Ashley Engles-Ross
TESTIMONIAL
Ashley Engles-Ross
Vice President of Small Business
Huntsville/Madison County Chamber
aengles-ross@hsvchamber.org
Ashley Engles-Ross is Vice President of Small Business at the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber. In her role, she supports a number of events designed to help our small businesses grow and thrive, and helps with challenges they face. Ashley is a veteran and an Army spouse, and she and her family used to live in Colorado Springs.
Q: Where do you live?
I live in Madison, 17 miles west of Huntsville.
Q: Where are you from and how did you get to the Redstone region?
I am originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, I joined the U.S. Army, where I met my husband. He served 30 years in the Army, and his final assignment was with U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command on Redstone Arsenal.
At the time of his retirement, our children were in elementary school, active in sports and school activities, and I had begun working. Huntsville and Madison offered everything we were looking for: strong schools, a growing and welcoming community, excellent career opportunities, and a great quality of life. We also loved the location, close enough to visit family in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Florida, while still being within driving distance of the beach.
Q: If you raised/are raising kids in the Redstone region, please share about their education experience.
We have lived in the region for 13 years and have raised all three of our children here. Over the years, they attended schools in Madison County, Huntsville City, and ultimately graduated or will graduate from James Clemens High School, one of two high schools in the Madison City School district (ranked in the top 10 in Alabama and within the top 7.5 percent of high schools nationwide).
One of the things I appreciate most is that each of my children was able to find their own path and community. They were active in sports, academics, and extracurricular activities. My oldest child recently graduated from Samford University with a degree in Theatre and is now working at the Huntsville Botanical Garden. My son is currently a junior studying business at the University of Alabama, and my youngest is a senior at James Clemens High School.
Beyond academics, they built lasting friendships and found supportive communities. My children would tell you whether your interests are athletics, arts, or STEM, there is something for everyone.
Q: Name your three favorite things about living in the Redstone Region.
One of my favorite things about living here is the access to the outdoors. The weather allows you to enjoy being outside much of the year, and the community truly embraces that lifestyle. Whether it is outdoor dining at local restaurants (like Old Black Bear in the City of Madison or Sea Salt-a local oyster bar in downtown Huntsville), the Golden Hour at the Huntsville Botanical Garden, golfing along the Robert Trent Jones Trail, shopping at Bridges Street (an outdoor mall) or quaint boutique shopping around town (Wrapsody in Madison, Cailey Page in Huntsville) there is always something to do.
I am also a runner, and the running community here is very active. You can run through beautiful historic neighborhoods, along scenic greenways, or on trails at Monte Sano State Park. The variety of races (trail and road) available locally and the access to national race series like the Hot Chocolate or Rock N Roll marathon series are easily accessible in nearby Nashville and Atlanta.
Professionally, Huntsville has provided great opportunities to begin (again) and grow my career. Since moving here, I have worked in education, defense contracting, nonprofit fundraising, and now lead the Small Business Office at the Huntsville Chamber.
Q: What is one thing you would like Space Command personnel to know about the region?
As a military family, we learned that some of the places you grow to love most are the ones you least expect, Huntsville was one of those places for me. The Redstone Region offers an exceptional quality of life, strong schools, career opportunities, outdoor recreation, and a genuinely welcoming community. If you take the opportunity to get involved, it becomes very easy to feel at home here.