Californian Theresa Kholoma attended her first Redstone Edge Conference inside the Jackson Center at Huntsville’s Cummings Research Park last week, but it wasn’t her first visit to the city.

What she noticed won’t be surprising to residents of the area.

“Actually, this is my third time (visiting Huntsville),’’ she said. “But you know, the first time that I was here – no traffic.’’

Welcome to the Rocket City in 2025, where the population and business community are booming.

“Well,’’ Kholoma added, “I hope they also keep it lush and green. Strategically, if it’s too heavily industrialized you lose the identity.’’

Laura Keith, senior managing consultant in compliance with host group Redstone Government Consulting, Inc., understands the impression her colleague from the West Coast has of the city.

“The interesting thing about it is we’ve had base realignments and things where a large number of folks have moved in,’’ Keith said. “The folks moving in are usually kind of hesitant because all they hear is Alabama, which Huntsville is very different from the rest of the state of Alabama. Then when they get here, they love it. You know, they don’t want to leave.’’

Kholoma, a corporate controller at Global operating out of Orange County doing what she called “numbers crunching, financials, compliance, and all, the whole nine yards’’ was among the 160 attendees at the 10th Redstone Edge Conference, which is designed to provide participants with the tools and knowledge to succeed in a highly regulated and complicated industry.

“We have a unique perspective of going out and we consult with contractors all over the world, all over the US, and so we can see the trends in our industry and what’s coming when it comes to compliance,’’ said Courtney Edmondson, CEO of Redstone Government Consulting, which is headquartered downtown.

Kholoma knows. Though she was taking in The Redstone Edge for the first time, she’s no stranger to Redstone Government Consulting. The company is an offshoot of the Huntsville traditional accounting firm Beeson & Nalley, Inc.

According to Keith, Beeson and Nalley has since been acquired by another accounting firm, but the compliance department grew out of that accounting firm and then split off as Redstone Government Consulting.

“Over the many years that I have worked with Redstone, Laura’s always been here, every year, helping us,’’ said Kholoma, who previously attended similar conferences in Huntsville before The Redstone Edge began in 2016.

Added Keith, “Theresa and the company that she works for have been clients of ours for, ‘How many years?’ I’ve been with the company for 20 years. So yeah, about 20 years.’’

At The Redstone Edge Conference, Edmondson was busy making sure everything was running as planned.

“This is an opportunity for us to bring hot topics, bring those issues that are plaguing contractors or that we see are going to be plaguing them in the next year, to Huntsville,’’ she said.

The agenda for last week’s conference:

Session 1

Panel discussion: Key developments impacting oversight & govcon compliance

Session 2

Track A: Executive orders, DOJ enforcement, & the growing importance of ethics programs
Track B: Automating Deltek costpoint to improve govcon compliance & efficiency
Track C: Reducing risk & strengthening internal controls with Unanet automation

Session 3

Track A: Change is happening with contract terminations
Track B: Deltek costpoint materials and inventory in a non-manufacturing environment
Track C: Government property changes and expectations

Session 4

Track A: Clarifying CAS for small business
Track B: DCAA reorganization & what it means for government contractors

While the conference no doubt benefits attendees, who earn 8 hours of NASBA CPE while at the event, children with local and regional ties to the Pediatric & Congenital Heart Center of Alabama at Children’s of Alabama Hospital also gain from proceeds that are donated each year. For 2025, the beneficiary is Castin’ and Catchin.’

Castin’ and Catchin’ is a bass fishing tournament that benefits families as well as pediatric heart research, technology, and support programs like Camp Wired Together for children with heart defects. The tournament is held at Goose Pond Colony in Scottsboro.

According to Edmondson, it’s a global effort.

“Contractors like (Kholoma), she’s in from LA, we have contractors in from New York, Florida, all over. So it’s a very Huntsville-centric, Huntsville-heavy, but we do have some contractors that are our clients that come from all over.

“So we like to bring them here, and help educate the community here. Then we use all the proceeds to donate to charity.’’

The founding families of the fishing tournament: Drew and Jodie McNutt, Lee and Jessica Bradford, Justin and Heather Stroud, and Jason and Lacey Simpson.

To learn more about the families and their four sons born with congenital heart defects – Tucker, Andrew, Brody and the late William – visit www.castinncatchin.org, or click on the names in the paragraph above.

The site also details Children’s of Alabama specialty locations in the state, including Huntsville, and offers contributing options to donate, volunteer, or participate through two separate auctions.

To learn more about Redstone Government Consulting, Inc., and The Redstone Edge, visit www.redstonegci.com.