In this episode of the Mo Show Live, John Allen, C.E.O. of the Huntsville Committee of 100, joins Morris Lilienthal to discuss economic development for the Huntsville Metropolitan area, high-quality public schools, cooperative local governments, the Rock the Vote campaign, the Creative Cities Initiative and more.

John Allen was tapped to lead the Committee of 100 in 2017. He is a Huntsville native and has served as BizPac Board Chair, Governance Chair and Madison Task Force Chair for the Committee. John has previously served in leadership roles for the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, the Huntsville Botanical Garden, and the BIG Picture Advisory Council. He has also previously served as president of the Huntsville-Madison County Homebuilders Association.

The Committee of 100 consists of 240 CEOs and professionals with a common goal of focusing on long-term strategies that impact economic development. Current priorities include retail growth, downtown development, young professionals workforce plan, and regional cooperation. As over half of Huntsville's tax base is supported by local sales tax, retail growth remains critically important. In order to build retail sales, the organization utilizes regional cooperation to bring in economic development projects. To ensure a highly skilled workforce for years to come, recruitment and retention of the young professional workforce is also a priority.

The Committee of 100 has seen great success in its 22 years of existence. The Committee previously formed the first Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Committee, which helped produce economic impact data and developed concepts for Generals' homes. The Committee of 100 is also credited in assisting with Downtown Huntsville redevelopment. The Committee formed Big Spring Partners and later Downtown Huntsville, Inc., which actively promotes downtown events.