Chapter Profile & History

Background of Huntsville-Madison County BIG Chapter

The Huntsville-Madison County Chapter of BIG was officially charted by national BIG in February 1990. Charter members of the chapter consisted of employees from the U.S. Army Missile Command (currently AMCOM), U.S. Army Strategic Defense Command (now U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Following the chartering of the chapter, letters were sent to these local federal agencies for formal recognition as an organization providing assistance and support to EEO programs that furthered employment and advancement opportunities for Black employees. The chapter received recognition letters from the Army Missile Command, Space and Strategic Defense Command the Army Corps of Engineers. In its recognition letter in June 1990, the Commanding General of the Army Missile Command granted permission to the chapter to use available conference room space to conduct 2 BIG activities.

Currently the chapter is comprised of federal employees in the local area from Department of the Army, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other Department of Defense installations. Additional members include Huntsville Municipal employees as well as employees/retirees in the private sector. The chapter has increased its membership to include federal and retired employees in other states in the southeast region.

Chapter Activities

During its existence, the chapter has sponsored free employment seminars at local churches to provide information to persons seeking employment with government and private sector companies. The chapter also co-sponsored a seminar on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Equal Employment Opportunity) with the local NAACP branch with presentations by the staff from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in Birmingham.

In 1993, the chapter sponsored its first training seminar for local federal sector employees. This training seminar has become an annual event sponsored by the chapter to promote professional development that is open to the general public. We have also had high-ranking officials from other federal agencies to speak at banquet events. The chapter has also supported Youth Programs developed by the national organization that include an oratorical contest and an information computer competition.

The chapter implemented the national organization’s Training In Communications (TIC) program by establishing a Communications Academy at Johnson High School as a pilot initiative. During a six- week period, chapter members met with Johnson students, giving presentations on how to become an effective communicator, both orally and in writing.

The chapter has also sponsored employment related luncheon programs and banquets with guest speakers from within and outside the government. Presentations on personnel issues and equal employment opportunity have served to educate BIG chapter members on employment areas of concern to them. Currently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the chapter has sponsored Zoom Webinars on topics of financial planning, Black History, presentation by City of Huntsville Multicultural Affairs Officer on structure of city departments as well as a breakout of employment data by race of the city workforce.

The chapter was the recipient of the BIG Southeast Region’s Chapter of the Year Award in 1994 for successful fund raising, contributions to community programs and recruitment and maintaining the largest chapter membership in the region. The chapter is the fourth largest chapter in the Southeast Region. Members belonging to the chapter have been elected to and served in offices at the regional and national level to include Regional Council President (James Foster, AMCOM), Regional Council Executive Vice President (Bob Wilson, PEO AMD), and National Board of Directors (Mary Peoples, SMDC). Chapter youth contestants have won competitions at the regional (oratorical contest) and national level (computer competition).

Current initiatives include:

1. Sponsoring Zoom Webinar sessions to educate members on equal employment opportunity directive/regulations, and quality-of-life issues (retirement, legal issues, and financial planning).

2. Special emphasis program presentations via Zoom.

3. Dissemination of information pertaining to employment opportunities, and various presentations on employee rights under all anti-discrimination laws presented via Zoom.

4. Implement monitoring the employment status of Blacks in government with local federal government agencies where members are employed.

Some future initiatives include:

• A return to sponsoring face to face meetings, lunch and learn programs and networking matinees. The chapter will continue emphasis on establishing relationships with federal, state and municipal agencies to offer assistance in addressing the needs and concerns of Blacks in government.