initiatives june 2015

june 2015 initiatives 1

initiatives june 20152


welcomenew chamber members

Joined in April 2015

4D Mommies - HuntsvilleAD4! Group, LLC

Advance Sign and Lighting, LLCAffordable Signs & Banners

Another Broken Egg Cafe - MadisonApartment Finder

Book My Group, LLCThe Bottle

Chick-Fil-A at South ParkwayD.R. Horton - America’s Builders

Harris Home for ChildrenJJ’s Treats

Legacy Christian UniversityMartinson & Beason, PC

MBA Engineers, Inc.MELALEUCA - Donald R. Johnson

Mirror Image Hair SalonOutback Steakhouse

Papa John’s - Team PJ UnitedPhysioworks, Sports and Wellness, Inc.

Pieology PizzaPrecision Door Service of Huntsville

Premiere Dental, Inc.Pressed4Print.com

RadioBro CorporationSagamore Home Mortgage

ShadesSnead Hydraulics & Repair

Southern Light StudioTurf Tamer, Inc.

Westway Development Services, LLC

Joined in March 2015

1-800 Radiator & AC of Huntsville

1st Family Mortgage Co.

Alabama Center For Sustainable Energy

AMRO Fabricating, Inc.

AXION Corp.

BAE Systems

The Boot Pizzeria (Renaissance Style, LLC)

Carmike Cinemas Valley Bend 18 + IMAX

Compliance Specialists, Inc.

Final Finish, Inc.

Fleetcare of America, Inc.

Furniture Factory Bar & Grill

HighTower Twickenham

Home Helpers & Direct Link, LLC

Inland Real Estate Corporation

Mesa Associates, Inc.

Nextiva

Pet Depot

Powernet America, Inc.

Restoring Bodies Fitness & Nutrition Services

The Russell Group, LLC

Safe-T-Shelter (Aqua Marine Enterprises)

Sangiacomo Presses

Traymore Properties, LLC

If you want to make a valuable investment in your businessand the community, the Chamber is the place to start.Contact Donna McCrary, Membership Retention Manager: 256-535-2027 or [email protected].

Pressed4Print.com

mailto:[email protected]


Huntsville Regional Economic Growth InitiativeCHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF HUNTSVILLE/MADISON COUNTY

4SITE, Inc. • AECOM • Amanda Howard Real Estate • Anglin Reichmann Snellgrove & Armstrong, PC • Averbuch Realty Co., Inc. – Scott Averbuch

Aviagen, Inc. • BancorpSouth • Brown Precision, Inc. • Bryant Bank • CB&S Bank • Century Automotive • CFD Research CorporationCoast Personnel Services • deciBel Research • Decisive Analytics Corporation • Deloitte LLP • DESE Research, Inc.

Fite Building Company, Inc. • Foreign Language Services • Fountain, Parker, Harbarger • HEMSI • Huntsville Botanical GardenHuntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau • Huntsville Tractor & Equipment, Inc. • Investor’s Resource/Raymond James

The Lioce Group, Inc. • Littlejohn Engineering Associates, Inc. • North Alabama Multiple Listing Service • PeopleTec, Inc. • PHOENIXPROJECTXYZ, Inc. • Public Financial Management, Inc. • Qualis Corporation • Renasant Bank • RJ Young • ServisFirst BankSierra Lobo, Inc. • Sigmatech, Inc. • Synapse Wireless, Inc. • Systems Products and Solutions, Inc. • West Huntsville Land Co., Inc.

BB&T • BBVA Compass • CINRAM • Crestwood Medical Center • Intergraph Corporation

Lockheed Martin Corporation • Port of Huntsville • Qualitest Pharmaceuticals

SES - Science and Engineering Services, LLC

PROGRESS INVESTORS

Ability Plus • ASRC Federal Analytical Services • Baron Services, Inc. • BASF Corporation • Beason & Nalley, Inc.BlueCreek Investment Partners • Cadence Bank • Coates Transportation Group • Colliers International • Connected Logistics

Consolidated Construction Company • Davidson Technologies, Inc. • Huntsville-Madison County Builders Association • iBERIABANKIronMountain Solutions • LEAN Frog Business Solutions, Inc. • Logicore • MJLM Engineering & Technical Services • MTS, Inc.

The Orthopaedic Center • Progress Bank • Radiance Technologies • Rosie’s Restaurants, Inc., & Right Way Restaurants, Inc. (Steak Out)SELEX Galileo Inc. • Torch Technologies • Turner • Vencore, Inc.

PROGRESS PARTNERS

AEgis Technologies Group • Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Alabama • Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. • DynCorp InternationalDynetics, Inc. • First Commercial Bank • Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation

L-3 Communications Corporation – Huntsville Operations • Landers McLarty Corporation • Lanier Ford Shaver & Payne P.C.Northrop Grumman Corporation • PARSONS • Raytheon Company • Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc.

CHAMBER TRUSTEES

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE LEADERSHIP FORUM

Huntsville HospitalMadison County Commission

Regions BankTennessee Valley Authority

ADTRAN, Inc.The Boeing Company

City of MadisonEmerson Network Power - Avocent

Redstone Federal Credit UnionRemington Outdoor Company

Development Partner Development Council Chairman’s Council


Inc.Foreign


Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County

The Chamber has launched a new

annual sponsorship campaign called

ChamberON. Make a valuable

investment in your business and

community today, Please contact

Donna McCrary at256-535-2027 or

[email protected]



june 2015

economicdevelopmenthighlights

coverstory

UAH: Focus on Research

educationupdate

bestplacestowork®

smallbusinesstrends

biosciencenews

government&publicaffairs

14

18241211

2620

4 Welcome New Chamber Members

5 HREGI Investors

8 Message from the President | Board of Directors

10 Community Profile

25 Chamber Staff | Associated Organizations

28 Armed Forces Celebration

editorial staff

publisherChip Cherry, CCE

executive editorCarrie Rice

editorial designerKristi Sherrard

contributing writersElizabeth Fleming

Hannah WallaceMike Ward

Will West

contributing photographersGlenn Baeske

Michael Mercier

advertising salesJason Shervey

email: [email protected]

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

www.HSVchamber.org (additional contact information on page 25)

Submissions for editorial content are not accepted. Information in this and other Chamber publications is at the discretion of the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County. Advertising inquiries go through AL.com (contact at right).


AL.com


Executive CommitteeRey Almodóvar, Chair, INTUITIVE

Rose Allen, Chair-elect, Booz Allen Hamilton

Robert Mayes, Imm. Past Chair, BlueCreek Investment Partners

Ron Poteat, Chamber Foundation Chair, Regions Bank

Cynthia Streams, Secretary/Treasurer, Domino’s Pizza (Valley Pizza)

Joe Newberry, Vice Chair - Economic Development & Industry Relations, Redstone Federal Credit Union

Jim Rogers, Vice Chair - Gov. & Public Affairs, Lockheed Martin

Gary Bolton, Vice Chair - Membership, ADTRAN

Emily Lauder, Vice Chair - Workforce & Education, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama

Tharon Honeycutt, Vice Chair - Small Business & Events, MSB Analytics

Kim Lewis, Vice Chair - Marketing & Communications, PROJECTXYZ

Penny Billings, Vice Chair - Member Engagement, BancorpSouth

Mayor Tommy Battle, Chair-Appointed, City of Huntsville

Mark Curran, Chair-Appointed, L-3 Communications Corp. - HSV Ops

Trip Ferguson, Chair-Appointed, Remington Outdoor Company

Chairman Dale Strong, Chair-Appointed, Madison County Commission

Mayor Troy Trulock, Chair-Appointed, City of Madison

Danny Windham, Chair-Appointed, Digium

Chip Cherry, President & CEO, Chamber of Commerce

Elected BoardDr. Robert Altenkirch, University of Alabama in Huntsville

Bob Baron, Baron Services

Dr. Marc Bendickson, Dynetics

Miranda Bouldin, LogiCore

Greg Bragg, Consolidated Construction Company

Greg Brown, Brown Precision

Janet Brown, Belk

Micah Bullard, Turner Construction

Kevin Byrnes, Raytheon Company

Kevin Campbell, Northrop Grumman Corporation

Frank Caprio, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings

Michael Cox, PARSONS

Angel Crespo, Raytheon Redstone Missile Integration Facility

Dorothy Davidson, Davidson Technologies

Gene Goldman, Aerojet Rocketdyne

Jeff Gronberg, deciBel Research

Mike Gullion, SCI Technology – a Sanmina company

John Gully, SAIC

Jan Hess, Teledyne Brown Engineering

Steve Hill, AEgis Technologies Group

Dr. Pam Hudson, Crestwood Medical Center

Dr. Andrew Hugine, Alabama A&M University

Hank Isenberg, IronMountain Solutions

Jeremiah Knight, JXC Consulting Group

Janice Migliore, PALCO Telecom Service

Johnny Van Osborne, J. Smith Lanier & Co.

Jim Owens, FirstBank

Alicia Ryan, LSINC

Dr. Gurmej Sandhu, Sigmatech

Charlie Sealy, Sealy Management Company

Crystal Shell, WILL Technology

E.J. Sinclair, SES - Science and Engineering Services

Dr. Ashok Singhal, CFD Research Corporation

David Spillers, Huntsville Hospital

Mike Stanfield, Ducommun Miltec

Nilmini Thompson, Systems Products and Solutions

Tim Thornton, nLogic

Ken Tucker, The Boeing Company

Frank Williams, Landers McLarty Dodge Chrysler Jeep

Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee andBoard of Directors 2015

Dear Chamber of Commerce Investors, Community Leaders and Friends:

Sacrifice and service of the few for the benefit of the many is one of the hallmarks of those who serve this country as members of the armed forces. These men and women are supported in their roles by families and friends who support them, who mourn them, and in other cases help them heal. We owe a debt to all of them that we will never be able to repay.

Less than 1 percent of U.S. citizens serve our country as a member of the armed services. From 1775 to today, more than 1.1 million men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our way of life. More than 1.4 million service members have been wounded while on active duty. With increased roles of the Reserves and National Guard units over the past decade or so, coupled with the continued engagement of civilians and contractors, there have been tremendous sacrifices made by families who carry on while their loved ones are away serving this great nation.

The Chamber and this community will support our annual Armed Forces Celebration June 21-27, and I encourage you to join us for one of the many events planned during that week. We are honored to be able to celebrate the contributions made by our men and women in uniform, the civilian servants that support them, our veterans and their families – I hope you will join us! Visit our website for a full list of Armed Forces Celebration events: www.hsvchamber.org.

I cannot close this letter without including a very special congratulations to the Grissom High School Cyber Security Team that won the CyberPatriot VII National Finals Competition in Washington, D.C. The “Grissom CyberSloths” were up against 24 of the very best cyber security teams in the country – and impressed not just the other student competitors, but also the professional advisors as well.

This issue is full of interesting news. I hope you enjoy reading it, and I look forward to seeing you at a Chamber event soon!

Chip Cherry, CCEPresident & CEOChamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County

A Message from Chip Cherry

www.hsvchamber.org


Once you’ve found it, you know you’re home. Banking and mortgage loans are the same way.

At ServisFirst Bank, we offer a range of banking and mortgage products that are as varied as our clients’ taste in homes. Each offers a competitive rate and our exceptional service. Perhaps that’s why homeowners feel so settled in once they find us.

4/colorC-97, M-55,Y-0, K-0

OUR NAME IS OUR MISSION.

Cindy LeBlancVice PresidentMortgage Lending256.722.7821 [email protected] ID: 77621

ATLANTA • B I RM I NGH AM • CHARLESTON • DOT H A N • HUN T S V I L L E • MOBILE • MON TGOM E RY • NASHVILLE • PENSACOLA

Member FDIC Equal Housing Lender

205.949.0302 www.servisfirstbank.com

Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender

256.722.7800 | www.servisfirstbank.com


201 Williams Avenue Huntsville, AL 35801-4250 256.319.3657

www.myprogressbank.com

A Division of Progress Bank

THAT’S PROGRESS.

WEALTH MANAGEMENTWITH SMART SERVICE.

For more information, visit:

www.HSVchamber.org

Aerospace & DefenseHuntsville/Madison County is home to the U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal

and NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center which combine to drive a

thriving aerospace and defense technology industry. More than 37,500

people work at Redstone Arsenal and NASA managing some of the

country’s most important and sophisticated technology programs

including missiles, aviation and space exploration.

Research & Technology

Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park has earned a reputation as a

global leader in technology development. The second-largest science and

technology park in the U.S., Cummings Research Park is home to more

than 300 companies and 29,000 people involved in technology research and

development.

Top Ten EmployersRedstone Arsenal* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31,500*

Huntsville Hospital System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,129

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center*. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,000

Huntsville City Schools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,079

The Boeing Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,600

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

SAIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,229

City of Huntsville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,206

The University of Alabama in Huntsville. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,675

ADTRAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,522

Source: Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County *includes on-site contractorsSources: U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov),2013 American Community Survey

Madison City of City of HuntsvillePopulation County Huntsville Madison Metro Area

2010 Census 334,811 180,105 42,938 417,593

2013 Census 346,892 186,416 46,168 435,737

% Growth 3.6% 3.5% 7.5% 4.3%

Households & Income

# of Households 137,072 79,539 16,667 169,951

Avg. Household Income $78,462 $67,697 $106,973 $75,740

Per Capita Income $31,477 $29,399 $39,409 $30,197

communityprofile

www.HSVchamber.org

www.census.gov


Being competitive in today’s economy requires that our students develop higher-level literacy, problem solving, communication

and collaboration skills – all based on content-rich standards and curriculum adopted by our school districts. These are required skills for high school graduates to be college and career ready.

Alabama has not always been able to claim the title of “honest” with regard to student proficiency, but Alabama is now ranked as one of the most “honest” states in the nation, according to a new report by Achieve, a national education advocacy nonprofit. Credit goes to the full implementation of the Alabama College and Career Ready Standards coupled with meaningful student assessments through ACT Aspire.

Achieve released their report, Proficient v. Prepared: Disparities Between State Tests and The National Assessment of Educational Prog-ress (NAEP). This report underscores the importance of having a high-quality state assessment that accurately measures student preparedness and administering tests that align with college and career ready standards.

Frequently, states’ testing and reporting processes yielded differ-ent results than the data reported by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). More than half of all states had a 30-point or more discrepancy between the percentage of students they reported as proficient and the number of students who met national proficiency benchmarks. Under our previous standards and using our old state-specific Alabama Reading and Math Test (ARMT), the number of students we reported as proficient exceeded the NAEP findings by 57 percentage points in fourth-grade reading and in eighth grade math. Now, the number of Alabama students reported as proficient exceeded the NAEP findings by 7 percent-age points in fourth-grade reading and by 9 points in eighth grade math last year (2013/2014).

Alabama policymakers and education leaders led this effort by taking the difficult steps to address the “Honesty Gap” head on. First, Alabama instituted new standards that are more rigorous and consistent across states. Second, Alabama is using ACT Aspire tests so that parents, students, and educators will have a nationally normed measure of student development – a requirement for ad-dressing performance.

“We are encouraged by this report,” said Dr. Tommy Bice, Ala-bama State Superintendent of Education. “It reassures us that the decisions we have made to raise the bar, challenge our students and use a more honest assessment system has put Alabama on the right path toward improving education for all students. We know that our students can work hard and achieve at high levels, and now we can say confidently we’ve set the bar to where it should be to prepare them for success in life after high school.”

“The public should feel confident in our approach to be trans-parent and honest with our students’ families,” said Mary Scott Hunter, State Board of Education Member. “For too long, and for a variety of reasons, we were not honest with ourselves. It is near im-

possible to improve unless you honestly know where you are. Now, we can continue to improve and focus on the expectations we have set for our students.”

In the past, Alabama teachers were just as much a victim of these discrepancies as families. Standards and assessments that did not set and measure rigorous expectations could not identify students who were struggling with basic concepts year after year. With poor metrics to identify where students needed help, educators were left with limited tools to guide their instruction. The ACT Aspire offers honest feedback for students as they plan for their future.

Educators across Alabama, including Madison County, see the im-pact that high standards and meaningful assessments have had on student achievement. Nina Putt, Laying the Foundation Lead Math Teacher with Huntsville City Schools, shared, “The increased rigor, at-tention to precision, and push for a deeper understanding has helped our students think beyond the task of memorization.” Alabama has conquered the difficult task of resetting our definition of proficiency. By raising expectations and holding schools and students accountable to them, we will ensure that more graduates are on a path to succeed.

Dr. Dee Fowler, Superintendent of Madison City Schools, shared “We believe that with accountability comes responsibility. Our entire school community has embraced the responsibility of pre-paring our students to be global learners and well prepared for the work force or additional educational opportunities. High expecta-tions and high performance are the hallmarks of our community.”

Other states have taken similar steps and have experienced the positive results. To learn more, visit www.HonestyGap.org.

• Elizabeth Fleming, The Schools Foundation

educationupdate

Alabama among the most “honest” on student proficiency The “Honesty Gap”

4th GradeReading

(2013-2014)

8th GradeMath

(2013-2014)

4th GradeReading

(2012-2013)

8th GradeMath

(2012-2013)

www.HonestyGap.org



Former Madison County Chairman Mike Gillespie to Lead Master Planning Process for Cummings Research ParkMike Gillespie has been hired by the Chamber as a contractor to lead the master planning process for Cummings Research Park. Gillespie is very familiar with CRP and Huntsville/Madison County having served 32 years as chairman of the Madi-son County Commission.

Gillespie will work with the CRP Board of Directors, the CRP Advisory Council, the Chamber and the City of Huntsville to develop a starting point for a consulting

firm to focus on physical characteristics and marketing for the nation’s second-largest research park. A final product is expect-ed by the end of 2015.

“During my 32 years serving the community as chairman of the Madison County Commission, I spent a great deal of time working with the Mayor and the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce on numerous economic development projects,” Gillespie said. “I am excited to be working again with

Mayor Battle and the Chamber on this critically important project to develop a plan for the future of Cummings Research Park. CRP has been, and will continue to be, one of the most important assets in North Alabama’s economic future.”

CRP was zoned a research park in 1962 and the current master plan is more than 30 years old. With more than 300 companies and 26,000 employees, CRP is one of the top economic engines for Huntsville/Madison County.

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle is confident that Gillespie will be an outstanding leader for this important community project.

“In this innovation economy, our CRP community continues to look for new and creative ways to connect bright minds with research and opportunity. I can think of no better person to lead that process than Mike Gillespie. His decades of lead-ership experience and depth of knowledge about the layers of smart economic development make him the ideal candidate to help Huntsville envision a CRP for decades to come,” Mayor Battle said.

Charlie Grainger, Chairman of the CRP Board of Directors said, “Mike appre-ciates how we became the nation’s second largest research park and brings a wealth of knowledge to the economic development process.” And Richard Crunkleton, lead of the CRP Master Plan Advisory Council, added, “Mike and the Mayor’s Advisory Council have been working to complete the research that iden-tifies challenges and recommends solutions to restore Cummings Research Park for its mission to ‘Transform Research Into Business Success.’”

SES recognized as Boeing Aerospace Support Supplier of the Year

The Boeing Company recognized Science and Engineering Services, LLC (SES) as Supplier of the Year in the Aerospace Support category. SES is headquartered in Huntsville and was selected from among more than 13,000 Boeing suppliers in 47 countries. As a small business in the Huntsville area, this is a significant achievement for the company and our community.

In January, SES was notified that it had been selected as one of 548 companies to receive the Boeing Performance Excellence Award. Beyond that, achieving the Supplier of the Year designation further acknowledges superior cost, schedule and

performance, and labels SES as best of the best in the business. “Our success in 2014 was due in large part to the strong performance of our

supply chain,” said Kent Fisher, Boeing’s leader for Supplier Management. “We are facing an increasingly competitive landscape across all our businesses. To continue to lead the market we need supplier partners like SES who understand the importance of creating a sustainable competitive advantage with products, services and support that meet or exceed the expectations of our customers.”

Selection for Supplier of the Year was based on stringent performance criteria for quality, delivery performance, cost, environmental initiatives, customer ser-vice and technical expertise. Over the past four years, SES has completed the depopulation of components from AH-64 airframes, repairing over 131 airframes, inspecting, repairing, and returning to service over 115,000 components per TM/IETM standards, and kitted and shipped components per customer instructions.

Everyone at SES is honored to be a part of Team Apache and proud to receive such a prestigious award from Boeing. SES CEO E.J. Sinclair said, “This award is indicative of the incredible professionalism, quality and commitment of our work-force in support of Boeing and the AH-64 depopulation program. We are truly humbled by this recognition as Aerospace Support Supplier of the Year from one of our great OEM partners. We look forward to maintaining our company-wide commitment to deliver product and program excellence to our customers.”

SES specializes in highly complex aircraft modification, systems integration, repair and overhaul, and maintenance services for government and commercial aviation.

Aetos Systems Chief Named SBA Small Business Person of the Year for AlabamaThe U.S. Small Business Administration named Donna Coleman, President and CEO of Aetos Systems, the 2015 Alabama Small Business Person of the Year.

“I am very honored to have been selected as the Alabama Small Business Person of the Year and proud to be the voice of representation for all small business across the state of Alabama in this capacity, Coleman said. “There are

many types of awards given each year, but awards that are received as a result of nominations from your peers, or in this case awards from the SBA, is validation that we are succeeding and being recognized for contributing to the economic growth of our communities.”

Coleman added that because the nomination and selection review process of this award is very detailed and looks at all aspects of the business – from the company business plan and

management structure, through financial health and growth status – the award brings with it a highlight to Aetos’ corporate credibility.

“As a Government contractor, our customers place a great deal of emphasis on past performance when making contract award selections for new business opportunities. Being selected for this award by the Small Business Administration demonstrates to our customers that we have the corporate sustainability to suc-cessfully execute on future contracts and is a testament to our success and past performance as a company,” Coleman said.

The competition was extremely keen across the state for this prestigious award. The SBA noted that outstanding entrepreneurs and small business owners like Donna represent the backbone of our economy. According to the SBA, small businesses created nearly 2 million of the roughly 3 million private-sector jobs in 2014 and more than 7 million of the 11 million jobs created during our economic recovery have been generated by startups and small enterprises.

In 2014, Aetos was named as a 2014 Small Business of the Year Winner by the Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County. Congratulations, Donna, to you and the entire Aetos team for jobs well done!

Northrop Grumman, UAH strengthen partnership to bolster area workforce Northrop Grumman Corp. and The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) an-nounced a formal expansion of their existing relationship to foster education, re-search and recruitment with a key goal to bolster the Huntsville area workforce.

“The development of a technologically focused workforce is critical for UAH,

Gillespie

Coleman


it’s critical for Northrop Grumman, and it’s critical for Huntsville,” said Dr. Robert Altenkirch, UAH president. Altenkirch noted that 1 in 10 of Northrop Grumman’s local employees holds a UAH degree.

The new initiative strengthens the partnership between UAH and Northrop Grumman on a diverse set of initiatives in support of science, technology, engi-neering and mathematics (STEM) education.

“Our university has long been a leader in promoting STEM education – not just in Huntsville, but across all of Alabama,” Altenkirch said.

He thanked the company for its financial support for the Alabama Science and Engineering Fair, the UAH Human Exploration Rover, UAH senior design projects in mechanical and aerospace engineering and also electrical and computer en-gineering, and for its support of UAH engineering diversity organizations and the UAH integrated product team that helps develop team building.

Northrop Grumman is a world-class global security company providing innova-tive systems and products, particularly in unmanned, cyber and logistics to gov-ernment and commercial customers, according to the company’s website. Future areas of collaboration between UAH and Northrop Grumman may include cyber, systems engineering, and modeling and simulation.

UAH’s existing strengths include five research programs ranked among the top 20 in the nation – computer science, business, atmospheric science, astrono-my, and includes aeronautical and astronautical engineering research, which UAH ranks fourth in the nation, according to National Science Foundation data.

Dr. Altenkirch noted that from an academic standpoint, UAH is rated a Tier 1 na-tional university by U.S. News & World Report and the 101st best public university in America. UAH has been designated as very competitive by Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges, one of only two in the state of Alabama.

UAH’s latest class of freshmen scored an average of 27.6 on their ACT, among the highest among public universities in Alabama, Dr. Altenkirch said, and many students attend the university because of the quality education and career oppor-tunities in the local community.

“We look forward to increasing the interaction between our two organizations to advance Huntsville’s intellectual development,” Dr. Altenkirch said.

Mark Thornton, director of Northrop Grumman Information Systems and a UAH alumnus, said Northrup Grumman is enthused about furthering its relationship with the university.

“The University of Alabama in Huntsville is a pioneer in science, math, engi-neering, space and in the STEM areas,” Thornton said. “For decades, we have collaborated together on various projects. We look forward to capturing the imag-ination of the students at this university and bringing them into our company. We would like to have that talent in our organization.”

Mark Thornton, left, director of Northrop Grumman Information Systems, talks with Dr. Robert Altenkirch, UAH president, shortly before the two announce a stronger partnership between their organizations.

Mic

hael

Mer

cier

/UA

H

continued on page 22


H ave you ever had an “eye-opening” experience? You know the one…afterward, you feel like your head is swirling but you can’t wait to tell someone about it? I experience “eye

opening” phenomenons about once a week since I moved to the Huntsville area – so much so that I’ve been keeping a list of these experiences. One such “eye opening” experience has leapt into first place on my list and it came during my recent tour of the Uni-versity of Alabama Huntsville (UAH) research facilities. Dr. Ray Vaughn and his staff at the Office of the Vice President for Re-search and Economic Development took members of the Cham-ber, our board, and staff on a tour of the facilities. We all walked away with a greater appreciation of the work and educational op-portunities at UAH. The contributions that UAH makes not only to the Huntsville area but to the world are truly remarkable. I want-ed to share with you a bit of what we learned on our tour.

First up was the Reliability and Failure Analysis Lab (RFAL) which houses millions of dollars’ worth of equipment in its labo-ratories to provide commercial and government clients reliability testing and research to improve the life cycle of their products. Some examples of product testing include drop testing, tempera-ture changes, and corrosion. RFAL also has begun working with Remington since their operations in Huntsville have commenced.

Next up was UAH’s Rotorcraft Systems Engineering and Simu-lation Center (RSESC) which gives students the ability to actually help solve problems presented by today’s advanced technology and mission requirements – specializing in hardware and soft-ware systems engineering and integration. Students get hands-on experience delivering cutting-edge engineering and simulation technology for government and commercial clients including the Secretary of Defense, NASA, PEO Aviation, AMRDEC, Redstone Test Center and the commercial industry. The RSESC lab proudly

UAH: Focus onResearch

Research Centers blend innovation with collaboration

Cover image: A hexagonally segmented aluminum paraboloid mirror, ~11” in diameter, diamond turned at UAH-CAO.


displays several drones ranging in size from a battery-controlled car to a large dog. Do not let the drones fool you; RSESC’s capa-bilities far exceed that of drones. The center RSESC works with the Boeing Huntsville Design Center so students gain real world experience in rotorcraft design and engineering.

After the RSESC we were off to UAH’s Johnson Research Center, where staged out front was a trailer outfitted with elaborate con-trols and a rocket. The Johnson Research Center is one of the Uni-versity’s Propulsion Research Center’s laboratories. The Propul-sion Research Center (PRC) is known for shooting off rockets, but there is a lot more research conducted in the field of propulsion. Other competencies include energy systems, fusion propul-sion, plasmas and combustion, computational modeling, propellants and energetics, and propulsion system con-trol and simulation. Located within the Johnson Research Center, the PRC is able to perform research on propulsion using a high pressure spray laboratory, fully-instrumented test stand, and a vacuum chamber. Coming soon to the Johnson Research Center will be a supersonic wind tunnel that will study shock wave inter-actions relevant to supersonic aircraft propulsion. As the human race begins to explore deeper into space, the PRC’s research will be taking off ! (pun intended)

The Center for Space Plasma and Aeronomic Research (CSPAR) takes reaching for the stars to a whole new meaning. CSPAR’s research explores the role plasma plays within natural environ-ments throughout the universe. Some of the topics that CSPAR studies are cosmic and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes, solar wind, and energetic particles. CSPAR has partnered with NASA’s Mar-shall Space Flight Center and the Universities Space Research As-sociation to form the Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Team. The team

by Will West

Research Centers blend innovation with collaboration

continued on page 16

Above: A sample of metal and plastic optical parts produced by diamond turning at UAH-CAO.

Opposite page: A trapezoidal metal mirror, with a nearly 800mm diagonal, being formed on the UAH-CAO Zeeko polisher.


uses the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to study black holes, gamma-ray bursts, and other exotic astrophysical objects. When a gamma ray burst occurs (about once a day), an alert is sent down from the telescope through several channels and sent directly to the Huntsville Fermi team. CSPAR’s research will continue to help humans better understand what the entire universe holds.

In order for visitors to understand the type of research the UAH Severe Weather Institute and Radar & Lightning Laboratories (SWIRLL) conducts, one only has to take one look at the build-ing’s vortex-styled staircase. The new $7 million, state-of-the-art facility is a fantastic addition to the UAH campus as well as the Huntsville community. SWIRLL provides students and faculty the ability to monitor severe weather, track lightning strikes, release weather balloons directly from campus, or take mobile research instruments and vehicles directly out into the field. While we were touring the facility, Dr. Kevin Knupp and his teams from the Department of Atmospheric Science were readying their mobile units for a multi-agency field campaign out in Kansas this June where they will research severe weather of large thunderstorm complexes over the Great Plains at night. Starting in February 2016, the UAH SWIRLL team will host a longer-term, multi-agen-cy field campaign. This campaign, known as VORTEX-SE, will further investigate the unique features of tornadoes in the South-east. What incredible opportunities these students have here at UAH! With the threat of severe weather in the area, the research that comes from SWIRLL can be used to improve detection of se-vere weather and ultimately save lives right here in the Tennessee Valley and throughout the nation and the world.

Next up was touring a UAH facility located on Redstone Arse-nal – and this was one cool place. The Aerophysics Research Cen-ter (ARC) is home to UAH’s four, two-Stage Light Gas Guns (LGG) and the three terawatt Charger-1 Pulsed Power machine. Yes, that’s right. For example, UAH’s largest Light Gas Gun (just pic-ture a giant rifle barrel 75 ft. long), is used to support the research of hypervelocity impact and hypervelocity flight in the Earth’s atmosphere by launching projectiles up to 6 inches in diameter and masses of 20 pounds or more. By selecting the appropriate Light Gas Gun, the ARC also can vary projectile parameters such as mass (.01 - 20 pounds), study multiple different materials, ve-locities (a few hundred to 15,000 feet per second or around 20 times the speed of sound), and impact orientation as needed to fit the needs of its customers. The Redstone facility also is home to the Charger-1 Pulsed Power machine, which is a repurposed nuclear weapons effects simulator. The Charger-1 works by gener-ating large amounts of electrical energy and directing the energy to a small target. The research conducted using the Charger-1 is to direct the energy to use for propulsion. Charger-1 will do fun-damental research on fusion propulsion, which holds promise for human piloted Mars missions.

We capped things off with an optical tour. When you are making and measuring optical components at accuracies of a fraction of a wavelength (more than a thousand times thinner than a human hair), the slightest bump or shake can seriously impact the results. That is why the design of the Optics Building at UAH, home of the Center for Applied Optics (CAO), is so remarkable. The labs with-in the four-story building are isolated from the offices and eleva-tors so that vibrations barely affect them – it is literally a building

UAH: Focus on Research, from page 15

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within a building. Under the leadership of Dr. Robert Lindquist, the CAO and its experienced staff help advance optical science and engineering research and development in support of high technol-ogy, educational, industrial and government interests and require-ments. The CAO building contains machines and equipment that you see in popular science fiction movies. One of the more remark-able machines within the facility is the CAO’s Nanotech 250 UPL diamond turning machine. This machine is an extremely accurate and smooth lathe capable of producing optical surfaces of extraor-dinary quality in many metals, polymers, ceramics and crystalline materials up to nearly 300mm in diameter. So from concept to de-sign, fabrication, testing and integration, the CAO provides state-of-the-art solutions in optics and photonics.

This was one phenomenal tour of the incredible UAH research facilities, and I was only able to share with you a fraction of what we learned. But one thing stood out for all of us – the most amaz-ing aspects of all the research conducted at UAH is that students are involved in ALL of the research activities. This is truly a re-search university. The Huntsville workforce has been known to be highly educated and skilled, and UAH plays a significant role in that. Dr. Vaughn said it best when he said, “UAH is such an incred-ible applied university. Our students learn in a highly collaborative environment and get to do tangible, real world work while they are here.” For more information on UAH’s research please visit www.uah.edu/research.

• Will West

Above: A non-rotationally symmetric optical mirror being diamond turned at UAH-CAO.

Opposite page: Working with the two-stage light gas gun in the Astrophysics Research Center on Redstone Arsenal are Paul Henderson and Tony Wasmanski loading and Mark Zweiner, Tony Doll, Ken Jernigan and Mitch Fleming along the barrel and breech.

www.uah.edu/research


www.redstonegateway.us

Derrick Boegner SVP, Asset Management / Leasing Corporate Office Properties Trust256.895.9820 | [email protected]

P R O X I M I T Y | V I S I B I L I T Y | E F F I C I E N C Y

Redstone Gateway is a joint venture

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& Associates, LLC.

Redstone Gateway is the premier location for defense contractors seeking immediate access to NASA and other customers on Redstone Arsenal.The new 468-acre, masterplanned business park is located just outside Gate 9 of Redstone, right off I-565 at Research Park Blvd.

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R2C Support ServicesEnVention, LLCLEAN Frog Business Solutions, Inc.

Decisive Analytics CorporationNesin Therapy ServicesTroy 7, Inc.

Canvas, Inc.Five Stones Research CorporationVictory Solutions, Inc.

Modern Technology Solutions, Inc.Intuitive Research & Technology CorporationPeopleTec, Inc.

Mark Alley (USi, LLC)Debbie Baugh (Snelling Staffing Services)Victoria Gonzalez (Adams Homes)

Amy King (Decisive Analytics Corporation)Linda Smith (Cepeda Systems & Software Analysis)Casey Fritz (MSB Analytics, Inc.)

Mike Anderson (PENTA Research Incorporated)Denise Armstrong (ServisFirst Bank) - not picturedMelissa Jennings (Mitchell Industrial Contractors)

Jennifer Veal (INTUITIVE) Susie Vaughn (PeopleTec, Inc.)Kathy Cagle (Modern Technology Solutions, Inc.)

2015 Best Places to Work®

2015 Most Valuable Employees

micro

small

medium

large

micro

small

medium

large

Best Places to Work® is an annual event for members of the Cham-ber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County. The event is the exclamation point to a prestigious community honor – when we present our Best Places to Work® awards to the “best of the best” businesses in the Tennessee Valley.

Employees are the key to the success of any business and all of these companies have good reason to be proud. Winners of the Best Places to Work® awards are selected based on the input from their employees, and our Most Valuable Employee make their organiza-tions better while inspiring their co-workers.

For the 8th year in a row, the Chamber has recognized the Best Places to Work® and Most Valuable Employee awards. Categories for both the Best Places to Work® awards, and our Most Valuable Em-ployee awards are: “micro” for companies with 10-20 employees, “small” for companies with 21-35 employees, “medium” for 36-149 employees, and “large” for companies with 150+ employees.


bestplacestowork®

mostvaluable employees

R2C Support Services EnVention, LLC LEAN Frog Business Solutions, Inc.

Decisive Analytics Corporation Nesin Therapy Services Troy 7, Inc.

Canvas, Inc. Five Stones Research Corporation

MVEs – micro category

Victory Solutions, Inc.

MVEs – small category

Modern Technology Solutions, Inc. Intuitive Research & Technology Corporation

MVEs – medium category

PeopleTec, Inc.

MVEs – large category

For the Best Places to Work® and the Most Valuable Employee (MVE), there were three winners in each category, and they are not ranked – all carry equal rating.


www.irtc-hq.com

ENGINEERING TECHNICAL SERVICES ANALYTICAL SUPPORT

Believe. Inspire. Deliver.

TO EXCEL

WHERE

INNOVATION

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Flint River Animal Hospital (FRAH) at 1009 Homer Nance Road in Huntsville is unusually quiet and virtually odorless for

it to be a very busy animal hospital. With the addition of Flint River Bed ’n Biscuit (BnB), their new, state-of-the-art technology, boarding, grooming and daycare facility, pets and pet owners are sure to be given an unforgettable experience.

With just one look around the hospital and the new BnB fa-cility, FRAH’s emphasis on cleanliness is clear. Building manager Mike Lowe said they installed custom-built air purification units throughout the entire campus to achieve a clean and healthy en-vironment. High performance air purification technologies are used to supply air sterilization for bacteria, virus and infectious diseases. In fact, no other veterinary facility, anywhere, uses this technology.

In addition to their hi-tech air purification systems, they have two washing machines and dryers, and stainless steel food prepa-ration stations. Plus, they installed a new vent-less commercial restaurant dishwasher that cleans and sterilizes food bowls in just 90 seconds.

“We’ve designed our facility to have efficient work flow, and to mitigate the typical sound and smell often prevalent in pet care and boarding facilities,” Lowe said. “These technologies make it easier and efficient for our staff to perform housekeeping duties.”

The BnB also has a central pressure washer and vacuum sys-tem with outlets strategically placed throughout the facility so staff can easily plug into the pressurized water or vacuum sys-tems from rooms and hallways, making cleaning quick and easy. The facility also has a separate bathing room and grooming salon with professional groomers.

The customization does not end there. Dog kennels (or board-ing rooms) are typically manufactured to standard 3x6 foot di-mensions. However, with more clients wanting to house their family’s multiple dogs together in a single unit and for clients with very large breed dogs, Lowe asked the manufacturers to develop larger kennels – 4’x8’.

“Most boarding facilities try to put as many kennels in a space as possible, whereas, FRAH went beyond the norm with consider-ation of pet needs and consumer concerns,” Lowe said.

smallbusinesstrends

A premier full-service veterinary campus that Fido will loveHome Sweet Home


Stainless steel construction was chosen for long lasting durabil-ity and clean-ability and the bottoms of the kennels are elevated for a more hygienic environment. FRAH also has seven separate kennel rooms along only one wall so that the dogs are not facing each other – this helps eliminate anxiety and minimize the noise level in the kennel areas.

FRAH’s huge acre-plus outdoor play yard also separates FRAH from many other facilities. Dogs have supervised outdoor group play as much as possible which teaches them how to play safely and have fun with other dogs.

“We have had many owners say that when they picked up their dog after boarding or daycare, their dogs are happy, tired and ready for an evening meal and an early bed time for a good night’s sleep. The daycare dogs are up early and eager to go back to the BnB for another fun day playing with their dog buddies,” said Dr. Kevin Lowe, FRAH practice owner.

This new technology only adds to the innovative design of the 5-year old FRAH. The hospital itself is an all-digital, integrated state-of-the-art facility. Their wide range of comprehensive pet health care includes exams, dental care, digital X-ray, ultrasound, surgical laser soft tissue and orthopedic surgery, as well as an in-house pharmacy and diagnostic laboratory for internal medicine. FRAH has three full time veterinarians and 40 employees, and visiting board certified surgeons scheduled for extremely complex surgeries.

Exam rooms are equipped with monitors for showing clients their pet’s X-rays and diagnostic ultrasound images, educational video clips, and recent research with an online Diagnostic Imag-ing Atlas (DIA). In addition, the pet’s personalized report card is reviewed with the pet owner at every exam. These tools highlight FRAH’s emphasis on client education for pet wellness, preventa-tive healthcare, and treatment follow-up.

“We consider the pet owner a partner on our FRAH Animal Care Team. The owner is the primary care giver over the life of their pet and the more educated the owner is, the better overall care the pet gets at home,” said Dr. Lowe.

So exemplary is the FRAH that the campus is a 2015 Merit Award winner in the Veterinary Economics Hospital Design Com-petition, cited for innovative application technology.

FRAH’s commitment to emerging technologies speaks to their mission to go above and beyond on being a premier full service veterinary campus in the region.

For more information, visit flintriveranimalhospital.com.

• Hannah Wallace

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Dr. Kevin Lowe, DVM, has always had a heart for caring for animals.

flintriveranimalhospital.com


Doesn’t your business deserve credit for your efforts to improve products and processes? We think so. Many businesses assume they don’t qualify for R&D credits. With over $10 billion in state and federal R&D credits claimed annually, if you have invested time and money in developing new techniques, improving processes or innovating in other ways, it’s worth checking to see if you’re eligible for the credit.

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Aviagen Opens New, Larger Office Headquarters in Huntsville

Aviagen, the world’s leading poultry breeding company, today announced plans to move its world headquarters from its current location in Huntsville to a larger 27,000-square-foot office building in Huntsville.

The move to new offices will enable Aviagen’s corporate staff to continue to grow as the company expands worldwide, and offers more flexibility for customer visits and meetings. The new headquarters is approximately 42 percent larger than Aviagen’s current offices. Aviagen moved into its current facility 20 years ago when the company employed approximately 1,000 people. Today, Aviagen has more than 3,600 employees worldwide.

The new building has more conference and meeting room space, which will enable Aviagen to host multiple and larger customer visits to its headquarters. The new building also boasts a modern fibre based network infrastructure, with faster internet connections, essential for day-to-day business transactions and to serve a geographically dispersed workforce. The new location is closer to Huntsville

International Airport, as well as hotels, additional offsite meeting spaces, and a variety of restaurants, making it convenient to host customers and partners.

“As demand for Aviagen brands increases and as we expand our footprint worldwide, we’ve found ourselves outgrowing our previous headquarters and needing more space to accommodate our needs today and years from now,” said Kevin McDaniel, President at Aviagen North America. “This is a perfect time for us to make this move, as we had several options available to us within the Huntsville commercial real estate market. The result is a headquarters facility that allows us to operate more efficiently, host customers and partners more easily, and better tend to customer needs as they evolve.”

Aviagen develops pedigree lines for the production of broiler chickens under the Arbor Acres, Indian River, and Ross brand names. The company is based in Huntsville with a number of wholly-owned operations across the United Kingdom, Europe, Turkey, Latin America, India, Australia, New Zealand and the USA and joint ventures in Asia. Aviagen employs approximately 3,600 people globally and has a distribution network serving customers in more than 130 countries. For further information please visit www.aviagen.com.

GaN and Lean Frog Honored with Blue Ribbon Small Business Awards from U.S. ChamberThe U.S. Chamber of Commerce named two local companies as winners in its 2015 Blue Ribbon Small Business Awards®, an annual program that recognizes companies for their success and innovation and for their contributions to econom-ic growth and free enterprise.

GaN (Geeks and Nerds) and Lean Frog – both of Huntsville – were select-ed from a record number of applicants from communities across the nation for demonstrating exceptional business practices in areas including strategic plan-


www.aviagen.com


ning, employee development, community involvement, and customer service. Winners were selected for their demonstrated success, innovation, and contribu-tions to economic growth and free enterprise.

“We are thankful for the opportunity to use our expertise and talents every day doing what we love – improving the efficiency and effectiveness of public schools and thus improving the outcomes for generations of students. The LEAN Frog team is honored to be recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for our work,” said LEAN Frog President and Co-founder Byron Headrick.

GaN CEO Jonn Kim said, “We are proud to be included in the Top 100 Small Businesses in the United States, and honored to join a prestigious group of award winners. While our customer base may vary, our focus never wavers. We believe in providing our customers with the most excellent services, most innovative products, and most exceptional quality that any company can provide. Innovation Integrated! is not just our motto, it’s our defining characteristic.”

Congratulations to these two outstanding companies!

DynCorp International opens its door of their new DynAviation Group headquarters

The offices at Bridge Street in Huntsville have a new tenant – DynAviation Group – but most their work won’t fit in their new office space at 310 Bridge Street, Suite 400, because what they do here is on a global scale.

“DynCorp International has been a proud member of the Huntsville community since 2007,” said James Myles, DynAviation senior vice president, DynCorp Inter-national. “We are excited to settle into our new space and continue to work closely with our customers, both locally and around the world.”

“In these new headquarters, I am confident our DynAviation Group will contin-ue to succeed – building on DI’s heritage as a renowned aviation support services provider,” said Jim Geisler, DynCorp International chief executive officer.

The facility contains more than 17,000 square feet of office space and is now home to more than 50 DI team members. DI’s DynAviation Group offers full-spectrum aerospace, aviation and air operations solutions worldwide, including operations, maintenance and sustainment of more than 200 aircraft types in dozens of countries.

DynCorp International is a leading global services provider offering unique, tai-lored solutions for an ever-changing world. Built on more than six decades of experi-ence as a trusted partner to commercial, government and military customers, DI pro-vides sophisticated aviation, logistics, training, intelligence and operational solutions wherever we are needed. DynCorp International is headquartered in McLean, Va.

ADTRAN Connects with Schools to Help Drive Digital Education InitiativeADTRAN®, Inc., a leading provider of next-generation networking solutions, re-cently announced its vision for the connected classroom that will allow students to compete more effectively in today’s data-driven economy. With a national pro-gram that touches public, private, charter, parochial and higher education institu-tions, ADTRAN is bringing education networks together with solutions that enable schools, administrators, teachers and students to connect, communicate and

learn in ways they have never done before. Technology is creating a paradigm shift in today’s classroom. As the country

moves from an industrial to digital-based economic society, schools and teachers are adjusting their curriculums to better prepare students for careers in a glob-ally connected economy. Tablets aren’t merely replacing books, paper and pens. They are fundamentally changing the way teachers and students interact. When students aren’t encumbered by slow bandwidth or outdated Wi-Fi networks, the possibility for more spontaneous, thoughtful learning emerges.

“ADTRAN has been a catalyst of change in our schools. Technology is an inte-gral part of our curriculum and empowers the teachers and staff to engage with students in a much more dynamic fashion. ADTRAN is enabling us to create an environment where students are inspired to learn and we know they will be well prepared for careers in a technology driven world,” said Matt Massey, superinten-dent of Madison County School District, Alabama.

ADTRAN is driving this trend in school districts across the country with Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) solutions that enable Gigabit connectivity to the schools and cloud wireless solutions that empower students and teachers with mobile access to appli-cations and teaching resources. Through its Enabling Communities, Connecting Lives program, ADTRAN is helping service providers deliver Gigabit broadband services that provide the ultra-fast connectivity that makes collaboration, media-rich learning and online video instruction a standard part of the education experience. Classroom con-nectivity based on ADTRAN’s flexible Bluesocket Wi-Fi, ProCloud service and NetVan-ta-powered network infrastructure is also helping teachers create a more engaged classroom environment with online learning tools and testing assessments.

“At ADTRAN, our goal is to provide the technology to enable a fully connected world. In the classroom, this means the power to communicate is available to everyone, everywhere and at any time. The impact of a ubiquitous communication network for America’s education system provides us with the vision to develop dynamic solutions that allow both teachers and students the opportunity to reach their fullest potential,” said Gary Bolton, vice president of global marketing at ADTRAN. “We are committed to bringing the world together and providing today’s students with the skill set they need to be successful in today’s economy.”

ADTRAN’s Enabling Communities, Connecting Lives program showcases how innovative communication technologies are being used in communities across the country to support economic growth and development. Education plays a central role in this movement. ADTRAN’s world-class Gigabit broadband, Wi-Fi, switching and Cloud service offerings are empowering administrators, teachers and stu-dents to create a dynamic learning environment that fosters a passion for learning.

For more information on ADTRAN educational and public sector solutions and state programs, please visit www.adtran.com/sled.

ServisFirst Bank Promotes First Vice President and Branch OfficerServisFirst Bank, a subsidiary of ServisFirst Bancshares (NASDAQ: SFBS), an-nounces the promotion of Jim Holtkamp to First Vice President, Commercial

Banking and Misty Hall to Branch Officer (Research Park Bank-ing Center).

Jim Holtkamp, First Vice President, Commercial Banking pre-viously serving as Vice President, Commercial Banking for the past four years, was recently promoted to First Vice President, Commercial Banking for ServisFirst Bank. With more than 13 years in the banking industry, Holtkamp will continue to serve the needs of commercial banking clients throughout North Al-

abama and South Tennessee. A Huntsville native, Holtkamp graduated with his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the University of Alabama in Hunts-ville. He is also a graduate of the Alabama Banking School, Huntsville/Madison

connect Program and Leadership Management Academy. Holt-kamp is currently a Board Member on the Susanna Wesley Early Education Ministry at Huntsville United Methodist Church.

Misty Hall, Branch Officer, Research Park Banking Center previously serving as Vault Teller, Customer Services Repre-sentative and most recently Branch Manager for the past seven years, was recently promoted to Branch Officer for the Research Park Banking Center. With more than 12 years of banking ex-

perience, Hall will continue to provide customers with quality banking services.

economic development highlights compiled by Carrie Rice

Holtkamp

Hall

Jim Myles, DynCorp International senior vice president, DynAviation, cuts a ribbon for the new DynAviation headquarters. He is joined by Mayor Tommy Battle, DynCorp’s Jim Geisler and Chamber president and CEO, Chip Cherry.

www.adtran.com/sled


Auburn UniversityOffice of Professional and Continuing Education

Huntsville Initiative

THIS IS OPPORTUNITY.THIS IS EXPERTISE.

THIS IS AUBURN.

Programs Areas Include: - Leadership Development Programs - Training for Human Resource Professionals (CP & SCP Test Prep Classes coming Fall 2015) - Management and Productivity Programs

Whether your organization is a small business, the headquarters of an international rm, or something in between, Auburn University’s professional development programs provide rst-class opportunities for growth and learning.

To learn more, or join our e-mail list, visit AUBURN.EDU/OPCE-HSV.Auburn University is an equal opportunity educational institution/employer.

Major Growth Phase for HudsonAlphaThese past few months have seen a flourish of activity at HudsonAlpha with several exciting announcements.

HudsonAlpha has appointed renowned clinical genomics expert Howard Ja-cob, Ph.D., as Executive Vice President for Medical Genomics and Chief Medical Genomics Officer. Jacob’s 25 years of genetic sequencing experience bolsters HudsonAlpha’s roster of expert researchers and supports the Institute’s mission to bridge laboratory discoveries to medical improvements for patients. Jacob brings specific expertise in using clinical genomics to discover undiagnosed disorders.

“I am very pleased to be joining HudsonAlpha’s strong faculty of genomics researchers to advance the Institute’s mission of creating a healthier, more sus-tainable world through genomics,” said Jacob. “I believe strongly in the work HudsonAlpha has done and see great potential to harness the technology and expertise within the Institute to deliver better treatments and more preventative medicines for patients.”

Jacob brings his core team with him to HudsonAlpha. This team was the first in the world to use genomic sequencing to save a child’s life by identifying a single gene mutation that led to the disease diagnosis and a successful course of treatment. The team also diagnosed several other genetic diseases by se-quencing more than 500 children’s genomes. He and his team have reduced the genome sequencing interpretation process time from two weeks to four hours, and eventually we want to analyze and interpret a whole human genome sequence in 10 minutes or less to make the technology truly scalable.

“Howard Jacob is an established leader, and I am honored to welcome him to the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology and the state of Alabama,” Gov-ernor Robert Bentley said. “The clinical genomics initiatives will continue to propel HudsonAlpha forward to treat some of the most debilitating diseases.”

“HudsonAlpha has always been dedicated to developing the talent and tech-nology that make genomic advances possible,” said HudsonAlpha co-founder

James R. Hudson Jr. “Adding Howard and his team to our impressive group of genomics experts and GSL capabilities speaks to our commitment to creating an unprecedented synergy that we believe will help define the future of genom-ic medicine, not only in Alabama, but globally.”

HudsonAlpha also announced that it will establish the HudsonAlpha Center for Personal Genomics – an institute to bring power of personalized medicine directly to physicians and patients. The Center will be able to perform whole genome sequencing for higher quality patient care.

While great strides have been made in genomics and in the use of genetic information in the diagnosis and management of many diseases, there is still much to learn about our DNA. By combining the highest quality genomic se-quencing technology under the direction of Shawn Levy, Ph.D., a dedicated bioinformatics and analysis team, and the addition of clinical genomics expert Howard Jacob, Ph.D., HudsonAlpha has in place the expertise and equipment to accelerate this process and create more preventative treatments and med-icines.

“HudsonAlpha is committed to bridging the gap between research results and clinical impacts to benefit human health,” said Rick Myers, HudsonAlpha president and science director. “The technology, performance, utility and ac-ceptance of clinical whole genome sequencing have all advanced to a point where it is now a viable and impactful effort. We are delighted to make this capability available to physicians.”

The HudsonAlpha Center for Personal Genomics will offer whole genome sequencing for compelling medical reasons under the care and guidance of a physician. The cost for sequencing and initial interpretation for an individual genome will start at $2,800.

The most common use of genomic information is in the characterization of cancer or in the investigation of unknown disease that appear to have a strong genetic component. Another reason to consider personal genomic testing is if a disease with a potential genetic component is present in other family members.

For more information, visit www.hudsonalpha.org.

biosciencenews compiled by Carrie Rice

www.hudsonalpha.org


Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County

STAFFChip Cherry, CCE, president & CEOAmy Locke, executive assistantLauren Isbell, resource desk coordinator

Economic Development & Industry Relations

Lucia Cape, vice presidentKen Smith, research & information services directorWill West, economic development specialist | project managerEmma Williams, industry relations specialistKaressa Acosta, economic development assistant

Workforce & Education

Lucia Cape, vice president

Marketing & Communications

Carrie Rice, directorKristi Sherrard, graphic designerHiroko Sedensky, web designer

Government & Public Affiars

Mike Ward, senior vice presidentTina Leopold, assistant

Finance & Administration

Christy Nalley, directorJamie Gallien, IT managerMary McNairy, accounting specialist | human resourcesLori Warner, accounting specialistJoe Watson, facilities supervisor

Membership

Wendy Kirk, vice president, member engagementDonna McCrary, membership retention managerTiffany Jordan, membership representativeTina Blankenship, membership representative

Small Business & Events

Pammie Jimmar, directorAlexandra Gonzalez, event coordinatorBeverly Pike, small business coordinator

Chamber of Commerce of Huntsville/Madison County225 Church Street NW, Huntsville, AL 35801

phone 256-535-2000 | fax 256-535-2015

www.HSVchamber.org

Associated Organizations

communityfoundationhsv.org

theschoolsfoundation.org

LanierFord.com | 256-535-1100

No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performedis greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.

Litigation | Businesses | Governments

Individuals | Non-Profits

www.HSVchamber.org

communityfoundationhsv.org

theschoolsfoundation.org


government&publicaffairs

State Update BRAC Update

Washington Update

As this is being written, the Alabama Regular Session was head-ing into its final 10 meeting days (sessions are limited to 30 meet-ing days and 105 calendar days). About 1,100 bills had been introduced and 125 had become law. If this session is similar to other sessions, about 1,800 bills will be introduced by the end of the session, half of which are statewide bills. Of those statewide measures, about 10 percent will become law.

The Chamber conducted our 2015 Montgomery Trip on April 7-8 and 85 people joined us for this year’s event. On April 7, we hosted a reception that included a large number of Alabama Leg-islators, the Governor, the Lt. Governor, and quite a few Cabinet members and other key leaders (Supreme Court Justices, etc.). Wednesday featured meetings with the Speaker of the Alabama House Mike Hubbard; Rep. Mac McCutcheon; Sen. Arthur Orr; Ala-bama School Superintendent Tommy Bice; Two Year School Chan-cellor Mark Henrich; ALDOT Director John Cooper; Dept. of Com-merce Deputy Director Angela Till, and Governor Bentley. Thanks to State Government Committee Co-Chairs Ken Tucker and Joe Val-lely, and to government affairs vice chair Jim Rogers and Chamber Board Chair Rey Almodóvar for their leadership on the trip.

Issues dominating the discussion during this year’s trip includ-ed the successful early passage of critical economic development incentive legislation and the looming cuts to State services if ef-forts to increase tax revenues to fully fund the operations of State Government are unsuccessful. At press time, it was unclear how the legislature would respond to the request to increase taxes, but various proposals from the House and Senate were surfacing with time quickly running out.

On the education legislative front–efforts to repeal Alabama’s involvement in the common core education standards continued. The Huntsville community has helped to lead the fight to retain the Alabama’s College and Career Ready Standards.

During the same week of the Chamber’s Montgomery Trip, the legislature also recognized Aerospace Week in Montgomery. Aerospace week events included presentations from industry to increase awareness of the aerospace capabilities in the state and to quantify the economic impact of the industry on the State. MSFC Director Patrick Scheuermann and astronaut Scott Tingle also made presentations to the House and Senate and met with the Governor. Such outreach efforts are important to help build State support NASA and our aerospace industry.

Lastly on the State scene, Governor Bentley was headed to Huntsville on May 13th for his annual Alabama Update address to the Chamber membership. We were expecting nearly 800 peo-ple to attend that event.

The Department of Defense (DoD) renewed its request for another round of BRAC this year, as it has for the last few years. Congress so far has balked, but the issue seems to be gaining some ground. It still seems unlikely that Congress would approve another round of BRAC for 2017, but a BRAC round in 2019 seems more prob-able. Our elected officials in Montgomery and D.C. have opposed BRAC efforts almost reflexively, but there’s a growing realization among our leadership that BRAC represents greater opportunities than risks. The Chamber has been encouraging our elected lead-ers to keep an open mind about this issue. The Anniston and Ft. Rucker communities would also support another round of BRAC. The Huntsville community has been proactive in developing our battle plan for the next BRAC round.

The DoD call for another BRAC is being driven in part by the Budget Control Act spending limits and sequestration, which kicks-in if Congress doesn’t pass a spending plan that conforms to the BCA limits. Sequestration is much more dangerous to our community than BRAC.

The Chamber held our annual Washington, D.C. Trip April 19–21. This trip is one of the top three Chamber trips in the U.S., with 180 people registered to attend this year’s trip. This years’ trip included perhaps our strongest line up of speakers and featured Michael O’Hanlon with the Brookings Institute; Robert Lightfoot with NASA; Knight Kiplinger, editor of the Kiplinger Newsletter; and meetings with our Congressional Delegation and a large number of other Senators and Congressmen, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senator Barbara Mikulski. Thanks to National Government Committee Co-Chairs Kevin Byrnes and Gene Goldman, and to government affairs vice Chairman Jim Rogers and Chamber Board Chair Rey Almodóvar for their lead-ership on the trip.

The top issue on our Federal Agenda this year is Human Space Flight and Exploration and the Space Launch System (SLS). Our Congressional delegation is fighting to accelerate development of the upper stage to get to the 130 metric ton lift capability by 2018. Building a SLS vehicle with that lift capacity will take additional funding in the 2016 appropriation bills.

Other key issues included in the Agenda include support for Missile Defense; Army Aviation S&T; Biosciences; Cyber Security and Supply Chain Risk Management; local road projects and op-position to EPA’s proposed ozone rules.

• Mike Ward

Incentives, education, BRAC and space flight among topicsCurrent Issues


PRSRT STDUS Postage

PAIDBirmingham, AL

Permit #40

Monday, June 22Proclamation Signing Ceremony9 a.m. • Veterans Memorial, downtown Huntsville (weather location: Chamber of Commerce, 225 Church St NW)Free - Open to the public • Questions? Contact Tina Leopold at [email protected]

Concert in the Park6:30-9 p.m. • Big Spring Park, downtown Huntsville (weather location: VBC South Hall) • Free - Open to the public

AMC bands • Plaque presentations • Fireworks presented by Remington Outdoor Company (weather permitting)

Tuesday, June 23 – U.S. Army Soldier Show7 p.m. • VBC Concert Hall (general public - limited number of tickets available)

FREE Soldier Show tickets available June 15 at the CAC Center (Redstone Arsenal) and the Chamber of Commerce

Wednesday, June 24Armed Forces Celebration Luncheon – Noon • VBC North Hall • presented by S3

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED. Contact: Tina Leopold at [email protected]

U.S. Army Soldier Show – 7 p.m. • VBC Concert Hall (see listing above for details)

Thursday, June 25Prost! – Ein Toast to the Armed Forces!

An Authentic German Biergarten under the Saturn V at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center4:30 p.m. until • Proceeds to benefit Veteran Support Organizations

AMC’s Rock Band, Raw Materiel, in Concert6-8 p.m. • Huntsville Botanical Garden, Boeing-Toyota AmphitheatreFree to active duty and retired military and their families. Friday, June 26Softball Games – Team Redstone, AUSA & Huntsville/Madison Co. LeadershipMetro Kiwanis Sportsplex Field #2 at 3590 Patton Road • Free - Open to the publicGame 1 - First pitch: 5 p.m. • Game 2 - First pitch: 7 p.m.

Also during AFC, free or discounted admissions to attractions for active or retired military I.D. card holders (and military families) are offered by: Huntsville Museum of Art; U.S. Space & Rocket Center; Burritt on the Mountain; EarlyWorks Museum Complex; Sci-Quest, Hands-on Science Center and Huntsville Botanical Garden.

Schedule is subject to change. For updates: bit.ly/AFC-2015



bit.ly/AFC

initiatives june 2015

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