Launch Regional Partnership

That one question sparked a movement — bringing business leaders, community visionaries, and economic developers together across city and county lines to imagine what could happen if we acted as one region.

Our Origin Story
From that conversation, Launch 2035 was born — the name coming from our initial vision in 2015 of creating a better, stronger, more connected region by the year 2035. We started small, with just three counties — Limestone, Madison, and Morgan — but our ambition was anything but small. 

We knew our challenges didn’t stop at county borders, and our opportunities didn’t either. The mission was clear: build relationships, align strategies, and drive economic growth and success for the good of the whole region.

We chose three strategic pillars to guide us:

• Workforce — to make sure our industries have the talent they need today and the pipeline for tomorrow.
• Entrepreneurship — to foster a culture where innovation can thrive and new companies can take root.
• Land Use — to protect and plan for the spaces that connect us, enhance our quality of life, and make our communities places where people want to live, work, and play.
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In our early years, volunteer business leaders turned our pillars into action—completing workforce and entrepreneurship ecosystem studies that became growth roadmaps. From the Land Use pillar came the vision that grew into today’s Singing River Trail, connecting communities across North Alabama.

 

Over these 10 years, Launch has been blessed with leaders who brought vision, persistence, and a collaborative spirit to the table.  

• Dave Hargrove (2015–2018) – our very first chair, who guided Launch through its formative years. Dave’s steady hand and unwavering belief in regionalism created the foundation for everything that has followed. He championed our three pillars and helped rally the business community around them. Also, under his watch we held the first Regional Collaboration Initiative… the pre-cursor to today’s State of the Region. And while he can’t be with us today — he’s in Dallas for a family baby shower — he wanted me to pass along his warm regards. 

 

• Bill Marks (2019–2021) –stepped into the role and made an immediate impact. In 2019, Bill led the signing of a landmark regional government collaboration agreement at the inaugural State of the Region at the Huntsville Airport and delivered the Regional Labor Study, working alongside key economic development partners. When COVID hit, Bill adapted Launch, even hosting the 2^nd and 3^rd State of the Region outdoors at the airport. He also saw the Singing River Trail move from concept to reality and guided the hiring of our very first Executive Director. 

 

• Rob Hamilton (2022–2024) –ushered in a new era of growth. Rob saw the first-ever Launch Tank pitch competition in partnership with the Singing River Trail, expanded our footprint from three to eight counties, and brought strategic advisors to the Launch Executive Team — including our Councils of Government, economic development leaders, and federal partners from Redstone Arsenal and NASA. And under his guidance, he brought structure around the executive team and set a clear vision of growth for Launch.

And as we celebrate these leaders, it’s worth remembering why this matters so much. The work Launch has done over the past decade is about more than studies, events, or even trail miles. It’s about changing the culture of how our region thinks and works — moving from “us and them” to “all of us, together.” 

Because while the name has evolved from Launch 2035 in 2015 to the Launch Regional Partnership, and they are now a proud 501(c)(3) organization, the vision remains the same. And here’s the thing — 2035 is right around the corner. The work we do now will determine whether our region continues to grow, innovate, and collaborate for generations to come.