn about the importance of evidence collection because they will have to testify about it in real trials. The ATF brings in prosecutors and defense attorneys to question officers, too.

The ATF is the only U.S. government agency with fire and arson investigation as part of its core mission. This happens extensively A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

A large smoke cloud from one of the homemade explosives set off during a demonstration on July 9 at the ATF’s test range on Redstone Arsenal.

Community Support

during training classes at NCETR in Huntsville, but also at other remote training sites. The Army asked for help recently with subterranean training, and NCETR staff arranged this at venues in other states that had suitable environments, such as Camp Blanding in northeast Florida and the Colorado School of Mines.

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Underwood says support from Team Redstone, and the Huntsville/ Madison County community overall, has been phenomenal for their workforce and the people who come to NCETR for training.

“We bring a lot of students here for hotels and restaurants, and people need things while they’re here. The partnership is great,” Underwood said. “The Arsenal folks are tremendous partners and help get us things we need, and allow us to complete our mission.

The community is phenomenal. Huntsville – the people here are friendly, they’re welcoming, and they’re very supportive of everything that goes on in the community.”

You can tell that the ATF staff likes to have fun, too.

Underwood gets excited when he talks about their softball team in the Arsenal league, the Mudhens. He is the pitcher.

“We have fun. We heckle better than any team out there. We give each other a very hard time,” he said.

■ Claire Aiello Vice President, Marketing & Communications

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On July 16, 2019, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center launched 5,000 model rockets simultaneously hoping to break a Guinness World Record. Photo courtesy of USSRC.

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initiatives aug 2019

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

SAFETY Huntsville marks Apollo 11 milestone with special week of events

T

here’s nothing like the urgency of a countdown to focus your attention on the moment.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) in Huntsville hosted a world record-setting simultaneous launch of 5,000 rockets on July 16.

The launch celebration event included recorded playback of the Apollo 11 launch countdown commentary as well as live remarks from Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Director Jody Singer, Apollo 15 Command Module Pilot Al Worden, and Dr. Wernher von Braun’s daughter, Dr. Margrit von Braun.

As the crowd shouted the final 10 seconds of the countdown, the clock struck zero and the rockets blasted off! It was a fitting way to kick off the tribute to the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon.

Other events during the week included a “Welcome Home” dinner at the USSRC featuring remarks from Governor Kay Ivey, Dr. von Braun, and Singer; a procession led by Mayor Battle with a Polaris model lunar rover from the VBC to downtown Huntsville; followed by a “Dancing in the Streets” celebration around the Courthouse square. Thousands of people attended the downtown celebration on July 19.

Aerospace States Association, comprised of the Lt. Governors from all 50 States, also hosted their National Symposium during the week of the 50th anniversary celebration. The keynote dinner was held at the USSRC and featured remarks from Apollo 11 Astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

■ Mike Ward, CCE Senior Vice President, Government & Public Affairs A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

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WORKFORCE & EDUCATION

CyberSmart New Learning Module on asmartplace.com

C

yber—it’s a buzz word when it comes to future jobs and workforce opportunities. North Alabama is showing its expertise by having nearly 20 cyber subject matter experts team up with asmartplace.com to create CyberSmart, a 13-part learning module for students. As students and teachers create their free accounts on asmartplace.com and navigate through the career navigation portal, they can also increase their skill learning with CyberSmart.

By watching a series of “Learn It” and “Watch It” videos, students will hear from community cyber reps who explain their jobs and what it took to pursue their individual career paths.

These experts will also share their knowledge on a variety of topics including: Essential Commands, Web Security & Privacy, Hacking Clouds, Social Engineering, Attack Analysis, Hacking Ethics and Laws, Background Programs, Doxing, and much more.

Students will be able to test their knowledge through a series of “Try It” activities made up of quizzes and online activities. When a student completes all 13 modules, they will earn a CyberSmart badge which will be automatically added to their ASmartPlace resume. With CyberSmart, the goal is for students to learn more about cybersecurity while also considering a cyber career. Stay tuned: CyberSmart is coming to asmartplace.com this fall!

Big thanks to the following cyber reps for giving their time to take part in these CyberSmart interviews: ■ Kathryn Devine, Information Assurance Analyst, AEgis Technologies ■ Judy Darwin, IT & Cybersecurity Business Specialist, All Points Logistics ■ Chrystal Hicks, Cybersecurity Engineer, Booz Allen Hamilton ■ Jamaar Jackson, Senior Consultant (RMF/IA/A&A Specialist), Booz Allen Hamilton ■ Mike Parvin, Cybersecurity Engineer, Booz Allen Hamilton ■ Joel Rivera, Lead Technologist, Booz Allen Hamilton ■ Jacob Schreiber, Cybersecurity Engineer, Booz Allen Hamilton ■ Graham Foster, Director of Cybersecurity Research & Development, Davidson Technologies ■ Jonathan Pettus, Director of Cybersecurity & Information Technology Solutions, Dynetics

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initiatives aug 2019

■ Quinlan Jones, UAH student interning with Northrop Grumman ■ Angela Rittenbach, President & CEO, Riverstone Solutions ■ Ira Lacy, Principal Cyber Security Analyst, SAIC ■ Ethan Severin, Associate Cybersecurity Engineer, SAIC ■ LaTara Allen, Governance, Risk, and Compliance Specialist, Sentar Inc. ■ Dan Lambert, Vice President, Sentar Inc. (pictured) ■ Steve Pratt, Senior Cybersecurity Engineer, Sentar Inc. ■ Adrianne Day, Chief Information Officer, US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Aviation & Missile Center ■ Caleb Wong, UAH student interning with CCDC Aviation & Missile Center ■ Nick Thomas, Vice President of Cyber Security Programs, VikTech LLC And a big thanks to Booz Allen Hamilton and Dynetics for sharing their facilities and allowing us to shoot interviews on location.

■ Georgina Chapman Workforce Development Director, Chamber Foundation

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Explore.

Dream.

Discover.

- Mark Twain

4700 Whitesburg Drive, Suite 150 400 Meridian Street, Suite 108 53 Hughes Road www.iberiabank.com

DOWNTOWN HOTEL GROWTH COMING SOON: Curio by Hilton (Feb 2020) 106 Jefferson Ave – 117 rooms

Hampton Inn & Suites (2020) Clinton & Monroe – 150 rooms

Autograph Collection Hotels

by Marriott (2021) Monroe St – 187 rooms

CURRENT HOTELS: AC Hotel by Marriott 435 Williams Ave – 120 rooms

Embassy Suites by Hilton 800 Monroe St SW – 295 rooms

SpringHill Suites by Marriott 745 Constellation Place Dr SW – 149 rooms

Homewood Suites by Hilton 714 Gallatin St SW – 101 rooms

M

ore hotels are coming to downtown Huntsville, and people who work in hospitality and tourism say these developments have been a long time coming.

Judy Ryals, president/CEO of the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, says the conversation on this topic started more than 20 years ago.

“We heard this from our meeting planners, and when we’re out trying to sell Huntsville and we are competing against other cities that have a large convention center, they have surrounding hotels where their delegates can walk,” said Ryals. “Unfortunately, we don’t have as many Ryals rooms for some of the larger conventions that we’re going after, so we are looking for more rooms within walking distance of the Von Braun Center.”

The current expansion project of the Von Braun Center (VBC) includes another ballroom that will be larger than the North Hall, and additional breakout rooms. Those are good selling points, Ryals said.

“We’re going to be really set as a great facility with the VBC – but we still need rooms within walking distance of that facility,” Ryals added.

The VBC hosts a number of large conferences every year, which would likely fill new hotels during those time frames. But what about other times? Ryals encourages companies to step up.

“Corporate business, business travelers, leisure travelers, other tours – all the different type meetings and training sessions are helpful,” Ryals explained. “The National Children’s Advocacy Center hosts 72 training sessions throughout the year, where 30 to 35 people come to Huntsville and stay for three days. That’s great business for our community, and we need more of those partnerships with nonprofits as well as corporations.”

She added that some existing hotels are renovating, after companies expressed they would like more upscale accommodations for high-end travelers. A new mixed-use development is also planned for the former Coca-Cola® site on Clinton Avenue, with the possibility of a hotel.

Kristen Pepper, marketing manager for the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said being downtown allows visitors to enjoy the experience more.

“With all the revitalization that’s been happening over the past decade or so, people really want to be downtown, and they love being within walking distance to all the amenities that are there now, including retail and restaurants,” said Pepper. “When people are here for business, Pepper obviously that’s their main priority, but they also want to be able to go get a nice dinner somewhere local, they want to be able to have the flavor of the city within walking distance of where they are staying.”

Walkability is very important, too. Additional restaurants add options for visitors who want something close by. Conference planners also like the option of encouraging participants to experience lunch outside of an event, rather than having a banquet lunch, to let them experience the flavor of a community, Ryals added.

■ Claire Aiello Vice President, Marketing & Communications A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

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39

Upcoming Chamber Events To register or for more information on any of these events, please visit cm.hsvchamber.org/events.

Small Business Awards Celebration Tuesday, Aug. 13 ■ 6 p.m. Cocktails / 7 p.m. Dinner VBC North Hall Presenting Sponsor: Keel Point

Second Chance Job Fair Wednesday, Aug. 14 ■ 8 a.m.–Noon Jaycee Community Building

Presenting Sponsor: Capital Management Services (CMS)

C-Suite Speaker Series: Nesin Sisters Wednesday, Aug. 21 ■ 8:30–10 a.m.

Nesin Therapy Services – Research Park Clinic Presenting Sponsor: Landers McLarty Subaru

Washington Update with Sen. Doug Jones Wednesday, Aug. 21 ■ 12 p.m. ■ VBC North Hall Presenting Sponsor: CFD Research Corporation

Excel: Pivot Tables

Thursday, Aug. 22 ■ 10 a.m.–Noon ■ Chamber building Presenting Sponsor: Image in a Box

Ways to Promote Content Effectively Tuesday, Aug. 27 ■ 10 a.m.–Noon ■ Chamber building Presenting Sponsor: Image in a Box

Business & Brews

Tuesday, Aug. 27 ■ 5–7 p.m. ■ Green Bus Brewing Presenting Sponsor: Google Fiber

Chamber Night Out

Thursday, Aug. 29 ■ 5–7 p.m. ■ X-Golf Huntsville Presenting Sponsor: Google Fiber *Limited to 50 registrations

Annual Outing

Tuesday, Sept 17 ■ 5:30 p.m. ■ Ditto Landing Pavilion Presenting Sponsor: Science and Engineering Services, LLC (SES)

Clay Shooting Tournament

Friday, Sept. 27 ■ 8 a.m.–Noon flight / 1–5 p.m. flight Limestone Hunting Preserve Presenting Sponsor: Jerry Damson Honda Acura

Chamber Golf Classic

Friday, Oct. 18 ■ 8 a.m. Shotgun Start Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Hampton Cove Presenting Sponsor: LINE-X LLC

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A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Population

Madison City of City of Huntsville County Huntsville Madison Metro Area

2010 Census

334,811

180,105 42,938

417,593

2018 Census est.

366,519

197,318 50,440

462,693

% Growth

9.5%

9.5%

17.58%

10.8%

COMMUNITY PROFILE Top Ten Employers: Huntsville & Madison County Redstone Arsenal* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37,000* Huntsville Hospital System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,228 NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,500

Households & Income

Huntsville City Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000

17,530

174,639

Avg. Household Income $82,287 $75,789 $115,779

$80,893

SAIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,746

Per Capita Income

$32,676

Madison County Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,389

# of Households

As of June 2019

142,253

81,296

$34,232 $33,070 $43,917

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov), 2017 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

The Boeing Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,900

City of Huntsville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,206 Dynetics, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,953 The University of Alabama in Huntsville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,660 Source: Huntsville/Madison County Chamber *includes on-site contractors

Aerospace & Defense Huntsville/Madison County is home to the U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center which combine to drive a thriving aerospace and defense technology industry. More than 43,500 people work at Redstone Arsenal and NASA, managing some of the country’s most important and sophisticated technology programs including missiles, aviation, and space exploration.

Research & Technology For more information, visit:

hsvchamber.org

Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park has earned a reputation as a global leader in technology development. The second-largest science and technology research park in the U.S., Cummings Research Park is home to nearly 300 companies and 26,500 people involved in technology research and development.

Work. Eat. Stay.

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Office Leasing:

James Lomax main: 256.517.7023 mobile: 256.698.3101 james.lomax@copt.com

redstonegateway.com A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

aug 2019 initiatives

41

Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

STA FF Executive Staff

Chip Cherry, CCE, president & CEO Meghan Chambliss, executive assistant / economic development coordinator

Economic Development, Industry Relations & Workforce Lucia Cape, CCE, senior vice president Erin Koshut, executive director, Cummings Research Park Katelyn Sides Baker, workforce recruitment director Lydia Pennington, industry relations director Ken Smith, research & information services director John Roberts, economic development project director

Government & Public Affairs Mike Ward, CCE, senior vice president Austin Bullock, program manager

Marketing & Communications Claire Aiello, vice president Kristi Sherrard, graphic designer Hiroko Sedensky, web designer

Small Business & Events

I N N O VAT I O N B Y L S I N C 256.721.4011 | LSINC.COM | INFO@LSINC.COM

Pammie Jimmar, IOM, vice president Devon Elston, coordinator

Finance & Administration Mary McNairy, vice president Kim Weeks, accounting specialist – receivables Lori Warner, accounting specialist – payables Joe Watson, facilities supervisor Amberly Ware, administrative assistant Savannah Pedersen, resource desk coordinator

Membership Amber Greenwood, vice president, investor relations Kristy Drake, director, investor relations & ChamberON Donna McCrary, retention manager Richard Bigoney, account executive Tina Blankenship, account executive Keith Johnson, account executive

Chamber Foundation Georgina Chapman, workforce director Kent Ballard, workforce education specialist

Huntsville/Madison County Chamber 225 Church Street NW, Huntsville, AL 35801 phone 256-535-2000 | fax 256-535-2015

HSVchamber.org

Associated Organizations

theschoolsfoundation.org uah.edu/sbdc

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initiatives aug 2019

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

FOR MORE INFORMATION: William Stroud | 256-428-0405 | wstroud@triadproperties.com

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