IO - September 2020

sep 2020

Bright Lights

By The Numbers Double Helix Extra! Extra!

Giving Back Heavy Hitters Movers & Shakers Small Biz Synapse A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Improving lives across the Tennessee Valley

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, Russellville Hospital and Lincoln Health System in Tennessee.

welcome new chamber members Joined in June 2020

Joined in July 2020

All Clean Bank of Frankewing bioPure Service Cyburity Inc. Deborah Spear, Realtor Keller Williams Realty - Madison Diversified Edmonds Engineering First Federal Mortgage GTEC, LLC Jetplex Investors, a Tennessee Joint Venture Job Impulse, Inc Marblelife of Huntsville Oakwood Farms Market Roadside Plus, LLC Rocket City Dance Company, LLC Rocket City Movers of Huntsville Schmitt Consulting Group LLC South Huntsville Neighbors Trigon Cyber, Inc. Trojan Environmental Services Wildwood Electronics, Inc.

47E A2Z TECH FIX LLC Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. Alex Hendrix AMIIC - Advanced Manufacturing Innovation & Integration Center Big Shake’s Hot Chicken & Fish Bindra Productions CBD American Shaman Chick-fil-A University Dr C-Store Master CyberProtex D. R. Horton - America’s Builder GEBC, LLC Goosehead Insurance Garner & Williams Agency Hepaco, LLC The Hollingsworth Companies Huntsville Luxury Transportation Inline Lighting & Electric Supply Legacy Publishing Men in Kilts Madison Redstone Aviation Group Redstone Family Realty, LLC Whitaker Contracting Corp White and Son Refrigeration

Check out getyourgifton.org – a website to support gift card purchases through our local restaurants and retail stores. Please visit the site and buy a gift card. Also, it is FREE to list your business there. The link to add is at the very top of the site, as well as a link to set up gift cards if you don’t currently offer these.

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.

4

initiatives

online

sep 2020

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

AS OF AUGUST 30, 2020

INVESTORS HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

DEVELOPMENT PARTNER

DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

CHAIRMAN’S COUNCIL PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE

REGIONAL PARTNERS

LEADERSHIP FORUM

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

CHAMBER TRUSTEES AEgis Technologies Group ■ Akima, LLC ■ Bill Penney Toyota/Mitsubishi ■ Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. ■ Facebook Data Center Five Stones Research Corporation ■ Intrepid ■ Intuitive Research and Technology Corp ■ 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 ■ Aerojet Rocketdyne ■ Anglin Reichmann Armstrong ■ ASRC Federal ■ B. L. Harbert International, LLC ■ Baron Services, Inc. ■ BASF Corporation ■ BB&T, now Truist Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP ■ Brown Precision, Inc. ■ CenterState Bank ■ Colliers International ■ Connected Logistics (LogC2) ■ Davidson ■ Huntsville Tractor & Equipment, Inc. IBERIABANK ■ Keel Point, LLC ■ L3Harris ■ Leonardo Electronics US Inc. ■ LMI ■ LSINC Corporation ■ Marsh & McLennan Agency, locally known as J. Smith Lanier & Co. The Orthopaedic Center (TOC) ■ Progress Bank ■ Radiance Technologies ■ RE/MAX Alliance ■ Robins & Morton ■ RUAG Space USA ■ Spirit Coach, LLC Steak-Out (Rosie’s Restaurants, Inc., & Right Way Restaurants, Inc.) ■ Verizon ■ Wells Fargo Bank ■ Woody Anderson Ford

PROGRESS INVESTORS 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 ■ Bell Textron Inc. ■ BID DESIGNS, LLC ■ BRPH Architects-Engineers, Inc. ■ Bryant Bank ■ Canvas, Inc. ■ CB&S Bank ■ Century Automotive ■ CFD Research Corporation ■ CGI Federal Coast Personnel Services ■ Continental Consulting Group Corporation (CCGC) ■ DC BLOX, Inc. ■ deciBel Research ■ Deloitte LLP ■ DESE Research, Inc. ■ Express Employment Professionals ■ Fernandez Financial Group FITE Building Company ■ FLS Translation & Interpreting ■ Fountain, Parker, Harbarger & Associates, LLC ■ Freedom Real Estate & Capital, LLC ■ Garver ■ Hexagon US Federal ■ HEMSI ■ Hiley Automotive Group Huntsville Botanical Garden ■ Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau ■ INTERFUZE Corporation ■ Investor’s Resource ■ IronMountain Solutions ■ Legend Realty – Jim Hoekenschneider ■ The Lioce Group, Inc. MAG Aerospace ■ MSB Analytics, Inc. ■ nLogic, LLC ■ PALCO ■ PHOENIX ■ Pinnacle Solutions, Inc. ■ PROJECTXYZ, Inc. ■ QTEC Aerospace ■ Quadrus Corporation ■ Ready Mix USA ■ Renasant Bank ■ RJ Young Company Rosenblum Realty ■ S&ME, Inc. ■ Schoel Engineering Company, Inc. ■ ServisFirst Bank ■ Sigmatech, Inc. ■ Signalink ■ Snelling ■ Systems Products and Solutions, Inc. ■ TriVector Services, Inc. ■ Troy 7, Inc. U.S. Space & Rocket Center ■ ValleyMLS.com ■ Valor Communities ■ Van Valkenburgh & Wilkinson Properties Inc. ■ Venturi, Inc. ■ Volkert, Inc. ■ Warren Averett, LLC ■ West Huntsville Land Co., Inc. ■ Wilmer & Lee, P.A.

SmartSWIPE SMALL CHANGES

BIG DIFFERENCE

When you enroll in Bank Independent’s Smart Swipe program, you’ll see how making a small change can make a big difference. Take for instance the change from a purchase. With Smart Swipe, every time you swipe your debit card, we’ll round up your purchase to the next dollar and deposit the difference into another Bank Independent account of your choosing. You will be surprised by how quickly your small change can add up to big savings. Enroll in Smart Swipe today and begin to Swipe + Shop = Save.

Well-rounded Savings.

Welcome home to Bank Independent.

BIBANK.COM | MEMBER FDIC | 877.865.5050

Here’s how Smart Swipe Works: 1. Use your BI Debit Card for a non-ATM purchase; 2. We’ll round up that amount to the nearest dollar, then 3. Automatically deposit the difference into your designated BI account.

Use Your Debit Card To Buy

You Pay

Watch We Will And Then Your Round It Transfer Balance Up To Add Up

$5.47

$6.00

$0.53

$0.53

$27.21

$28.00

$0.79

$1.32

$64.52

$65.00

$0.48

$1.80

Coffee

Fuel

Groceries

At the end of the business day, we’ll transfer your savings to your designated account!

$1.80

Chamber Members: Send your company news to comms@hsvchamber.org

sep 2020 ON THE COVER: Hollingsworth’s groundbreaking for its industrial facility in SouthPoint Business Park page 10

IronMountain Solutions makes corporate donation to COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund page 36

Heavy Hitters

10

Bright Lights

12

Double Helix

16

Movers & Shakers

18

By the Numbers

27

Et cetera New Members: 4

Small Biz Synapse

33

HREGI Investors: 5 About IO & Board Listing: 8 ASmartPlace Events: 37

Extra! Extra!

Giving Back

34 36

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Small Business Awards: 37 Staff Listing: 38 SBDC Webinars: 38 Remote Learning Supervision Fund: 39

sep 2020 initiatives

online

7

About IO

HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER

Executive Committee and Board of Directors 2020 Executive Committee

Dear Members, This has definitely been a year of change. As the summer winds down and we approach fall, many families have returned to school, most virtually. Our rates for COVID-19 have dropped, thankfully, but it’s important that we stay vigilant. We need to keep wearing masks and practicing social distancing to prevent another spike. It’s also important to get your flu shot soon. Health officials hope these health practices will help keep flu rates down this year.

Congratulations to our municipal candidates on your wins in the August 25 election. As the November election gets closer, please act early if you plan to vote by absentee ballot. Don’t wait until the last minute. There is plenty of information posted on madisoncountyvotes.com about absentee voting, as well as voter registration links and deadlines.

We also congratulate 31 local companies who recently made the Inc. 5000 list for 2020.

This is a ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing privately owned U.S. companies, and several Chamber members are repeat honorees. Way to go!

Please make sure you’re submitting your news. The Chamber communications team utilizes these in the weekly Mash-Up newsletter, on social media, and in this online publication. The best route to go is through the Member Portal in ChamberMaster – this makes it quick and easy to approve and these go straight to the Member News page on hsvchamber.org.

Have a great September, and stay healthy!

Frank Williams 2020 Vice Chair for Marketing & Communications Chamber Executive Board

IO Staff Chip Cherry, CCE publisher Frank Williams 2020 vice chair, marketing & communications Claire Aiello editor Kristi Sherrard editorial designer Hiroko Sedensky web designer

The mission of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber is to prepare, develop and promote our community for economic growth.

Submissions for editorial content are accepted; however, placement is not guaranteed. Information in this and other Chamber publications is at the discretion of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber.

8

initiatives

online

sep 2020

Kevin Byrnes, Chair, Navigator International, LLC Jeff Gronberg, Chair-Elect, deciBel Research, Inc. Kim Lewis, Immediate Past Chair, PROJECTXYZ, Inc. Ron Poteat, Chamber Foundation President, Regions Bank Laura Huckabee-Jennings, Secretary/Treasurer, Transcend LLC Greg Brown, Vice Chair, Economic Development & Industry Relations, Brown Precision, Inc.

Craig Naudain, Vice Chair, Government & Public Affairs, SAIC Jim Rogers, Vice Chair, HREGI, Lockheed Martin Corporation Frank Williams, Vice Chair, Marketing & Communications, Landers McLarty Dodge Chrysler Jeep

Lynn Troy, Vice Chair, Membership, Troy 7, Inc. Sameer Singhal, Vice Chair, Small Business & Events, CFD Research Corporation

Joe Ritch, Vice Chair, TV-BRAC, Sirote & Permutt, PC Dr. Karockas Watkins, Chair-Appointed, Ability Plus, Inc. Dr. Joe Green, Chair-Appointed, Whitespace Innovations, Inc. Alicia Ryan, Chair-Appointed, LSINC Corporation Mike Watkins, Chair-Appointed, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama

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

Chip Cherry, President & CEO, Chamber

Elected Board Blake Bentley, SportsMED David Bier, Anglin Reichmann Armstrong, P.C. Penny Billings, BancorpSouth- Huntsville Thomas Busby, CenterState Bank Melissa Davis, MTA, Inc. Mike Dewitz, PARSONS John Eagan, BB&T Kevin Fernandez, Fernandez Financial Group, LLC Owen Franklin, Blue Summit Supplies Joni Green, Five Stones Research Corporation John Hall, All Points Logistics, LLC Ginger Harper, IBERIABANK Josh Herren, Yulista Lee Holland, Freedom Real Estate and Capital, LLC Tharon Honeycutt, MSB Analytics, Inc. Amanda Howard, Amanda Howard | Sotheby’s International Realty Lincoln Hudson, Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. Hank Isenberg, IronMountain Solutions McKinley James, Polaris Industries, Inc. Lauren Johannesmeyer, Google Fiber, Huntsville Sean Kelly, Regions Bank April Mason, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Inc. Todd May, KBR Bob McCaleb, Northrop Grumman Corporation Kevin McCombs, Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. Alana Parker, Rocket City Drywall & Supply, Inc. Zack Penney, Bill Penney Toyota/Mitsubishi Jami Peyton, Canvas, Inc. Chris Russell, Cadence Bank Jeff Samz, Huntsville Hospital Beth Sippel, Synovus Wayne Sisco, Redstone Federal Credit Union Tom Stanton, ADTRAN, Inc. Sandra Stephens, Keel Point, LLC Mitch Stevison, Raytheon Company Cynthia Streams, Domino’s (Valley Pizza, Inc.) Margetta Thomas, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology Ken Tucker, The Boeing Company John Watson, Torch Technologies Danny Windham, HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

A Different Kind of House Call

When you can’t see your doctor in person, a telehealth visit may be the solution.

Telehealth simply means a doctor visit on your smartphone, tablet, or computer. You can talk with your provider from any location just as you would in the doctor’s office.

Call 1-888-261-3422 or visit CrestwoodMedGroup.com to find out how to connect with a provider.

Many insurance plans cover telehealth.

Check your plan coverage or ask when you make an appointment.

MEDICAL GROUP

CrestwoodMedGroup.com

Heavy Hitters MAJOR ECONOMIC ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THE HUNTSVILLE METRO

Mazda, Toyota further commitment to U.S. manufacturing $830 million to increase state-of-the-art technologies & training programs Mazda Toyota Manufacturing (MTM), the new joint-venture between Mazda Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation, announced an additional $830 million investment on August 13 to incorporate more cutting-edge manufacturing technologies to its production lines and provide enhanced training to its workforce of up to 4,000 employees.

Total funding contributed to the development of the state-of-theart facility is now $2.311 billion, up from the $1.6 billion originally announced in 2018. The investment reaffirms Mazda and Toyota’s commitment to produce the highest-quality products at the facility. It also accommodates production line enhancements made to improve manufacturing processes supporting the Mazda vehicle and design changes to the yet to be announced Toyota SUV that will both be produced at the plant. The new facility will have the capacity to produce up to 150,000 units of a future Mazda crossover vehicle and up to 150,000 units of the Toyota SUV each year. MTM continues to target up to 4,000 new jobs and has hired approximately 600 employees to date, with plans to resume accepting applications for production positions later in 2020.

“Toyota’s presence in Alabama continues to build excitement about future opportunities that lie ahead, both for our economy and for the residents of our great state,” Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said. “Mazda and Toyota’s increased commitment to the development of this manufacturing plant reiterates their belief in the future of manufacturing in America and the potential for the state of Alabama to be an economic leader in the wake of unprecedented economic change.”

“Mazda Toyota Manufacturing is proud to call Alabama home. Through strong support from our state and local partners, we have been able to further incorporate cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, provide world-class training for team mem-

bers and develop the highest quality production processes,” Mark Brazeal, MTM’s vice president of administration said. “As we prepare for the start of production next year, we look forward to developing our future workforce and serving as a hometown company for many years to come.”

“This newest investment by our partners at Mazda Toyota Manufacturing shows the company’s continued confidence in the ability of our community to provide a strong, skilled workforce to meet the demands for quality and reliability. We look forward to the day when the first vehicles roll off the line,” said City of Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle.

“We are excited to learn of this additional investment being made by Mazda Toyota Manufacturing,” said Limestone County Commission Chairman Collin Daly. “We continue to be grateful to MTM for their belief in our county and look forward to our partnership with them for many years to come.”

Full-scale construction of the plant continues, with 75-100 percent completion on roofing, siding, floor slabs, ductwork, fire protection, and electrical. ■

Hollingsworth to build industrial facility in SouthPoint Business Park Groundbreaking held for largest spec building ever developed in North Alabama market Local and state officials and members of the business community gathered on August 5 to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new 404,738-square-foot industrial building in the SouthPoint Business Park in Huntsville, Ala. This will be the 11th facility developed

by The Hollingsworth Companies in SouthPoint which has provided the community with facilities that support hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars in investments.

With this new facility, the SouthPoint Business Park will have 1,962,606 square feet of industrial space suitable for high growth manufacturing and distribution com10

initiatives

online

sep 2020

panies located along the I-65 in north Alabama. This new facility will be a concrete tilt wall, 40’ clear height, 60’ x 60’ column spacing, and include 50+ dock doors. This park also includes two spec complete buildings of 173,888 square feet and 109,080 square feet available for immediate lease.

“Over the past 10 years, we’ve been able to announce new and expanding companies in our community that have created 30,000 jobs. To do that requires many assets.

You need a workforce, you need access to markets, and you need sites and buildings.

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Today’s groundbreaking gives us another tool to help us in our continuing efforts to diversify our economy and to make sure that anyone in Huntsville who wants a job can get a job. We thank the Hollingsworth Companies for its continued investment and belief in our community,” said Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle.

“The groundbreaking of the largest speculative industrial building in north Alabama, despite being in the middle of a pandemic, is positive news for our county,” said Limestone County Commission Chairman Collin Daly.

“We look forward to this new location assisting with the demand for industrial facilities needed for the continued growth in our county.”

Brooks Kracke, president and CEO of the North Alabama Industrial Development Association (NAIDA) mentioned “This latest Hollingsworth building of 404,738 square feet in Southpoint Industrial Park is the largest speculative building ever developed in the north Alabama market. It is much needed and is very timely in order to meet the demands of our regional growth.”

Joe Hollingsworth, CEO of The Hollingsworth Companies stated, “In spite of the economic pressure of COVID-19 and this being an election year, we are very bullish on the north Alabama market. We have successfully grown our business on the belief that

American manufacturing will continue to prosper and the Southeastern United States will lead this growth.”

“I would like to thank the community for being willing to invest time, effort, and money into being a true partner in making this park successful. It is my belief that the next eight years will be the best economic period of our lives,” Hollingsworth added. ■

100% online or evening in-person classes.

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION COB_OnlineMBA_HSVChamber-half-page-horiz_063020.indd 2

sep 2020 initiatives

11 online 7/1/20 9:39 AM

Bright Lights ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HIGHLIGHTS IN THE HUNTSVILLE METRO

NAI Chase Commercial Real Estate merges with Ponder Properties Ponder Properties Commercial Real Estate and NAI Chase Commercial Realty, two of Alabama’s leading commercial real estate firms, announced a merger on August 3, creating one of the largest full-service commercial real estate brokerage companies in the state.

Together, the firms have more than 58 years of market expertise and a combined leasing, sales, and property management inventory in excess of four million square feet plus over 240 acres for sale/ground lease commercial development land. The diversified inventory includes a variety of office, retail, industrial and investment properties spread throughout Alabama.

“The combination of our professional brokerage teams and exceptional property management, construction and receivership services will create a synergy incomparable to other local commercial real estate firms,” said Terry Ponder (pictured left), president of Ponder Properties. “We have tremendous respect for the NAI Chase team and their impact on the Alabama commercial real estate market, particularly the impressive growth and market share they have secured in Huntsville and throughout the north Alabama region.”

“Both firms have a long legacy and tradition in the Birmingham market,” said Charlie Grelier, Jr. (pictured left), president of NAI Chase Commercial Realty. “The merger brings together world-class expertise and a shared vision of strong relationships and commitment to our clients and customers.”

Davidson Homes enters the Atlanta market Davidson Homes, a rapidly growing home builder based in Huntsville, announced July 21 it has entered the Atlanta market with the purchase of 2,340 lots in 15 communities. The company will build in the Georgia communities of Cartersville, Cumming, East Paulding, Kennesaw, Lawrenceville, Locust Grove, Loganville, Marietta, McDonough, Stockbridge and Woodstock and deliver the first home by the end of 2020.

As part of its Atlanta expansion strategy, Davidson Homes is partnering with David Pearson Communities (DPC), a residential developer based in Marietta. Davidson Homes purchased more than 2,000 lots in nine communities from DPC to accelerate its growth in the market. DPC has announced plans to expand its Atlanta headquarters to support Davidson Homes’ future growth strategies.

The move into Atlanta marks the next stage of Davidson Homes’ organic growth throughout the Southeast. Georgia is the third state the company has expanded into during the past three years. Davidson is already building homes in 44 communities across Alabama, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

“The coronavirus pandemic continues to pose challenges for many homebuilders, but everyone in our company has stepped up to keep Davidson Homes growing and serving the housing needs of our customers,” said Adam Davidson, founder, president 12

initiatives

online

sep 2020

Since 1992, NAI Chase Commercial has been part of NAI Global, a leading global commercial real estate brokerage firm. NAI Global has more than 375 offices strategically located throughout North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, and Asia Pacific, with 6,000 local market professionals, managing in excess of 1.15 billion square feet of property and facilities. Annually, NAI Global completes in excess of $20 billion in commercial real estate transactions throughout the world.

The Ponder-Chase merger will integrate the NAI platform into daily brokerage operations for both firms. The integrated teams will include five employees from Ponder Properties and 25 from NAI Chase Commercial. Randy Thomas (pictured left) will be named executive vice president and run the day-to-day operations in Birmingham’s Central Alabama region.

“I am excited to see these two professional teams, combining their strong brokerage and management capabilities, brought together in this merger. Our goal is to continue being a significant contributor to Alabama’s economic growth, as a key member in the future of Alabama’s commercial real estate,” said Thomas. “We are all very excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for our staff, along with connecting a highly talented Ponder team into the NAI Chase Commercial platform to benefit our collective clients.”

Other team members will include Ponder Properties’ Glenn Ponder (middle left), director of sales and leasing development, and Keith Ponder (lower left), property manager. ■

and CEO of Davidson Homes. “Our entry into Atlanta represents another step in the evolution of our company and builds on our strategy of focusing on Southeastern markets with solid economic growth and appealing quality of life.”

To lead the company’s new division, Davidson has appointed Reagan Anderson as division president for Atlanta. Anderson has more than 20 years of home-building experience developing residential properties in the south – including a decade in Georgia. Reagan will be based in Marietta and report to Greg Duriez, regional president for Davidson Homes.

“I am thrilled for this leadership opportunity and to be part of the amazing team Adam and Greg have put together,” said Anderson. “It is an exciting time for Davidson Homes. Adam’s strategic vision, coupled with the strong resources of Davidson Homes, put us in a unique position to grow quickly in this very active housing market. I look forward to advancing the Davidson Homes mission of providing our customers with quality homes that are built expertly and affordably.”

Before joining Davidson Homes, Anderson served as director of construction for a regional home builder where he oversaw the startup of a new Georgia division and managed operations. Before that, he was vice president of operations for an Atlanta-based A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

home builder with locations throughout the South. He began his career as a customer relations manager with one of the country’s largest, publicly traded home builders.

Davidson Homes has moved quickly in launching the Atlanta division. The company has already hired 17 people in the Marietta office and plans to employ additional staff during the next 60 days.

Home prices in the 15 Atlanta-area communities will range from $210,000 to $950,000. Square footage will vary from 1,600 to 6,000.

Davidson Homes currently owns or controls more than 7,000 lots in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. Davidson Homes plans to continue expansions in the southeastern U.S. in the near future. ■

Anglin Reichmann Armstrong named among 2020 Best Accounting Firms to Work For Anglin Reichmann Armstrong has been named among the Best Accounting Firms to Work for, a project of Accounting Today and Best Companies Group. The publication is a leading information resource for public accountants and each year selects the Best Accounting Firms to Work For in three categories: Small, Midsized, and Large. The award, announced in July, evaluates each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics and surveys employees to measure their experience at the firm.

“Being recognized among the best places to work is an incredible honor,” said Managing Partner Gary Anglin. “It is especially meaningful after such a challenging tax

Through the Paycheck Protection Program, our team has collaborated with over 1,300 small businesses that has resulted in over $150 million reinvested back into Alabama communities. We care because Alabama is our home, too.

Downtown Huntsville: 256-535-1045 Southeast Huntsville: 256-217-5170 BryantBank.com

season. I am proud of our employees and their ability to proactively serve our clients through all the legislative changes, relief measures and extended tax deadlines.”

“We have made a number of positive changes to our benefits and employee development programs over the last few years,” said Director of Staff Development, Wendy Tucker. “We strive to create an environment where employees enjoy coming to work and feel they are a valued member of the team. This award affirms that we are accomplishing that.”

Formed in 1990, Anglin Reichmann Armstrong, P.C. is the largest, locally owned public accounting and business advisory firm in Huntsville, Ala. With its newest office in Pensacola, Florida, Anglin serves clients throughout the Southeast and nationally. Services include CFO Services, Outsourced Accounting, Specialized Tax Credits (R&D Credits), Business Valuations as well as Audit and Assurance and Tax Advisory Services. Anglin is a member of CPAmerica International. ■

Summit 7 wins 2020 Microsoft U.S. Partner Award for Security and Compliance Summit 7 Systems (Summit 7), a national provider of Cybersecurity and Compliance Solutions for the Aerospace and Defense industry, has been recognized by Microsoft as the 2020 MSUS Partner Award Winner for Modern Workplace – Security and CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

I can’t say enough about how good Bryant Bank has been to us over the last 11 years, but they have just gone above and beyond during this crisis to ensure that we can keep our doors open and our employees working!

Advanced Life Clinic, Dr. Hayley DeGraaff Huntsville, AL

Member FDIC A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

sep 2020 initiatives

online

13

BRIGHT LIGHTS, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

31 Huntsville-area companies make Inc. 5000 list for 2020 Thirty-one companies in the Huntsville metro area made the annual Inc. 5000 list released in August. This is a ranking of the nation’s fastest growing privately owned U.S. companies. Several Chamber members are repeat honorees, including companies that specialize in manufacturing, government services, real estate, security, engineering, and food and beverage. Congratulations to all on this achievement!

Rank

14

Company

Growth

110

Redline Steel (Tanner, Ala.)

981

Aleta Technologies

470%

Security

1139

Cintel

397%

Gov. Services

1340

Shearer & Associates

332%

Engineering

1423

Crossflow Technologies

312%

Gov. Services

1585

Freedom Real Estate & Capital

273%

Real Estate

1890

Linc Research

223%

Engineering

1896

Hill Technical Solutions

222%

Engineering

1986

R2C

213%

Gov. Services

2136

Matt Curtis Real Estate

196%

Real Estate

2338

EngeniusMicro

179%

Gov. Services

2344

Cortina Solutions

178%

Gov. Services

2347

Simulation Technologies

177%

Gov. Services

2401

Corporate Tax Advisors

173%

Financial Services

2417

Integration Innovation (i3)

171%

Gov. Services

2426

MartinFederal

170%

Gov. Services

2483

nou Systems

166%

Gov. Services

2580

Summit 7 Systems

159%

IT System Dev.

2766

IronMountain Solutions

145%

Gov. Services

3002

Hometown Lenders

131%

Financial Services

3382

Noetic Strategies

111%

Gov. Services

3404

Cornerstone Detention Products

110%

Construction

3464

Trideum Corporation

108%

Gov. Services

3536

Sentar

104%

Gov. Services

3898

Bevilacqua Research Corporation

91%

Gov. Services

4221

Mission Driven Research

80%

Gov. Services

4313

Torch Technologies

77%

Gov. Services

4397

Monte Sano Research Corporation

74%

Gov. Services

4464

nLogic

72%

Gov. Services

4501

CFD Research Corporation

71%

Gov. Services

4929

Yellowhammer Brewing

56%

Food & Beverage

initiatives

online

sep 2020

3215%

Industry Manufacturing

Compliance. The Security and Compliance MSUS Partner Award recognizes the partner who excels in providing customers with endto-end security solutions based on Microsoft security and compliance capabilities in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Azure.

“We are honored to receive this award in recognition of our extensive work with the Microsoft Government Cloud platforms over the last four years to address the critical cybersecurity issues facing the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) supply chain,” commented Scott Edwards, Summit 7 Co-Founder and President. “Security and compliance are key focus areas for Microsoft, especially given the rise of federal regulations impacting many U.S. businesses of all sizes.”

Summit 7 was selected from a competitive pool of Microsoft Partners for its solutions and services focused on the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) 7012 and the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). These cybersecurity regulations impact all organizations working for the Department of Defense (DoD) and require mandatory third-party audits on information systems and cybersecurity best practices.

Summit 7 developed its CMMC Compliance Solutions portfolio by mapping the security practices and regulatory controls to the Microsoft 365 GCC High and Azure Government sovereign cloud platforms, leveraging heavily the E3 / E5 Suite, the Enterprise Mobility + Security (EM+S) Suite and Windows 10 Enterprise. The CMMC portfolio expansion has driven growth for Summit 7 to become a leading vendor for Microsoft’s Office 365 GCC High platform as part of the Agreement for Online Services-Government (AOS-G) licensing program.

Ben Curry, co-founder and principal architect at Summit 7, added “Our focus since we began over 10 years ago has always been on data protection and corporate governance. In the past it might have been intellectual property in a SharePoint environment, but now it includes the flow of Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) on mobile devices and through modern collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams.” ■

Hexagon to unite GIS solutions for Huntsville Utilities Hexagon’s Safety & Infrastructure division announced August 11 that Huntsville Utilities, one of the largest municipal electric providers in the southeastern U.S., has chosen Hexagon’s geographic information system (GIS) Intergraph G/Technology® to consolidate the utility’s existing GIS solutions into one. The new GIS will serve as the foundation for building and managing its electric, gas, water and fiber infrastructure.

The project marks a new milestone in the longstanding relationship between the Madison County-based companies.

Huntsville Utilities has partnered with Hexagon for three decades to provide world-class utility services to the citizens of Huntsville and Madison County.

Now, by leveraging G/Technology to combine its multiple existing GIS solutions into a single source of location-based information, Huntsville Utilities will have real-time data for the operations, engineering and accounting teams who rely on the data to provide safe, reliable service to the utility’s more than 330,000 customers.

“Where we go and what we do in the next 20 years is based on foundational A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

COMPILED BY CLAIRE AIELLO

decisions such as our GIS core,” explained Wes Kelley, CEO of Huntsville Utilities. “With Hexagon’s solution, we have a single source of information for our physical assets, a trusted platform upon which we will build all our solutions.”

Applications of the new GIS system include expansion of the existing Hexagon InService system to include outage management workflows, preventive maintenance strategies and more. Users of the new system will be able to design and maintain information about the utility’s assets via the web and mobile devices, which extend the solution into the field to make critical decisions.

“We’re honored Huntsville Utilities selected Hexagon’s GIS solutions,” said Steven Cost, president of Hexagon’s Safety & Infrastructure division. “We are proud to be part of Huntsville Utilities’ path forward, not only as a technology provider, but also as a partner in the development of our local community in Madison County, Alabama.”

Hexagon’s Safety & Infrastructure division supports hundreds of utilities and communications customers around the world with solutions for network engineering, network operations and other business functions.

For more info about Hexagon’s Intergraph G/Technology, visit www.hexagonsafetyinfrastructure.com. ■

Canvas acquires small engineering & technology company Canvas announced the acquisition of GEN 40 Technologies, Inc. (GEN40), on August 1.

GEN40 is a Huntsville-based engineering and technology company with extensive sys-

NOW LOCATED at Highway 72/Providence.

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

tems engineering, test and evaluation, training, and program management experience.

GEN40 currently delivers high-level programmatic and technical support services required for acquiring, building, integrating, fielding, supporting, and evolving complex systems for the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). Canvas currently supports both DoD and MDA and with the acquisition of GEN40 allows Canvas to provide more extensive and targeted support to these customers.

“As we examined areas to expand our capabilities, GEN40 was a natural fit for our portfolio,” explains Canvas CEO, Jami Peyton. “The experience Mike Hicklen and his team bring further expands the work Canvas is currently doing for test events with MDA.” Hicklen, owner of GEN40, joins Canvas as a Test Execution Subject Matter Expert with over 35 years of experience including range and system integration. For the last 15 years Hicklen has been responsible for test standardization and planning, execution, and training for current MDA programs.

“Joining Canvas is a perfect fit for not only myself, but most important for my employees. Canvas’ foundational principles are almost the same ones used to build GEN40, so this opportunity feels more like an extension of my company versus an acquisition,” states Hicklen. “I’m looking forward to continuing to do the work I enjoy while supporting our customers under the Canvas name.”

“We are excited about this acquisition and are thrilled to welcome GEN40 Founder Mike Hicklen and his entire team into the Canvas Family,” Peyton added. ■

DAMSON.COM

sep 2020 initiatives

online

15

Double Helix BIOTECHNOLOGY | HEALTH SCIENCES

HudsonAlpha scientists still breaking ground in genomic research New findings help identify important parts of the human genome For nearly two decades, researchers at HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, along with collaborators at CalTech, Penn State, and UC Irvine, have been trying to understand how the human genome functions. As members of the Encyclopedia of DNA Elements (ENCODE) Project, a worldwide effort to understand how the human genome functions, they have been tirelessly performing experiments and data analysis to elucidate the importance of the 98 percent of the genome that does not code for proteins.

During phase 3 of the ENCODE Project, consortium researchers drew closer to their goal of developing a comprehensive map of the functional elements of human and mouse genomes by adding to the ENCODE database millions of candidate DNA switches that regulate when and where genes are turned on.

Results, including a manuscript from the Myers and Mendenhall labs at HudsonAlpha, were published on July 30 as a 9-manuscript compendium in the scientific journal Nature, accompanied by 21 additional in-depth studies published in other major journals.

All of our cells (with a few small exceptions) contain the same two full copies of our genome. However, in order for the more than 200 different cell types in our body to perform different functions, not all of the genes can be active (or expressed) in every cell type. Transcription factor proteins control gene expression by binding to short stretches of DNA that serve as on/off switches for genes.

As part of the ENCODE 3 Project, HudsonAlpha researchers, along with their collaborators, performed the largest study of transcription factors expressed at physiological, or normal, levels to date.

“Understanding the genomic targets of transcription factors is vitally important to 16

initiatives

online

sep 2020

understand many aspects of biology, including gene regulation, development, and to help identify the biological mechanisms of many diseases and disorders,” said Chris Partridge, PhD, senior scientist at HudsonAlpha and co-first author of the study, along with PhD student Surya Chhetri.

By analyzing such a large group of transcription factors, the researchers were able to identify novel associations between transcription factors, elaborate on their spatial interactions on DNA, and distinguish between those that interact with promoters and those that interact with enhancers in the genome.

In addition to the ambitious efforts to understand the human genome, a key hallmark of the Project is the complete and rapid open access availability of data generated by members of the ENCODE consortium, which has led to more than 2,000 publications from non-ENCODE researchers who used data generated by the ENCODE Project.

Rick Myers, PhD, president, science director, and M.A. Loya Chair in Genomics at HudsonAlpha, whose lab has been a member of the ENCODE Consortium since its inception in 2003, says that he is proud of the long-term and wide-reaching collaborative nature of the Project.

“One thing we learned working on the Human Genome Project is that huge endeavors like the ENCODE Project work much more efficiently when research groups coordinate their efforts, particularly because ENCODE’s charge is to generate a resource of data, materials and results that are meant to be used by the entire research and biomedical community,” said Myers. “Another thing we recognized early on is that making the data freely available to everyone on a weekly basis, prior to publication and with no strings attached, allows researchers everywhere to make advances in their research much faster than would otherwise be possible.”

This collaborative effort also included HudsonAlpha researchers Mark Maciewicz, Kim Newberry, Sarah Meadows, Laurel Brandsmeier, Megan McEown, Amy Nesmith, Rosy Nguyen, Luke Messer, Ryne Ramaker, Andrew Hardigan, and Dan Savic.

To learn more about the ENCODE Project, you can listen to Myers talk about ENCODE3 and the history of the project on a podcast released by Nature.

■ contributed by Margetta Thomas

HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

As an IBERIABANK Private Client, personalized service from an experienced and knowledgeable team of professionals is our priority. Your rela�onship team will work to carefully assess your financial and investment needs. Whether you prefer a high personal touch or innova�ve electronic channels, our goal is to provide you with flexible and hassle-free banking. We are a fiduciary – simultaneously managing risk while always serving in your best interest. With the resources and exper�se of a large firm and the a�en�ve service of a bou�que, we provide personalized strategies to help you grow, protect and transfer wealth to the next genera�on.

www.iberiabank.com Downtown Huntsville | 400 Meridian Street, Suite 108 Mayfair | 4700 Whitesburg Drive SW, Suite 150 Madison | 53 Hughes Road

Movers & Shakers NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, AND RECOGNITION OF TALENT

Dr. Patricia Sims, Drake State Community & Technical

College president, has been appointed by Governor Kay Ivey to the Alabama State Port Authority Board of Directors. She will serve as the representative of the Northern District in a position previously held by Algernon “Al” Stanley whose term expired July 31, 2020. Sims is the first African-American woman to be appointed to this board.

“I’ve appointed individuals that have consistently demonstrated the necessary knowledge and leadership skills critical to economic expansion in Alabama,” said Gov. Ivey. “The success of our port is fundamental to Alabama businesses and jobs, and I’m confident these folks will contribute to great work being done under John Driscoll and the board.”

Established by legislative act in 2000, the nine-member Port Authority board holds fiscal and policy oversight for the public seaport. The Port Authority owns and operates the State of Alabama’s deep-water port facilities at the Port of Mobile, one of the nation’s largest seaports. The Authority’s container, general cargo and bulk facilities handle more than 26 million tons of cargo annual and have immediate access to two interstate systems, five Class 1 railroads, and nearly 15,000 miles of inland waterways. The cargo and vessel activity associated with the Port Authority’s assets employs over 150,400 Alabamians and generates over $25.4 billion in economic value for the state.

“Of course it’s an honor to have received this appointment and I intend to execute my role with commitment and integrity,” said Sims. “The Port Authority is an anchor to Alabama’s economy and I look forward to being able to contribute to its continued success.”

Located in Huntsville, Drake State Community & Technical College was founded in 1961, is a member of the Alabama Community College System, and offers a wide range of technical degrees, transferable college credits, associate degrees and workforce training for traditional and non-traditional students. ■

Kim Lewis, CEO of PROJECTXYZ, was appointed to the

Huntsville Utilities Electric Board in July 2020 by the Huntsville City Council. This follows the retirement of longtime member, Ronnie Boles. Lewis will serve a three-year term. Huntsville Utilities Electric Board governs the electric system which provides electricity to the city of Huntsville and Madison County, purchased from the Tennessee Valley Authority. ■

Molly (Mitchell) Bell has been promoted to general

manager of Parkway Place Mall in Huntsville. Bell joined CBL in June 2016 as the marketing director at Parkway Place and was promoted to the combined role of General Manager/Marketing Director in June 2020. In 2019, Parkway Place was named Team of the Year and had the highest sales increase in their property category.

18

initiatives

online

sep 2020

Bell leads the team with innovative ideas and enthusiasm.

In 2013, she graduated from the University of Alabama with a major in Telecommunications and Film with an emphasis in Broadcast News Journalism.

Following graduation, she moved to the Panhandle to work as an on-air Multimedia Journalist. Two years later, Bell signed a news contract at WHNT News 19, bringing her back home to Huntsville.

When joining CBL, Bell immediately found her passion for serving her community, mall tenants, and local patrons through the retail industry. Each store team, customer, and local manager has a story to tell and a goal to reach. Molly enjoys blending her creativity and passion with her knowledge of the property and local market to find new levels of success for her team and property. As retail evolves and grows to better respond to changing consumer demands, she is ready to greet new trends with an open mind and excitement for the future of the industry. ■

La’Berrick Williams has recently been named one of

the Top 12 Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2020 by Yahoo! Finance.

He is the head chef for Jell’s 4 Ever BBQ in Huntsville, and recently led an initiative where his company donated 400 free meals to families impacted from COVID-19.

Williams is focused on making his award-winning Red Magic Sauce famous throughout the U.S., leveraging his deal with artificial intelligence start-up Rex Mundi. He has also cooked for many celebrities, including Baby Face, Kenny G, and Patti LaBelle. Williams’ cooking skills have won him the Fan Favorite Best BBQ in Alabama award. He has a Bachelors in Management and Leadership, an MBA from Alabama A&M University, and a Culinary Arts degree. ■

Dr. John F. Kvach has been named executive direc-

tor of Singing River Trail, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing a 70-mile greenway/trail to north Alabama. Previously, Kvach spent 10 years as associate professor of Southern History at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) and the last two years as vice president of Liberty Learning Foundation. He has authored two books, multiple articles and blogs on history, southern culture, and American society. Kvach serves on numerous local and statewide boards that help us understand who we are, our culture, and why it matters. ■

Dr. Neha B. Shah has joined Thrive Alabama as the

new chief medical officer, after moving to Alabama from Denver to be closer to family. She is a Board-certified Family Medicine physician, earning her medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine in 2008 and then completing her residency in Denver, Colo., at Exempla Saint Joseph’s Hospital in 2011. She has practiced both hospital and outpatient medicine, and is interested in health A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Redstone Arsenal Leadership Updates: General Ed Daly assumed duties as the 20th com-

manding general of U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) July 2 after being promoted to the rank of four-star general. One of four Army Commands, AMC provides logistics, sustainment, and materiel readiness from the installation to the battlefield to ensure globally dominant land force capabilities. As commanding general, Daly oversees AMC’s nearly 190,000-strong workforce of military, Department of the Army Civilian and contractor employees, and manages 95 active Army installations around the world. The command has a presence in all 50 states and more than 150 nations across the globe.

A native of Jersey City, NJ, Daly was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Ordnance Corps upon his graduation from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1987. In his previous position, he served three years as the DCG of AMC, where he was dual-hatted as the senior commander of Redstone Arsenal. Daly has deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

Daly is focused on continuing the command’s momentum, delivering Army readiness and taking care of soldiers, civilians and families. ■

CSM Alberto Delgado assumed duties as the 17th command sergeant major of U.S. Army Materiel Command July 23. As AMC’s command sergeant major, he serves as the commanding general’s personal adviser on all enlisted-related matters, primarily focusing on the quality of life for soldiers, civilians, and families across the command, as well as the training of the Noncommissioned Officer (NCO) corps and soldiers.

Delgado, a New York City native, enlisted in the New York Army National Guard August 18, 1987, and entered active duty January 19, 1989. Previously, he served as AMC’s operations sergeant major. He has deployed in support of several operations, including Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, Operation Odyssey Dawn, and Operation Enduring Freedom. Delgado re-joined the AMC enterprise after serving as the senior enlisted advisor for U.S. Army North in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.

Delgado is excited to be back in north Alabama, saying he and his wife consider this community and AMC home. ■ policy including access to care and has served at both a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) and employer-based clinics, accordingly. She learned medical Spanish out of necessity, and practiced Trauma Informed Care while serving at her FQHC’s Refugee clinic. She prioritizes evidence-based medicine and patient education, recognizing that social determinants of health cannot be discounted, and thoroughly enjoys creating meaningful doctor-patient relationships, which she believes are the key to effective and quality medical care. ■

LTG Donnie Walker assumed duties as the 47th

deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Materiel Command July 2 after being promoted to the rank of threestar general. In his role, he is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the Army’s logistics enterprise.

Walker also serves as the senior commander of Redstone Arsenal, where he is responsible for overseeing base operations support and serving as the senior installation representative in the surrounding communities’ activities and events.

No stranger to AMC, Walker previously served as AMC’s deputy chief of staff of operations, where he executed the command’s mission to deliver strategic, operational and tactical readiness.

A native of Clay County, Ala., Walker is committed to leading the Redstone community and providing the base support functions and quality of life that everyone on Redstone deserves and needs to focus on the missions at hand. ■

COL Glenn Mellor assumed duties as the 28th

commander of the U.S. Army Garrison-Redstone Arsenal August 27. The garrison supports the nearly 40,000 personnel and nearly 80 tenant organizations, including NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, ATF, and FBI, who work on Redstone Arsenal. As garrison commander, he is responsible for providing essential infrastructure, facility and quality of life services to all Redstone tenants, members of the workforce, and beneficiaries.

Hailing from a U.S. Air Force military family, Mellor began his military career in 1993 when he joined the Wyoming National Guard. He received his commission from the Officer Candidate School in 1996 as a field artillery officer and in 1998 branch transferred in the Signal Corps. Prior to arriving at Redstone, he served as the G-6 and as senior national representative at NATO’s Allied Land Command in Izmir, Turkey.

A career soldier bringing 27 years of Army service and experience to Huntsville, Mellor and his wife, Cyndi, are excited to join the Team Redstone family and community. ■ ■ contributed by AMC Public Affairs

Erica Bradford, convention sales manager for the Hunts-

ville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau (HMCCVB) has been appointed to the Board of the Redstone-Huntsville Chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) for a twoyear term.

Bradford, who has more than 20 years experience in the local hospitality industry, will serve as the community liaison on the Board. In her role at the CONTINUED ON PAGE 20

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

sep 2020 initiatives

online

19

MOVERS & SHAKERS, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19

HMCCVB, she works to bring conferences, meetings and trade shows to Huntsville, Madison, and Madison County. “Serving on the local AUSA Board is a natural extension of my efforts at the HMCCVB. AUSA does so much in our community, and its impact extends across the country and around the world as well,” said Bradford.

AUSA is the Army’s professional association. It is a private, nonprofit educational organization established in 1950. AUSA educates, informs and connects the TOTAL Army: our soldiers, civilians and their families, industry partners, and supporters of a strong national defense. The Redstone-Huntsville Chapter #3103 was chartered in 1959 and has been selected as the Best Large Chapter 11 times in the last 12 years. ■

Ryan Campbell, CPA, CGMA, CVA joined Anglin Re-

ichmann Armstrong’s Pensacola office in July as partner in charge. Partner Donna Bloomer will transition her time into client relationships and managing the firm’s estate and trust taxation and planning practice.

As partner in charge, Campbell will lead management responsibilities and decisions for the Pensacola office. Additionally, he brings with him a depth of experience and knowledge in key industries that Anglin serves, including manufacturing, construction, government contracting, healthcare and real estate.

“It’s really an honor to have this opportunity of leadership at Anglin, where

20

initiatives

online

sep 2020

I have been able to consistently grow my career and work with a great team of professionals,” Campbell said of his promotion.

A certified valuation analyst, Campbell has a special focus on CFO and outsourced accounting advisory services, R&D credits, business valuations and accounting systems. He joined Anglin in 2003 and quickly became active in young professional and small business groups in Huntsville. Campbell and his family will relocate to Pensacola due to his new role.

“As we look at the future of our firm and the growth potential in Huntsville and Pensacola, we want Donna to have more time to devote to client relations and sustaining our strength with individual and family estate work for years to come. Ryan’s promotion represents our next generation of leaders who can explore new opportunities in the market,” said Gary Anglin, managing partner. ■

Gayle Hagewood

has joined Calhoun Community College as its new annual giving and alumni relations coordinator, as announced by the Calhoun Foundation. She officially began her duties at the college on July 6.

Hagewood brings significant experience in alumni and donor relations to the Foundation, having most recently served as assistant director of development at Athens Bible School in Athens, Ala., a position she held for 16 years. In that role, she assisted with capital campaigns, identified, cultivated, solicited, and managed portfolios of annual gifts, hosted annual

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

fundraising events, developed and executed a strategic plan for successfully securing appropriate funding as well as handled all development marketing.

“She has already hit the ground running with a new ‘staying in touch’ initiative for our alumni,” commented Johnette Davis, Calhoun Foundation director.

“Gayle’s strong professional background will not only help support the growth of our Foundation by increasing our donors, but she will also be a vital asset in reconnecting Calhoun alums to the College,” added Davis.

In her new role, Hagewood will work in identifying, cultivating and securing annual funds from prospective alumni, friends and businesses for programs at the College. In addition to general annual giving and alumni relations efforts, athletics is a defined major focus in all annual giving and alumni relations.

Hagewood will also work closely with the Foundation director and in conjunction with Calhoun athletic coaches, to coordinate athletic annual fundraising plans, to support the college’s four athletic programs which are baseball, fast-pitch softball, and men’s and women’s golf.

When asked about her new role, she comments, “I am very excited to begin working in the Calhoun Foundation office to cultivate long-term relationships with Calhoun’s alumni. I have always been a strong supporter of the college, and I look forward to promoting all opportunities Calhoun has to offer.”

A native of Huntsville, Hagewood holds an Associate of Arts from Florida College in Temple Terrace, Fla., and a B.S. from Athens State University. She has been married to Kenny Hagewood for 34 years and has four children. ■

Vanessa Morris has joined NAI Chase Commercial,

a member of the world’s premier managed network of commercial real estate firms, NAI Global, as retail specialist. In this role, she will be responsible for tenant/buyer representative, seller/landlord representative, specializing in retail and restaurants representation, and development properties in the Huntsville, Birmingham, Florida, and Georgia markets.

Charlies Grelier, Jr., president of NAI Chase Commercial welcomed Vanessa to NAI Chase Commercial. “We are thrilled to have Vanessa join our Birmingham office. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our Retail team that will benefit our clients and the properties we manage for years to come.”

Morris has been in the commercial real estate industry since 2003 and holds a broker’s license in Alabama, and is also licensed in Georgia and Florida.

Prior to accepting her leasing, sales and development specialist position, Morris has represented over 1.5 million square feet of retail shopping centers in Alabama and Georgia and has many awards for top leasing agent or leasing transactions over the past 17 years.

Prior to her real estate career, Morris was a teaching tennis professional for over 15 years. In her spare time, she likes to play golf and tennis. ■ CONTINUED ON PAGE 22

We Salute Our Healthcare Workers and are proud to be part of Huntsville and North Alabama since 1985.

General Contractor · 4900 University Square, Suite 2 · Huntsville, AL 35816 A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

www.robinsmorton.com sep 2020 initiatives

online

21

MOVERS & SHAKERS, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 21

Greg Thomas is Senior Program Manager for the Termi-

nal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) program at Raytheon Missiles & Defense (RMD) in Huntsville, where he manages multiple domestic and international contracts. In addition to contract responsibilities and financial performance, Thomas oversees day-to-day execution, customer requirements, program development, transition to production, and life cycle support. He has conceptualized and implemented a strategic approach to program management, setting up the THAAD program for long-term growth and global visibility.

Before his current role, Thomas served as senior program manager for Raytheon’s Qatar Patriot Training Program, which he oversaw from initial start-up through delivery. From both Doha, Qatar, and Andover, Massachusetts, Thomas established a highly disciplined process and tools to strategically manage execution, negotiate multiple contracts, lead development of proposals and successfully deliver customer requirements.

Prior to that, Thomas was training program manager and site executive at Raytheon’s Lawton, Oklahoma, office. Managing over 125 employees and overseeing multiple contracts, he provided training on the Patriot weapon system to U.S. and international clients. He implemented staff training, new tools and process enhancements to foster continuous improvement for program performance; devised and managed comprehensive and robust risk management processes; and oversaw engineering, planning, project management, safety, and energy conservation for the entire site.

Thomas has also worked as manufacturing operations manager at Ford Motor Company, project manager for Southwestern Bell Communication (SBC) and Patriot System Warrant Officer in the United States Army. Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree in management of computer information systems from Park University and an MBA from Walsh College.

Thomas moved to Huntsville in 2018 and is a member of the Raytheon Employee Veterans Network as well as the Raytheon Black Employees Network.

He participates in community outreach efforts with these groups and serves as a mentor for youth in the community. Thomas also leads outreach efforts to disabled veterans from THAAD program employees. ■

MartinFederal Consulting LLC is recognizing four employees: David Mathis has been promoted to president. He has been with the company for three years, and in that time, has worked to uphold the company’s core values while working with Corey Martin, founder & CEO of MartinFederal, to build a dynamic and accomplished team.

In his new role as president, Mathis will remain focused on building strategic partnerships and will assist in developing and executing both long-term and short-term strategies. He will strive to develop the leadership skills of his senior managers to create additional opportunities for personal and company growth. Continuing to lead its financial success as the CFO, Mathis will focus on the financial health and stability of the company and will continue to develop potential acquisition targets.

22

initiatives

online

sep 2020

Prior to joining MartinFederal, Mathis served as the senior vice president for ServisFirst Bank, where he focused on providing financial guidance and lending support for small to medium size government contractors. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for ServisFirst and the Huntsville Marina and Port Authority, and is a Board member for the Southern Development Council.

Phil Nivens, PMP, joined MartinFederal over a year ago with the goal of creating a scalable business with operational excellence. Previously serving as director of programs, Nivens has been instrumental in creating improved operational efficiencies and has established a battle rhythm to decrease performance risk and increase repeatable success.

In recognition of his efforts and commitment to excellence, he has been promoted to chief operating officer, leading the operational teams including human resources, contracts, and programs. He will also be responsible for building the talent pipeline providing opportunities for employees to obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to step into leadership roles.

Prior to joining the MartinFederal executive team, Nivens was the senior program manager at SAIC. He also serves as the vice president of education for the AFCEA Huntsville Chapter Education Foundation (HCEF).

Eric Franchois has joined MartinFederal as its Employee Engagement Specialist. In this role, he will be responsible for driving the overall employee experience and engagement through employee recognition programs, internal and external communications, social media, employee events, and community involvement. His passion is to provide leaders with the tools they need to build strong relationships with their team members in order to maximize productivity and reduce attrition.

He currently serves on the board for the Huntsville Association of Technical Societies (HATS), is a member of the Redstone Toastmasters Club, and a graphic designer for the District 77 Toastmasters leadership team.

Before joining MartinFederal, Franchois held the community development coordinator position for LifeSouth Community Blood Centers where he focused on driving awareness of the importance of donating blood through media relations and business development. He also served as the employee recognition, events, & corporate citizenship specialist at DIRECTV supporting the employee engagement efforts for the Huntsville call center and the southeast Home Services groups.

MartinFederal would also like to congratulate Jacqueline Stanley, SHRMCP, director of human resources, on her recent graduation from the Leadership Greater Huntsville’s Management Academy Class 10 program. Through this 10-month long program, she was exposed to local thought leaders and results-driven systems to enhance her leadership capabilities as a leader within the company.

Stanley has been with MartinFederal for four years and began her career with the company as the human resources and quality manager. Her ability to quickly learn and adapt to the ever-changing government contracting and employee relations fields has allowed her to grow within the company, being promoted to Director in April 2019. The experiences and skills she gained through the A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Management Academy program will allow her to lead MartinFederal’s HR organization to the next level, and further its goal of providing their team members the best employee experience at each of its locations across the globe. ■

Huntsville Botanical Garden is recognizing these employees: Anna Beck has been promoted to director of communications and special projects at the Huntsville Botanical Garden. In this role, she leads the organization’s integrated marketing and communications efforts to share the mission and impact of the Garden with diverse audiences throughout the region.

Beck first joined the Garden in January 2019, having previously worked in event management at Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Columbus, Ohio. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication, specializing in public relations, from Villanova University.

“Anna brings a combination of creativity and strategic thinking to our communications team,” said Sue Wagner, the Garden’s CEO. “As we continue to seek new ways to engage audiences near and far, she is driven and dedicated not only to attracting visitors to the Garden but also to educating, collaborating, and inspiring our community.”

Rebecca Turk has joined the Huntsville Botanical Garden as director of learning and public engagement. Through education, volunteer engagement, and outreach, she implements relevant and compelling public programing to further

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

advance the impact of the Garden’s mission.

Turk has over 12 years of experience in horticulture and environmental education, including work at public gardens in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Texas. She holds a master’s degree in horticulture from North Carolina State University and a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Stephen F. Austin State University.

“Rebecca’s leadership and expertise will bring our education and public engagement initiatives to the next level,” said Wagner. “We are thrilled to have her on the team to help strengthen our existing programs and create new opportunities for learners of all ages to experience all that the Garden has to offer.” ■

Stuart Tubb has joined Progress Bank as executive vice president and Decatur market president.

“We are pleased to announce that Stuart Tubb has joined Progress Bank as executive vice president and Decatur market president. He has extensive commercial and professional banking experience that will serve our bank well. Stuart will have some big shoes to fill with Bruce Pylant’s retirement, but we know he will continue the great work being done by the entire team in Decatur,” said Progress Bank President & CEO David Nast.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

sep 2020 initiatives

online 23

MOVERS & SHAKERS, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 23

Growing up in Decatur, Tubb has deep roots in the local community. He graduated from the University of North Alabama with both a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration. Tubb has 13 years of banking experience in north Alabama having served as SVP, Commercial Relationship Manager with a large regional bank. Tubb also serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club of North Alabama. He currently lives in Decatur with his wife, Callie, and their five-year-old son. ■

Gray Analytics, a Huntsville-based, full-service cyber solutions firm pro-

viding end-to-end cyber support to commercial and defense companies across the U.S., recently announced new hires and promotions: Scott Gray was named president on July 27. Formerly the vice president of business development at Gray Analytics, he steps into the role of president as the company prepares for growth in the coming months.

Gray joined Gray Analytics in early 2019, bringing more than 30 years of experience working with corporations and government organizations to deliver high-value solutions to clients with complex mission objectives, to the company. Prior to Gray Analytics, he spent 18 years at IBM where he was responsible for hardware infrastructure for the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and Missile Defense Agency.

“Scott brings a career’s worth of knowledge and experience in cybersecurity and solutions to his role as president,” said Gray Analytics CEO Ron Gray. “As Gray Analytics looks to the future and prepares for the growth of our team, our capabilities and our client base, Scott is the person to lead the way.”

Gray Analytics also recently announced Jay Town as vice president and general counsel. Town is former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Alabama, where he oversaw the largest increase in federal prosecutions in the history of the Northern District and created and launched several programs and initiatives now nationally known as best practices among U.S. Attorneys. He was one of five U.S. Attorneys to serve on the Department of Justice’s China Initiative Steering Committee. He recently completed his work as chairman of a working group on President Trump’s Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice.

At Gray Analytics, Town will provide legal advice and execution, and play a large role in leading efforts around digital forensics and eDiscovery, supply chain security and business development. Town begins as Gray Analytics grows in size and service offerings. Earlier this year, the company opened a Los Angeles office to reach an expanded client set.

Through his work with the China Initiative, Town expanded his expertise in supply chain security and gained a wealth of knowledge surrounding the national and domestic security threats that can arise through enterprise. At Gray Analytics, his leadership will further illuminate the supply chain through ChainShield, a supply chain intelligence product under development in partnership with SAP National Security Services (NS2).

“It is with great pride that I’ll continue serving my country through a new role at Gray Analytics,” said Town. “In addition to the many valuable security 24

initiatives

online

sep 2020

services platforms Gray Analytics offers, this company has the unique ability to secure American supply chains, ingenuity and intellectual property providing critical protections from vulnerabilities in our nation’s aerospace, defense and other economic sectors.” ■

Meredith Payne has been named senior director of en-

terprise marketing at Davidson, a premier technology and engineering company. Operating since 1996, the company’s highly skilled system engineers, analysts, cybersecurity professionals, and senior subject matter experts have helped solve some of our Nation’s most difficult technical challenges.

Payne leads Davidson’s newly formed Enterprise Marketing and Communications group. In this expanded role, Payne oversees the development of Davidson’s corporate communications strategy and execution, manages the creation and consistency of Davidson’s internal and external communications and drives operational excellence by executing marketing, which supports the company’s corporate growth strategy.

Payne has over two decades of in-depth experience across the defense industry; public and nonprofit sectors. She is skilled in business development, communications, marketing, strategic planning, and nonprofit program management.

She holds a Masters Degree in Science from Auburn University in Montgomery, is a graduate of Leadership Huntsville/Madison County Class F-35 and L-33 and volunteers with several local nonprofits in the Huntsville/Madison County area. ■

Greg Hulsey, FACHE, CMPE, was recently recognized by

the UAB National Alumni Society as part of its 8th UAB Excellence in Business Top 25 class in June 2020. Hulsey is CEO of Maynor & Mitchell Eye Center in Huntsville.

Throughout its history, UAB’s Top 25 program has celebrated the success of scores of alumni-owned or alumni-managed businesses. Inclusion is determined through a revenue verification process by Warren Averett, and qualifying businesses must meet several requirements.

Hulsey has two masters degrees from UAB. One is a Master of Business Administration from the Collat School of Business in 1996, and a Master of Science in Health Administration in 1997 from the School of Health-Related Professions. ■

John Olshefski, Huntsville Utilities, has been named the second vice chair of the American Public Gas Association (APGA) Board of Directors.

Olshefski was elected during the APGA virtual Special Meeting, held in lieu of the association’s Annual Meeting, where he began a one-year term. APGA is a national, not-for-profit association of over 700 publicly-owned local distribution systems in 38 states. APGA is the only trade association that solely represents the interests of public natural gas systems at the federal legislative and regulatory level.

“Olshefski brings to the APGA Board of Directors many years of experience working in the natural gas industry,” said APGA President and CEO Dave Schryver.

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

“His leadership ability and knowledge of energy issues, especially with natural gas utilities, will serve our members and industry well. Olshefski is well prepared to serve as our second vice chair as we enter an important time here in Washington. With the many natural gas issues our industry faces in Congress, the administration and federal agencies, public natural gas systems are presented with numerous challenges and opportunities. Our current supply projection provides our country with a unique opportunity to utilize our domestic natural gas resources to reduce our energy dependence, increase overall energy efficiency, and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Olshefski understands the national issues as well as the challenges public natural gas utilities face and how to successfully address those issues. We look forward to his tenure during this next year.” ■

Ed Clifford has joined Barge Design Solutions, Inc. as cli-

ent service leader in the firm’s Huntsville office.

Clifford has more than 25 years of experience in client management, operations, and administration in the technology, hardware, software, and geospatial mapping industries. In this role, he will be responsible for leading Barge’s business development and client services in north Alabama.

Kevin Kennoy, Barge’s client services regional director, shares, “We are excited to have Ed on board to lead our continued growth in Huntsville and the Tennessee Valley Region market. Ed will leverage his strong background in customer relations to bring Barge’s services to municipal, commercial, and federal clients in north Alabama.”

Clifford earned his Bachelor of Arts from York College of Pennsylvania and a Master of Science from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. ■

Katie Carpenter has been recently hired as account

manager by Flourish, a full-service, Huntsville-based strategic marketing and public relations firm. Since its founding in 2018, Flourish has supported dozens of organizations across Alabama and Tennessee. Carpenter brings hands-on experience managing cross-functional teams and overseeing successful digital marketing strategies to the growing team.

“The growth our firm has experienced, even in COVID-19, has proven that our community recognizes the importance of a strong, strategic marketing partner that strives for innovative and out-of-the-box thinking,” said Megan Nivens-Tannett, Flourish CEO. “Katie is an exceptional leader and has worked alongside multiple brands to help identify ways for unique storytelling, competitive differentiation and prolonged market awareness. She brings a wealth of knowledge to our clients coupled with an intelligent, forward-thinking approach and we’re thrilled to bring her on board.”

Prior to joining Flourish, Carpenter was the brand and digital marketing strategist for Kaplan Early Learning Company, a leading international provider of products that enhance children’s learning. There she successfully managed multiple brands’ digital marketing strategies overseeing their digital presence, customer

We can help you get there from here.

At Synovus, we combine valuable local insight with the financial strength and depth of services to meet almost any business need, large or small. Here is where we have the understanding to share your vision and the resources to help you get there. Let’s talk today.

1-888-SYNOVUS | synovus.com

Synovus Bank, Member FDIC.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

sep 2020 initiatives

online 25

MOVERS & SHAKERS, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25

promotion campaigns, social media engagement, new programming initiatives and more. As an Alabama Broadcasters Association Award Winner, Carpenter also previously held the position of city weekend producer at WAFF-48, where she managed the Tennessee Valley Weekend coverage and programming. ■

Alabama A&M University has two professors as 2020 awardees of the USDA’s Agriculture Research Service’s 1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical Program. Established in 2015 to honor the 125th anniversary of 1890 Land-Grant Universities, the program gives opportunities for tenure- and research-track faculty at historically black land-grant universities to collaborate with ARS laboratories: Dr. Judith Boateng of AAMU will collaborate with Dr. Brian Bennett at the ARS Western Human Nutrition Research Center in Davis, Calif. Dr. Gamal Eden Abdelrahim of AAMU will collaborate with Dr. Byeng Ryel Min at the ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory in Bushland, Texas.

“This is an excellent opportunity to enhance research partnerships with the 1890 land-grant universities,” said ARS Administrator Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young. “I believe that ARS scientists benefit from working with talented partners who can enhance their research programs and bring diverse perspectives to address challenges in the nation’s agricultural system.” ■ – compiled by Claire Aiello

Global Reach. Local Expertise

Featured Properties

Meadow Green

Madison, Alabama

NAI Chase Commercial has the expertise to find opportunities for your business that others simply wouldn’t recognize. We provide a full range of brokerage, asset, property and facilities management services to meet your needs for retail, office, and industrial properties. Our professionals offer you an intimate local knowledge and a collaborative approach to client services, delivering results to help your business.

The Tower

Huntsville, Alabama

NAI Chase Commercial is part of NAI Global, a managed network of 5,000 professionals in 55 countries.

(888) 539-1686

26

initiatives

online

sep 2020

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

By the Numbers FEDERAL, STATE, OR MUNICIPAL CONTRACTS ACQUIRED BY CHAMBER MEMBERS

SAIC awarded $2.9B for lifecycle support for U.S. Army Science Applications International Corp. has been awarded a $2.9 billion, 5-year task order to provide mission engineering, integration, software development and other lifecycle support for the U.S. Army.

The task order will support the Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center, Systems Simulation, Software and Integration Directorate.

Under the contract, SAIC will continue to develop and integrate advanced technologies like software development and maintenance. These technologies will be applied to air and ballistic missile defense, combat, aviation, fire support, intelligence, interoperability, automatic test equipment, and command, control and communications.

SAIC will also support lifecycle activities necessary to define concepts and requirements while also developing, sustaining, modifying and retiring systems to meet customer needs as quickly as possible.

The task order is a continuation of SAIC’s work on the Battlefield Systems Engineering Services contract, which will now operate under the General Services Administration’s OASIS Software Life Cycle Development contract.

Jim Scanlon, SAIC executive vice president and general manager of the Defense Systems Group, said SAIC and its teammates will ensure critical technology lifecycle requirements are met to advance the Army’s mission. ■

Lockheed Martin awarded $1.04B modification for Phased Array Tracking Radar work Lockheed Martin Corp., Grand Prairie, Texas, was awarded a $1,042,250,000 modification (P00001) to contract W31P4Q-20-C-0023 for incidental services, hardware, facilities, equipment, and all technical, planning, management, manufacturing, and testing efforts to produce Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target Advanced Capability-3 missiles. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Ala.; Camden, Ark.; Chelmsford, Mass.; Grand Prairie, Texas; and Lufkin, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2024. Fiscal 2020 missile procurement, Army; and Foreign Military Sales (Bahrain, Germany, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Republic of Korea, UAE) funds in the amount of $1,042,250,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity. ■

Avion Solutions awarded $19M for Foreign Military Sales helicopter logistics support Avion Solutions Inc., Huntsville, Ala., was awarded a $19,825,503 modification (0002 33) to time-and-materials Foreign Military Sales (Bahrain, Egypt, Latvia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Sweden, Taiwan, and UAE) contract for utility helicopter logistics support A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

services. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Huntsville with an estimated completion date of June 11, 2021. Fiscal 2020 other procurement, Army; and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $19,825,503 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-15-A-0029). ■

Torch Technologies awarded $7M modification for Army technical and engineering R&D support Torch Technologies, Inc., Huntsville, Ala., was awarded a $7,484,308 modification (P00049) to contract W31P4Q-19-F-C003 for technical and engineering support for research and development. Work will be performed in Huntsville with an estimated completion date of July 10, 2020. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $7,484,308 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (Awarded June 10, 2020). ■

MartinFederal announces contract award with ATF, plus ARL to ServiceNow MartinFederal Consulting, LLC. (MartinFederal), a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), focused on providing solutions-based services to the Department of Justice, Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and other federal agencies, has been awarded a five-year contract to support the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).

Under this new contract with the ATF, MartinFederal will provide technical, laboratory, and administrative support and resources necessary for the specialized scientific analysis of ATF’s Forensic Science Laboratories (FSLs) and its Fire Research Laboratory (FRL). Support services will be provided in Maryland, Georgia, and Calif.

“This award is a strategic win for MartinFederal as we work to expand our Department of Justice presence both in the National Capital Region and in Huntsville, AL,” said Corey Martin, Founder & CEO of MartinFederal. “We are also very excited to provide opportunities for growth, great benefits, and professional development to the many employees joining MartinFederal and our partners.”

MartinFederal has also been awarded a new task order under its current indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract with the Army Research Lab (ARL) in support of the ServiceNow Financial Modeling (FM) implementation.

MartinFederal will utilize its subject matter expertise to implement ServiceNow FM as a comprehensive enterprise Financial Management tool for budget formulation, execution, and management. Team members will provide industry best practices and an innovative solution that will not only support Financial Management functions but will further enable CONTINUED ON PAGE 28 sep 2020 initiatives

online 27

BY THE NUMBERS, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 27

ARL’s ultimate science, analyses, and research and development mission.

MartinFederal serves as the prime for the IDIQ contract and is responsible for managing, supporting, and delivering IT infrastructure, applications, and customer service to assist ARL’s mission to provide Soldiers with capabilities to succeed on the battlefield in an environment with constantly evolving IT challenges and requirements. ■

Sigmatech awarded $8M for unmanned aircraft systems support Sigmatech Inc., Huntsville, Ala., was awarded an $8,220,049 modification (000240) to contract W31P4Q-15-A-0028 for technical support for the unmanned aircraft systems project manager’s office. Work will be performed in Huntsville with an estimated completion date of June 18, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $8,220,049 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity. ■

System Dynamics International awarded USAF MQ-9 Reaper Aircrew & Test Support contract On August 11, System Dynamics International, Inc. (SDI) in Huntsville, Ala. announced the award of the MQ-9 Reaper Unmanned Aerial System Aircrew and Test Support Services contract in support of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Contract services will be supported by teammate, CAE Mission Solutions, to deliver Production Acceptance Testing, Developmental Flight Test Support, Aircrew Support Services, and Administrative Support. SDI will also support Foreign Military Sales Test and Development services for partner nations when required. This award complements SDI’s existing capabilities in Unmanned Systems which includes Test, Development, Systems Engineering, Operations, and Simulation to various customers across the Department of Defense. SDI is a woman-owned small business, technical and engineering services firm with a focus on aviation training, modeling and simulation of military platforms, and simulator operations and sustainment. ■

Dynetics awarded $356M for foreign radar simulator work Huntsville, AL-based Dynetics, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Leidos, announced on June 16 that it has been awarded a sole-source contract for production and sustainment of foreign radar simulators known as the Laboratory Intelligence Validated Emulator (LIVE) family of products. This suite includes Hardware-in-the loop Test Systems, Threat Software Package Production/Sustainment Updates, and Closed Loop Test and Evaluation (T&E) Sustainment Support for use by the Electronic Warfare Avionics Integration Support Facility (EWAISF) at Robins Air Force Base (AFB), GA, and other DoD agencies.

The contract has a total estimated value of $356 million for production and sustainment for the next ten years.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

28

initiatives

online

sep 2020

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

BY THE NUMBERS, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 28

LIVE assets are mobile, fully closed-loop low-power direct inject radar emulators allowing U.S. weapons systems to evaluate jammer effectiveness against foreign radars within a laboratory environment. LIVE assets provide the highest fidelity of threat faithfulness and replicate the threat radar back-ends using common line replaceable units providing a modular and sustainable infrastructure.

As the prime contractor, Dynetics’ objective is to navigate the vertical testability construct as part of a broader LVC environment for both test and training of legacy and advanced electronic warfare (EW) platforms.

“Dynetics has a sustained history performing intelligence analysis to understand foreign weapons systems. This contract will allow us to continue to provide unparalleled threat system accuracy that will supply the U.S. Air Force with vital test and training resources that enhance warfighter survivability. The LIVE family of products will allow the United States to maintain air dominance across the electromagnetic spectrum,” said Mike Durboraw, Dynetics vice president of Threat Exploitation and Spectrum Warfare. ■

MCR Federal awarded $8M modification for support of Fixed Wing Project Office MCR Federal LLC, McLean, Va., was awarded an $8,579,438 modification (000127) to contract W31P4Q-16-A-0016 for technical engineering services in support of the Fixed Wing Project Office. Work will be performed in Huntsville with an estimated completion date of July 28, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds; and 2018 aircraft procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $8,579,438 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity. ■

CUBIC named in $950M collaboration for Joint All Domain Command and Control Accenture Federal Services LLC, Arlington, Va. (FA8612-20-D-0029); Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colo. (FA8612-20-D-0030); Black River Systems, Utica, New York (FA8612-20-D-0031); CAE USA Mission Solutions Inc., Tampa, Fla. (FA8612-20-D-0032); CUBIC (GATR Technologies Inc.), Huntsville, Ala. (FA861220-D-0033); Global Air Logistics and Training Inc., Del Mar, Calif. (FA8612-20-D-0034); Leidos Inc., Reston, Va. (FA8612-20-D-0035); Mercury Defense Systems Inc., Cypress, Calif. (FA8612-20-D-0036); Metron Inc., Reston, Va. (FA8612-20-D-0037); Octo Consulting Group Inc., Reston, Va. (FA861220-D-0038); Omni Fed LLC, Gainesville, Va. (FA8612-20-D-0039); Rincon Research Corp., Tucson, Ariz. (FA8612-20-D-0041); Rise8 Inc., Tampa, Fla. (FA8612-20-D-0042); Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Va. (FA8612-20-D-0043); Strategic Mission Elements Inc., Chantilly, Va. (FA8612-20-D-0045); Wind River Systems Inc., Alameda, Calif. (FA8612-20-D-0046); Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Va. (FA861220-D-0047); and NetScoutsystems Inc., Westford, Mass. (FA8612-20-D-0048), have been awarded $950,000,000 ceiling indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts to compete for future efforts associated with the maturation, demonstration and proliferation of capability across platforms and domains, leveraging open systems design, modern 30

initiatives

online

sep 2020

software and algorithm development in order to enable Joint All Domain Command and Control. These contracts provide for the development and operation of systems as a unified force across all domains (air, land, sea, space, cyber and electromagnetic spectrum) in an open architecture family of systems that enables capabilities via multiple integrated platforms. The locations of performance are to be determined at the contract direct order level and are expected to be completed May 28, 2025. These awards are the result of fair and open competition. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds will fully fund initial delivery orders. Air Force Life Cycle Management, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. ■

Boeing awarded $150M for Ground-based Midcourse Defense work The Boeing Co., Huntsville, Ala., was awarded a $150,000,000 undefinitized contract modification (P00057) to previously awarded HQ0147-12-C-0004/-19-C0004 on the Ground-based Midcourse Defense development and sustainment contract (DSC).

The scope of work under the current DSC includes development, fielding, test, systems engineering, integration and configuration management, equipment manufacturing and refurbishment, training and operations and sustainment for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense weapon system and associated support facilities. Under this undefinitized modification, the Missile Defense Agency executes the procurement of four additional Configuration 2 Ground Based Interceptor boost vehicles to maintain the fleet and flight test programs.

The value of this contract, including options, is increased from $11,337,396,890 to $11,487,396,890. The work will be performed in Chandler, Ariz., and the period of performance is from July 10, 2020, to July 30, 2023. This acquisition was executed on a sole-source basis. Fiscal 2020 procurement funds in the amount of $72,000,000 have been obligated at the time of award. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity. ■

Raytheon awarded $17M for Tactical Tomahawk Guidance Test Set support Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is awarded a $17,229,374 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixedprice order (N00019-20-F-0493) against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-15-G-0003. This order provides non-recurring engineering in support of upgrading the existing Tactical Tomahawk Guidance Test Set (TTGTS) product baseline to eliminate obsolescence and production issues. Additionally, this order provides for the development, test and delivery of six new TTGTSs. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz. (77%); Clearwater, Fla. (4%); Glenrothes Fife, United Kingdom (3%); Midland, Ontario (3%); Huntsville, Ala. (2%); Scottsdale, Ariz. (2%); North Salt Lake, Utah (1%); various locations within the continental U.S. (7.5%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (0.5%). Work is expected to be completed by December 2022. Fiscal 2020 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $17,229,374 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ■ A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Leidos awarded $34M for Saturn Arch Aerial program support Leidos Inc., Reston, Va., was awarded a $34,951,039 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixedfee) contract for system operations and sustainment services and test and training services in support of the Saturn Arch Aerial Intelligence Systems Quick Reaction Capability Program. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received.

Work will be performed in Reston, Va.; Bridgewater, Va.; and Huntsville, Ala., with an estimated completion date of March 16, 2024. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army Reserve) funds in the amount of $34,951,039 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-20-C-0024). ■

Noblis awarded GSA contract to provide various services for FedRAMP Noblis, a leading provider of science, technology and strategy services has been awarded the General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Risk and Authorization Management Programs (FedRAMP) Program Management and Technical (ISSO) Support contract which continues the services the company has provided to GSA since 2012. The competitively awarded prime contract has a one-year base period plus two, two-year option periods.

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Noblis and its subcontractors will provide cloud cybersecurity assessment analysis, cloud architecture reviews, program and risk management, policy and guidance development, strategy, stakeholder engagement and continuous monitoring of cloud systems.

“GSA’s FedRAMP is covering over five million assets of the world’s largest cloud providers with over one-third of the world’s internet traffic through its program, and Noblis is committed to supporting the accelerated adoption of cloud solutions while improving the confidence in the security of these cloud solutions to ensure government technology modernization is successful,” said Mile Corrigan, vice president, Noblis Federal Civilian Solutions. “We are proud to apply our security expertise, management, and automation capabilities to such a critical mission for our nation.”

“GSA’s FedRAMP has set aggressive goals that allow cloud service providers to bring innovation to the government market faster, agencies to secure them more efficiently, and GSA to effectively monitor compliance continuously,” said Jim Soltys, senior fellow, Noblis Federal Civilian Solutions. “We’re honored to be selected by the GSA to support their growing role as a government-wide thought leader, making cloud security more about identifying and addressing risks and less about merely achieving compliance.”

Noblis’ proven performance supporting GSA’s FedRAMP, coupled with its subject matter expertise in cloud security architectures for mission critical information technology applications, will help create new, innovative approaches for the GSA as they implement next generation solutions essential to the future of government technology modernization. ■ CONTINUED ON PAGE 32

sep 2020 initiatives

online

31

BY THE NUMBERS, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 31

Tec-Masters, Yorktown Systems Group among companies competing for $247M contract Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Va. (W9124L-20-D-0006); Calibre Systems Inc., Alexandria, Va. (W9124L-20-D-0007); Janus Research Group LLC, Evans, Georgia (W9124L-20-D-0008); Tec-Masters Inc., Huntsville, Ala. (W9124L-20-D-0009); and Yorktown Systems Group Inc., Huntsville, Ala. (W9124L-20-D-0010), will compete for each order of the $247,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to provide support to the Fires Center of Excellence; all commands on Fort Sill, Oklahoma; and Army Futures Command, to develop and produce training strategies, doctrine, concepts, instruction and products for the current and future force. Bids were solicited via the internet with 12 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 20, 2025. U.S. Army Field Directorate Office, Fort Eustis, Va., is the contracting activity. ■

Teledyne Brown Engineering awarded two notable contracts Teledyne Brown Engineering Inc., Huntsville, Ala., is awarded an $83,647,556 costplus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides research and development support services for the Medical Modeling and Simulation Planning Tools Sustainment, Enhancement and Application program for the Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, Calif. Work will be performed in Huntsville (80%); and San Diego, Calif. (20%), and is expected to be completed by August 2026. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. The initial task order for $8,853,470 for the base period of performance will be awarded with fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Defense Health Program) funding of $296,551, which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year; and fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding of $4,359,068, which will not expire. The balance of the task order will be incrementally funded. The total value of the initial task order for the base period and one option year, if exercised, is $17,918,761. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website and one offer was received. The Naval Medical Logistics Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Teledyne Brown Engineering has also been awarded a $29M contract from Raytheon to produce and sustain the Army Navy/Transportable Radar Surveillance (AN/TPY-2) Cooling Equipment Units (CEU). The AN/TPY-2 is the world’s most powerful ground mobile radar system and requires one CEU per unit. The system interfaces with Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Fire Control and Communications and the remainder of Lockheed Martin supplied weapon systems.

AN/TPY-2 can be deployed in different modes and is a critical element in the Ballistic Missile Defense System used to detect, acquire, track, and discriminate possible incoming ballistic missiles. The CEU is a transportable shelter that houses power distribution to the radar and provides temperature controlled liquid cooling to the Antenna Equipment Unit.

Teledyne Brown Engineering began work at their Huntsville, AL facility in September of 2019. Their role will involve the manufacture and assembly of multiple CEUs and sustainment over the next 3 years. ■ 32

initiatives

online

sep 2020

NASA CONTRACTS:

Boeing to continue supporting International Space Station through 2024 Boeing, NASA’s lead industry partner for the International Space Station (ISS) since 1993, will continue supporting the orbiting laboratory through 2024 under a $915 million contract extension.

This award comes as the world marks 20 years of constant human habitation on the ISS — a record no other crewed spacecraft has come close to achieving.

Boeing employees in Ala. work closely with NASA at the Marshall Space Flight Center and perform sustaining engineering and advanced studies, providing technology advancements, including engineering and manufacturing support for the ISS. An international crew of six astronauts work and live on the ISS while traveling at the speed of 5 miles per second, orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes. More than 240 people from 19 countries have visited the ISS and conducted almost 3,000 experiments onboard.

Boeing in Ala. supports additional NASA programs including the Space Launch System, the world’s most powerful rocket, and Starliner commercial crew capsule. ■

NASA awards contract for multiple services to Media Fusion In August, NASA awarded the Strategic Research and Analysis, Communications, and Exhibits Services (SRACES) contract to Media Fusion LLC of Huntsville, Ala., to provide comprehensive strategic research and analysis, communications, and exhibits services at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville.

This is a firm-fixed-price contract with indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity task orders.

The contract begins Oct. 1, with a one-year base period, followed by four one-year option periods. The maximum potential value of the contract, including all options, is approximately $57.5 million.

Marshall’s Office of Strategic Analysis and Communications (OSAC) has a continuing need for these services, which are key in implementing and maintaining an overarching communications strategy that clearly and consistently communicates NASA’s strategic vision and guidance, along with Marshall’s goals and business strategy, to both internal and external stakeholders. Services performed under this contract include support for OSAC and its customers, along with satisfying specific communications product-oriented requirements. ■ A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Small Biz Synapse FOCUSING ON THE WORLD OF SMALL BUSINESS

Local biz meets unique need: pet transport door to door, coast to coast A Huntsville couple has found a niche with their business: helping pet owners who need transport services for dogs, cats, and other domestic/exotic animals.

Cherisse Fletcher says it’s all about communication – putting the owner’s mind at ease from the start of the trip to the very end.

She and her husband, Sean Fletcher, (both shown right) do this using a network of drivers and transport vehicles across the country. They have worked with breeders, for example, delivering new puppies to families who live several states away and can’t make the trip to pick up their pets. They have also catered to military personnel relocations. The Fletchers also work with families who are moving and may need assistance to transport one or more animals.

The Fletchers named the company Roadside Plus LLC after forming three years ago, with plans to open a roadside assistance company. They still plan to pursue this, but they’ve focused heavily on pet transport after a chance meeting one day.

“We met a woman who was traveling by herself with pets, and she was completely frustrated,” Cherisse recalled. “That kind of created a spark, and we ended up looking into it. One of our first trips was from Tennessee to Chicago. We ended up getting such a great response with referrals, and more referrals, and that’s how we came to specialize in pet transports.”

The company is doing business as Pet Ship 48, with the promise to transport pets from start to destination within 48 hours.

Cherisse said many pet owners are aware of flight transport, but may not know ground transport options exist. She says customers have a lot more benefits with ground transport. “With flight, you have to drive to them – pickup and drop-off. We come to you.

Everything is door to door. We’re picking up at the door, dropping off at the other door. With flights, you also have to purchase the kennel. We provide the kennel, based on the pet’s size and weight. Daily pictures and updates are also a great perk we offer along with location tracking; not offered with flight.”

Roadside Plus’ business has expanded through repeat clients and referrals.

“Our drivers run a lot of routes from New York, Florida, California but we cater to all 48 states and go as far as Seattle, to Vermont and Maine,” she explained.

“We’ve transported a dog named Ace several times. His owners have multiple homes in New York and Florida, and so they travel back and forth a few times a year. They just found out A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

Ace has a tumor, so we had an emergency pickup for him at a vet up north, and we took him to a vet in Florida, door to door,” Cherisse said.

They provide specialty concierge services for clients requesting airport to airport transport for pets flying in and out of the country.

They can also arrange trips with pets and their owners, if the owner needs to move but is uncomfortable leaving the pet and even offer temporary boarding services all over the U.S. and can accommodate special travel requests.

How does the service work?

Cherisse says the team asks several questions on the initial call, including the pickup and delivery addresses, breed, age, and weight of the pet. There are some restrictions on age and breed.

Routes include four to six pets at a time, so the next step is to check available dates and routes and discuss options, but they also offer private runs as well. If a caller decides to book, the company then collects the pet’s medical information and records for the trip.

Each run includes two drivers, with the exception of short routes. The drive team provides updates to owners along the way, and includes photos & live GPS tracking options. Roadside Plus provides “travel condos” for each pet with toys, bowls, bedding and other items to help keep the animal comfortable. The drive team also stops every few hours to make sure the animals have enough food, water, and to take potty breaks.

“We don’t just stick the pet in a crate. A pet is a heartbeat.

Just like we travel, we want them to travel comfortably,” Cherisse said. “If they’re comfortable, they will be less anxious and it will be a happier trip for everyone.”

Fletcher said she is open to talking with breeders, rescue shelters, veterinarians and others to grow the business.

Guaranteed smile You won’t be able to resist smiling if you visit www.roadsideplusllc.com as well as petship48.com – there are some sweet pictures that show such joy. These include people meeting their new puppies for the first time, and owners reunited with longtime pets. You can book at booking@roadsideplusllc.com or booking@petship48.com.

■ Claire Aiello VP, Marketing & Communications sep 2020 initiatives

online 33

Extra! Extra!

FOR YOUR INFORMATION & CONSIDERATION

RANA Curbside Recycling Program awarded recycling grant funding The Solid Waste Disposal Authority of the City of Huntsville (SWDA) and its curbside recycling program, Recycling Alliance of North Alabama (RANA), in partnership with the City of Huntsville, Madison County and the City of Madison have been awarded $500,000 in grants by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) from the department’s 2020 Recycling Fund. The checks were awarded August 17.

The ADEM grant funds help defray a portion of the costs associated with the purchase of the 95 gallon rolling carts used in the new automated curbside recycling program.

A breakdown of the grant award is as follows: ■ City of Huntsville – $200,000 ■ Madison County – $200,000 ■ City of Madison – $100,000 “We want to thank ADEM for their support of the RANA program and helping our curbside recycling program be successful,” said Doc Holladay, executive director of SWDA. “We know that the mission of both RANA and ADEM is to strive to provide sustainable options for our residents and be a community who cares about recycling and the environment where we live.”

Since the inception of the RANA program one year ago, more than 71,000 households have signed up for the program. The program features 95-gallon rolling carts with lids, which are five times larger than the former curbside recycling bins and are picked up once a month. In July 2020, RANA announced an option to sign up for a second cart for households and more than 5,700 households have signed up and deliveries will begin on August 24.

Holladay added that in the first year of the program, a total of 7,515 tons of recyclables were collected. That number is 26 percent higher than that of the prior year, which shows great progress. In July, 93 percent of residents enrolled in the program participated and hundreds of new customers are joining each month.

“With this grant award, we commend RANA and their partners for their tireless efforts to continuously grow and improve Alabama’s recycling efforts,” said Blake Schmidt with the Materials Management Section of the ADEM. “We’d also like to thank RANA for its participation in the Alabama Recycling Fund Grant Program.”

Thanks to our sponsors and golfers!

In this unprecedented year, the attendees for the 2020 Chamber Golf Classic held August 24 enjoyed beautiful weather and a great time outdoors. This sold-out event was held at the Huntsville Country Club.

We want to thank our sponsors: Presenting sponsor Yulista; Silver sponsors included Integration Innovation, Inc. (i3) and Lockheed Martin Corporation; Hospitality tent sponsors were Akima, Candlewood Suites Huntsville, MAG Aerospace, and Trojan Environmental Services; and Hole sponsors – DC BLOX, JESCO Construction, Akima, Halliburton Surveying & Mapping, Lockheed Martin Corporation, Morell Engineering, Seabrook Solutions, T&W Operations, The Highland Group, and Willbrook Solutions.

We look forward to an even better Golf Classic in 2021 – see you then!

34

initiatives

online

sep 2020

L-R: Blake Schmidt (ADEM), Chairman Dale Strong (Madison County), Michelle Williams (SWDA), Mayor Tommy Battle (City of Huntsville), Doc Holladay (SWDA), City Administrator Marc Jacobson (City of Madison) and Rick Kelsey (ADEM) join together to celebrate $500,000 in ADEM Recycling Fund Grants that were awarded.

Items accepted in carts include #1 and #2 narrow-neck plastic bottles, aluminum, steel and bi-metal cans, mixed paper and cardboard. A full list of these items can be found here.

Used motor oil and batteries are not accepted in the curbside program. Those items, along with materials such as electronics, paints, acids, bases and corrosives, can be taken to the Household Hazardous Waste facility at 1055 A Cleaner Way in Huntsville. It is open Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Recycling Alliance of North Alabama (RANA) is an opt-in monthly curbside recycling service funded by the Solid Waste Disposal Authority of the City of Huntsville that was launched in August of 2019. For more information about the program or how to sign up for a cart, please visit www.recycling-alliance.com or call (256) 801-CART. Households can now sign up for a second cart as well.

This project was partially funded by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management through a grant from the Alabama Recycling Fund. ■ Congratulations to these winners from the Chamber Golf Classic:

WINNER

PLACE

Morell Engineering

1st

Trojan Environmental Services

2nd

Seabrook Solutions

9th

Whitaker Construction

15th

Bailey-Harris Construction

19th

Kevin Fife

Closest the the Pin

Graham Byron

Longest Drive

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

COMPILED BY CLAIRE AIELLO

Election Update There are lots of political signs in neighborhoods, and you’ll likely see more as we get closer to November.

Municipal races were decided for the most part on August 25, with decisive victories in most races for mayors, city council and school board members. There is one exception, though.

Mayor Tommy Battle (pictured left) won re-election in Huntsville with 77.65 percent of the 27,756 votes cast. City Council President Devyn Keith won his District 1 seat with 63.89 percent of the vote among 4,536 voters, while District 1 School Board Member Michelle Watkins also won re-election with 87.8 percent of the vote.

The District 5 City Council race wasn’t as easy to determine, though.

Incumbent Will Culver (pictured left) came in just shy of enough votes to win outright. He had 2,470 votes (49.65 percent), John Meredith had 1,887 votes (37.93 percent), and Tom Hopf had 618 votes (12.42 percent).

Culver needed 50 percent of the vote plus one to avoid a runoff.

Provisional ballots were counted on August 31. These are ballots used to record a vote when there are questions about a given voter’s eligibility at the poll, for example, if the person doesn’t have photo ID. The provisional ballots were validated by the Madison County Board of Registrars, and then counted during a special City Council session. Of the valid ballots, Culver gained six, Meredith (pictured left) gained 10, and Hopf gained two. Culver still fell shy of 50 percent plus one, so he and Meredith will advance to the runoff on October 6.

In Madison, Mayor Paul Finley (pictured left) won re-election, taking 60 percent of the vote. Madison City Council members Maura Wroblewski, Teddy Powell and Greg Shaw all won reelection. Meanwhile, Karen Denzine beat incumbent Gerald Clark, and there will be a runoff between Steve Smith and Connie Spears. Ranae Bartlett also beat Ryan Clark with 66 percent of the vote.

In nearby cities, Guntersville Mayor Leigh Dollar (pictured left) won reelection, and so did Athens Mayor Ronnie Clark (pictured right). Meanwhile, Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling will be in a runoff with challenger Butch Matthews. There are also four new faces coming to the Decatur City Council: Kyle Pike, Carlton McMasters, Jacob Ladner, and Hunter Pepper, who is just 18 and a recent high school graduate.

General Election

WE ARE YULISTA Providing Aerospace and Defense Solutions to our Warfighters

ANY TIME...ANYWHERE Integrated Logistics & Product Support Engineering & Manufacturing Maintenance & Modifications Training Systems & Solutions Base & Range Operations

The General Election is November 3. If you plan to vote absentee, please do so early – allow plenty of time for the ballot to be sent to you, and to return it. You can request an absentee ballot at www.madisoncountyvotes.com. ■

YULISTA.COM A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

sep 2020 initiatives

online 35

Giving Back BUILDING UP OUR COMMUNITY AND BEYOND

IronMountain Solutions donates $10,000 to 305 8th Street

IronMountain Solutions recently made a corporate donation of $10,000 to the Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. This donation was part of the Community Foundation’s “Take 5 to Give $5” campaign to raise funds to benefit local nonprofit agencies that serve our community.

One hundred percent of the money donated goes directly to local community organizations. 305 8th Street is an organization that provides a safe environment for adults with disabilities like autism, cerebral palsy, mental illness and more. IronMountain Solutions President and CEO Hank Isenberg (pictured) has long been a supporter of both the Community Foundation and 305 8th Street and says “Now more than ever our friends in the non-profit world need our support. IronMountain Solutions is proud to assist in any way that we can to make sure the staff at 305 8th Street has everything they need to take care of their residents.”

The Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville’s Emergency Relief Fund is still accepting donations to support nonprofit organizations in our area. For more information, visit communityfoundationhsv.org. ■

Raytheon Technologies invests $4M in new state magnet cyber school in Huntsville Raytheon Technologies (NYSE: RTX) announced a $4 million grant on August 18 to the newly formed Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE) to help prepare students for cybersecurity careers in government and industry.

“The school offers an incredible opportunity for students to learn from leaders in STEM education, as well as subject matter experts within industry like those from Raytheon Technologies,” said Matt Massey, ASCTE president. “This initiative is exciting for the entire state of Alabama with even further-reaching impact.”

36

initiatives

online

sep 2020

ASCTE is Alabama’s only fully public, residential high school for students from across the state’s 137 school districts seeking advanced studies in engineering and cyber technology.

Tuition and housing are free.

“Alabama students now have the opportunity to access one of the most advanced engineering and cybersecurity preparatory programs anywhere,” said Roy Azevedo, president of Raytheon Intelligence & Space, which includes the company’s cyber business. “Raytheon Technologies’ partnership with ASCTE, Huntsville and the state of Alabama will help our nation meet the demand for a future cyber and engineering workforce, while providing students with the education and skills they need to thrive in these careers.”

The curriculum at ASCTE will address America’s shortage of qualified cybersecurity and engineering development talent. According to a 2019 (ISC)2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, the current cybersecurity workforce needs to grow by 145 percent to meet global demand.

“Advance cybersecurity capabilities are critical to our national defense today and in the future,” said Wes Kremer, president of Raytheon Missiles & Defense. “Through collaborative partnerships like ASCTE, we will grow our capacity in cyberspace to ensure its security for generations to come.”

The City of Huntsville has donated 25 acres of land in Cummings Research Park for construction of the school’s campus. The permanent facility will open in August 2022, but an interim site at Oakwood University opened its doors on August 17th to ASCTE’s first cohort of 75 students. The school expects to grow to over 350 students by 2024.

“Leadership from the private sector will play a big part in maximizing the potential of the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering,” said Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, who sponsored state legislation passed in 2018 to establish ASCTE. “All of us involved in creating this unique school thank Raytheon Technologies for its generous donation and its leaders for their pledge of ongoing support.”

Raytheon Technologies invests millions of dollars in STEM education programs around the world every year to develop future technology leaders and give back to local communities.

These programs include: ■ Support of FIRST, a mentor-based global robotics competition.

■ Sponsorship of 22 Boys & Girls Clubs of America STEM Centers of Innovation in military-focused communities.

■ Partnership with NAF to establish engineering academies in under-resourced public high schools across the U.S. ■ Support of Girls Who Code to expand free after school clubs that teach coding, confidence and comradery to 3rd – 12th grade girls.

■ Title sponsorships of National Collegiate Cyber Defense and MATHCOUNTS national competitions. ■ A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

COMPILED BY CLAIRE AIELLO

United Way recognizes Redstone for its corporate contributions

September ASmartPlace Events

Redstone Federal Credit Union was recently recognized by the United Way of Madison County for having the second highest 2019 campaign contribution of $264,036.

Redstone’s employees also contributed an average of $242.02 and earned the award for highest per capita contribution.

Lee Holland, past United Way board chair, said Redstone always sets a great example of community support.

“We thank Redstone for their leadership,’’ Holland said.

Yvette Banks, Redstone’s executive vice president and a member of the United Way board, said she is proud of Redstone’s employees. They are dedicated and committed to giving back to their communities, she said.

Redstone’s employee contributions increased nearly $5,000 over last year’s.

United Way serves as an avenue of support for communities in the areas of education, financial stability, health and quality of life. ■

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

sep 2020 initiatives

online 37

Huntsville/Madison County Chamber

STAF F Executive Staff

Chip Cherry, CCE, president & CEO Meghan Nazario, executive assistant

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 John Roberts, economic development project director Ken Smith, research & information services director Julia Kaye, marketing & events coordinator

Government & Public Affairs Mike Ward, CCE, senior vice president Amberly Kimbrough, events coordinator

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

Investor Relations

FREE WEBINARS

Government Contracting 101

www.uah.edu/sbdc/events

September 2 @ 9 a.m.

38

Marketing Strategies for Government Contractors September 9 @ 11:30 a.m.

Creating a Powerful Capability Statement September 17 @ 9 a.m.

Building Your Business Brand

Amber Greenwood, vice president Kristy Drake, HREGI & ChamberON director Donna McCrary, membership retention manager Richard Bigoney, membership account executive Tina Blankenship, membership account executive

Small Business & Events Pammie Jimmar, IOM, vice president

Finance & Administration Mary McNairy, vice president Kim Weeks, accounting specialist – receivables Joe Watson, facilities supervisor Sarah Blackmon, administrative coordinator Tiffany Boyd, resource desk coordinator

Chamber Foundation Kent Ballard, Jr., 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

September 22 @ 11:30 a.m.

DCAA Proposal Adequacy

initiatives

September 24 @ 9 a.m.

online

sep 2020

theschoolsfoundation.org

www.uah.edu/sbdc

A HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY CHAMBER PUBLICATION

NEW Remote Learning Supervision Fund

Grants will be open to nonprofits providing supervised learning for students in Huntsville, Madison, and Madison County schools districts that are operating remotely, running staggered schedules, or temporarily closed because of COVID cases.

We estimate more than 1,000 students are in need of remote learning supervision during these first nine weeks of the 2020-2021 school year. At approximately $200 per week, that’s a potential gap of $1.8 million.

Additional donors, please visit:

weblink.donorperfect.com/ RemoteLearningSupport

or use ode QR C

Deadline for donations for initial round of grants: September 25, 2020

INITIAL $50,000 FUNDING PROVIDED BY

10k

Bonus Points

when you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days1 ($150 value!)

No Annual Fee2 | Competitive Rates | Unlimited Rewards

REDSTONE’S VISA SIGNATURE

®

Apply in online banking today.

800-234-1234 | redfcu.org Must be a Redstone Federal Credit Union (RFCU ) member to obtain a loan. Must be eligible for membership and open a share savings account to join RFCU. $5 minimum balance is required to open a share savings account and must be maintained in share savings account at all times. All annual percentage rates (APRs) are based on creditworthiness at account opening. Variable APRs vary with U.S. Prime Rate. Rates, terms, and conditions are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply. RFCU is an Equal Credit Opportunity Lender. Must have online banking and PIN/password to access online application.

1 You will receive 10,000 MyChoice Rewards bonus points when you spend $3,000. To qualify and receive the bonus MyChoice Rewards points, you must charge the qualifying amount or more in purchases (minus returns, credits, and adjustments) within the first 90 days from account opening (promotional period), using your Redstone Visa Signature credit card. The bonus MyChoice Rewards points do not apply to balance transfers, credit card checks, or overdrafts. Your Redstone Visa Signature credit card must be open and in good standing at the time of bonus MyChoice Rewards points fulfillment. Allow 45 days after promotional period has ended for bonus MyChoice Rewards points to post to your account. Visit www.redfcu.org/personal/credits-cards/visa-signature/ for more information about how to earn points through the MyChoice rewards Program. For existing cardholders, log in to online banking for terms and conditions of MyChoice Rewards program.

2 As of July 1, 2020, the annual percentage rates (APR) for variable rate products are as low as 8.00% – 11.50% (Visa Signature). Variable APRs will vary with the U.S. Prime Rate. Rates, terms, and conditions are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply. RFCU is an Equal Credit Opportunity Lender.

Must have online banking and PIN/password to access online application.

Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International Services Association. ®

®

®

This credit union is federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration.

MKT-00000_HuntsvilleInitiatves_DigitalAd_7.75x10.25.GJ.AUG.indd 1

6/29/2020 4:05:04 PM