By David Little
City Council Representative
District 2
Huntsville has been my home for a half-century, or in terms that are easier for me to hear, all my life. Over the past 15 or so years, I have served our community in a variety of ways, from service on the boards of local nonprofit organizations to include Heals, Inc. and Huntsville Rotary Club, to more than 12 years as a founding member of the Huntsville Police Citizen Advisory Council.
I was a member of Connect Class 10, a program through Leadership Greater Huntsville designed for young professionals.
I thought I knew Huntsville back then, in 2009, but was enlightened in more ways than I could imagine, learning directly from our leaders in education, government, healthcare, business and human services organizations. I got to look under the hood to see what really made our community tick. It was during this experience when my desire to run for office was born. I knew I wanted to be a part of the action, and perhaps have a small role in guiding Huntsville’s growth and serving our community in a larger way.
Having only been in office a little over two months, I have been drinking through the firehose. There isn’t an owner’s manual for new Council members, but I am fortunate to have a great support staff at City Hall and my fellow Council members have been very helpful as I learn to navigate my way through the business of the City.
Huntsville is growing at a rapid pace – up to 5,000 people a year – and keeping up with that growth is critical. Supporting our police and fire departments is my top priority. Maintaining and expanding our roads is also vital.
My wife, Mimi, also a Huntsville native, and I have three children: Caroline, 22, Layne, 20, and Grey, 17. In 2008, we were in a car crash caused by a distracted driver. I spent 16 days in the hospital and needed a wheelchair for three months. Over the years, I have shared our story with local groups to help make our roads a little safer. Through my advocacy, I have become friends with family members who have lost loved ones in distracted driving crashes. Parents, siblings, spouses and children, all lost to completely preventable car crashes.
I am currently working on some ideas that might help us be safer on the roads and look forward to reporting back on that soon.
Please sign up for my e-newsletter at HuntsvilleAL.gov/newsletters and follow Facebook.com/DistrictTwoHuntsville for updates on D2 and upcoming town hall events.
South Huntsville Neighbors 