When Carol Gentz moved from Maui to Huntsville amid the uncertainty of COVID-19 in 2020, she started looking for ways to feel more connected and learn more about her new community. What she didn’t expect to find was that the City’s Civic Engagement Academy (CEA) hosted by the Office of Multicultural Affairs would open the door to a meaningful new career in public service.
Gentz, now a Program Projects Manager in the City of Huntsville’s Community Development Department, participated in the spring 2023 CEA cohort. Her story is a powerful reminder of how civic curiosity can lead to deeper involvement and even professional opportunity.
A program designed to build connection
Gentz joined CEA a few years after relocating to Huntsville and saw the program as a way to get involved after a move from what she calls the “best island in the world” to the “best city in the country.”
“I saw it as a great way to just get to know the community better,” she said. “That was important to me—to know what’s going on and what I wanted to get involved in”
CEA provides residents with a behind-the-scenes look at City operations, hosting weekly sessions led by department heads and administrators. Participants gain insight into how services are delivered, how decisions are made and how to stay engaged in City initiatives.
For Gentz, that firsthand access left a lasting impression.
“I was impressed that all of the department heads came and spent an evening with us, and they all seemed very approachable,” she said. “They all seemed to really be on the same team. That influenced my interest in working for the city”
A path toward public service
Gentz had already worked in local government before moving to Huntsville, including managing the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program in Maui County, Hawaii. But CEA gave her a new perspective on how municipal government functions here and where she might fit in.
Shortly after completing the program, Gentz learned about an opening in Community Development and quickly realized it aligned with her skills and values.
“A colleague handed me the job description and said, ‘This has your name written all over it,’” she laughed. “Having that CEA experience made the possibility more attractive to me.”
She joined the department in August 2023 and now manages affordable housing projects under the federal HOME Investment Partnerships Program , helping support safe, stable housing for Huntsville residents.
Seeing government up close and paying it forward
Gentz’s CEA experience didn’t just lead to a new job. It shaped how she approaches her work today.
“One of my responsibilities is working with the Community Advisory Council, which is made up of community members,” she said. “CEA reinforced that the City wants to respond to people, but also that there’s a process, and things don’t happen overnight”
CEA also helped her better understand the City’s collaborative culture, something she now sees working within that culture.
“If you have a question, you pick up the phone and call someone and they’ll respond,” she said. “That working-as-a-team philosophy is invaluable.”
Gentz continues to give back to the very program that helped launch her City career. This fall, she returned as an alumna to participate in Community Resource Day.
“I enjoy seeing the variety of people, the age range, the diversity,” she said. “It’s inspiring to be around others who are interested and want to get involved.”
A program with real impact
For Gentz, CEA is more than a civic education program, it’s a bridge that brings residents and local government closer together.
“The City is committed to civic engagement through this program,” she said. “It helps people become informed, advocate for their community, volunteer or even become a City employee.”
Her advice to those considering applying? Simple: Do it.
“To increase your knowledge of what the City does and how it does it, to see how you could participate, just do it,” she said
About Civic Engagement Academy
The Civic Engagement Academy is offered twice a year and welcomes residents who want to learn more about how their local government works and how they can make a difference in Huntsville. Participants meet with City leaders, tour facilities and gain insight into municipal operations, leadership, and service delivery.
The fall 2025 cohort will celebrate its graduation soon, marking the end of another season of learning, teamwork and community connection, and perhaps the beginning of more City careers, just like Gentz’s.
To learn more about the program, visit HuntsvilleAL.gov/civic-engagement-academy .
