Charles Edward Grainger
Charles Edward Grainger (1957 Florence State College Yearbook) |
Civic Leader
Notes:
• "Mr. President, one of the major reasons that Huntsville, AL, has been nationally recognized as one of the country's top high-technology growth areas is the strength and vitality of its community leadership. One of these visionary leaders is Charles E. Grainger, vice president of administration at Teledyne Brown Engineering and 1992 chairman of the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce. Recently, he received the chamber's Distinguished Service Award.
As chairman of the chamber 4 years ago, Charlie Grainger expanded its economic development emphasis to create a coordinated Partnership for Economic Development. Madison County led all Alabama's counties in new plant and equipment investments that year.
As vice president of administration at Teledyne Brown, a major defense contractor, Charlie is responsible for coordinating governmental relations activities with agencies and Congress. He has overall management responsibility for the departments of human resources, facilities, public relations, administrative services, security, technical communications, and computing resources and technology. He has held his current position since 1978, having served as director of administration from 1967 to 1978. He joined Brown Engineering as assistant to the director of administration in 1963.
Charlie was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1968 and 1970, and was an award-winning legislator. He sponsored a water pollution control act and a school bus safety act, both of which became national models. Both pieces of legislation were named after their sponsor by joint resolution, which is somewhat rare. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, he secured funding to begin the University of Alabama in Huntsville nursing education program, to establish physical health facilities at Alabama A&M University, and to complete the Huntsville-Madison County Mental Health Center. He served as an elected member of the Alabama Democratic Executive Committee from 1966 through 1990, serving as a delegate to the 1980 Democratic National Convention. He was a presidential campaign coordinator for Senator John Glenn in 1984 and Vice President Al Gore in 1988.
A native of Lawrence County, Alabama, Charlie grew up in Sheffield, attended Florence State College, and earned a master of science degree in management from Southeastern Institute of Technology. His work as a member of the Base Realignment and Closing Commission Community Task Force was invaluable during the base closure rounds of 1991, 1993, and 1995. He has received the Governor's Air Pollution Control Award; Madison County Good Government Award; Alabama Water Conservationist of the Year Award; and Huntsville-Madison County Mental Health Distinguished Service Award.
He was originally a journalist. He spent several years as a reporter for the Birmingham News. He served as editor and publisher of the Valley Voice, a weekly newspaper published in Tuscumbia.
One of the secrets to Charlie Grainger's phenomenal success is that he truly understands that in order to thrive and grow, the various groups and resources within a community must be united in supporting the bottom-line economic imperatives. In Huntsville's case these are the defense and space industries. He is an instrumental unifying force who sees the big picture and Huntsville's role in that picture. He is a leader who brings people from divergent points of view to common understandings so they can work together for the common good.
I congratulate and commend Charlie for all his accomplishments and for his superb leadership role in the development, growth, and vitality of the Huntsville area. He is a unique role model and a living testament to the tremendous results which can be realized through strong partnerships between government and industry." - Heflin
• Alabama House of Representative Representative starting in 1967. - Record 1 & 2
• Charles, and his wife Mary, are on several organizations' contribution lists. - Editor's Notes
Related Links:
The Following Pages Link to this Page:
• Record 1
• Record 2
| Born: | c1937, Lawrence County, Alabama |
Notes:
• "Mr. President, one of the major reasons that Huntsville, AL, has been nationally recognized as one of the country's top high-technology growth areas is the strength and vitality of its community leadership. One of these visionary leaders is Charles E. Grainger, vice president of administration at Teledyne Brown Engineering and 1992 chairman of the Huntsville-Madison County Chamber of Commerce. Recently, he received the chamber's Distinguished Service Award.
As chairman of the chamber 4 years ago, Charlie Grainger expanded its economic development emphasis to create a coordinated Partnership for Economic Development. Madison County led all Alabama's counties in new plant and equipment investments that year.
As vice president of administration at Teledyne Brown, a major defense contractor, Charlie is responsible for coordinating governmental relations activities with agencies and Congress. He has overall management responsibility for the departments of human resources, facilities, public relations, administrative services, security, technical communications, and computing resources and technology. He has held his current position since 1978, having served as director of administration from 1967 to 1978. He joined Brown Engineering as assistant to the director of administration in 1963.
Charlie was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1968 and 1970, and was an award-winning legislator. He sponsored a water pollution control act and a school bus safety act, both of which became national models. Both pieces of legislation were named after their sponsor by joint resolution, which is somewhat rare. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, he secured funding to begin the University of Alabama in Huntsville nursing education program, to establish physical health facilities at Alabama A&M University, and to complete the Huntsville-Madison County Mental Health Center. He served as an elected member of the Alabama Democratic Executive Committee from 1966 through 1990, serving as a delegate to the 1980 Democratic National Convention. He was a presidential campaign coordinator for Senator John Glenn in 1984 and Vice President Al Gore in 1988.
A native of Lawrence County, Alabama, Charlie grew up in Sheffield, attended Florence State College, and earned a master of science degree in management from Southeastern Institute of Technology. His work as a member of the Base Realignment and Closing Commission Community Task Force was invaluable during the base closure rounds of 1991, 1993, and 1995. He has received the Governor's Air Pollution Control Award; Madison County Good Government Award; Alabama Water Conservationist of the Year Award; and Huntsville-Madison County Mental Health Distinguished Service Award.
He was originally a journalist. He spent several years as a reporter for the Birmingham News. He served as editor and publisher of the Valley Voice, a weekly newspaper published in Tuscumbia.
One of the secrets to Charlie Grainger's phenomenal success is that he truly understands that in order to thrive and grow, the various groups and resources within a community must be united in supporting the bottom-line economic imperatives. In Huntsville's case these are the defense and space industries. He is an instrumental unifying force who sees the big picture and Huntsville's role in that picture. He is a leader who brings people from divergent points of view to common understandings so they can work together for the common good.
I congratulate and commend Charlie for all his accomplishments and for his superb leadership role in the development, growth, and vitality of the Huntsville area. He is a unique role model and a living testament to the tremendous results which can be realized through strong partnerships between government and industry." - Heflin
• Alabama House of Representative Representative starting in 1967. - Record 1 & 2
• Charles, and his wife Mary, are on several organizations' contribution lists. - Editor's Notes
Related Links:
• 1957 Florence State College Yearbook - Florence State College 1957 yearbook pages 66 & 147 as viewed through an Ancestry.com paid subscription.
• Heflin - Sen. Howell Thomas Heflin's Tribute To Charles E. Grainger, US Senate, Volume 142, number 50 pages s3620-s3621, April 18 1996, capitolwords. (Originally found at http://capitolwords.org/date/1996/04/18/S3620-2_tribute-to-charles-e-grainger/.)
• Record 1 - A Dream Come True: The Story of Madison County and Incidentially of Alabama and the United States, Volume I, by James Record, 1970, page 269.
• Record 2 - A Dream Come True: The Story of Madison County and Incidentially of Alabama and the United States, Volume II, by James Record, 1978, pages 578 & 599.
The Following Pages Link to this Page:
• Record 1
• Record 2