Community service, military-business networking and professional development are the foundations of the chapter. The chapter is the premier information technology organization in the River Region with connections to thousands of people in River Region Cities, U.S. Defense Department, information technology (IT) companies and academia. These municipal and military organizations, companies, universities, colleges and K-12 schools are invested in the River Region, and the organization aims to be one of the primary connective forces to work with these entities to improve STEM education and representation in this area.
For the past 15 years, the AFCEA Montgomery Education Foundation (EdF) has invested a significant amount of time, money and resources to foster STEM education and drive the growth of the Montgomery area's tech ecosystem. With the help of committed corporate sponsorship, the chapter has raised well over $500,000 to grow the next generation of STEM professionals, to include: conducting STEM camps, sponsoring robotic clubs and engineer training, hosting innovation camps, grants and scholarships to elementary, middle and high schools, ROTCs and collaborative initiatives with Maxwell Air Force Base-Gunter Annex. Camp IT initiatives alone allowed over 250 students to obtain first-hand knowledge in different areas of STEM. The EdF's strong relationships with industry partners that participate and donate to the programs allow the chapter to make a high-level impact in the Montgomery and surrounding areas and continue to benefit thousands of students each year.
The chapter is an AFCEA International Award-Winning Chapter among 140 chapters worldwide. Its commitment and activities to support the River Region are admired among the AFCEA international community and the chapter has received many awards over the years. The most distinguished are Model Chapter of the Year (23 years in a row) and the Harry C. Ingles Award given to the chapter that has significantly contributed to the goals of AFCEA (won nine times). Other awards received at the international level were: Distinguished Young AFCEAN of the Year, Regional Young AFCEAN of the Year, Young AFCEAN Model Chapter, International 40 under 40 and AFCEA Women of the Year.
Chapter members work hard to create a positive impact in the Montgomery area by raising funds used for individual scholarships and internships, technology grants to local schools and investment in regional initiatives to help build a world-class technical workforce. Members also enjoy networking opportunities with Montgomery industry, military and academic leaders at its events and chapter meetings. Many members also take advantage of the numerous leadership opportunities within the chapter management structure, experiencing great personal satisfaction and unmatched professional and career development and local, regional and international awards. The chapter is always looking for stellar professionals to join the organization. Currently, there are leadership and committee opportunities within Young AFCEAN Advisory Council (AFCEA members between 18 to 40), Public Affairs and its Membership intake. These areas are key to the continued excellence of chapter initiatives. The chapter is looking for people to lead these areas to greater heights. If interested in taking the Montgomery Chapter to the next level, please contact Kyna McCall-Pastor, chapter president, at president@afceamontgomery.org.
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