During the 2012 Imperial Session, held in Charlotte, N.C., July 1-5, Alan W. Madsen of Cornelius, N.C., was elected Imperial Potentate of Shriners International, making him the highest-ranking Shriner in the world. In this role, he serves as President of the Board of Directors for Shriners International and Chairman of the Board of Directors for Shriners Hospitals for Children®.
Born in Manistee, Mich., Madsen served four years in the U.S. Navy, both onshore at NAS Whiting Field in Pensacola, Fla., and aboard the USS Shangri-La (CVA 38) based in Mayport, Fla. In 1966 he received his Honorable Discharge from the U.S. Navy.
After graduating from Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Mich., where he received a bachelor’s degree in business with a minor in psychology and journalism, he worked for Cummins Engine Company in Fostoria, Ohio, Mobile Oil Corporation in Cleveland, Ohio and Midrex Corporation in Charlotte, N.C.
In 1975, he and his wife, Jan, established Corporate Personnel Consultants, Inc., in Charlotte. They owned the company until selling the firm in 1998 to the Personnel Group of America (PGA), at which time they both took an early retirement.
Raised a Master Mason in Excelsior Lodge #261 in Charlotte, N.C., Madsen is also a member of the Charlotte York Rite and Scottish Rite bodies. He joined Oasis Shriners in 1981, was appointed to the Oasis Divan in 1992, and served as the Potentate in 2000. Madsen is a member of the Oasis Marching Patrol, the Royal Order of Jesters and the Order of Quetzalcoatl. He also has served as Captain of the Patrol Color Guard, Chairman of the Paper and Plaque Sales Project, Editor of “Desert Dust,” Chairman of the Publicity Committee for the Oasis Centennial, and Chairman of Advertising and Promotions for the Oasis Shrine Circus. In 2007 he became the Past Director of the Royal Order of Jesters Court #109 in Charlotte.
A Certified Personnel Consultant, Madsen serves on the Advisory Board for Branch Bank & Trust Corporation, and is a former member of the Development Board at Central Michigan University. He served for three years on the Grand Lodge of North Carolina’s Committee for Finance. Madsen is a former member of the Advisory Boards of United Carolina Bank and the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, and he has been a member of several professional and civic organizations.
He currently serves as Chairman of the Revenue Cycle Committee for Third Party Pay, and also serves on the Research, East-West Shrine Game, Investments, Information Services, and Special Projects/Fund Raising Committees. In addition, he has served as the Liaison to Shriners Hospitals for Children at Salt Lake City, Portland, Lexington, Tampa and Shreveport.
Madsen has also served on the Budget, Planning, Salary Personnel & Retirement, and Strategic Planning for Shriners Hospitals for Children, Insurance and Information Services Committees. He has served as the Chairman of Educational Seminars, Fraternal Strategic Planning, Salaried Personnel and Retirement, and the Shrine Futures Study (2005-2006).
Madsen and his wife Jan have two adult children, Paul, a Pilot (Captain) for Southwest, and Lisa, a Registered Nurse who lives in South Carolina. Al and Jan have one grandchild, Ryan, who lives in North Salt Lake City, Utah.
Madsen has been very active in his church, serving on the church council and building committee. He is a certified open-water diver and life-member of Alpha Kappa Psi, a national business fraternity.