Anna Laurie McKibbens is a native of Alabama coming from a family with deep and historical ties to the state. She is and has been involved in a diverse set of business interests that span a multitude of industries from banking, construction materials, farming, leasing, insurance, petroleum product distribution and trucking. The family-owned businesses in […]

When Buddy Watson was in eighth grade in rural Slapout, Alabama, a coding instructor overheard him talking about his passion for engineering and mentioned something that would change his life: a new cyber and engineering school opening in Huntsville. That school, the Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering (ASCTE), is the nation’s first public […]

“Showing up is half the battle.” For many, it’s a cliché. For Sara Beth Wilcox, it’s a mantra and the driving force behind a career that has reshaped skylines, inspired young leaders, and helped chart a new course for Alabama’s future. As Vice President and Division Manager at Brasfield & Gorrie, one of the Southeast’s […]

“Big ideas don’t scare me. They inspire me.” That simple belief has guided Alicia Ryan from the strategy rooms of Washington, D.C. to the global stage of advanced manufacturing in Huntsville, Alabama. As the founder and CEO of LSINC, Ryan has built more than a company. She has built a legacy of turning imagination into […]

The Alabama Forestry Association drew record-breaking attendance at its 2025 annual meeting this weekend in Orange Beach. More than 450 industry leaders from across Alabama and the Southeast took part in the three-day gathering. AFA President and CEO Chris Isaacson praised the event’s momentum. “This year’s Annual Meeting was a tremendous success for the forest […]

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) opened a seven-day public comment period on the state’s final BEAD proposal on Tuesday, which is slated for submission to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration next Thursday. State officials say the plan would extend high-speed internet to every BEAD-eligible location in Alabama, with awards supporting […]

Beth Chapman’s life and career read like a portrait of what it means to live with purpose, integrity, and an unyielding commitment to others. As Alabama’s 51st Secretary of State, a three-time statewide elected official, a respected national leader, and now the founder of her own successful government relations firm, Chapman has spent decades shaping […]

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) hosted the Alabama Digital Expansion Authority’s quarterly meeting in Montgomery this week. The meeting featured progress updates from 20 internet service providers that received grants from two programs funded by federal American Rescue Plan Act funds as the state pushes forward with its effort to expand […]

For Birmingham attorney and author Erin Brown Hollis, life has been a winding path of professional achievement, family devotion, and a calling to encourage others. A member of Bradley’s Litigation Practice Group, she has built a career handling complex litigation while balancing the roles of wife, mother, author, and mentor. Her early career included a […]

Bradford Health Services has filed a formal challenge to Longleaf Recovery & Wellness’s Certificate of Need application for Longleaf Lodge, a 60-bed residential addiction treatment campus proposed for the Sunshine Farms site in Sterrett, located in Shelby County. The CON Review Board is set to hear the case October 15.  The filing marks Bradford’s second […]

Alabama sports-medicine icon Dr. James R. Andrews has expanded his athlete-safety footprint with the acquisition of Walters, Inc., a consulting firm founded by National Athletic Trainers’ Association Hall of Famer Dr. Rod Walters. The deal was announced by Andrews Athlete. Originally co-founded by world-renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews and Chad C. Henderson, CEO and […]

For State Rep. Susan DuBose (R-Hoover), public service is more than a title or career path — it’s a calling. A Mississippi native who built a successful career in finance with Compass Bank before spending 20 years as a stay-at-home mother, DuBose has emerged as one of the most active voices in Montgomery, balancing deeply […]

During a visit with Mayor Tommy Battle at Huntsville City Hall on Monday, Gen. Stephen Whiting emphasized a fast, disciplined transition to Redstone Arsenal — and praised the North Alabama community he said has already rolled out the welcome mat. “All of Huntsville, Madison, Madison County, all of North Alabama, has been very welcoming, and […]

Lee Marshall’s life story is one of resilience, vision, and devotion to a mission bigger than herself. Born into foster care and adopted at the age of two, she experienced firsthand the life-changing power of a forever family. That foundation not only shaped her path but gave her a calling: to be a voice for […]

The TumTum Tree Foundation has announced Nov. 6-8 as the dates for its annual wine auction weekend, one of the nation’s leading charity wine events. For more than three decades, the Birmingham-based nonprofit has brought together top chefs, world-class winemakers, and generous supporters to raise millions for Alabama children facing life-altering and life-threatening illnesses. That […]

Charisse D. Stokes has built her career at the crossroads of technology, innovation, and community leadership. As president of Tidal IT Solutions, she helps government and commercial clients adapt and grow in a rapidly changing digital economy. She also serves as executive director of TechMGM and leads The Alabama Collective, both dedicated to strengthening Alabama’s […]

Two of Montgomery’s top lobbyists have teamed up to co-found a new, namesake government relations and public affairs firm: Ross Taylor & Associates.  John Ross and Charlie Taylor are behind the venture, which is launching with a roster of blue chip entities at the highest levels of Alabama’s public and private sectors, including major players […]

When a trio of judges ambled into Crawmama’s last week, they inhaled the sharp spice of freshly boiled seafood and were warmly welcomed by firecracker owner Charlotte Webb. They proceeded to tuck into a tender 14-ounce ribeye with grilled Gulf shrimp on a bed of rice — a dish they later crowned Bama’s Best Surf […]

Fairhope Mayor Sherry Sullivan has built her leadership around a simple but powerful idea: protecting and preserving what makes Fairhope special while preparing it for the future. Elected in 2020, Sullivan’s work has been defined by a balance of growth and preservation, ensuring that Fairhope remains both a destination and a beloved hometown. Her leadership […]

Spirit Airlines will discontinue service at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, effective October 3, according to the Birmingham Airport Authority. The low-fare carrier will end flights to Fort Lauderdale, Newark, and Detroit, as part of a broader exit from Birmingham and ten other U.S. airports following its second bankruptcy filing in August. Spirit Airlines first entered the […]

Alice Lessmann’s story is one of perseverance, service, and leadership across the military, healthcare, business, and civic life. Rooted in North Alabama, she has built a career and a reputation defined by resilience, quiet grit, and a steady commitment to serving others. Definitional accomplishments When asked what she is most proud of, Lessmann doesn’t hesitate […]

One of Alabama’s most storied sporting estates is now available. The historic Maytag Plantation, a 1,579-acre recreational retreat in Union Springs, has been listed for $11.1 million. The plantation traces its origins to the 1920s, when L.B. Maytag of the Maytag appliance family acquired the land as a private retreat. It later became known as […]

Colorado Governor Jared Polis took to social media on Tuesday afternoon to air grievances after President Donald Trump announced the Department of Defense will permanently return U.S. Space Command’s headquarters from Colorado Springs to Huntsville, Alabama. “Uprooting Space Command will weaken national security and readiness, waste taxpayer dollars, and inconvenience military families,” Polis wrote in […]

From Dr. Wernher von Braun and his rocket team to the space program’s growth to the Base Realignment And Closure moves to the most recent FBI expansion on Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville has a long history of welcoming major military-related moves. With Tuesday’s announcement of the U.S. Space Command moving its headquarters here, the Huntsville, Madison […]