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Greetings from Madison County
Welcome to Madison County's web site. I hope that we are providing information that you will find useful and that will also save you time in finding out all you would like to know about Madison County. If you need additional information, be sure to leave a comment in our Guest Book.
This is our home and we take pride in sharing with you what we find to be a wonderful way of life. Madison County has developed from a farming community to a high-tech center that reflects the foresight, planning and hard work of people who want to shape the future yet preserve our rich heritage.
Settled in the early 1800's, Madison County became the first English-speaking community in what would become the State of Alabama in 1819. The first constitutional convention, bank, public library, railroad and church were all formed in Huntsville.
Madison County changed from a frontier land, to prosperous cotton fields, to a thriving textile center. Our evolution continued
during World War II. Our textile workers spun millions of yards of canvas to clothe and shelter our troops. Workers also manufactured munitions at what was later to become Redstone Arsenal. After the war, under the leadership of Dr. Wernher Von Braun, we designed rockets that took our nation into space and to the moon.
We continue to be a leading technological center of high tech research and manufacturing in such fields as computing equipment, telecommunications, space vehicles, defense weapons and rocket propulsion. More than twenty Fortune 500 companies have their headquarters in Madison County. Also in Huntsville are: Marshall Space Flight Center and associated with Redstone Arsenal are: AMCOM (Aviation and Missile Command) Headquarters; PEO Aviation (manufactures helicopters for the U.S. Army); PEO, Air and Missile Defense (missiles), more than 20 collated Department of Defense activities; plus SMDC (Space and Missile Defense Command)
None of our growth happened by chance, but is the result of the vision and action of people who strive to maintain and improve the quality of our life in this cosmopolitan community. We welcome you. If I or members of the Commission staff can be of assistance, please contact us at 256-532-3492. My E-Mail address is mgillespie@madisoncountyal.gov.
Biography:
Mike Gillespie, in his eighth four year term as Chairman of the Madison County Commission was first elected in 1980. For the past 30 years, Gillespie has promoted cooperation, unity and teamwork between Huntsville, Madison and all the municipalities of Madison County, resulting in strong, prosperous growth that has improved the quality of life for all the residents of Madison County.
Huntsville has always been home for Gillespie. He was born May 2, 1947 in Huntsville to Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Gillespie, and graduated from Huntsville High School. In 1970 he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Management/Industrial Relations from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.
Returning to Huntsville upon graduation, he worked in the insurance industry for a couple of years. For the next five years he served as District Scout Executive for the Boy Scouts of America. He first came to work for Madison County in 1978 as Personnel Director. Two years later he successfully ran for election as Chairman of the Madison County Commission.
Chairman Gillespie prepares and manages an annual budget of more than $120 million and directs an employment force of more than 1,200. He has been a major team member for more than 28 years in helping develop one of the fastest growing high tech areas of the southeastern United States, making a special effort to attract new industry and to promote international trade. This has been accomplished under tight budgetary constraints in a governmental structure which has no direct taxing authority.
To lend additional support to needed programs, the Commission has aggressively taken the lead in obtaining federal grants for law enforcement, at-risk children, and neighborhood improvement.
Gillespie is married and has two daughters, a stepson and a grandson.
Past and Present Civic and Government Activities:
- Member, Board of Directors, National Association of County Officials
- Chairman, NACo Financial Services Center Board of Directors
- Appointed by U.S. Secretary of Commerce to the Alabama District Export Council
- Member, Executive Committee, Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce
- Municipal Planning Organization Member
- Chairman, Crestwood Medical Center Board
- Chairman, BRAC, Tennessee Valley Regional Growth Coordination Advisory Committee
- U.S. Army Huntsville Community Relations Committee Member
- Boy Scouts of America Council Advisory Board Member
- Association of County Commissioners of Alabama Board of Directors
- Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments (TARCOG) Advisory Council
- National Children’s Advocacy Center Board of Directors
- Board of Partnership for a Drug Free Community Member
- Rotary International Member
- Madison County Board of Health
- Active supporter, Young life Huntsville
- Elder, First Presbyterian Church
Awards:
- Distinguished Citizen Award, presented by the Greater Alabama Council of the Boy Scouts of America
- Samuel Ullman Award, presented by Japan-America Society of Alabama
- Michael D. Roberts Memorial Award, presented by the North Alabama Industrial Development Association
- Martin Luther King Unity Award
- Distinguished Citizen Award, presented by the Greater Alabama Council of the Boy Scouts of America
- National Conference for Community & Justice Award
Chairman Mike Gillespie
County Commission Office, 256-532-3492, Fax 256-532-6994
Courthouse 700, 100 Northside Sq.,
Huntsville, AL 35801
Howard Baites, County Administrator 256-532-3492 Email:hbaites@madisoncountyal.gov
Julian Butler, County Attorney 256-536-1711
Judy Teague, Chief Financial Director 256-532-3566 Email:jteague@madisoncountyal.gov
Judy Reed, Payroll 256-532-3492
Carolyn Johnson, Accounts Payable 256-532-3499
Missy Ming Smith, Information and Community Relations 256-532-3438,
Fax 256-532-3567 Email:mmsmith@madisoncountyal.gov
Betsy Stine, Administrative Assistant 256-532-3492 Email:bstine@madisoncountyal.gov
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