UA Partners with Community to Advocate for Southern Arizona in DC
Last week, Federal Relations teamed up with the Tucson Chamber of Commerce, Southern Arizona Defense Alliance (SADA), Pima Community College, and DM50 to visit members of the Arizona delegation to advocate on important issues affecting Southern Arizona.
Representatives from DM50 and SADA informed our Members of Congress about some necessary infrastructure updates to the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base and the 162nd Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard. Pima Community College Chancellor and CEO, Lee Lambert, and UA Federal Relations discussed upcoming federal legislation related to higher education, including the need to increase the maximum Pell Grant award and allow incarcerated students access to federal student aid.
In addition to the delegation meetings, the Chamber met with leadership at several agencies. In a series of meetings at the Pentagon that began with the Acting Secretary of the Air Force, Mr. Matthew Donovan (pictured center below) and concluded with the Air Staff Office for Operations, Plans and Requirements, the Chamber and UA Federal Relations emphasized how our Tucson and university communities work together to support past, present and future warfighters in Arizona and across the globe.
From community outreach and urban planning efforts, to the UA’s multitude of national defense research objectives, the Chamber and the UA were in lockstep to solicit support for our priorities. We look forward to joining the Chamber on their next Washington trip in Spring 2020.