Rep. Mike Hubbard (R-Auburn) represents House District 79 in the Alabama House of Representatives and also serves as the Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party. Hubbard was first elected to the Alabama Legislature in 1998, his first attempt at elected office. Hubbard was re-elected by the voters of District 79 in 2002 and 2006. He currently holds the position of House Minority Leader, the highest-ranking Republican in the Alabama House of Representatives. He was elected as the Chairman of the Alabama Republican Party on February 10, 2007 and re-elected for a second term on February 7, 2009.. Hubbard was the recipient of the 2001 Legislative Leadership Award presented by the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools. The Alabama Independent Insurance Agents Association also named him their 2001 Alabama Lawmaker-of-the-Year. He was also named the 2003 “Republican of the Year” by the Lee County Republican Party. A 1983 graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in radio and television, Hubbard came to Auburn two weeks after graduation where he worked for six years in the Auburn Athletic Department. During his athletic media relations career, Hubbard worked directly with two successful Heisman Trophy efforts - Herschel Walker at Georgia and Bo Jackson at Auburn. In 1990, Hubbard left Auburn University to head up Auburn’s radio and television sports network. In 1994, Hubbard formed his own company, Auburn Network, Inc., to handle Auburn’s multi-media rights and built the network into one of the nation’s most respected collegiate sports networks. In 2003, Hubbard sold the multi-media sports division of his company to Winston-Salem, N.C.-based International Sports Properties and continues to serve as President of ISP’s Auburn project. Hubbard’s company, Auburn Network, Inc., owns and operates two commercial radio stations in the Auburn-Opelika market.,WANI NewsTalk 1400 and Classic Hits Wings 100.3 FM. Auburn Network also owns and operates Studio 197, an audio production company serving the national broadcast industry, as well as East Alabama Living, a regional quarterly magazine. Auburn Network, Inc., is also a partner in Craftmaster Printers, Inc., a commercial printing company based in Auburn. Hubbard is a member of the Board of Directors of the Business Council of Alabama and the Alabama Broadcasters Association. He also serves as a member of the Auburn-Opelika Airport Advisory Board. Hubbard’s wife, Dr. Susan Hubbard, is Associate Dean of Auburn University’s College of Human Sciences. The Hubbards are the parents of two sons, Clayte and Riley. They are active members of Auburn United Methodist Church.