October 22, 2025 — Montgomery, Alabama A sold-out audience gathered on October 22 at the RSA Activity Center for the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 City & County Update, featuring City of Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed, Town of Pike Road Mayor Gordon Stone, and Montgomery County Commission Chairman Doug Singleton. The program highlighted what unites the Capital Region: a shared focus on progress, partnership, and prosperity.
“The Work That Moves Our Region Forward”
Opening the program, Montgomery Chamber Board Chairman Stacia Robinson reminded attendees that events like this embody the Chamber’s mission: to unite business, community, and elected leaders around shared priorities that enhance prosperity and quality of life for all. “As a Chamber member and partner, you are the why behind our mission to build a greater Montgomery through economic growth,” Robinson said. “The Chamber remains focused on the work that moves our region forward — uniting business, government, and education to create growth and opportunity across the Capital Region.”
Mayor Steven L. Reed: Building for the Future—Project by Project
Mayor Reed opened with a focus on what’s next rather than what’s past— “a future being built right now, one project, one purpose at a time.”
Highlights:
- Convention Center initiative: A once-in-a-generation downtown investment, with planning and design underway and the Montgomery Riverfront Development Foundation reconstituted to lead the effort.
- Airport & Inland Port alignment: Expanding freight and terminal operations to position Montgomery as a logistics hub for Central Alabama.
- Healthcare stability: A revised Jackson Hospital funding model ensures shared responsibility across city, county, and state partners.
- Economic inclusion: Mobis Alabama LLC’s $52M expansion adds 27 new high-wage jobs and reinforces Montgomery’s advanced manufacturing strength.
- Public safety: Double-digit declines in gun violence, stronger interagency partnerships, and new local legislation planned to address bail reform and common-sense gun measures.
Mayor Gordon Stone: Intentional Growth in Pike Road
Mayor Stone focused on intentionality — the steady, deliberate effort behind Pike Road’s growth.
Highlights:
- Five interchange projects and multiple roundabouts underway to improve connectivity.
- Expanded educational investment: Pike Road Schools’ new campus and expansions total $128M, made possible by local collaboration and community support.
- Civic pride: From arts and trail systems to parks and veterans memorials, Pike Road’s growth reflects “doing the fundamentals well, every day.”
Chairman Doug Singleton: County Delivering Safety, Service & Resilience
Chairman Singleton offered a candid update focused on accountability, service delivery, and the issues that matter most to residents.
Highlights:
- Top priority: Mental health. Singleton identified mental health as the number-one issue facing Montgomery County, calling it a community-wide challenge that affects public safety, the justice system, and workforce readiness.
- Probate modernization: New e-filing systems and an access-to-justice grant to better serve residents.
- Internship pipeline: 62 college students gained hands-on experience in county operations this summer.
- Public safety investments:
- $2.25M in new federal grants, including $1.25M (COPS) to hire 10 new deputies.
- Real-Time Crime Center now fully operational, integrating data across city, county, and federal agencies.
- $28M jail renovation underway; national recognition for innovation in corrections.
- EastChase Sheriff’s Substation launching soon to enhance coverage in high-traffic retail corridors.
This annual city and county update reinforced the Chamber’s mission to connect leaders and conversations that drive progress across the Capital Region. Speakers highlighted how modernized infrastructure and logistics systems are fueling regional competitiveness, while collaboration in healthcare and mental health is strengthening community resilience. Innovations in public safety continue to enhance workforce stability and quality of life, and unified leadership remains central to ensuring that progress benefits the entire region, not just individual sectors.
As the event concluded, Chairman Robinson returned to the podium with a clear reminder: “We are a strong region. One defined by incredible assets, extraordinary people, and a shared determination to keep moving forward with incredible momentum. There will always be challenges before us, but our strength lies in meeting them together, finding the solutions that move our region forward.”
The Chamber remains committed to continue providing a forum where public and private leadership connect daily, aligning vision, sharing solutions, and moving the Capital Region forward together.
View and download photos from the event here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCyjtt
