Published On: 03.24.24 | 

By: Ali Nolan

How Lucia Cape empowers Huntsville, Alabama’s economic evolution

Lucia Cape is the senior vice president of Economic Development for the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber. (Hiroko Sedensky / Huntsville/Madison County Chamber)

Lucia Cape has dedicated 17 years of her career to shaping the growth of Huntsville.

As senior vice president of Economic Development for the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber, Cape manages overall business recruitment, retention and expansion programs as well as workforce development and education. She is the driving force behind attracting businesses to the region, and her commitment to the Rocket City and the state stems from a deep connection to the vibrant community.

Alabama hasn’t always been home, though. Thanks to her father’s military service and, later, her career, she lived in more than 10 states before moving back to be near family in the early 2000s.

“I wanted to be near my people, and they were all here and they had made the choice to come,” Cape says. Ever since, she’s been ingrained in Huntsville’s growth, first working at Marshall Space Flight Center’s Academic Affairs Office before joining the chamber.

In her time working to entice businesses to Huntsville, she has witnessed a shift. Early on, the challenge was putting Huntsville on the map. Now, she has the task of captivating the attention of potential investors and businesses.

“We still have work to do in attracting businesses,” she says. “Our work is in educating them about the talent here, the workforce, the other infrastructure that we have that may not be front of mind if they’ve not taken a deep look. So, we still have some promotion to do when we’re working with a company or a consultant.”

Her passion for her role at the Chamber is evident. What Cape loves most about her job is witnessing people discover the hidden gems of Huntsville. We asked her some essential questions to find out what she loves most about the city and state she’s so passionate about.

Cape is passionate about the future of her adopted hometown. (Hiroko Sedensky / Huntsville/Madison County Chamber)

This is Alabama: What is your favorite part about living in Alabama?  

Lucia Cape: I’ve lived in a lot of places. My dad was in the Army until I graduated from high school, and we moved 10 times before I started college. Between college and marriage, I moved six more times. In my work, I’ve had the opportunity to travel all over the world. But I choose to be here. I have the opportunity to be engaged and make a difference. We have had challenges as a state, but we have great potential. There’s a lot of energy to do better and create a place where our kids want to stay when they grow up.

TIA: What is one thing people across the country should know about Alabama?  

Cape: So many things, but one thing that’s really overwhelming is our music – Hank Williams and Jimmy Buffett from south Alabama, the legacy that continues out of Muscle Shoals with Jason Isbell and the Drive-By Truckers and our local Huntsville music scene with Microwave Dave Day going into its 10th year. Music just oozes across Alabama. Make the pilgrimage to Muscle Shoals. Listen to Brittany Howard’s new record. Come see a show at the Orion Amphitheater. Our music is magic.

This mural in Andalusia depicts Hank Williams Sr. and Audrey Williams getting married in 1944. (Kelly Kazek)

TIA: What is a place in Alabama that you’ve always wanted to visit but haven’t yet?  

Cape: I want to visit Helen Keller’s home at Ivy Green in Tuscumbia when they are performing “The Miracle Worker” play, and I want to walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. Both represent overcoming challenges and the struggle to make our state and our world a better place.

TIA: Where is the most beautiful place in Alabama?  

Cape: I hesitate to say it, because crowds. But Alabama has the best beaches. There, I said it.

The Alabama Gulf Coast has more than just breathtaking views. (Tamika Moore)

TIA: If you had to make a soundtrack about your life in Alabama, name three songs you would choose and explain why they made the list. 

Cape: Being an Army brat, I have a complicated relationship with the concept of home. I’ve lived in Huntsville four times now. The first was in preschool, which I mostly remember through pictures and stories. The second was in middle school and moving from Redstone Arsenal to Germany felt like the end of my world at the time. The band Alabama was at the height of their popularity, and their song “My Home’s in Alabama” meant a lot to me then and still has a grip. It doesn’t hurt that they’re from nearby Fort Payne.

The second song would have to be “Sweet Home Alabama.” No matter how many times you hear it, or think you’re sick of it, it still matters. I got to sing it last year with friends at a sidewalk café on Make Music Day in Paris – I even sang the “roll, tide, roll” part. Very special song, plus it mentions The Swampers.

And my third would be “Welcome Home” by Huntsville’s own Alan Little. “You ain’t from around here, so welcome home.” It captures so perfectly how this town accepts people from all over and lets them make Huntsville their own. I cry every time I hear it. Check it out on Spotify.

One of the coolest places in Alabama: the Space and Rocket Center. (Huntsville Times)

TIA: What do you love most about your hometown?

Cape: I love that there are rockets everywhere. We are the legit Rocket City. I have at least 10 rockets in my office. And with Blue Origin testing engines at Redstone, the rumble has returned to the Rocket City. We make things go.

This story was previously published by This is Alabama. Want to read more good news about Alabama? Sign up for the This is Alabama newsletter here.