Blackburn Institute

Madison Travel Experience

January 2011

January 14-15, Blackburn Students traveled to Madison, Alabama, to learn about life in this up-and-coming urban community. Over the course of our visit, we met with numerous city leaders and learned both the challenges and opportunities facing the area.

Inclement weather forced Principal Robby Parker of Alabama’s largest public high school, Bob Jones H.S., to meet with us at the Madison Public Library rather than the school itself. With 2,300 enrolled students, many of us were surprised to learn that Bob Jones is ranked in the top ten percent of high-performing high schools in the country. Parker explained that even though fifteen to twenty percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunches, Bob Jones creates a level playing field for all students. The school provides opportunities for every student, treating academics, arts, and athletics equally. In 2012, Madison City Schools plan to open a second high school to address the area’s growing population.

We also met with Mayor Paul Finley at City Hall. Mayor Finley is currently serving his first term as mayor and explained how his marketing background helped him serve Madison’s predominantly science-oriented population. As a citizen, Finley noticed a lack of accessibility to government, a significant loss of potential business to Huntsville, and a history of hostility between Madison and Huntsville. Once elected, he developed a plan to change both the attitude and diplomatic approach of Madison’s city government.

After leaving city hall, we went to the Westin Hotel in Huntsville to have dinner and learn about BRAC from Joe Ritch, Chair of the Tennessee Valley BRAC committee. Ritch’s presentation focused on the remarkable job growth in the area as a result of BRAC and the challenges that accompany that growth. While BRAC will create over 20,000 new jobs in the area, Ritch explained the difficulties of recruiting educated people to fill those jobs. Ritch described how the national perception of Alabama and its education system deter people from moving to the Huntsville/Madison area.

Saturday morning, we discussed Madison’s economic development and community engagement with Amy Furfori, the Director of Community Development and Planning, Sarah Sledge, the city’s librarian, and Kristen Kulavich, a community leader. These three discussed community development efforts and showed us the library’s new sustainability garden, one of many ways Madison is becoming more eco-friendly.

Later, we met with Kory Alfred, the Parks and Recreation Director, and Mr. Taylor Edge, the Mayor’s executive assistant, at Madison’s state-of-the-art YMCA facility. Alfred explained the role athletics plays in a rapidly growing, tech-savvy community, while Edge discussed what attracts people to Madison. Edge described how location, schools, and home prices make Madison an attractive area to live.

We finished our trip with Mary Lynne Wright, currently the Vice President of Surgery at Huntsville Hospital and soon-to-be President of the new Madison Hospital. In 2012, Madison Hospital will open with sixty beds and is expected to grow quickly. In her presentation, Wright explained the Certificate of Need process and the difficulties Huntsville Hospital faced in acquiring the CON for the hospital in Madison. Wright’s presentation was both interesting and informative and showed healthcare in a way many students had never seen before.

Leaving Madison, we reflected on what the city is doing to maintain and improve its unique quality of life and saw how the nation’s perception of Alabama is hurting perhaps our state’s brightest spot. Though our stay in Madison was short, the lessons we took from it have undoubtedly impacted our vision and Dr. Blackburn’s vision for a better Alabama.