MONTGOMERY, AL – Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Charles Q. Brown, Jr. (CSAF) stopped by MGMWERX to tour the Montgomery Innovation Hub and host a private meeting on Thursday, May 13th. The Lt. Governor of Alabama, Will Ainsworth,
City of Montgomery Mayor, Steven Reed, Air University Commander and President, Lt. General James Hecker, and Director of MGMWERX, Trent Edwards were invited to the closed session. The group discussed topics related to collaboration between Maxwell Air Force Base, Air University, the City of Montgomery, and the State of Alabama.
“It was an honor to host the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen Charles Brown, as he talked with the Lt. Governor and the Mayor about the success of the Alabama legislative process,” Edwards explained, “It’s great to hear Gen. Brown express his support for MGMWERX and the ability for us to help accelerate change.”
CSAF Brown was in Montgomery to attend the 67th National Security Forum held at Maxwell Air Force Base. The annual Air War college event is sponsored by the office of the secretary of the Air Force and helps strengthen understanding and relationships between military and civilian communities. As one of Brown’s last stops during his visit, the MGMWERX luncheon allowed for the Lt. Governor Ainsworth and his Deputy Chief of Staff, Jesse Skaggs, Montgomery City Mayor, Steven Reed, and Air University Commander and President, Lt. General James Hecker to discuss important matters pertaining to the State of Alabama, City of Montgomery and its military partnerships in a more intimate setting. “To be a part of this discussion [with the Chief of Staff of the Air Force], produces great benefits for Alabama’s economy and our National Defense,” commented Lt. Governor Ainsworth.
MGMWERX, a DEFENSEWERX Innovation Hub located in downtown Montgomery, AL, augments the innovation initiatives of Air University, state and local education programs, and national strategies to accelerate change. Created under a Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA) with Air University, MGMWERX is tasked with the enhanced production of innovative research and ideas that span issues of importance to the Air Force. MGMWERX has a mission is to power collaboration and innovation to change lives. MGMWERX Director, Brig. Gen (Ret) Trent Edwards, is positioning the Montgomery-based innovation hub to help accelerate change across four strategic verticals of innovation: defense, education, workforce development and social innovation; directly aligning to Gen. Brown’s action orders to “Accelerate, Change, or Lose.”