“Out of the valley to the top of the mountain.”

With those words in his invocation, James Lucas aptly described the new headquarters for the Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments (TARCOG).

Lucas, the organization’s board president, helped lead Thursday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of the new $8 million office building. He was among the 200 or so gathered under sun-drenched skies, including state Sen. Tom Butler, state Rep. Rex Reynolds and Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle.

The weather was not lost on TARCOG Executive Director Michelle Gilliam Jordan.

“It was a cloudy, muddy day about a year ago,” she said of the ground-breaking ceremony in February 2025. “I’m so glad it’s different today.”

TARCOG serves communities throughout DeKalb, Jackson, Limestone, Madison, and Marshall counties, identifying common regional issues, opportunities, and challenges.

The 58-year-old organization helps by connecting seniors and disabled people, their families, and caregivers with resources to ensure healthy, vibrant living.

On average, TARCOG answers 4,000 calls annually from residents who need help with food, medical supplies, prescription medications, or caregiver support. In 2025, through the nutrition program, 4,121 seniors in the region received 397,493 meals.

More than 900 TARCOG clients eligible for nursing homes received care at home through the Medicaid Waiver program, saving Alabama Medicaid nearly $140 million.

Recent efforts by the TARCOG Economic Development and Planning staff resulted in grants for parks, updating sewer lines, developing land use plans, and funding police equipment purchases.

“Today we celebrate another milestone of TARCOG’s 58 years,” Jordan said. “It has unified municipal, county, state and federal governments” across northeast Alabama.

The move is the second in three years for TARCOG and will be their final move, all parties agreed. The two-story office building in MidCity provides 25,000 square feet of space for TARCOG’s 100 employees.

“We’re excited to have you back and in your permanent place,” said Erin Koshut, executive director of Cummings Research Park.

Through economic development and planning efforts, TARCOG helps Northeast Alabama communities establish roadmaps for the future with smart regional planning to improve our communities.

And, the agency fosters economic development efforts to attract business investment, create jobs, and develop our local workforce to help grow the economy.

“As you replant your roots here in MidCity,” Reynolds said. “You deserve this workspace to create a wonderful environment to serve the community.

“Congratulations TARCOG on the meaningful and impactful work you do.”