Leadership Huntsville/Madison County

Premier leadership training organization in Huntsville/Madison County

The Leadership Story
Nationwide, the community leadership movement began taking shape in the late 1960s. By the mid-1980s, there were two programs in Alabama, in Mobile and Birmingham.

In 1987, the Chamber of Commerce Foundation of Huntsville/Madison County created Leadership 2000, chaired by The Huntsville Times publisher, William Cooper Green. Leadership 2000's purpose was to develop current and future leaders for our community, and its slogan was "The future belongs to those who shape it."

In the 1990s a steering committee began to serve as a board of directors for Leadership 2000, and the Alumni Association was created. By the mid-1990s, Leadership's first part-time director and dedicated staff was hired. And as the program grew, the board decided by the late 1990s it was time to hire a full-time director and dedicated assistant. Growth continued, and the Inside (now Focus) and Youth (now Challenge) programs were launched.

With the turn of the millennium, Leadership responded to the community's growth and created the Connect and Impact programs.

Today, there are more than 1,000 programs across the U.S. and an international Community Leadership Association. In Alabama alone, there are about 50 programs.

Through its 1,716 program graduates, Leadership Huntsville/Madison County provides a continuing pipeline of educated and dedicated leaders who function as agents of change, which contributes to the continued growth and prosperity of our community and region.