DEFENSEWERX and MGMWERX recently announced the hiring of new Director Brig General (Ret) Trent H. Edwards. Edwards comes to MGMWERX from the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce where he served as Senior Vice President of Military and Community. In addition to his career at the Chamber, Edwards also serves as President and CEO of T.H. Edwards Consulting LLC, a consulting firm specializing in networking civilian businesses and professions with the Department of Defense.
“I could not be happier to have a professional of Trent’s caliber join this stellar team of dedicated employees,” stated DEFENSEWERX Executive Director, Brian Liesveld. “Trent’s experience will undoubtedly continue to raise the reputation of MGMWERX to the next level.”
Edwards also brings a wealth of leadership and innovation experience to the team, having served 30 years in the Air Force, retiring as a Brigadier General. Edwards is a proud undergraduate of North Carolina A&T State University. Some of his past military assignments include the Commander of the 42nd Air Base Wing at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, Alabama, Commander of the 37th Training Wing at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio Texas, Air Force Legislative Liaison, Chief Financial Officer and Programmer for US Air Force Space Command, and Chief Financial Officer for the $80 billion Air Force Operations and Maintenance and Military Personnel Account. Trent was most recently, the Senior Vice President for Military and Community Development at the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce where he focused on protecting growing defense community partnerships, mission, and culture. Edwards holds Masters’ degrees from the University of Oklahoma and the USAF Air War College in Human Relations and National Security Studies, respectively.
When asked what he hopes to achieve as Director of MGMWERX, Edwards responded, “Successfully grow, mentor, and develop my team members; establish MGMWERX as a recognized catalyst for innovation and change across local, state, federal and public/private sectors; and have fun!”
As Director of MGMWERX, Edwards will oversee administration, programs, and strategic plans. In addition to overseeing, he will also uphold fiscal integrity and the terms of the Partnership Intermediary Agreement (PIA), a contract between DEFENSEWERX, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and the Commander, Air University (AU) to facilitate academic and professional opportunities for furthering education and civilian collaboration.
“Trent has been a champion and supporter of MGMWERX during his time with the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce,” proclaims Joyce Vaughn, Marketing and Events Manager at MGMWERX. “We could not be more excited to have him lead efforts for MGMWERX and join the team.”
In his free time, Edwards can be found spending time with his family, cooking, watching his favorite shows, or working in his yard.
MGMWERX was created under a Partnership Intermediary Agreement to align with the education initiatives of Air University. MGMWERX augments ongoing Air University programs, through events like Pitch Night, to enhance the production of high-quality, innovative research and ideas that span issues of importance to the Air Force. This includes, but is not limited to, doctrine, strategies, capability needs, operational concepts, training, education, and science and technology.