HUNTSVILLE — A normally routine Huntsville/Madison County Chamber membership meeting took a surprise twist Wednesday.

In his last official act as Board chair, Sameer Singhal surprised LaFreeda Jordan and Shane Davis with Distinguished Service Awards during the 89th annual meeting.

The Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor the Chamber bestows to an individual in the Huntsville/Madison County community.

Singhal selected Jordan and Davis for their work behind the scenes impacting the community.

Davis is Huntsville’s director of Urban and Economic Development and played a critical role in supporting economic development wins such as Mazda Toyota Manufacturing, Polaris, and GE Aviation.

Jordan is chief of external affairs at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, enhancing UAH’s relationship with local industry, Redstone Arsenal, and the community. She worked for U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby for 25 years, serving as the key interface between his office and the north Alabama community. 

Also at the meeting, Singhal, president and CEO of CFD Research in Cummings Research Park, handed the gavel to incoming Board Chair Jeff Samz, president & CEO of Huntsville Hospital Health System.