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Chamber and city discuss stepping up support for Goodfellow Air Force Base
Summary
Chamber and community representatives briefed the Development Corporation on Goodfellow Air Force Base needs — housing, parade-field improvements, medical capacity — and urged strategic engagement and potential modest funding to help the base compete for grants.
Representatives from the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce and other community partners updated the Development Corporation on efforts to strengthen ties with Goodfellow Air Force Base and asked the board to consider targeted community participation in upcoming grant and advocacy efforts.
Steve (Chamber representative) introduced the discussion and framed Goodfellow as a primary economic driver for the region. Chamber-affiliated speaker Mike Boyd said Goodfellow contributes substantial economic activity to San Angelo and outlined several priorities: parade-field repair (estimated as a multi-million-dollar project), expanded child development capacity, medical and pharmacy access for airmen, and temporary housing and dorm needs for surges in student counts.
Boyd said the chamber is pursuing grant opportunities at the state and federal level and urged the city and Development Corporation to help the base be competitive for such awards, citing examples from other West Texas communities that made community contributions to secure federal funding. "We wanna be able to do a in conjunction with Colonel Norton, a community orientation program... to get them acquainted with San Angelo," Boyd said.
Speakers described a range of advocacy steps: increased engagement in Washington, D.C., and Austin; participation in the National Association of Defense Communities; and community events to welcome airmen and families. Mike Boyd asked the Development Corporation to consider modest funding to stand up outreach and engagement efforts; the chair indicated legal questions about funding would be discussed in executive session to ensure compliance with state law and the Corporation's enabling statutes.
Scott Tankersley (education and training command) and other base-affiliated speakers urged continued coordination between the base, ASU ROTC and local schools. No formal funding decision on Goodfellow was made in open session; the chair moved further legal discussion into executive session.
