​Washington Brief: Aligning National Priorities with Montgomery and the River Region’s Strengths

Washington Brief: Aligning National Priorities with Montgomery and the River Region’s Strengths 
 
August 21 – This morning, the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed Kathleen Ferguson, Principal at The Roosevelt Group (TRG) and former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Air Force, for the latest installment of our Washington Brief series. The event gave members and community partners a rare opportunity to hear directly from a national defense insider about the policies and priorities shaping the future of the Department of Defense, the Air Force, and defense communities like Montgomery.
 
With deep experience in military infrastructure, federal policy, and community partnerships, Ferguson provided valuable context for how decisions being made in Washington directly impact local economies, innovation, and readiness. Her perspective emphasized the importance of staying ahead of the curve. As she noted, “Communities can’t wait – always need to anticipate.”
 
The Chamber, working with The Roosevelt Group (TRG), is building a regional coalition around strategic basing to ensure that Montgomery continues to align with the Air Force’s evolving needs while protecting missions, supporting families, and driving economic growth.
 
TRG plays a critical role in this effort by focusing on four key areas:

1. Identifying challenges early by tracking policy, legislation, and Pentagon priorities.
2. Framing opportunities to align Maxwell, Gunter, and Danley Field with DoD and Air Force directions, including modernization, family readiness, and innovation.
3. Translating community strengths into Washington language to demonstrate how Montgomery directly contributes to readiness and deterrence.
4. Closing the loop by bringing insights from Washington back to Montgomery, allowing the community to quickly adapt and speak with a unified voice.

That message resonates strongly in the River Region, where the Montgomery Chamber continues to pursue an aggressive economic development strategy that positions the River Region as a vital partner to the Air Force. As Chamber President & CEO Anna Buckalew explained, “Economic development is many things, and it’s certainly our military. That’s why the Chamber is leading a strategic basing initiative that positions Montgomery and the River Region for preservation, growth, and long-term strength. This is an aggressive, proactive economic development strategy that integrates the military into Montgomery’s broader growth plan. This effort is not just local, it fuels opportunity across the entire region.”
 
Montgomery’s Strategic Role
Ferguson highlighted how Montgomery and the River Region is home to a defense footprint that plays an outsized role in our nation’s security, built on critical missions and the community systems that sustain them. 

• Maxwell Air Force Base serves as the intellectual engine of the Air Force, educating future leaders in cyber, AI, and strategic competition. Every officer passes through Maxwell for professional military education at some point in their career, making it indispensable to the service’s long-term success.
• Gunter Annex functions as the technology and data hub, critical for resilient command and control, artificial intelligence integration, and cyber defense. It’s work places Montgomery on the front lines of information warfare.
• Danley Field connects Montgomery to the backbone of the Air Force’s future fighting force with its F-35 mission. Every sortie and training event strengthens deterrence abroad while contributing to prosperity at home.
• Community Support Systems provide the foundation for readiness. Strong schools, healthcare, and local businesses help retain military families and turn assignments into long-term commitments – a critical factor in sustaining the mission. 

With national defense priorities shifting rapidly, the Chamber, alongside our strategic partners, is committed to ensuring Montgomery and the River Region’s voice is heard in Washington, protecting and growing missions, supporting military families, and strengthening our role as a defense leader – and Great American Defense Community. 
 
View & download photos from event here: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCrxRe.