Justin Strickland to represent MCLB-Albany on governor’s military advisory commission

ALBANY — Former Albany-Dougherty County Economic Development Commission President Justin Strickland has been selected by Gov. Brian Kemp to serve on a committee advising him on military affairs.

Strickland, director of economic development for short line railroad operator OminTRAX, was one of nine people tapped to serve on the Georgia Joint Defense Commission. He previously served as EDC president for more than 12 years.

Strickland will represent Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany on the commission, one of the eight U.S. military installations located in the state.

“I’m very honored I get to keep working with MCLB-Albany in this capacity and use the knowledge I gained over the last 12 or 13 years working with the base,” Strickland said. “I am honored to be appointed by Gov. Kemp and look forward to working with my colleagues around the state to make sure we are doing everything we can as a state to bolster the installations we have here.”

The commission was established in 2018 to assist the governor in military matters within the state and nationally. Its duties include making recommendations on plans to support development of the military for both uniform and civilian employees, developing methods to assist communities’ design, executing programs that enhance their relationship with the military and defense-related industries, and serving as a task force on preparations for potential base realignments or closures.

“The work that is done (at MCLB-Albany) and the impact is felt all around the world,” Strickland said. “It prepares warfighters and Marines all over the world, something we should be proud of in south Georgia.”

MCLB-Albany, commissioned in 1952, is the “readiness enabler for the Corps’ operational forces,” said Barbara Rivera Holmes, president and CEO of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce. “(It) has a more than $1 billion economic impact on the Albany area and a work force of more than 4,000.

“The Georgia Defense Commission is an important body in our united efforts to protect the missions of Georgia’s military installations, facilitate collaboration and strengthen Georgia’s position as a defense-friendly state.”

As has the Chamber, Strickland worked closely with the base and its leadership, she said.

“I am confident that he (Strickland), working with the chamber and its long-standing Military Affairs Committee, will add to our extensive work of advocacy and readiness support, which spans from education policy and manufacturing initiatives to Congressional allocation of resources,” Holmes said.

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