Ford serves as the County Administrator for Grand Forks County. He has served for thirteen years. Ford is responsible to the Grand Forks County Commission for the daily administration of County affairs, counseling the Commission, and County departments in areas of administration, county internal and external affairs, policy, laws, and procedures.

Ford represents the County with the United States Air Force and North Dakota National Guard, Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation (formerly OEA), federal, state, and local elected officials, and UND. Ford also manages, directs, and coordinates programs and activities for governmental relations, to include working with Federal and State legislative and executive officers, officers of local government and community groups. At the State level, Ford manages, directs, coordinates, and communicates the County’s legislative priorities/concerns prior to and during each North Dakota Legislative session. He also oversees and directs’ the Grand Sky project on Grand Forks AFB, a 50- year Enhanced Use Lease partnership with the United States Air Force.

Ford serves the community through various other activities such as the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors, Grand Forks Young Professionals Advisory Board, Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee, UND’s Research Institute for Autonomous Systems’ Public Sector Board of Directors, and Governor Burgum’s Task Force Military in North Dakota (TFMIND), formerly known as the Council on Military Promotion and Strategic Sustainment.

Ford graduated with a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of North Dakota. He currently resides in Grand Forks, ND with his wife, son, and their three dogs.

As Deputy Director for Military Affairs, Mr. Garrett serves as a liaison to the leadership of Utah’s military installations, defense industry, economic development organizations, and military organizations to preserve, protect, and grow Utah’s military missions while improving the quality of life for Utah’s service members, veterans, and their families. He advises the Utah Department of Veterans and Military Affairs Executive Director, Governor, Lieutenant Governor, other state agencies, and the Legislature on matters pertaining to military affairs throughout Utah.

Mr. Garrett has served in the United States Air Force for over 36 years and currently serves as the State Command Chief Master Sergeant for the Utah Air National Guard (UTANG). In this capacity he serves as the principal advisor to the Assistant Adjutant General for Air and Commander of the UTANG on all issues regarding the welfare, readiness, morale, and proper utilization and progress of the Utah Air National Guard’s 1,250 enlisted members.

Prior to his current position he served as the Director of Military Relations for Zions Bank where he was responsible for quality of life programs for Zions Bank’s veterans, servicemembers and their spouses. He created and launched Zions Banks’ Military Banking products and services, Zions’ Military internship program, and served as Zions’ liaison to the military community where he was actively engaged in activities to improve the quality of life of our veterans and service members.

Prior to his current position Mr. Garrett was appointed by the Governor of Utah to serve on the Utah Veterans Advisory Board, Utah Emergency Management Advisory Committee, and Co-Chair of the Utah Commission on Volunteers and Service. State legislative leadership also appointed him to serve on the Utah legislature’s Veterans and Military Affairs Commission. He has recently served as the Chair of the Salt Lake Chamber Military Affairs Committee, Chair of the Top of Utah Military Affairs Committee, Chair of the Utah Guard Charitable Trust, and as a member of Utah Defense Alliance. As a result of his efforts, he received the 2015 Veteran Advocate award from the US Small Business Administration, in 2012 he received the Hill AFB Wingman award for his support of his activities at Hill AFB, and in 2014 Zions Bank received the Secretary of Defense Freedom Award for the bank’s outstanding support of their guard and reserve employees.

Scott Norton is the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of TexAmericas Center (TAC) and has the overall responsibility for the economic redevelopment of a 12,000-acre industrial complex in the heart of Bowie County, TX (parts of the former Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant and realigned portions of Red River Army Depot). TexAmericas Center is home to 30 commercial tenants and landowners, as well as components of the Red River Army Depot mission. The complex is a mixeduse development including residential, golf course, commercial and industrial development.

During his tenure at TexAmericas Center, which started in 2011, Scott has led the effort to work with his Congressman and staff to have all TAC property designated as a HUBZone, which eventually led to Congressional action that allowed many other LRA’s to receive this designation on their former military property. Likewise, he worked with the US Army BRAC office and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to have the Army’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act’s (RCRA) Permit removed from the TAC property, which was completed in January 2021. At the State level, Scott worked with TAC’s State Senator, State Representative, and the Texas State Legislature in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023 (with legislation filed in 2025) to pass legislation to provide more tools for TAC to be successful, which results in better jobs and tax base for the region.

Scott served three years as an elected member of the Texarkana, TX City Council, was Founding President of the Pleasant Grove ISD Education Foundation, serves as an Executive Advisory Board member of the Texas A&M University-Texarkana College of Business, Engineering & Technology, is the Vice President of the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, is the Vice President of the Board for the Ark-Tex Council of Governments, serves on the Red River Fellowship of Christian Athletes board, and has served the community in several other areas over the years.

Scott has a Master of Science in Business Administration from Texas A&M University-Texarkana and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Texas Tech University. He resides in Texarkana, TX with his wife, Melody, and they have five adult children and two grandchildren.

Karen Holt has played an advocacy role with Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG) for 17 years in support of the 2018 Great American Defense Community. As BRAC Manager during Base Realignment and Closure 2005, she established the Chesapeake Science & Security Corridor (CSSC) Regional BRAC Office and formalized a multi-state, multi-jurisdictional consortium of more than 50 entities. Karen secured and administered $11M in federal grants from OLDCC (formerly the Office of Economic Adjustment) for the APG region related to infrastructure, transportation and workforce projects; presented defense community best practices nationally, facilitated relocation efforts of personnel associated with large mission sets, served on state BRAC committees, briefed state and federal legislators on matters impacting defense communities, coordinated four regional BRAC conferences of 300-plus attendees, and celebrated five (5) national community, elected and military official recognitions from ADC.

Today, as the Director of Harford County Office of Economic Development, she serves as the County’s liaison to APG and 100+ defense contractors promoting community resources to industry to support contracting opportunities at APG. Karen has served as Project Manager on a multi-year Joint Land Use Study/Compatible Use Plan and implementation strategy to address sea level rise, transit-oriented development, and APG defense mission’s economic impact for the County’s growth planning. She conducts tours of APG with senior-level leaders to educate community stakeholders on the importance of the APG mission and to support recruitment of a highly-skilled workforce. In 2019, Karen was presented the Commanders Award for Public Service for her work in developing enduring partnerships. Karen continues to coordinate initiatives of the CSSC Consortium while working with advanced manufacturing, IT, defense and cybersecurity initiatives and attracting a technically-skilled workforce with her team at Harford County’s Office of Economic Development.

Karen serves as a board member with Army Alliance, Inc., Northeastern Maryland Technology Council (NMTC), the Susquehanna Workforce Network, Regional Advanced Manufacturing Partnership of Maryland (RAMP MD), and Visit Harford. She is the Community Partnership Liaison on the board of AUSA MG Harry Greene Aberdeen Chapter and the Armed Forces Communications-Electronics Association (AFCEA) Aberdeen Chapter. She is active with the APG Industrial Representatives Association, Women in Defense Mid-Atlantic Chapter, and Project Opportunity, a veterans entrepreneur program. She serves on Maryland’s Task Force for Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) and the Steering Committee for Greater Baltimore Committee’s Strategic Planning.

Karen is an advocate of non-profits including Fisher House, TAPS, and other organizations that support wounded warrior initiatives. Her hobbies include travel, golf, and all things Chesapeake Bay. She resides in Havre de Grace, MD, with her husband, Wayne.

Elaine Bryant is the Dayton Development Coalition’s Executive Vice President of Aerospace and Defense and the Managing Director of JobsOhio’s Military Federal Sector. In both roles, Elaine has worked to preserve and protect the federal assets in the Dayton region and statewide since October 2019.

Elaine has over two decades of experience in the U.S. Air Force, finishing her career as deputy chief of the Human Systems Program Office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Elaine is an Air Force Academy graduate with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering. She also has a master’s degree in aerospace from the University of Maryland and she was an Assistant Professor for Aeronautics at the Air Force Academy. Her experience in the Air Force includes program management and engineering leadership positions at AFRL, HQ AFMC, F-35 JPO, and SAF/AQR. She has served as a Commander at the United States Air Force Academy Cadet Squadron 24 and the National Air and Space Intelligence Center’s Foreign Material Exploitation Squadron at Wright-Patt.

At the Dayton Development Coalition, Elaine leads all aerospace and defense initiatives associated with WPAFB, SANGB, and the Dayton VA. Her projects include efforts to attract jobs and capital investment from the DOD and other federal entities, in addition to preserving and protecting the current missions in the 14-county Dayton Region through advocacy and proactive measures. She also directs and executes industry engagements with companies in the state of Ohio and outside the state to determine advantageous partnerships to expand and/or relocate operations to Ohio. In 2020, JobsOhio established a 10th industry sector, Military Federal, to recognize the impact federal installations have on the state and support their growth. Elaine was named Military Federal Sector Managing Director and stood up the new sector’s operations.

In addition to her roles at DDC and JobsOhio, Elaine serves on the University of Cincinnati Space Research Institute for Discovery & Exploration Advisory Board, the Ohio Defense Manufacturing Community Leadership Board, and has served on the Ohio Department of Transportation Advisory Board, the Dayton Daily News Community Advisory Board and the Dayton International Airport Corporate Advisory Board. She was selected to serve on the Association of Defense Communities 50th Anniversary Committee.

Rick Dwyer serves as the Executive Director of the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance, a public-private partnership dedicated to attracting, retaining, and growing the federal presence in Hampton Roads, Virginia. The 16 communities that comprise HRMFFA collectively support 18 military installations and all six military service branches, including approximately 120,000 active duty, reserve, and civilian personnel, over 125,000 military dependents, and nearly 220,000 veterans. With additional NASA, Department of Energy, Veterans Affairs, and Interior facilities, there is arguably not a denser concentration of federal installations elsewhere in the country outside of Washington, DC. He works with installation and municipal leadership, federal, state and local elected officials, various military support organizations, the business community, and economic development agencies to support and advocate for the region’s federal installations, missions, personnel, and their families.

A career Air Force officer, Rick served over 20 years on active duty as a civil engineer and worked in a number of installation level, heavy construction, major command and Headquarters Air Force engineer positions. As an Air Force civil engineer, he gained extensive experience working on facilities, infrastructure, environmental, housing, emergency management, fire emergency services, and explosive ordnance disposal issues. He commanded three civil engineer squadrons within the continental United States and in the Southwest Asia area of operations.

Rick also serves as a board member of Versability Resources, a leading provider of comprehensive services for people with disabilities of all ages, the Hampton Roads and Virginia Peninsula Chambers of Commerce, and is a past President of the Virginia Peninsula Post of the Society of American Military Engineers.

Rick is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy where he earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. He also holds master’s degrees in civil engineering from Virginia Tech, and military operational art and science from Air University.

Keith has worked in politics and government since his graduation from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Science degree. He managed a grass-roots campaign for a State Senator and later served as the Senator’s Administrative Director. He has since held positions that include Regional Director for United States Senator Phil Gramm and Field Director for Texans for Rick Perry. He served as Director of the Office of Aerospace and Aviation & Defense under Governor Perry where he worked with domestic and international aerospace and aviation companies to locate or expand into the state. He led the project to locate SpaceX’s launch facility to South Texas.

Keith currently serves in Governor Greg Abbott’s Office, as the Executive Director of the Texas Military Preparedness Commission. He works with Texas military installations and local communities to grow missions and add military value. He has overseen the distribution of over $129 million in state grant funds since 2016 for infrastructure projects directly supporting installations. He also worked with the legislature to pass a law that allows the Texas Department of Transportation to provide work on military installations through the largest statewide Intergovernmental Service Agreement. Keith also led the state effort on landing the headquarters of Army Futures Command.

He was appointed by Governor Perry to serve on the Texas Cyber Security Council. He currently serves on the Texas Homeland Security Council, the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station Advisory Board, Chaired the Lone Star UAS Center of Excellence and Innovation at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, served as Co-Chair of the State Advisors Council under the Association of Defense Communities, and serves as an ex-officio member of the Texas Commanders Council.

Keith is actively involved in many other organizations including Executive Advisory Board of the Capitol Area Boy Scouts of America. Keith is life member of the National Eagle Scout Association, National Guard Association of Texas, Advisory Board member of the State Guard Association of Texas, and a member of the Order of St. John.
Keith lives in Austin with his wife, Linda.

A 24 year United States Air Force Veteran, Kimberly Huth currently serves as Executive Director of Military Affairs for St. Clair County, Illinois. In her role, Huth is the liaison between all County Departments and all organizations across Scott AFB, specific communities surrounding the base, as well as local, state and national-level legislators. She serves the County Board Chairman in an advisory capacity on legislative issues, public policy, and public support agreements—advocating for, and advancing, issues of mutual concern.

As part of her work in St. Clair County, Huth was selected to lead a working group to study the quality of education and licensure portability for families transitioning to Scott Air Force Base. With her leadership, Scott AFB achieved a “Most Supportive” rating for Licensure Portability, making it one of only ten communities throughout the Air Force to receive this designation. Additionally, she was instrumental in coordinating with Scott AFB leaders in addressing food insecurities, child care, mental health access, and much more.

Additionally, Huth actively lobbied for Defense Community Infrastructure (DCIP) grants, assisting Scott AFB’s attempt to gain access to federal funding for base-associated, local community infrastructure improvements. Her engagement and span of influence helps deliver programs that support over 17,000 servicemen and servicewomen (Active, Reserve, Guard, and DOD Civilians) and advocate for more than 45,000 family members and retirees.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Services from Wayland Baptist University and spends time volunteering at Gateway Pete Guardians and the Airlift/Tanker Association.

Mr. Kleiser is the Senior Managing Principal at Salas O’Brien with 25 years of experience supporting large Federal Government infrastructure asset management, environmental, water resource programs and projects ranging in size from $3M – $500M in size.

Mr. Kleiser has led multiple large infrastructure projects to successful completion for the Department of Defense and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, leveraging creative private financing solutions under Public-Private and Public-Public Partnerships (P3/P4) models. He currently serves as Principal on over ten active P3/P4 projects valued at over $350M. Mr. Kleiser is an expert in applying emerging technologies to solve asset management challenges. Mr. Kleiser supports International Port Authorities in the technology development for the beneficial reuse of dredge material and use of robotics applications for environmental and water resources projects. He as been successful in aligning the investment fund community in support of large Federal Government infrastructure projects.

Mr. Kleiser’s projects have been nationally recognized by the American Planning Association, the United States Air Force, and the Society of American Military Engineers for excellence in management, innovation in design, planning, and outstanding integration of environmental practices into planning. Mr. Kleiser is a Professional Engineer with a BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Delaware and a MS in Technology Management from the University of Maryland.

As CEO of Matrix Design Group, Sal is responsible for the overall direction of his firm while maintaining leadership, technical, and management roles in Government Consulting Services and numerous DoD related activities. Sal is a nationally recognized expert in military mission analysis, public-public/public private partnerships, and Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC). He has a distinguished career of sustained excellence leading diverse teams in operations; delivering community services and public works; producing engineering and economic analyses; and, developing facility and infrastructure plans and programs. He has extensive experience in community planning, public engagement, facilitation, strategic studies, and capital improvement programs. Prior to joining Matrix, Sal served for nearly 24 years in the United States Air Force, finishing his career as the Installation Commander for Eglin AFB. Sal earned his bachelors of science in civil engineering from the University of Delaware in 1988. He went on to earn five masters degrees, with extensive studies in Public Administration, Engineering, Organizational Management, and National Security Strategy. Sal serves as Chair Elect of the Society of American Military Engineers Foundation and as a Councilman for the City of Niceville, Florida.

Jace R. Ponder serves as the Director of the Mississippi Governor’s Office of Military Affairs (GOMA). In this role, he leads efforts to attract new defense missions to the state, as well as strengthen existing defense missions. He works with the Defense Community Development Council (DCDC), the Installation Commanders Council, the Mississippi National Guard and the Mississippi Congressional Delegation on a variety of projects to support the state’s defense economy. He also helps coordinate support for defense missions and installations throughout the state with the DCDC. Established in 2022 by Gov. Tate Reeves, DCDC advocates for installations in host communities, as well as at state and federal levels to better focus policymakers’ attention on education, spousal licensing, and other regulatory items.

Prior to GOMA, Ponder served a communications director for Hancock County Port & Harbor Commission, the lead economic development organization for Hancock County, MS. He has prior experience as a statewide public information officer for the Mississippi Department of Transportation, and he is the former owner of The Gazebo Gazette, a community newspaper on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Ponder holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Mississippi and resides in Jackson, MS.

Stacey is the President of Shepard Global Strategies, LLC, a consulting advisory practice which helps corporations and public sector entities address disruptive issues – such as cyber-physical security, climate and utilities resilience, and portfolio optimization – to enable growth, sustainability, and mission continuity.  She contributes to solutions that incorporate technology and data analytics to drive decision-making and investments, while simultaneously advancing workforce development to promote upskilled capacities.

With 30 years of experience working in corporate, political, and policy-oriented environments, Stacey brings deep insights into leveraging available funding, regulations, and market trends to drive thoughtful investment in buildings, infrastructure, and the surrounding environment.  With  two decades at Jacobs, a $15B professional services corporation, she contributed to growth in a variety of roles, culminating as Corporate Vice President of Growth & Strategy for the Federal & Environmental Solutions sector.  She also brings strategic insights from a recent role as CBRE’s Senior Managing Director for Infrastructure, Defense & Public Enterprise, and earlier positions at a defense think tank and legislative experience on Capitol Hill.

Stacey is a certified Project Management Professional, maintaining non-profit support on the Board of Directors for the Association of Defense Communities and National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) DC Chapter, as well as a Board Advisory role for Building Cyber Security (BCS).  She holds a Master’s degree in National Security from Georgetown University and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from Barrett, the Honors College, at Arizona State University, with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science/Spanish.  Stacey is an advocate for inclusion and diversity, while promoting outreach for STEAM initiatives at all educational levels.

Ms. Lisa A. Swoboda, a native of Washington, DC, has spent over 20 years in the professional field of business and economic development. Joining the Office of Military & Federal Affairs in 2005, Ms. Swoboda served as Deputy Director and currently serves as Senior Director of the office since December 2017. Ms. Swoboda serves as a senior advisor and liaison to Maryland Military Alliances and federal military and civilian facilities including Aberdeen Proving Ground and Joint Base Andrews where Ms. Swoboda serves as an Honorary Ambassador of the 316th Wing. Ms. Swoboda is a prominent leader in defense community engagement, previously serving a three-year term as Co-Chair of the States Advisory Council for the national Association of Defense Communities. Ms. Swoboda manages the strategic direction of federal civilian agency engagement and supervises a number of projects related to Department of Defense actions impacting Maryland’s defense community, including a multi-million defense industry diversification federal grant program. Her office is the state office responsible for the planning and implementation of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) decisions in Maryland.

In partnering with the installation defense communities, Ms. Swoboda works to advance business opportunities with installations in support of the growing defense missions to include communications, electronics, unmanned aerial systems, chemical-biological and cybersecurity. Ms. Swoboda led the development of the Maryland Defense Technology Commercialization Center (DefTech) which in 2020 won a national Federal Laboratory Consortium award for technology transfer and commercialization partnerships with the U.S. Army, and the Maryland Defense Network (MDN) which is a nationally recognized online resource tool for Maryland’s defense industry. Ms. Swoboda also initiated the first formal economic impact analysis of Maryland’s 15 military facilities. This study has served as the cornerstone to citing installation impacts and to fostering greater awareness of economic driver.

John Trylch currently serves as the Administrative Services Director for the City of Fountain, Colorado, which includes executive leadership and responsibility for the city’s significant military partnership activities. He also serves on the executive committee of the Pikes Peak Military Affairs Council and is an active participant in the Colorado Defense Alliance. Being both a retired Army officer and a local government management professional, John has used his broad military background and current local government experience to build positive and productive civil-military relationships in the Pikes Peak Region and supported many initiatives that have benefited the defense community in Colorado. Some of his contributions include the successful negotiation and implementation of multiple Intergovernmental Support Agreements (IGSA) with Fort Carson, fostering of strong partnerships with the Air Force related to the issue of perfluorinated compounds (PFAS), coordination of various programs to assist veterans transitioning from military service, and development of multiple strategic plans and projects that support local military installations, service members and their families, and community partners.

Prior to his current position in Fountain, John served for over two decades in the U.S. Army, first enlisting in the Army Reserves, until receiving an ROTC scholarship and then a commission as an Armor Officer. After serving almost a decade in the combat arms and completing tours of duty with the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq, John was selected to become an Army Foreign Area Officer (FAO), specializing in security cooperation and U.S. defense policy matters throughout the Western Hemisphere. His assignments as a FAO included service at U.S. embassies in Argentina and Guatemala, as well as service in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and at NORAD and U.S. Northern Command.

John has a bachelor’s degree in political science and is a Distinguished Military Graduate of Colorado State University and holds a master’s degree in Latin American studies from Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Jerrod H. Wheeler is Superintendent of Knob Noster Public Schools, the resident public school district of Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri.  Wheeler is an active leader in various support organizations, including: Whiteman Area Leadership Council, Whiteman Base Community Council, Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission, National Association of Federally Impact Schools, Military Impacted Schools Association, and Strategic Deterrent Coalition.  Wheeler continues to advocate for unified efforts across multiple organizations to strengthen military-child education, thereby enhancing quality of life and mission readiness. As a result of ongoing efforts, Whiteman AFB ranked number one in quality of education on the recent study and scorecard produced by the Air Force.

Jerrod received his Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Louisiana, Monroe, his Master’s in Educational Administration from the University of Louisiana, Monroe, and his Bachelor’s in Education from Northeast Louisiana University, where he was also a two time National Champion in Collegiate Waterskiing. Dr. Wheeler completed post studies through the Harvard Graduate School of Education Leadership Institute for Superintendents and will complete the National Security Forum Institute through Air University in 2021. Wheeler and his wife, Amie, have been married for 21 years and have two children, Jorgie (13) and Jaxon (11).

Mr. Schlossberg is Chair of the Kutak Rock LLP Federal Practice and National Security Law Group, and a partner resident in the firm’s Washington DC office.  He represents state and local governments, Federal Departments and Agencies, and private entities in connection with Federal real property transactions, the closure and reuse of military installations, the financing of government and commercial facilities on Federal land, government contracts, and associated environmental matters.  Mr. Schlossberg has served since 1990 as General Counsel to the Association of Defense Communities (“ADC”), the pre-eminent national organization representing state and local governments and communities with active, closed and closing military installations.

Prior to joining Kutak Rock, Mr. Schlossberg served for over twelve (12) years in various positions in the Pentagon, including Senior Counsel in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.  In that position, he advised the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary’s immediate staff on matters related to real property, base closures, defense installations, international agreements, the leasing, construction and private financing of defense facilities, government contracts, and associated environmental matters.  While with the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Mr. Schlossberg was instrumental in the drafting and policy implementation of the original 1988 Base Closure Act (Defense Authorization Amendments and Base Closure and Realignment Act), and testified frequently before Congressional committees on matters relating to Defense real property, construction and the financing of defense facilities.  During his tenure with the Defense Department, Mr. Schlossberg served also as Counsel to the Office of Economic Adjustment, Counsel to the President’s Economic Adjustment Committee, Counsel to the President’s Commission on Alternative Utilization of Military Facilities, Counsel to the Department of Defense’s Bureau of Prisons Assistance Council and Assistant Counsel to the Naval Facilities Engineering Command.

Tim Ford has served as the CEO of the Association of Defense Communities (ADC) since 2010. Tim previously served as the organization’s Executive Director from 2004‐2007 and Deputy Director from 1999‐2003. Credited with guiding ADC’s hundreds of member communities and related organizations through BRAC 2005, Tim also nearly tripled the size of the organization and led efforts to fundamentally expand its mission during his decade leading the association. In recent years, Tim spearheaded the development and advocated for passage of a new authority that allows local governments and the military to share public services and launched ADC’s Great American Defense Community program. A nationally recognized expert on BRAC, the impacts of base closure, base redevelopment and community‐military partnerships, Tim has been featured on ABC World News Tonight, CNN, and MSNBC, as well as in USA Today, Time, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.

Tim also serves as the President/CEO of LRG. Founded in 1998, LRG is an award‐winning strategic communication firm that provides government agencies, commercial firms, non‐profits and educational organizations with a range of professional services, including strategic communications and organizational development. LRG is among the top 10 public relations firms in the Washington, D.C., area according to the Washington Business Journal.

Prior to returning to Washington, D.C. in 2009 to join LRG, Tim was the Executive Director of the New York City Employment & Training Coalition, the city’s leading workforce development association. A Pennsylvania native, Tim has a B.A. in Urban Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, and an M.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Wisconsin‐Madison.

Tim was recognized with the Department of Defense’s prestigious “Above and Beyond” award for its commitment to supporting Guard and Reserve personnel.

For over a decade Matt Borron had dedicated his career to advocating for communities, service members, veterans and military families on the local, state and federal level. Mr. Borron currently holds the position of Chief Operating Officer for the Association of Defense Communities, a national non-profit organization representing communities and states with a significant military presence.

As Executive Director, he oversees the organizations day-to-day operations, including managing the development of the association’s educational events, membership councils, and legislative and federal agency outreach. As the primary point of contact for ADC members and stakeholders, Mr. Borron works closely with the House and Senate Defense Communities Caucus and key offices in DOD and other federal agencies to coordinate policy efforts that support military-community partnership efforts and defense infrastructure.

Prior to his time at ADC, Mr. Borron taught history at Montana State University, managed the Department of Labor’s Montana Veterans Upward Bound program and also did a stint as a Congressional Intern for U.S. Representative Denny Rehberg (MT)

Mr. Borron has also been a member of the U.S. Army Reserve for the past 16 years, currently serving as Chief Ordnance Inspector for the 3998th Combat Support and Sustainment Battalion.

Mr. Borron holds a Bachelors Degree in World History and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Montana.