Lt. Governor Carney Leads Visit to Ft. Monmouth to Identify, Create Economic Development Opportunities

Lt. Governor John Carney today represented the state and visited Ft. Monmouth, N.J., to talk with Army officials and independent contractors about the impact of the BRAC mandated relocation of operations to the Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland.

The Lt. Governor met with Major General Dennis Via, who serves as the Commanding General, Communications-Electronics Life Cycle Management Command at Ft. Monmouth. The two were also joined by Judy Cherry McKinney, director of the Delaware Economic Development Office, and others.

BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure) is the process the Department of Defense uses to reorganize it installation infrastructure to more efficiently and effectively support its forces and facilitate new ways of doing business.

"I had a very good meeting with General Via about the move to Aberdeen," Carney said. "My goal was the make sure we heard their plans, their schedule and what was important to those making the move. We have a lot to offer individuals and businesses who will be moving into the region, and we want them to consider making Delaware their home."

Following the meeting and briefing, the Lt. Governor and Director Cherry met with representatives of the Industrial Representatives Association (IRA) and the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA), Fort Monmouth Chapter to hear the concerns and issues of major military contractors.

"This is a great opportunity for Delaware," Carney said. "The base relocation could bring thousands of high-quality jobs to our state in some very exciting new industries. We have outstanding resources to attract these businesses, particularly with our skilled workforce, colleges, and universities as these organizations look to expand. I look forward to continuing our discussions in the coming months."

For more information about today's visit, please call Lt. Governor John Carney's office at (302) 577-8787.