1. What are some of your plans for 2026?
Economic Development – My focus will be on economic development to help Madison provide the quality of life its residents deserve and expect. There are a number of projects that are in the works and announcements to be made in 2026 to keep Madison on track for sustained success. It is also important for the Mayor’s Office to support our existing small business owners and shine a spotlight on what they do. I look forward to working with our Huntsville and Madison Chambers to help our local businesses thrive. There is no better time than now to invest in Madison and open a business.
Investing in our Schools – Madison is known for its outstanding public education system, but we can’t take that for granted. High quality schools take constant care and investment. Madison has a ½ cent sales tax for education that is set to expire soon, but growth continues. Our city needs to extend the ½ cent sales tax and continue its investment in education.
2. Tell us about a few things you’ve implemented already, since taking office.
Before I was sworn in, I began meeting with department heads to better understand what they were working on and what their needs were. One common theme and suggestion for improvement was communication. I had heard this from members of the community but was surprised to hear it from within city hall. This caused me to do away with the previous city administrator position and hire a director of communications and operations. There are a lot of very dedicated people who work for the city and who accomplish many positive things, but we can always improve on how we share what is being done and why it is being done.
I also wanted to share information in a more easily digestible format and worked with our communications staff to start a weekly newsletter sharing the highlights of how the city is working for residents and adding a community calendar so residents can be informed about activities of interest in the community.
During my early meetings with our IT director, I learned how he had been working on a camera system to monitor when our railroad tracks were blocked by trains and to share that information with 911 dispatch so our emergency vehicles would use the fastest route on calls. I asked if it was possible to send that information through our current civic ready alert system so that residents could also benefit from the same information in choosing their path around town. The train alert pilot project was born and developed through a public/private partnership. Although we are working on more long-term solutions to our train challenges, effectively sharing and communicating information on train blockages is something that will immediately benefit Madison travelers.
To lay the groundwork for future success, it was important to start working well before our swearing in to help our six new city council members become acclimated to their new role and informed about what happens at city hall. Coming from a city council position, I understood what they were experiencing and what they needed to be effective. We held orientation sessions and continue to educate and inform them about the community they are serving. I look forward to working with them to move Madison forward.
3. You get to do some really cool things as mayor. What are your favorite moments so far?
Sitting on the front row for the Eli Lilly announcement was a “living history” moment. That historic investment in pharmaceutical manufacturing will make an indelible mark on this entire region. Its location right next to Madison makes my head spin with ideas on what we need to be doing as a community to prepare and educate those lucky enough to land a job at this facility, many of whom will live in Madison as long as we keep making Madison an attractive place for people to live, work, and play.
I also had a front row seat for the Space Command sign unveiling on Redstone Arsenal. Every time I get to visit with and support those doing such important work on the Arsenal makes me feel a part of the team that keeps our nation secure. We all play a part, and Madison is on Team Redstone.
My favorite event in Madison was counting down to light the Christmas trees on Main Street and launch Wassail Fest in historic downtown to start the holiday festivities. The giant ornament in downtown Madison continues to be the most instagrammable spot for the holidays. We also added some decorations to the front of City Hall to make everything merry as we worked during the holiday season.
4. You have a history of service to Madison, first on the school board then on the city council. What made you want to run for Mayor?
I candidly admit that I was a reluctant candidate for mayor. People in the community had been asking me about running for mayor as early as 2020 when I ran for city council, but the day former mayor Paul Finley announced he would not seek reelection, my phone blew up with texts and calls encouraging me to jump in and run. I had accepted a position as executive director of a national non-profit organization earlier that year and that is where I thought my future would be after my city council term ended. But people would not take “no” for an answer. After more and more residents looked at my history of service on the school board and city council, they saw before I could see what I needed to do. I kept praying, asking God for a sign (and I misread some signs). It ended up being multiple signs and moments of encouragement that resulted in me recognizing that I needed to step up and answer the call to serve.
5. What do you see as Madison’s biggest challenge?
Madison faces the same challenges the entire North Alabama region faces – investing in infrastructure for a growing region. More people means more cars on roads and need for housing. Where Madison differs is we are already out of balance and heavier on residential properties and need more commercial and industrial development to help us achieve a better balance to provide for the quality of life that Madison residents expect. Providing parks and green spaces, providing a safe city, maintaining the high quality of education and sense of community depends on commercial and economic development. Investing in infrastructure will require state and federal support as more people choose to live in North Alabama.
6. What is Madison’s biggest opportunity?
The Madison Boulevard corridor is our biggest opportunity to revitalize and reinvest in commercial development in our city. It is a fantastic location ready to be re-imagined for the future.
7. Please share a fun fact about yourself people may not know about!
I am a dog lover, and I currently have a rescue dog named Millie thanks to Friends of Rescue. I was supposed to just foster her, but I fell in love with her and had to keep her. So, I am a foster-failure. During the last council term, one of my fellow council members remarked that I probably had never failed at anything in my life, and he was glad I failed at fostering. He also has a rescue dog. It’s the best thing you can do if you are able.
On Friday afternoons at Madison City Hall, it is common to see a number of dogs visiting during the afternoon, including Millie. It makes all of us a little happier, and so far all the dogs get along!
