Working Together to Move the Montgomery River Region Forward

MONTGOMERY, ALA. — Nearly 300 business and community leaders gathered Wednesday for the Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce’s City & County Update, where Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed, Montgomery County Commission Chairman Doug Singleton, and Pike Road Mayor Gordon Stone focused on a shared commitment: working together to strengthen Montgomery and move the Montgomery River Region forward.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 80 percent of jobs that fuel the River Region economy are located in Montgomery, making the strength and vibrancy of the capital core critical to the growth of the entire region. The discussion centered on the priorities driving that strength, including economic development, education, healthcare, public safety, infrastructure, military support, and quality of life, as well as the shared responsibility to deliver results.

Mayor Reed pointed to the people of the region as one of its greatest strengths, emphasizing that lasting progress requires engagement well beyond government. “It takes people to really move this community forward and to really drive the type of change and impact that we want to see,” Reed said.

Chairman Singleton pointed to successful regions that compete together for projects, investment, and resources. His challenge for the Montgomery River Region was direct: “We need to come together as a region and work together.”

Mayor Stone pointed to partnerships with the county, city, regional organizations, and others as an important part of Pike Road’s growth and emphasized the value of connecting people and organizations around shared opportunities to make progress.

Montgomery’s military presence also emerged as one of the community’s defining strengths. Chairman Singleton pointed to the Chamber’s recent Washington Brief, which brought together the commanders of the 42nd Air Base Wing, 187th Fighter Wing, and 908th Flying Training Wing. “We have three wing commanders in Montgomery, Alabama,” Singleton said. “I don’t know of any other military city that has three.” The point reinforced the importance of recognizing and supporting the assets already here. Just one week earlier, the three Wing Commanders discussed the role strong community partnerships play in mission readiness and continued growth.

Mayor Reed acknowledged that progress does not always happen on the timeline envisioned, pointing to Montgomery Whitewater and the Maxwell Capital Gateway as examples of projects that required vision, persistence, and partnership. “With the team and everybody working together, we can raise those expectations,” Reed said, emphasizing the importance of positioning the City of Montgomery, Montgomery County, Pike Road, and the entire River Region to compete across the nation.

Chairman Singleton also challenged leaders to take a longer view. He recalled earlier generations who invested in infrastructure long before developments such as Hyundai arrived, describing those investments as planting the trees whose shade the region enjoys today. He challenged leaders to consider what they are doing now to position the region for opportunities decades into the future.

“The strength of Montgomery is directly connected to the strength of the entire Montgomery River Region,” said Anna B. Buckalew, President and CEO of the Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce. “Today reinforced that moving our region forward is a shared responsibility. It takes our city and county leaders, the Chamber, and a business community willing to engage, invest, and help solve problems. We all have a role in producing results that strengthen Montgomery and position the entire region for the future.”

Gary Harrison, 2027 Chairman-Elect of the Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce, closed the program by extending that responsibility to the business and community leaders in the room. “This room is full of leadership,” Harrison said. “Our parting challenge is that we work together.”

The state of Montgomery matters to the entire River Region. Moving it forward is a shared responsibility that will take public leaders working together, a business community willing to engage and invest, and a Chamber committed to bringing those partners to the table to produce results.

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ABOUT THE MONTGOMERY REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
With a mission to drive economic prosperity and build a greater life for all in the capital region, the Montgomery Regional Chamber of Commerce is a full-spectrum economic development public/private partnership represen^ng 1,400 businesses and organiza^ons with over 90,000 employees throughout Central Alabama.