Heinrich practices, preaches volunteering

Shrail Heinrich, at left, and her sister Michelle Diebold show off their face painting at a Madison Gazebo Concert. CONTRIBUTED

MADISON – Every Friday night as a child, Shrail Heinrich accompanied her grandparents in Huntsville for a drive to Greenbrier or Thomas Pit for barbecue.

“Both far removed from the ‘city,'” Heinrich said. “I can honestly say ‘I remember when …’ reflecting on Madison’s growth the past 40 years.”

A Butler High School graduate, Heinrich attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She then lived in Meridianville but worked at Intergraph Corporation and her daughter attended private school in Madison.

“I was spending (most) of my time here. I have happily been a ‘Madisonite’ since 2000,” Heinrich said. Currently, she works as an account manager for CONDOR Registration Services.

Her husband Steve works for Nvidia, a technology company based in Santa Clara, Calif. Her daughter Stephanie works as a mechanical engineer for Georgia Pacific in Mississippi.

“I encourage anyone looking to experience Madison to volunteer, (which) has made me appreciate little things about our town at a deeper level,” she said.

“Volunteering has provided connectivity with the Madison community. I have thoroughly enjoyed many events and projects throughout the past decade,” Heinrich said. “I’ve done everything from coaching a JV cheer squad to picking up trash.”

Heinrich is past president of Madison Beautification and Tree Board, Madison Arts Council and Madison Street Festival. She has served on Madison Hospital Women’s Council and Sasha’s Way and boards with Madison Greenway and Trails and Huntsville Botanical Garden.

In 2008, Alabama Cooperative Extension System named Heinrich “Volunteer of the Year.”

In 2014, Heinrich founded Christmas Card Lane, her “first from-the-ground-up event with area artists who create the beautiful images, local businesses and local residents.” Steve builds cards, while Shrail ‘supervises,’ she said laughing.

She fosters and rescues dogs and cats, primarily with Friends of Rescue (FOR). In 2.5 years, Heinrich has sheltered 15 cats/dogs in their home.

For dining out, she opts for Main Street Cafe’s Georgia Chicken, Cork and Crust’s fried Brussel sprouts and Old Black Bear’s artichokes, along with I Heart Sushi.

Eclectic in music, she likes Loretta Lynn, Tom Petty and Cage the Elephant. Count on seeing her tapping toes at Madison Gazebo Concerts, too.