Joe Driskill, Missouri’s military advocate, has been elected to a two-year term as the Association of Defense Communities (ADC) president.
The association represents every major defense community and state in the U.S. It seeks to build connections between those communities, the military, and industries regarding military issues and installation management.
As president, Driskill will be tasked with interacting with both top elected and military leaders in the nation as well as state and local officials across the country.
“I look forward to increasing ADC’s impact in areas that affect the quality of life our defense communities provide for our military families, including critical issues like spousal employment and military-related education issues. To do this, ADC will be undergoing a long-term planning process to define how the organization can best achieve its mission and ensure it continues to evolve to meet the military’s future needs,” Driskill said in a statement to The Missouri Times.
Driskill previously served as the ADC’s vice president and as a member of the Washington, D.C.-based group’s board where he was heavily involved in several projects. He will continue in his role as Missouri’s military advocate while leading the ADC.
In its selection of Driskill as the next president, the ADC commended him for his advocacy work in support of military installations and service members at the state level in Missouri. Serving as Missouri’s military advocate, Driskill was charged with expanding opportunities for service members and their families as well as enhancing the state’s defense industries. He also coordinated efforts to preserve Missouri’s military agencies and installations.
The former state representative has also served as the Department of Economic Development director, the Missouri Technology Corporation executive director, and on the state Board of Education.
“Joe’s long-standing commitment and hard work on behalf of the Association of Defense Communities make him the ideal successor to the position I have held for the past two years,” former ADC President Bill Parry said in a statement. “His steadfast leadership is precisely what the Association needs.”
The ADC presidency is a voluntary two-year commitment.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.