There is no question that Savannah has a substantial military presence. Learn more about the military’s role on the local economy at the Savannah Downtown Business Association’s May 10 meeting focusing on “The Economic Impact of the Military in Savannah” at the Charles H. Morris Center at Trustees Garden, 10 East Broad Street. Networking is at 11:30AM and the program begins at 12PM.

Guest speakers are Lieutenant Colonel Michael T. Squires, Garrison Commander at Hunter Army Airfield and Drew Hunt, Director of Community Relations for the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce. The event is open to the public and the deadline to register is Friday, May 5. Cost is $25 for SDBA members, $40 for non-members and $10 for elected officials. If space permits after the deadline, cost will be $35 for SDBA members and $45 for non-members.

A Cleveland, OH native, LTC Squires was commissioned as an Infantry officer through the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY, where he received a B.S. degree in American Politics.   LTC Squires earned his M.B.A. from the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Prior to his assignment as Hunter’s Garrison Commander, he taught Economics at West Point.

During his time in the army, LTC Squires has deployed to Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. His military service includes the 1^st Battalion, 75^th Ranger Regiment at Hunter; 173^rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy; and as the Ranger Training Brigade’s Operations Officer at Fort Benning, GA. LTC Squires is a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic Course, the Infantry Captain Career Course and the Command and General Staff College. His significant awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart, Combat Infantryman’s Badge, Senior Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Ranger Tab.

In her role with the chamber, Mrs. Hunt is responsible for serving as a liaison between the chamber and community through the support of various member groups including workforce development, education, military affairs, existing industry, and young professionals.

Mrs. Hunt is a native Georgian and earned her B.S. degree in Child and Family Development as well as an M.B.A. from Georgia Southern University. She is a graduate of Leadership Savannah and Leadership Southeast Georgia. Active in the community, Mrs. Hunt is involved with the Emerging Leaders Council, Junior League of Savannah, Metropolitan Savannah Rotary Club, and Georgia Southern University’s Young Alumni Board.