Essence Nesbit, owner of Designs by Essence was selected from hundreds of Balloon Professional applicants to help create the USA’s very first Big Balloon Build. Sixty five (65) balloon artists from around the world traveled to the City of Vincennes, Indiana in April 2022 to create a massive candy themed wonderland using 125,000 balloons, with giant ice cream cones, colossal cotton candy clouds and larger than life sweets to inspire the children in the community.

Michael Rodgers has recently joined Redstone Federal Credit Union® as Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. He will oversee departments that include Compliance, Legal, Enterprise Risk Management, and Vendor Management.

Chrystal Morgan is the new Director of State & Local Government Operations for The Boeing Company. In this role she briefs key stakeholders across the states of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Alaska on Boeing projects, future programs and strategic direction.

Huntsville resident Jack Kimbrough was promoted to Director of Roadway Design for Barge Design Solutions, Inc. (Barge). Kimbrough earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 2003. With nearly 20 years in the industry, he has a depth of experience in alternative delivery methods and innovative intersection design.

GTEC, a local Geotechnical, Testing, Environmental, and Consulting Engineering firm has named Zack Young as President and Chief Executive Officer. Zack began his career in the field of civil engineering more than 20 years ago in Huntsville, AL. Prior to his current role at GTEC, Zack served as a Client Manager, Project Manager, and Operations Manager for a regional civil engineering firm. Over the past several years, Mr. Young has worked within the Energy, Transportation, Industrial, Educational, and Government markets. Zack said, “I am humbled and honored to perform and serve in this capacity for my GTEC Team. I look forward to being an integral part of GTEC and our community.”

Huntsville Hospital Foundation President Sarah Savage-Jones has been named a 2022 Momentum Woman of Impact Award Winner. She is one of only four leaders from across the state to receive the honor. Momentum’s Woman of Impact Award recognizes Alabama women leaders who do extraordinary work to positively impact lives of others in the community, business, culture or politics. These award honorees are truly distinguished women leaders who have a lifetime of accomplishments in the service of others. Savage-Jones currently serves one of the largest publicly-held hospital systems in the U.S.

Lee Hoekenschnieder, Head of General Banking/Huntsville Market President of Progress Bank announced today that Brandon Carrin has been promoted to AVP, Business Banker. Brandon graduated from the University of Alabama Culverhouse College of Business with a bachelor’s degree in Finance. He has more than 14 years of banking experience, beginning in credit and eventually moving to manage the Bank’s Huntsville branch the last five and a half years. Brandon is also a graduate of Leadership Huntsville Management Academy.

The Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is pleased to announce their newest full-time staff addition, Julian Burley, as Administrative Assistant. Julian is a Columbia, Maryland, native who graduated from Oakwood University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

Stratagem Solutions would like to recognize Julie Hill for her contributions to the company. In November 2020, Julie Hill joined the Stratagem Solutions, Inc. (SSI) team as a Cost Analyst supporting the U.S. Army’s Program Executive Office (PEO) Aviation, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Project Management Office’s (PMO) Business Management Division. Julie has 10 years of combined experience holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Mathematics from the University of Alabama at Huntsville.

The ELM Foundation is pleased to announce the hiring of Beth Zinn, our new Program Director for the True Charity Community Initiative and the CharityTracker program. Prior to joining the ELM Foundation, Beth served as the Membership Coordinator at the South Huntsville Main Business Association and as the Management Academy Program Director for Leadership Greater Huntsville. As an active community volunteer for numerous local nonprofit organizations over the past decade, Beth is excited to be a local champion for effective charity and has embraced the principles of the True Charity model.

Madison Core Laboratories, LLC (MCL) announces the appointment of Jeff Wisotzkey, Ph.D., HCLD, CC, as Chief Scientific Officer and Laboratory Director. Dr. Wisotzkey brings to MCL over 25 years of experience in scientific leadership and laboratory operations in multiple areas including Molecular Diagnostics, Chemistry/Immunochemistry, Immunology, Microbiology, and Toxicology.

Melinda Hooton, MD, recently joined the Thrive Alabama team as the Chief Medical Officer. She brings fifteen years of experience in primary care and healthcare leadership from her prior roles as a primary care physician and medical director. Hooton earned her Doctorate in Medicine from West Virginia University and completed her internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital.

Tami Kellen joined the Flourish team in 2022 as an Account Coordinator where she supports several client initiatives centered around strategy development, data reporting and analytics, social media, industry research, and more. Tami brings a hyperfocus experience in digital marketing from the financial services industry, where she most recently managed and grew the digital presence for one of North Alabama’s leading credit unions, Listerhill Credit Union.

Raytheon Technologies is pleased to announce Michael Cox as Huntsville site lead for Raytheon Technologies, overseeing site operations and community involvement for Raytheon Technologies and its facilities on Jan Davis Drive and Bob Heath Drive. In addition to this role, he serves as customer accounts lead for strategic and missile defense. He is responsible for strategic engagement, capture development and growth of products for Raytheon Missiles & Defense.

Kathryn A. Kestner has been named Associate Director of the Huntsville-Madison County Senior center. Her career with the Senior Center began in 2003 and has most recently served as Director of Special Programs. She is a graduate of Long Beach State University. A trusted and valued leader, she will be in charge of operations and programs in the primary Senior Center campus on Drake Avenue.

The Community Foundation of Greater Huntsville is pleased to announce the addition of Matt Jones as its new Vice President of Development. Jones’ appointment follows a banner year as the organization received over $13.5 million in charitable donations and deployed over $8 million on behalf of their donors and programs.

DCS Corporation is pleased to announce that Brian Samples has been promoted to Department Manager within the Ground Vehicle Integration Systems Division. Brian brings 22 years of systems and software engineering and program management experience in the areas of Army combat and tactical wheeled vehicles to the position. In this new role, Brian will have responsibility for the operations of the Vehicle Systems Department supporting the Army’s Ground Vehicle Systems Center in Warren, Michigan.

DCS Corporation is pleased to announce that Charles Colegrove has been promoted to Department Manager of the Ground Vehicle Integration Systems Division within the Army and Marine Corps Sector. Charles brings 35 years of technical and leadership and management experience stemming from 24 years of military service and 11 years as a government contractor into the areas of Army and Marine Corps combat vehicles, tactical command, control, communications, and computer technologies, and supply chain management and warehousing to the position.

Infoscitex, a wholly owned subsidiary of DCS Corporation, is pleased to announce that Kathy Flaspohler has been promoted to Branch Manager of the Advanced Simulation Development and Analysis Branch within the Air and Space Operations Division. Kathy holds a Masters in Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Management. She joined IST in 2016 as a Senior Computer Engineer. In her new role, Kathy directs a team of software developers and analysts to develop modeling and simulation capability for weapon systems technology analysis.

Infoscitex, a wholly owned subsidiary of DCS Corporation, is pleased to announce that George Noel has been promoted to Branch Manager of the Cyber Physical Sensing Branch within the Air and Space Operations Division. George holds a PhD in Computer Science from the Air Force Institute of Technology and joined IST in 2021 as a Systems Engineer, following a 23 year US Air Force career as a Cyberspace Officer. In his new role, George directs a research team in exploration and development of advanced techniques for non-traditional sensing requirements for national security applications.

Demetria Horton is the new Executive Director of the AUM Foundation. Demetria is an outgoing community advocate who brings a wealth of experience to the role. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Alabama, her Master’s Degree in Business Management from Alabama A&M, and her CoRE certificate from Harvard University.

BRPH, a nationally ranked architecture, engineering and construction firm headquartered in Melbourne, Fla., is pleased to announce the promotion of John Danilson Jr., PE, LEED AP, to office leader for its Huntsville, Ala. location. Danilson has more than 17 years of experience in electrical engineering design and evaluation of commercial and industrial facilities.

Poitevint Financial is pleased to announce that Heather Lee has joined the team as a Client Services Representative. Heather comes to us with a B.S. (summa cum laude) in Marketing from Auburn University as well as an MBA (with Finance concentration) from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. After graduation Heather spent the bulk of her career working in the Treasury Department of BBVA Compass Bank headquarters in Birmingham, AL.

Poitevint Financial is pleased to announce the promotion of Tammy Gaddes to Financial Planner. Tammy has been with Poitevint Financial since its inception, and affiliated with Raymond James for over 7 years. During her time at Poitevint Financial, she has done a phenomenal job cultivating an exceptional client experience. Making sure we are taking care of our wonderful clients has been her passion and top priority.

Christopher Lee joins Maynard Cooper as Of Counsel in the Firm’s Huntsville office. He is an experienced litigator representing clients in federal and state courts in civil and criminal matters, as well as administrative law matters, probate matters, political law, and government relations. Lee will practice with the Firm’s Correctional Litigation practice.

Jordan LaPorta is an Associate in Maynard Cooper’s Litigation Section, where he works on various complex matters such as class actions, commercial business litigation, and antitrust disputes. Before joining the Firm, LaPorta served as a law clerk for Judge Sharon L. Blackburn of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama and Justice Jay Mitchell of the Alabama Supreme Court. He earned his J.D., cum laude, from The University of Alabama School of Law and holds a B.A., summa cum laude, in History and Political Science from The University of Alabama.

Lanier Ford is pleased to announce that Shannon Cazzavillan was selected as a shareholder in January 2022. Ms. Cazzavillan regularly advises clients on matters involving multi-million-dollar real estate developments and on numerous issues involving commercial real estate. Ms. Cazzavillan joined the firm in 2019 and has been practicing law since receiving her law degree and Master of Business Administration from Samford University in 2004. A former college athlete, Ms. Cazzavillan is active in the youth soccer community of Huntsville and Madison County.

Scott Sieger is the general manager of Akima Logistics Services (ALS) and the managing director of Akima’s aerospace programs. In his role, Sieger oversees 19 active contracts and seats on four IDIQ contracts, all of which range in scope from aircraft maintenance, logistics, airfield services, and missile systems contractor logistics support. He manages nearly 1,000 people.

ServisFirst Bank, a subsidiary of ServisFirst Bancshares (NYSE:SFBS), announced in April the addition of Zack Penney as a Board Member of ServisFirst Bank Huntsville. “ServisFirst Bank is proud and honored to welcome Zack Penney to our Huntsville board,” said Andy Kattos, ServisFirst Bank Executive Vice President and Regional CEO. “Zack, his family, and their businesses have banked with ServisFirst Bank for many years, and his long-term relationships in our community and business acumen will help us continue to grow in our market.”

Rachel Guthrie has been promoted to Assistant Relationship Manager and Bank Officer where she will continue to support commercial and private banking teams with credit underwriting while working more closely with ServisFirst Bank Huntsville’s clients to meet their financial needs. She was instrumental in the success of the Bank’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) process by handling the PPP requests for several larger clients.

Blake Freeman has been promoted to Senior Vice President by excelling as one of ServisFirst Bank Huntsville’s key commercial bankers. Freeman has worked for ServisFirst Bank since 2013, when he joined the team as a summer intern. Freeman is responsible for a diverse portfolio of residential development and home construction, multi-family development, and commercial and industrial clients.

Stuart Whitaker has been promoted to Vice President due to his accomplishments with ServisFirst Bank and his experience in the industry. Whitaker has worked in banking and finance since 2013, joining the ServisFirst Bank team in 2018. He has developed and maintained a diverse portfolio of primarily commercial and industrial clients throughout the Southeast.

Sharon Porter has been promoted to Contract Manager in Deloitte's  Government and Public Services. She has more than 16 years of Contracting experience within the government and healthcare sectors. Sharon is a long-standing member of the Huntsville Chapter of National Contract Manager Association where she has served in various capacities including Board of Advisors, President and Chairperson of several committees.

Deloitte welcomes Sylvia Smith as a Human Capital Project Delivery Analyst. She has over 10 years of entrepreneurial/management experience, and more than seven years of Human Resource experience. Sylvia is a graduate of Athens State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management - Human Resource Management. Focused on measuring and managing HR and Talent Metrics, Benefits Analysis, and HR Audits makes her ideal for her new role as a Project Delivery Analyst.

Chris Tech recently joined CFD Research as the Director of Intelligence Systems, working closely with the National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) at Wright Patterson Air Force in Dayton, OH to lead system of systems cloud-based architecture design and development, helping to grow CFD Research’s presence in Dayton.

Jon Wren recently joined CFD Research as the Director of Radar Systems and will work closely with the company’s DoD customers to expand CFD Research’s radar capabilities. Jon brings expertise in missile defense, radar search, tracking, and discrimination analysis, as well as extensive experience leading highly technical teams.

Annie Phillips is the digital services librarian at the Huntsville Madison County Public Library and the project manager for Blast Music. Annie says launching Blast in the Fall of 2021 and seeing the excitement and energy with which it has been received by the community has been incredibly rewarding. She is passionate about all that libraries represent and how they are part of the crossroads of community and culture.

All Points Logistics is proud to spotlight Anthony Spinner, who was recently promoted to serve as IT & Service Desk Manager. Anthony joined All Points in September 2010 as a Logistic Coordinator/ interim IT Specialist. He played an integral part in helping All Points regain their Gold Supplier rating with Boeing.

HAAR is thrilled to announce the hiring of Julie Klein as the newest team member and Assistant Finance Director! Julie comes from Rapid City, South Dakota where she worked in account analytics and cash management. Previously, Julie has served as the mayor of Hill City, South Dakota. Julie was born in Jacksonville, Florida and has lived in some of the most beautiful parts of the country as her father worked with the National Park Service, including Chincoteague Island, Mt. Rushmore, Theodore Roosevelt National Park, and Canyonland National Parks. She credits her time in these locations for her love of the outdoors.

HAAR is thrilled to announce the return of Christina Hearne as Professional Development Administrator. Christina comes back from the local nonprofit, Village of Promise where she was the Development and Marketing Director. Prior to that, she was a Program Director for Leadership Greater Huntsville where she ran their Focus and Alumni programs. During her previous 8-year tenure at HAAR, she held a variety of leadership roles and served our members through Professional Development, Governmental Affairs, and Communications/Marketing.

Scott Hall was named President of the Engineered Systems Segment (ESS) of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated on March 11, following the announcement that Janice Hess will be retiring on July 31. Hall assumed the role of President on March 21, and Hess continues to work with Hall in a consultative role until her last day to ensure the company has the benefit of her years of experience at the helm. In his new role, Hall is responsible for strategic positioning and direction of the segment which serves the aerospace, defense, maritime, and energy markets.

Chuck Herbert will assume the role of Vice President of Maritime Systems, leading Teledyne Brown Engineering’s strategic direction in the maritime surface, subsurface, and special operations defense markets. Herbert previously served the company as the Senior Director of Maritime Systems. He brings over 30 years of leadership experience from the US Navy as a Navy SEAL Commanding Officer and US Department of Defense Major Program Manager. His expertise across special operations, maritime systems, and financial management roles enables him to successfully manage diverse, technically challenging, and unique programs.

Jeff Holley will be promoted from Associate Vice President to Vice President of Manufacturing and Hardware Operations. Jeff will continue to lead manufacturing operations with responsibilities for the fabrication and assembly of the company’s energy, space, and defense manufacturing programs. Jeff has over 34 years of experience in complex manufacturing and has been instrumental in numerous key awards for the company.

Carol Gentz has been promoted to Director of Grants and Government Relations at the Huntsville Botanical Garden. In this role, Carol will provide leadership in developing and implementing strategies to secure and grow financial support from both public and private granting entities in support of the Garden’s mission to connect people to plants. Carol serves as a primary liaison for external relations with government officials and is responsible for managing and implementing all grant efforts.

Teressa Biggerstaff has joined the Huntsville Botanical Garden as Café Manager. With over 30 years specializing in food service, business development, vendor relations, and special events catering all over the globe, Teressa is poised to funnel her creative and professional approach to food into innovative, elevated service at the Garden. As a recipient of numerous culinary recognitions and awards for excellence, Teressa’s demonstrated abilities will be an asset to the Garden, with exciting new dining options coming soon.

Dr. Charles W. Richardson, Jr., has been selected to lead the College of Business and Public Affairs effective May 15, 2022. Dr. Richardson has served as a faculty member and administrator at several institutions, including HBCUs Alcorn State University, Claflin University and Clark Atlanta University. His teaching duties included courses in consumer behavior, marketing strategy and multicultural marketing.

Jordan Nemiroff joins Burns & McDonnell as a project manager for our Global Facilities Group. Jordan will be instrumental in developing design-build solutions for aerospace and manufacturing clients across the Southeast. Jordan spent time as a design engineer, project engineer and assistant project manager, before joining Burns & McDonnell. Her industrial and federal experience, coupled with her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Auburn University, makes her an ideal fit to lead critical projects throughout the region and across the nation.

Paul Robinson joined Signalink, Inc. in April 2021 as an Electrical Engineer supporting the Foreign Military Sales Program Office and Utility Helicopter Program Office. Paul was born in Huntsville and has lived here his entire life. He attended UAH receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. Paul enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his friends and family.

Koniag Government Services (KGS), an Alaska Native Corporation delivering a broad range of forward leaning solutions to the Federal Government, names Sheila King McFerran to lead KGS initiatives in Huntsville, Alabama. As Vice President, Enterprise Solutions Line of Business (LOB), Ms. McFerran’s focus is on providing KGS with a strong presence in Huntsville to oversee the company’s expanding operations in the region. With over 37 years of government consulting experience, Ms. McFerran will leverage her expertise in business development and operations in the Huntsville market. She will provide strong operational leadership with her deep ties to the Huntsville community in support of broadening the KGS portfolio.

Thrash announced this week that Matt Herbert will serve as the new General Manager. Herbert has over 20 years of experience in the commercial construction industry. As General Manager, Matt's role is to provide operational oversight for Thrash’s office in Huntsville, Alabama. Matt is highly organized and incredibly skilled at communicating technical construction concepts in practical and effective ways. Matt has exceptional experience in both critical path scheduling and project management.

Shannon Sandmeier joined Meyer and Lee Fine Jewelry as the store manager. Shannon brings to her role more than eighteen years of experience in the jewelry industry. Her professional achievements include GIA Accredited Jewelry Professional, Diamond Certification and Colored Gemstones Certification with the Diamond Council of America. She is responsible for managing day to day operations of the store. Shannon excels at assisting customers with custom jewelry design projects. She also conducts insurance replacement appraisals. Shannon loves being a mom to her nine year old son Aiden who loves being a part of the Meyer and Lee family.

Hill Technical Solutions (HTS), a growing provider of advanced engineering and technology services for government customers, promoted James (Jim) Buford to Vice President, Joint and Army Programs, from Director. He provides subject matter expertise to Army, Navy, Air Force, and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) on all-digital and hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) weapons simulations and test programs, projects, and labs for missiles, interceptors, ground radar, battle managers, and threats. Jim has 30+ years of government HWIL expertise with U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC), MDA, Redstone Test Center (RTC), and Space & Missile Defense Command (SMDC). Jim’s contributions have been key to the company’s continued growth in HWIL and digital labs.

Hill Technical Solutions (HTS), a growing provider of advanced engineering and technology services for government customers, promoted Joseph (Joe) Crowhurst to Vice President, MDA and Space Programs, from the role of Director, MDA Programs. He is responsible for guiding Program Managers in delivering engineering services and serving as a subject matter expert (SME) for MDA and Space programs. Joe has more than 20 years of expertise in the fundamentals of strategic, regional, and theater missile defense systems, which he gained as a prime contractor for Ground Missile Defense (GMD), as a direct MDA employee, and as an MDA support contractor. He retired from a 21-year military career, during which time he served as a U.S. Navy warfighter with direct experience in combat operations. Joe’s leadership has been critical to the company’s continued growth.

Hill Technical Solutions (HTS), a growing provider of advanced engineering and technology services for government customers, promoted Daniel Claxton to Director, Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Systems, from Program Manager (PM). He assumes the leadership of the MDA Systems Directorate under the HTS MDA & Space Business Unit. The MDA Systems Directorate includes the C2BMC, GMD & Targets, Software & THAAD, and Special Projects Group. Daniel will also be Acting PM of the Special Projects Group.

In April, the Calhoun Community College Athletics Division is excited to announce Candace Byrd-Vinson as the new Women’s Basketball Coach. The Tanner, AL, native was a basketball superstar during her time at Tanner High School where she played multiple positions. She was named All-County five times and was a four-time All-State selection by the Alabama Sports Writers Association from 1997-2000. She was also recognized as 2A Player of the Year as well as The Decatur Daily Player of the Year. She averaged 21.3 points per game and 14.2 rebounds per game during her high school career, totaling 2,065 career rebounds and 2,795 career points.

Mike Bean is the President & Owner of PassionHR Consulting, Inc. His goal in starting his business six years ago was to make meaningful relationships with the Madison County community by providing exceptional service to his clients and customers. As a Human Resource professional, Mike knows the value of being an effective leader and aims to guide other leaders to best practices for their businesses as well. PassionHR Consulting has seen tremendous growth in the past year due to the customer service he and his team provide and the impact he makes on the clients he meets. Mike’s passion for providing exceptional Human Resource services has grown to other areas in the State and U.S. Mike is truly passionate about HR & others’ business success!

Dentons Sirote is pleased to welcome Sarah Ray to the Firm. Ray has joined the Firm’s Tax Controversy practice group as Of Counsel in the Huntsville office. As a highly organized and detail-oriented lawyer with more than 10 years of experience in the legal, military, and administrative communities, Ray has worked in policy management and implementation, legal and administrative research, military justice litigation, strength management, and tax law.

Dentons Sirote is pleased to welcome Timothy P. Pittman to the Firm. Pittman has joined the Firm’s Real Estate and Litigation practice groups as Of Counsel in the Huntsville office. Pittman has practiced law in Alabama for nearly 17 years, focusing on business and real estate transactions and financing, as well as civil litigation and appeals for both plaintiffs and defendants in state and federal courts. His other areas of focus include foreclosure and mortgage default; landlord/tenant negotiations; and representing lenders in bankruptcy proceedings.

Ad4! Group, a local advertising and marketing agency, is proud to announce the addition of Patricia Hartley of Florence as the company’s new Content Director. Patricia has been a part of the Ad4! Group team for the last five years as our blogger, but will now rise to the level of Content Director to help continue the company’s growth. The full-service agency specializes in branding, marketing strategies, digital marketing campaigns, social media and more; and has successfully served the Madison County area for more than 17+ years.