HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- The Tennessee Valley's subject matter experts and defense leaders took an evening to honor those who excelled in their profession and recognize the best and brightest of the future workforce.

Members of the National Defense Industrial Association, Tennessee Valley Chapter, gathered for the organization's NDIA-TVC 2019 Awards and Scholarship Dinner at the Huntsville Marriott, Friday.

"As an American Soldier, I have benefitted from some of the great innovations and technology that has been developed by industry, many in this room and many getting these awards," Maj. Gen. Bob Harter, Army Materiel Command chief of staff, said.

Harter emphasized events like this are about more than acknowledging the work that has been done, but also serve as an opportunity to build on collaboration between what he called the three domains of national defense - industry, academia and the military.

"We, AMC and your Army, are honored to partner with you," he said. "Events like this dinner allow everyone to benefit from the innovation and strategic dialogue taking place in the community."

Sharing a story about his time in the National War College, Harter learned during an overseas trip to Russia about where true America power came from by listening to the Russians talk about the Hubble Telescope.

"It wasn't our military might and strength, it's our technological prowess that impressed them. They looked at that telescope and an American astronaut working on it and thought, 'America can do anything,'" he said. "We Soldiers are America's defenders but those of you sitting in this room, you are America. You are the ingenuity, brain power and work ethic, the engine that makes this great country run."

Of the recipients, four were from Army Materiel Command, the most NDIA awards the command has received from the Tennessee Valley Chapter since moving to Redstone Arsenal in 2012.

"The talent you see on stage tonight have embraced the Army's latest concept of multidomain operations in their execution of their duties," Jesse Barber, NDIA-TVC Awards and Scholarships chair, said. "They have raised the bar for exceptional performance."

The following award recipients were recognized during the dinner:

Leadership Excellence: Col. Ronald Ragin, AMC; Rod Haverkamp, Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space; Howard Trowbridge, Missile Defense Agency; Glenn Dredden, Logicore; Geoff Embry, Noetic Strategies; Kathleen Jolivette, Boeing.

Management: Col. Richard Spiegel, AMC; Cassandra Gideon, NASA; Gina Gilbertson, MDA; Daniel Hemeyer, PEO MS; GerDono Wade, Logicore.

Technology: AMC's Executive Communications Team; the Army Patent Security Review Team, AMC; and the Flight Test Ground Based Midcourse Defense Weapon System, MDA.

In addition to the professional awards, NDIA-TVC provided scholarships for local students pursuing science, engineering and logistics fields.

Those recipients were:

Alabama A&M University: Jovier Adams, electrical engineering; Lesley Harton, logistics and supply chain management; Shelby Reaves, electrical engineering.

University of Alabama in Huntsville: Camran Daniel, industrial and systems engineering; Shelby Dorner, logistic and supply chain management; Makenzie Fogle, electrical engineering.