Robert “Bob” Baron, founder and CEO of Baron Weather, Inc. announced November 16 that he has named Bob Dreisewerd President and CEO. Dreisewerd, a 15-year veteran of Baron management, brings a wealth of experience to his new role combining a strong technology and weather background with savvy business acumen. Baron Weather, a worldwide leader in weather intelligence, is best known for weather analytics and display solutions, weather radar systems, and advanced modeling solutions that help organizations solve weather problems with critical insights.

Alabama A&M University has announced the appointment of Dr. Lena Walton as the Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, effective January 1, 2022. Dr. Walton currently serves as the dean of the College of Education, Humanities and Behavioral Sciences. This selection follows the recent announcement that Dr. Daniel Wims, former provost and vice president of academic affairs and research, has been appointed the 12th President of Alabama A&M University, also effective January 1, 2022.

The Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) has hired Kevin Belyeu as convention services manager. This is one of two key staff hires, rounding out the agency’s largest department, convention service and sales. The other is Joel Lamp, the new convention sales manager. Belyeu comes to the CVB with a variety of experience in nonprofits and hospitality, including hotel guest service, food and beverage, sales, and meeting and event support.

The Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) has hired Joel Lamp as the new convention sales manager. This is one of two key staff hires, rounding out the agency’s largest department, convention service and sales. The other is Kevin Belyeu, the new convention services manager. Joel will work with sports, hobby and expo groups and events.

We are pleased to announce Ashley Engles-Ross has joined the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber as our new Vice President of Small Business. Ashley previously worked as Director of Institutional Giving at Huntsville Botanical Garden, and has also worked with PEO Missiles and Space, Quantum Research International, and Operation Homefront. She looks forward to building relationships with the small business community, and learning how the Chamber can continue to impact their success.

Institute for Organization Management, the professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, is pleased to announce that Mary McNairy, IOM, of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber, has graduated from the program and has received the recognition of IOM. Awarded to all graduates of the Institute program, the IOM Graduate Recognition signifies the individual’s completion of 96 hours of course instruction in nonprofit management.

Following the fall 2021 completion of Saint John Paul II Catholic High School’s 2021-2026 Strategic Plan, the school’s Board of Trustees, in conjunction with the Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama, announces the appointment of Sister Tonette Sperando, O.S.B., as President. Sister Tonette, an experienced professional educator and leader, will focus on community outreach and development, while Headmaster Dr. Jeremiah Russell continues to steer academics and operations.

Austin Lee has joined MartinFederal and brings more than 12 years of experience working in cybersecurity across the spectrum of state, local, education, commercial, and the Department of Defense to the team. With a bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from Mississippi State University and a master’s degree in Security Engineering from Southern Methodist University, Austin provides security engineering, cybersecurity compliance, and governance support with a focus in tactical and ICS/SCADA cybersecurity.

Sonya Bailor is the president and CEO of Bailor Group LLC, a boutique consulting firm focused on growth strategy. She has been honored to lead growth strategy and organizational change management for companies ranging from small start-ups to Fortune 1000's. Her client list includes industries in healthcare, technology, consumer goods, professional sports, professional services, and more. She has built a proven track record of transformational results through coaching and consulting both individuals and business clients.

Eric Polk is Operations Manager of Crate Pros in Huntsville. In this role, he serves as the site lead for the company’s Huntsville operation, and is focused on connecting organizations with their difficult-to-ship freight worldwide. Since his start with the company in 2020, Eric has been instrumental in launching the new 10,000 sq. ft. facility and supporting a growing portfolio of customers in the industrial, automotive, defense, and aerospace industries with export and Mil-Spec crating, packing, and shipping services.

Houston-based Barrios Technology announced November 15 that it has welcomed Ginger Kerrick Davis to its Executive Leadership Team. Davis takes on the role of Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer at the company’s headquarters in Houston. Ginger will use her wealth of human spaceflight experience in both leadership and technical roles to guide the implementation of Barrios’ strategic vision.

deciBel Research is proud to announce Scott Stanfield has joined its executive team as the Executive Vice President, Strategic Growth. Mr. Stanfield comes to deciBel Research with 31 years of experience resolving complex technical challenges and developing innovative, customer-focused business solutions for the defense industry. He has extensive knowledge of DoD programs and possesses long-term relationships with both Government and contractor personnel.

Grace Treutel was recently promoted to Director of Culture at Blue Summit Supplies, a local Huntsville-based office supply company and the largest third-party seller of office supplies on Amazon nationwide. Treutel joined the Blue Summit Supplies team in 2018 as Content Marketing Manager. With the support of CEO Owen Franklin, Treutel recognized and acted upon the need for interpersonal focus and guidance to create a successful, healthy, long-lasting organization and was later promoted to Manager of Content & Culture at the fast-growing Inc. 5000 company.

Luis Maldonado is a recent addition to JS Solutions and in his short time with the company, he has established himself as a leader in Special Operations Aviation maintenance and integration community. Luis is a 23-year veteran of the United States Army, retiring as a US Army 1st Sgt with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Brigade (Airborne).

Erica Trapp, Sr. Property Manager with Colliers, has been named Vice President of the IREM (Institute of Real Estate Management) for the Alabama Chapter. Erica was installed on Wednesday, November 10th to serve for the 2022 term where she previously served as the 2021 Treasurer. Erica received her CPM® (Certified Property Manager) designation in commercial real estate earlier this year, an honor which requires years of preparation, hard work and study. Her career in property management spans over a decade and she manages some of the top retail properties in the Huntsville market including Friendship Commons and University Place.

Dewberry, a privately held professional services firm, has announced that Marvin Griffin, PE, has joined the firm as the federal lead and business manager for the firm’s Huntsville, Alabama, office. Griffin will be based in Huntsville. With more than 27 years serving as an Army Engineer with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Griffin served as a colonel and the commander of a 1,100-person public engineer organization.

Traci Tyree has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Operations at the Huntsville Botanical Garden. In this role, Tyree will lead all financial activities of the Garden in conjunction with the CEO, Board of Directors, and Advisory Board. As a senior strategic partner, she will play a critical role in developing and implementing business, procedural, and organizational strategies for the Garden.

Dentons Sirote is pleased to announce that shareholder Julian Butler was inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor’s Class of 2021. Julian joined three other Dentons Sirote lawyers previously inducted into the Alabama Academy of Honor: J. Mason Davis, the late Gen. Edward M. Friend Jr., and Edward M. Friend III. We are thrilled to congratulate Julian on this tremendous and well-deserved distinction!

Mandy Kilgore has been actively serving the homeless community for many years here in our beautiful city of Huntsville, Alabama. In 2018, Mandy began shifting her acts of service to a solution-based hand up approach. This eventually led her to found Huntsville Community of Hope, where she is also President and Chief Goodness Officer. Community of Hope (COH), founded in 2019, is a master crafted residential community providing affordable, permanent housing through tiny homes.

Charles W. (Will) Heaps has been named President and Chief Executive Officer of Huntsville-based Merit Bank. Heaps was part of the founding group that launched Merit Bank in July of 2019, raising $25M from local investors in just 60 days and increasing assets by more than 300% in its first six months.

Kami Mitchell is the District Community Development Coordinator for LifeSouth Community Blood Centers. Kami, a native of Vicksburg, Mississippi, graduated from the University of Louisiana at Monroe with a Bachelor's in Communication. Kami is a member of the Public Relations Council of North Alabama and a member of the Huntsville Young Professionals.

A Fortune 500 retail veteran has joined the leadership team at Alabama Goodwill Industries. Doug Prescott, former Vice President of Operations and Senior Director of Merchandise Strategy for Macy's Inc. has been tapped as Vice President of Operations for the nonprofit.

NAI Chase Commercial, a member of the world’s premier managed network of commercial real estate firms, NAI Global, announced that Beth Pippin has accepted a position as Property Manager in the Huntsville office. Beth will be responsible for property management of over 675,000 Sq. Ft. in Alabama.

Stefan Claudiu Dinca was hired on to R2C Inc. in July of 2021 as the RFID Manager working in support of the AFMD Distribution Center on Red Stone Arsenal. Stefan came on board with 26 years of management experience in Logistics and Supply Chain for the Multimedia Business after working for Cinram Int. and Technicolor HES in Canada, Europe, and United States. Stefan is currently enrolled at UAH to complete his Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies. Stefan has volunteered to coach AYSO youth soccer for two years and UAH Chargers Youth hockey for seven years. He is First Aid and CPR Certified.

R2C Inc. is proud to recognize the promotion of Meaghan Clark to Director of Contracts. In the short time Meaghan has been with R2C she has been a positive direct influence within the corporate structure. Her technical acumen along with her insatiable drive and “can do” attitude have had a great impact on R2C’s current efforts and the strategy of all future efforts. Meaghan brings over 12 years of federal contracting experience in contracts, subcontracts, procurement, business development, capture management and program management. Meaghan holds a B.S in Business Management with a minor in Contract Management along with a Certification in Contracts from Athens State University.

Dr. Lisa English, PT, DPT, WCS, has been appointed Clinic Director of Nesin Therapy's Pelvic Health Clinic, North Alabama's only dedicated clinic specializing in pelvic health physical therapy for women and men, which opened in October 2021. Lisa leads a team of specially trained therapists whose mission includes treating as well as educating our patients, and the community, on the importance of pelvic health. Lisa is excited to share her knowledge and passion on the subject of pelvic health to the people of North Alabama.

Schoel is proud to announce that Collin Orcutt was recently selected as one of The Huntsville Committee of 100’s Young Professionals. Collin is a Professional Landscape Architect and leads Schoel’s Landscape Architecture department. His areas of focus include Landscape Architecture, Land Planning, Site Design, and Sustainable Design. He has overseen many successful projects throughout his career.

Tiffany Frandsen, Sultry Company Manager, has recently completed her American College of Sexologists accreditation. Tiffany plays a key role in executing Sultry Company’s mission to elevate Sexual Wellness in the Tennessee Valley. With a focus on education and positive client engagements, Tiffany epitomizes the core values of Sultry Company.

STI Electronics, Inc., a full-service organization including engineering, contract manufacturing and training services, announced that President/CEO David Raby received the Founder’s Award from the Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA). The award was presented to Raby during SMTA International in Minneapolis, MN. This award recognizes members who have made exceptional contributions to the industry, as well as ongoing support and service to the SMTA. Raby was selected as the recipient because he has provided skilled leadership as a past President and Board member, an officer in the Huntsville Chapter, and an ambassador. His dedication extends to his active participation in association activities, both personally and through the company.

Dr. Judith Schneider, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), is leading a two-year, $603,000 project to enable UAH and partner Calhoun Community College to help Alabama transition from a low labor cost manufacturing state to a leader in the research and development of next generation additive manufacturing sciences. The program’s objectives are to expedite trans-disciplinarily, inter-disciplinarily and multi-disciplinarily training of Alabama students from a range of backgrounds to effectively enter the state’s industrial and government workforces.

Greg Fasking has been named Vice President of Marketing, Sales, and Communications at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Mr. Fasking is a 24-year veteran of the financial services sector. During that time, he built a $100 million direct-to-consumer startup, developed a nationally recognized bilingual literacy program and led a patent application for new rating technology. Greg earned his MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He and his family are relocating from Birmingham where he most recently served as VP of Marketing for Kemper Insurance.

Mark Humphrey has been named Vice President for Program and Infrastructure at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center. Mr. Humphrey comes to the Center after a 40-year career in construction and project management. He holds a construction engineering degree from California Polytechnic State University and an MBA from Golden Gate University. His last position was as Project Executive at Gresham Smith in Nashville. Mark will oversee large-scale capital and construction projects and manage mission support areas such as facilities and security.

Ellis Smith (Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel) with over 27 years of DoD experience has joined Victory Solutions as the Vice President of Defense Programs. Ellis’s experience as the first Lead Integrator for Future Unmanned Aircraft Systems (FUAS) at the Future Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team (FVL CFT), his expertise in Army Aviation, and his background as a Military Intelligence officer and Strategic Planner will be invaluable in helping formulate and guide the company’s continued growth strategy in Unmanned Aviation and Missile Defense.

Kris McGuire, Victory Solutions CEO and founder, has been appointed to serve on the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) Board. NDIA is America’s leading defense industry association engaging thoughtful and innovative leaders from the military, industry, government, and academia to promote the best policies, practices, products, and technology to build a more responsive and collaborative community in support of defense and national security.

Don Hazelwood (Retired Army Colonel), former Victory Solutions Vice President for Defense Programs, has been appointed to serve on the Victory Solutions Board of Advisors. Don brings over 30 years of experience and expertise in DoD and Private Industry Acquisition, Army Aviation, Missile Defense Program Management and Strategic Planning to the board. He will continue to strengthen partnerships and develop strategic alliances to expand our role in Unmanned Aviation and Missile Defense.

DCS Corporation is proud to announce the promotion of Larry Egbert to President and Chief Operating Officer. Larry joined DCS in 2014 as Executive Vice President and Sector Manager of the Air-Sea Forces Sector. Under Larry’s leadership, the Air-Sea Forces Sector has experienced rapid expansion and diversification that includes long-term growth and stability in the Air Force sector. Before joining the defense industry, Larry had a distinguished 25-year Navy career as carrier aviator, test pilot, systems engineer, and program manager. Prior to joining DCS, Larry spent five years as a Senior Vice President and Operations Manager for SAIC.

Curtis Schehr of DCS Corporation has recently joined the Board of Directors of Freedom Network USA. The Freedom Network USA is the nation’s largest coalition working to ensure that trafficked persons have access to justice, safety, and opportunity. Established in 2001, the network comprises trafficking survivors, legal and social service providers, researchers, advocacy organizations, and expert consultants. The organization influences policy, provides training and technical assistance, and increases the capacity of members and allies. Curtis joined DCS in late 2010 and currently serves as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for DCS. He is a member of the DCS Board of Directors and serves as the company’s Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer.

Infoscitex Research Psychologist, Lindsey McIntire, PhD, has been awarded the Marie Marvingt Award for Excellence and Innovation in Aerospace Medicine by the Aerospace Medical Association. The Marie Marvingt award was established in memory of a French pilot and surgical nurse who assisted in the conception and development of air ambulance services for more than 50 years. The prestigious award recognizes excellence and innovation in aerospace medicine. Lindsey was recognized for her many outstanding contributions to innovative research including enhancing warfighter performance through non-invasive neuromodulation techniques. Her team was the first to introduce these techniques to the Department of Defense and apply them to improve cognition. After a decade of laboratory research, operational units are now testing these techniques to accelerate learning and mitigate fatigue.

DCS Corporation is pleased to announce that John Johnson has been promoted to Division Manager of the Ground Vehicle Integration Systems Division within the Army and Marine Corps Sector. John brings 36 years of systems and software engineering and systems management experience in the areas of Army combat vehicles, Naval Avionics, supply chain execution, data processing and management information systems to the position. In this new role, John will have responsibility for the operations of the DCS Sterling Heights facility serving the Army’s Ground Vehicle Systems Center in Warren, Michigan.

DCS Corporation is pleased to announce that Lance Alsheimer has been promoted to Sector Manager of the company’s Air-Sea Forces Sector. Lance joined DCS in 1999, most recently serving as Vice President and Division Manager of the company’s Weapons & Ordnance Division. In this role, Lance was a relentless driver of growth with a keen focus on the delivery of quality services. He has over 35 years of aviation experience including 10 years as a United States Marine Corps aviator.