2024 Annual Meeting Honors Award Recipients
On March 27, the Chamber held our 2024 Annual Meeting at the DoubleTree Hilton Hotel, celebrating our 93rd year. Outgoing Chairwoman Jamie Reeves, Broker/Owner of MeritHouse Realty & Capital Management passed the gavel to Chairman-elect John Holley, Dean for Technologies at Calhoun Community College. This transition marks the beginning of our new fiscal year, where the incoming Executive Committee and Board of Directors will officially assume their roles, effective April 1, 2024. You can view our Annual Report here.
This year, we were honored to welcome Alex Manse as our keynote speaker. Alex serves as the President and CEO of The Sinclair Group, a premier management consulting firm based in Houston, Texas. Prior to his time as a consultant, Alex held several positions as an executive with ExxonMobil. He is a graduate of Murray State University, pursued his graduate studies at Princeton University and earned his MBA from Tulane University. Alex brings a wealth of experience collaborating with both business and community leaders, guiding them towards a shared vision for future development and success. His insights left us inspired and motivated for the journey ahead.
During the event, John Joseph IV of Decatur was presented the 2024 Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce’s Miss Athelyne C. Banks Citizen of the Year. John is a Decatur native who served as student body president at Decatur High School and also at the University of Mississippi, where he received an academic scholarship and was named a national Truman Scholar before being inducted into the university’s Hall of Fame.
After working in other states and earning his law degree from the University of Alabama, he returned home to Decatur in 2013. He became director of Decatur Corridor Development and is now executive director of the Decatur-Morgan County Entrepreneurial Center (The E-Center).
Actively engaged in community service, he is a current club member and previous board member of the Kiwanis Club of Decatur and a previous board member of the Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts. He currently serves as a board member for the Decatur Morgan Hospital Foundation, Decatur Morgan CEO and the Decatur Downtown Redevelopment Authority. He is a member of Huntsville’s Committee of 100. John lives in Decatur with his wife, Annah, and their two children.
Linda Schoo was recognized as the Chamber's 2024 Rosie Hennessy Commodore of the Year. As a Commodore, Linda has generously shared her expertise, mentoring fellow business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs. Linda, along with her husband, Jerry, and son, Danny, are the franchise owners of Marco’s Pizza in Decatur. Linda and Jerry have been married for 43 years and have three children and five grandchildren. Originally from Detroit, Linda has been living in the North Alabama area for more than 30 years.
Linda is also very active in our community, serving as a member of the Decatur Morgan County Hospitality Association, a board member of the Decatur Morgan County Tourism and an executive board member of the Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce. She has volunteered at multiple organizations including the American Red Cross, United Way, Girl Scouts, and Decatur City Schools. Linda said giving back to the community is an important goal for their business.
Thank you to our presenting sponsor Indorama Ventures, Miss Athelyne C. Banks Citizen of the Year award sponsor Redstone Federal Credit Union, Rosie Hennessy Commodore of the Year award sponsor Habitat for Humanity of Morgan County and gold sponsor Calhoun Community College and Huntsville International Airport.