Chamber Staff Join Regional Leaders for State of the Region Luncheon

On August 14, Chamber staff joined leaders from across North Alabama for the 7th annual State of the Region luncheon, hosted by Launch Regional Partnership at the Cook Museum of Natural Science in Decatur. Our President & CEO Crystal Brown continues to serve as a Morgan County co-chair for LAUNCH, a public-private effort focused on regional prosperity.

This year’s event highlighted a major milestone, the unveiling of the Tennessee Valley Regional Strategic Plan, a collaborative project developed in partnership with the University of North Alabama. The plan outlines a long-term vision for coordinated regional growth across 10 counties, emphasizing cross-sector collaboration, regional policy alignment and workforce development.

The 2025 Roadmap for the Region outlines initiatives that include establishing a regional leadership program to develop and connect leaders across county lines, hiring LAUNCH’s first full-time Executive Director to guide and implement strategic initiatives and continuing signature projects like the Singing River Trail to enhance quality of life and regional connectivity.

The luncheon also marks 10 years since the formation of LAUNCH, which began as an initiative of the Huntsville Committee of 100 and has grown into a multi-county alliance of local leaders committed to advancing regional prosperity.

Launch Regional Partnership (LAUNCH) is a nonprofit regional alliance working to align business, education and government leaders across the Tennessee Valley to drive long-term, sustainable growth. Founded in 2015, Launch promotes collaboration across county lines to tackle shared challenges and unlock regional opportunity.

Learn more about LAUNCH and its mission at www.launchtnvalley.org.