Clint Kirkland, SVP | Professional & Healthcare Banker of Progress Bank, has been named a Rising Star by Business Alabama and the Alabama Bankers Association. Business Alabama and the Alabama Bankers Association partnered to launch their first-ever Rising Stars Program to recognize and identify the emerging leaders in the Alabama banking industry. Those selected for this honor were chosen because of the impact they have made in both the bank and the community. Bankers in Alabama have a longstanding tradition of being leaders in their communities and giving back through service to area non-profit agencies.

Katiya McKinney, VP | Sales & Marketing Director of Progress Bank, has been named a Rising Star by Business Alabama and the Alabama Bankers Association. Business Alabama and the Alabama Bankers Association partnered to launch their first-ever Rising Stars Program to recognize and identify the emerging leaders in the Alabama banking industry. Those selected for this honor were chosen because of the impact they have made in both the bank and the community. Bankers in Alabama have a longstanding tradition of being leaders in their communities and giving back through service to area non-profit agencies.

The Alabama A&M University Board of Trustees voted 7-4 Saturday, October 2, 2021, in favor of Dr. Daniel K. Wims as the 12th president of Alabama A&M University. Dr. Wims has over 20 years of progressive administrative experience in various governmental and higher education organizations. Wims formerly served as the executive vice-president and vice-president for academic affairs, and professor of agricultural sciences at The Fort Valley State University.

Bonita Guyer is human resources (HR) consulting generalist at Raytheon Missiles & Defense (RMD). With her recent move to the Huntsville area from Tucson, Arizona, she now provides HR expertise for RMD employees in Huntsville, with a strong focus on the Next-Generation Interceptor team. She has worked for Raytheon HR since 1999 and has improved organizational performance through, talent development, and leadership engagement and collaboration, and coaching for several programs and senior leaders.

Aeron Moran recently joined Signalink, Inc. as an Electrical Engineer supporting the Foreign Military Sales Program Office. Aeron is originally from Fort Smith, Arkansas but relocated to Huntsville to finish his studies in Electrical Engineering at UAH, where he successfully graduated with a Bachelor's degree in said discipline. Aeron has been married to his lovely wife, Raelynne Moran, for three years.

Landon Dalton has joined Burns & McDonnell to manage the development of design-build solutions for aerospace, commercial and manufacturing clients across the Southeast. Landon has more than 15 years of construction, project management and structural engineering experience leading critical design and construction for industrial and manufacturing projects throughout the nation.

Chris Crumbly is the Vice President of Digital Enterprise Programs for Victory Solutions bringing over 27 years of system engineering and program management experience with NASA. His focus is on the implementation and use of digital engineering enabling technologies such as Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) with NASA and DoD customers - as well as academic partners at Auburn University, Calhoun Community College, and Wallace State. Chris also serves as the Executive Director of the nonprofit Institute for Digital Enterprise Advancement (IDEA) which enables and accelerates incorporation of Digital Engineering and Manufacturing into the workplace. IDEA recently received a grant from the DoD for development of a 2-year Associates Degree in System Engineering Technology that accelerates the availability of modelers to support System Engineers working to efficiently implement MBSE into the workplace.

David Alan Smith is the newly appointed President of Victory Solutions bringing over 35 years of engineering and leadership experience in the aerospace and defense industries. Since joining Victory Solutions in 2008 as Vice President for Advanced Programs, David grew and diversified an impressive Space and Defense portfolio of customers for the company and developed a strategic plan to sustain growth while maintaining customer success. His research and development efforts resulted in patents for the Soft Stowage™ and Zero-g Softrack™ logistics systems used on International Space Station and today’s commercial transportation systems. He is a published author of 14 technical papers ranging from implementation of affordable payload delivery systems to effective digital engineering applications. David is a recipient of the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement and the Boeing Special Invention Award.

Ashlee Grove specializes in guiding families to their best educational opportunities to suit their needs and takes pride in providing the best educational experience possible and preparing students for their futures, regardless of their aspirations and paths. By establishing The Learning Team, Ashlee created a powerful network of students, schools, families, tutors, academic coaches, and collaborators.

Huntsville Marriott is pleased to announce that Ben Caldwell has been promoted to Group Sales Manager. Ben’s talent for customer service, determination, creativity, ability to think outside the box, and passion drive him to provide excellence in service to his customers and to our hotel. Ben will be responsible for managing group sales and events for the hotel across all market segments including corporate, social, government and association.

The Von Braun Center (VBC) announces Abby Lee Casey as the new Director of Sponsorship Sales. She officially began her post on September 7, 2021. As the Director of Sponsorship Sales, Abby Lee is responsible for soliciting, securing, and maintaining sponsorships for the facility and special events. With over nine years of sales experience, and a demonstrated history in the marketing and advertising industry, Abby Lee’s career includes Director of Sales, Marketing, and Public Relations at Harmony Landscape & Pond; Manager of Investor Relations at Madison Chamber of Commerce; and most recently Account Executive at Alabama Media Group.

HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is investing in its neurogenomics research through the addition of faculty investigator Nick Cochran, PhD. Cochran began at HudsonAlpha in 2015 as a postdoctoral fellow in the Myers lab. During his time at HudsonAlpha, Cochran has been a valuable contributor to the growth of the neurodegenerative disease research program. He led several projects that identified new gene candidates and risk variants in relevant genes involved in Alzheimer disease.

Venus Quates is the President & CEO of LaunchTech, a minority, woman, and service-disabled veteran-owned company that provides technology and mission support solutions to customers in the Space, Financial Services, Healthcare, and Public sectors. In November, LaunchTech announced the relocation of its Headquarters to Huntsville. Venus founded the company in 2016, which was recently recognized as a 2021 Inc. 5000 Awardee, placing #66 Overall and #3 in IT Management. Inc. also recognized LaunchTech as one of the top 10 fastest growing Woman-owned companies in the country.

Leadership Greater Huntsville (LGH) is proud to announce the promotion of Kevin Walker to Chief Financial Officer. Walker joined LGH in 2020 as the Operations Director, bringing several years of experience from his time with the Huntsville Havoc and the Downtown YMCA. Kevin earned his MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Business in 2001 and brings a wealth of knowledge in process improvements, finance, and accounting.

The ELM Foundation recently welcomed Missy M. Hanks, as its new Executive Director. Missy, a Huntsville native and graduate of Leadership Greater Huntsville Management Academy class 5, Flagship class 29 and Leadership Social Services class 11, joined the foundation in 2013 as the case manager providing direct services to ELM program participants. She currently serves on the Madison County 310 Board, the Wheels for Working coalition and facilitates the Leadership Social Services program. Missy is a graduate of Auburn University.

With five years of top-quality dedication to Pinnacle Solutions, Inc., Dennis Mix, Pinnacle's Chief Financial Officer, has a proven his technical prowess and leadership ability. During his tenure, Dennis has built and leads a strong Finance and Accounting team well-versed in internal and external financial reporting, systems best practices, automation strategies to streamline accounting functions and drive cost savings through the robust use of Deltek Costpoint. As a result of his outstanding performance, Dennis is now one of the two primary executives reporting directly to Pinnacle's CEO/President, Mike Durant. In addition to continuing to lead the Finance and Accounting team, he will be taking on the leadership of Business Development, Security, Export Compliance, and Facilities.

Pinnacle Solutions, Inc. is pleased to promote Theron Davis to the Vice President of Engineering and Product Development.  Since joining the Pinnacle team in 2017, Theron has proven his technological and operational expertise. He will now be responsible for the strategic growth and operations of Pinnacle's training system and virtual product development teams. In addition, he provides executive direction for the execution and delivery of all development programs, develops new business, offers full-scale proposal support, and ensures the successful allocation of resources and the management of Pinnacle's Information Technology (I.T.) department, including all computers, networks, telecommunications, and cybersecurity requirements.

Maynard, Cooper & Gale (Maynard) is pleased to announce that Mary Ann Hanke has joined the Firm as an Associate in the Government Solutions Group. Ms. Hanke focuses her practice on representing government contractors in disputes or compliance controversies involving the government or other businesses. Ms. Hanke is this year’s fifth addition to the Government Solutions Group’s robust and growing practice.

Flourish Consulting Services is excited to welcome Ethan Fitzgerald to the team as a media specialist. Ethan is originally from Oregon, and worked for notable, local news stations in Montana, Ohio and Alabama as a reporter and anchor. Ethan is also an award winning storyteller, spending significant time on the frontlines covering severe weather events, mass shootings, true crime court cases, politics and most recently the pandemic and its many impacts on communities. In his spare time, you’ll find Ethan at the local animal shelter, in his backyard tending to his chickens and volunteering as the Public Relations & Multimedia Specialist for the North Alabama Zoological Society.

Ericka Gorman has recently joined Redstone Federal Credit Union® as Senior Vice President, Chief Lending Officer. She will oversee the Consumer and Business Lending, Business Solutions, Collections and Mortgage areas. Gorman has more than 20 years of credit union experience. Most recently, she worked as Senior Vice President, Chief Operations Officer, at $1 billion-asset Great Lakes Credit Union in North Chicago, IL., where she led improvements of its call center hold times; implemented change control processes; and impacted organization efficiency through process improvements.

Mitchell ‘Mitch’ Peters has been promoted to Vice President of Information Security at Redstone Federal Credit Union®. Peters most recently served as Senior Assistant Vice President for Information Security. In his new role, he will continue ensuring that the Credit Union’s information assets and those of its members are properly protected. During his previous information security leadership roles, Peters helped build and maintain layered security; create a robust information security awareness employee program; and implement an ongoing technology risk management process.

WellStone, Inc. is pleased to announce that Karen Petersen, CFRE, has joined the team as Director of Development. Petersen is charged with starting a development program for WellStone, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves more than 13,000 children, adolescents and adults every year. She came to Huntsville in 1997 and spent more than six years as a reporter and anchor at WAAY-TV. Petersen began her nonprofit career in 2004, when she became the Heart of the Valley YMCA’s Director of Marketing and Development. She later joined the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology’s development team, where she spent nearly 11 years before moving into the mental health field. Petersen’s priority at WellStone is launching a capital campaign for the organization’s new Crisis Diversion Center. She is passionate about serving those struggling with mental illness and substance use disorder, and eliminating the stigma associated with these conditions. 

WellStone, Inc., North Alabama’s largest and most comprehensive behavioral health center, welcomes Jiri Danczik, MD, as Medical Director of WellStone Emergency Services. WES provides quality and compassionate care to those experiencing mental health crises. Danczik, a board-certified psychiatrist, graduated with his Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from First Medical Faculty of Charles’ University in Prague, Czech Republic. He later received his postdoctoral training in psychiatry at State University of New York (SUNY) in Brooklyn. Danczik served as Chief Resident in his Psychiatric residency program, and later practiced psychiatric medicine in New Mexico and Wyoming.

Dr. Vineetha Menon, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and director of the Big Data Analytics Lab at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), a part of the University of Alabama System, has been named the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN) Outstanding Young Professional for 2021. The award, made by the IEEE Educational Activities Board, is for exemplary contributions that uphold the core values of IEEE-HKN through scholarship in multidisciplinary Big Data applications research and for leadership, mentoring and empowerment of women and minorities in STEM.

On June 13, ITC Defense announced the hiring of Phil Nivens as Vice President of Operations. Phil brings more than 25 years of leadership experience in the defense industry supporting many U.S. Department of Defense and civilian agencies. As a 1994 graduate from Auburn University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, majoring in Finance, he holds Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and serves on the Board of Directors for the AFCEA Huntsville Chapter as the VP of Education. Phil’s extensive background in Department of Defense support and experience establishing efficient operational infrastructures will help ITC Defense strengthen partnerships, develop strategic alliances and expand our presence.

Rebecca Williams recently joined Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc. in September 2021. She began her career in the Health & Wellness industry in 2005 working at Alabama’s largest Consulting firm, eventually stepping into the role of Vice President of Employee Benefits. For over twenty years, Rebecca has focused on consulting large employers across multiple states and industries. She has advised on benefits administration, key sales strategies, new business development, and strategic planning. Rebecca emphasizes the importance of employee engagement, team building, and the power within leadership to mentor its staff.

Cintel, Inc. is pleased to announce the selection of Brett Bennett as Vice President of Strategic Development. Brett has been with Cintel since 2017 and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Executive Leadership Team. Brett’s technical background includes being a pilot on both manned and unmanned aircraft, over a decade of Project Management, Program Management, and Business Development/Capture experience. Congratulations, Brett! Cintel appreciates all your continued hard work and dedication to our growing team.

Drake State Community & Technical College recently promoted Karen Ray as its new Workforce Development Director. Ray previously served as Drake State’s Career Placement and Apprenticeships Coordinator for more than a year, and before that she was the Institutional Data and Career Outcomes Specialist. She works directly with federal and state agencies as well as local businesses to strategically create partnerships within the community to foster a supportive economic development environment. Ray expects to graduate with her Doctor of Education this fall and will defend her dissertation on equity, ethics and social justice.

Mark B. Moore has joined Drake State Community & Technical College as its new Public Relations Director. A graduate of the University of Montevallo, Moore worked for 30 years in marketing, design and communications. Before joining the team at Drake State, Moore was the Development and Marketing Director at Thrive Alabama, a community health center in Huntsville. He also serves on the boards of the American Advertising Federation North Alabama and First Stop, a homeless support nonprofit. He is a member of Leadership Greater Huntsville Class 34 and serves on Huntsville’s Human Relations Commission, Choice Neighborhood Initiative, and Public Arts Committee.

Drake State Community & Technical College has welcomed Dr. Marina Kingsbury as its Grants and Sponsored Programs Director. She spent her entire career in community development and higher education and played a pivotal role in securing Drake State’s cooperative agreements with NASA. Dr. Kingsbury applies her research skills and experience working with underserved populations to develop innovative grant funding proposals that serve the broader North Alabama community.

Stefanie Davis has joined the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber as the Resource Desk Coordinator. Stefanie brings with her more than 10 years of experience in customer service and hotel management, having served in such roles as Front Office Manager, Sales Coordinator, Director of Sales and Assistant General Manager. She has worked with Marriott and Hilton hotel brands and Aramark Food Service Chain. Stefanie is a graduate of Alabama A & M University, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Nutrition and Hospitality Management. She is also a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated.

Jennifer Prewitt is a new employee of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber. She joined the team in October as the new Events Coordinator. In this role, she helps manage recurring events, including Professional Development, C-Suite, and Networking, and also helps with events in Cummings Research Park. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and her two dogs enjoying time outdoors, and visiting the many local hiking trails Huntsville has to offer.

Kimberly Bessiere Martin, a partner based in the Huntsville office of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, was named by Who’s Who Legal as among the world’s leading product liability defense practitioners. She is listed in the Who’s Who Legal: Product Liability Defence 2021. Ms. Martin focuses her practice on general litigation with an emphasis on medical device and pharmaceutical products liability litigation, as well as white collar matters and False Claims Act litigation. She has tried cases in state and federal court. Most recently, she served as trial counsel defending a nationwide hospice provider in a three-month False Claim Act trial brought by the Department of Justice.

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP is pleased to announce that David Vance Lucas, a partner in the firm’s Huntsville office, has been appointed to the City of Huntsville Advisory Council on Economic Development. The advisory council is comprised of community leaders from different areas of expertise who advise Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle about the needs and challenges the city is facing regarding future economic development. In his law practice, Mr. Lucas provides legal strategy for technology and business, utilizing his technological and operational experience to advise on a variety of intellectual property, international trade and complex litigation matters. Mr. Lucas also is a frequent author and speaker on intellectual property, national security and foreign direct investment issues.

Anglin Reichmann Armstrong is pleased to announce that Kami Minor has been promoted to Director of Marketing and Communications for the firm, effective September 16, 2021.  Kami joined Anglin in May 2019, and in February of this year she was promoted to the position of Marketing Coordinator for the firm. As Director of Marketing and Communications, Kami will take a leading role in the firm’s business development initiatives, including creation of proposals, managing the firm’s CRM system, and supporting Partners with upcoming public speaking engagements. Kami is instrumental in updating the Anglin website with recent blog and industry news. As Director, she also manages the firm’s social media channels, creates external communication materials, and supports the firm’s public relations and webinar efforts.

Anglin Reichmann Armstrong, P.C. is pleased to announce the promotion of Kaitlyn Sanderson to Senior Accountant in the Tax Advisory Services department in the firm’s Pensacola, Florida Office. Kaitlyn specializes in individual and business tax planning and preparation.

Anglin Reichmann Armstrong, P.C. is pleased to announce the promotion of Ellen Deasy to Supervisor in the firm's Solutions Advisory Services department. Ellen supports clients in the Government Contracting industry with outsourced accounting, small business services, and CFO services.

Anglin Reichmann Armstrong, P.C. is pleased to announce the promotion of Maggie Douglas to Supervisor in the firm’s Tax Advisory Services department. Maggie supports clients in the construction and real estate industry. She also specializes in estate and gift tax planning and preparation.

Anglin Reichmann Armstrong, P.C. is pleased to announce the promotion of Megan Van Horn to Supervisor in the Tax Advisory Services department in the Pensacola, Florida Office. Megan specializes in individual and business tax planning and preparation and supports clients with their outsourced accounting needs. She also has significant experience in estate and gift tax planning and preparation.

Anglin Reichmann Armstrong, P.C. is pleased to announce the promotion of Raven Howlet to Supervisor in the firm’s Audit and Assurance department. Raven’s primary industry focus is government contracting and not-for-profit. Raven has extensive experience in A-133 single audits, agreed-upon procedures, audit of employee benefit plans, audit of governmental agencies, audit of not-for-profit organizations, and prepared, compiled, reviewed, and audited financial statements. In her role, she supervises engagements, assists in firm functions, develops client relationships, and mentors young women.

Anglin Reichmann Armstrong, P.C. is pleased to announce the promotion of Sutton Parker to Senior Accountant in the firm’s Audit and Assurance department. Sutton works with clients to provide agreed-upon procedures, audit of employee benefit plans, and prepared, compiled, reviewed, and audited financial statements.

Anglin Reichmann Armstrong, P.C. is pleased to announce the promotion of Whitney O’Rear to Supervisor in the firm’s Tax Advisory Services department. Whitney specializes in business and individual tax planning and preparation, research and development (R&D) tax credits, and government contracting.

Stephanie Mathewson recently joined Deloitte’s Government and Public Services practice as a Product Delivery Team Lead supporting DOD clients mostly based at Redstone Arsenal. Stephanie brings over 30 years of DOD Financial Management experience. For the last 11 years of her career, she served as Assistant Deputy Comptroller for Special Programs, and then Assistant Deputy Comptroller for Foreign Military Sales providing accounting, systems, policy, and core financial support to organizations at the Missile Defense Agency. Prior civilian service was provided to the Dept. of Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Defense Commissary Agency, and other DOD organizations.

Deloitte's Government and Public Services practice welcomes ShaVonne Cammack as a Project Delivery Senior Consultant. ShaVonne brings 12 years of DOD IT, strategic planning, project management, and ITSM experience. As a Project Delivery Senior Consultant, ShaVonne works with DOD clients to manage, measure, and maintain industry standards and regulations. ShaVonne is past graduate of The Bank of America Institute for Women's Entrepreneurship at Cornell University, Alabama A&M University (Undergraduate), and University of Alabama - Huntsville AL (PMP).

Deloitte welcomes Ray Napoli to the Government and Public Services practice as a Specialist Master in Cyber & Strategic Risk. Ray has over 13 years of leadership in Cybersecurity and Risk Management in the armed services between the United States Navy and the Army, in addition to five years as an Army contractor. He has an informed perspective provided by experience in Cybersecurity, Aviation, and Military Intelligence. He continues to serve by providing insight and counsel to DOD clients, and enjoys educating people and spreading awareness of cyber issues.

Jayla Fenison recently joined Deloitte’s Government and Public Services practice as a Cyber Risk Analyst with a background in Management Information Systems and Cybersecurity. Jayla joins Deloitte as a campus hire following graduation from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a Master of Science degree in Management Information Systems and a concentration in Cybersecurity. Jayla works with clients to tackle their biggest challenges and brings awareness to the various types of protocols, exploits, tools, and resources used by malicious actors.

Joyner Livingston joins Deloitte’s Government and Public Services practice as a lead for Army IT Modernization. Joyner brings nearly 20 years of experience in DOD, previously serving as a Director of Programs for both Army and Air Force customers. His experience includes over nine years of program management and 10 years in Systems Engineering, Operations Research, and Modeling & Simulation, much of which supported technology insertion and digital transformation for program offices and major commands. He holds a Master of Science degree in Systems Engineering, with concentrations in Operations Research and Modeling and Simulation from the University of Alabama – Huntsville and is a Program Management Professional and Certified Modeling and Simulation Professional.

Deloitte welcomes Erin Bloxham Curtis as a Government and Public Services practice as a Senior Consultant in Customer and Marketing. Erin brings 18 years of strategic communication, marketing, and change management experience spanning public, private, and voluntary sectors. As a Senior Consultant in the Customer Strategy & Applied Design offering, Erin works with DOD clients utilizing human insights to design and deliver powerful experiences, drive measurable outcomes, and transform organizations. Erin holds a Master of Science degree in Communications from the University of Alabama is a past graduate of Leadership Huntsville’s Connect Class (10) and Management Academy (8) in addition to serving as the Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Women’s Economic Development Council.

Deloitte is proud to recognize the promotion of Andre Hinds as a Government and Public Services Manager within Cyber Risk. Andre is a native Alabamian who has returned to the state after stops in Minnesota and the greater Washington D.C. area. He works within Deloitte’s Cyber Strategy offering supporting organizations dealing with complex cyber threats to operational technology and mission systems. Andre also supports Deloitte’s engagement with the Alabama School of Cyber Technology & Engineering where he is helping create differentiated cyber education opportunities for underrepresented communities across the state. Andre is a graduate of Gettysburg College where he studied Physics with a research concentration in Computational Mathematics.

Ashleigh Whisenant recently joined Deloitte's Government and Public Services practice as a Senior Consultant in Human Capital Workforce Transformation. Ashleigh brings over five years of experience in human resources across multiple industries and is skilled in leveraging data analysis to deliver concise strategic solutions to drive business decisions. As a Senior Consultant and Certified Compensation Professional (CCP), Ashleigh excels in evaluating competitive pay data, developing pay structures, delivering client solutions, and understanding workforce challenges by staying cognizant to trends in the labor market and fostering relationships. Ashleigh holds a bachelor’s degree and Master of Business Administration from the University of Memphis.

Robert Brett Bearden recently joined Deloitte's Government and Public Services practice as an Analyst in Cyber and Risk Advisory. He is joining Deloitte as a campus hire following graduation from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Brett is focused on developing and utilizing cybersecurity and data analytics tools for Deloitte clients.

Deloitte is proud to recognize the promotion of Rae Baker as a Government and Public Services Senior Consultant within Cyber Risk. Rae recently transferred from Philadelphia, PA to Huntsville and works with the SPECTRE team to provide full spectrum advanced intelligence for adversary pursuit and threat understanding in cyberspace. This includes pioneering analytics and tradecraft on a propriety platform merging technical information, crypto-currency, public records, breach data, and network traffic for intelligence reporting. Rae is a graduate of Penn State University and has experience with Open Source Intelligence and Maritime Analysis.

Andre Evans recently joined Deloitte’s Government and Public Services practice as a Cyber Analyst in Cyber and Risk: Infrastructure in Huntsville. Andre joins Deloitte as a campus hire with a bachelor’s in Information Systems and Technology with a concentration in Cybersecurity. His interests revolve around programming, neural networks, ethical hacking, forensics, and quantum computing technologies.