June 26, 2008

Governor's Conference Keynoter Announced

Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber today announced Andy Serwer, managing editor of Fortune, will be the keynote speaker for the first day of the 55th Annual Governor's Conference on Economic and Community Development. The annual meeting is set for Sept. 15 -16, 2008 in Nashville at Gaylord Opryland Resort. 

Online registration is available now at www.tnecd.gov for the two-day event featuring breakout sessions on the latest trends in economic development, interaction with veteran site selectors, networking opportunities and much more. 

"I'm very excited about the topics we'll be discussing at this year's conference," said Commissioner Kisber. "I'm especially excited that Andy Serwer will be joining us to give a national perspective on the changing economy. Interest in Tennessee is strong and we'll look at ways of taking advantage of that."

Keynoter Andy Serwer

"The economic growth of the southeast U.S. certainly has the attention of both Wall Street and many corporate CEO's," said Serwer. "Tennessee is certainly at the forefront of that growth and I'm looking forward to meeting and sharing ideas with economic development leaders there about where the country is headed."

Serwer will speak at the Commissioner's Luncheon on Monday, Sept. 15.  Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen will outline his vision for the state's economy at the Governor's Luncheon on Tuesday, Sept. 16.  Another key event will include the Three-Star and Tennessee Main Street Program recognition and reception, currently scheduled for Monday evening. 

Session topics will cover a wide variety of subjects including state incentives, work force education and training, successful grant applications, winning foreign investment, profiting from biofuels and other clean energy sources, water management, housing, technology, marketing and more.  Nationally-known site selection consultants will also be on hand to share their knowledge with attendees, all with the goal of creating an effective, attainable plan for job growth. 

Visit www.tnecd.gov to register for the conference.  Attendees have the option of paying online via credit card or electing to be invoiced.  The deadline for registration is Wednesday, Sept. 10.  No refunds will be available after registering, but an alternate may be substituted if one is unable to attend.  Registration prices and types include: $175 for full attendee; $150 for spouse attendee; $30 for a luncheon only; $350 for a 10' x 10' exhibitor booth or $500 for a 10' x 20' booth.

Conference guests staying onsite at the Gaylord Opryland Resort are eligible for a discounted room rate of $107 (plus tax, parking, and a daily $15 resort fee).  Subject to availability, the special group rate will be offered three days prior and three days following the conference.  Come early or stay late to enjoy Gaylord's special attractions, such as the Grand Ole Opry, General Jackson Showboat, Ryman Auditorium and Wildhorse Saloon, just to name a few.

Room reservations may be made by calling 1-888-777-6779 and giving the group code N-TDEC8 to receive the discounted rate.  Please note that the deadline for receiving the discounted room rate is Friday, Aug. 15.  

Don't miss this important learning and networking opportunity.  For more information on the Governor's Conference or the Department of Economic and Community Development, please visit www.tnecd.gov or call (615) 253-1390.

Commissioner Attends SEUS-Canada Meeting

Commissioner Matt Kisber

Governor Phil Bredesen and ECD Commissioner Matt Kisber joined more than 260 business and political leaders to convene in Savannah last week for a three-day summit to kick off an economic initiative between six Southeastern states and seven Canadian provinces.

"I am looking forward to great strides of collaboration between Tennessee and Canada," Commissioner Kisber said. "For all the focus overseas, our neighbors to the north remain our state's strongest export market, and we're pleased to be formalizing our already-fruitful relationship."

The alliance was formalized in November by the signing of a charter in Montreal. The partnership is patterned after a similar relationship between the Southeast and Japan begun in 1976.

The seven Canadian provinces participating in the conference - Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island - make up almost the entire eastern half of the country. In addition to Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama have signed on.

ECD's Address Changes

ECD's address has changed to 312 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., 11th Floor, Nashville, Tenn. 37243. Please update your contact information to reflect the change from 8th Avenue North to Rosa L. Parks Boulevard.

White County is home to the Rock House Shrine, a famous stage coach stop and early American frontier home. Completed in 1838, the Rock House served as a stopover for travelers going from frontier settlements in the West to more "civilized" areas along the Atlantic coast.  Some famous visitors to the Rock House include Andrew Jackson and James K. Polk, presidents of the United States stopping on their way to Washington D.C. 

Source:
Sparta Chamber of Commerce

June 30
Nashville
Commissioner Kisber will attend a State Funding Board meeting at 10:30 a.m.

July 2
Collegedale
Commissioner Kisber will attend a McKee Foods Corporation plant tour at 1 p.m.

To request ECD Commissioner Matt Kisber to speak or attend an event, please contact Jennifer Alward at (615) 253-1852 or jennifer.alward@state.tn.us

We invite your thoughts on the ECD Hot Sheet. Please click here to contact ECD Communications with any questions, concerns or suggestions you may have.

Business Development

BERO

BERO Hosts Third Annual WBOOC

More than 150 people attended the third annual Women Business Owners Opportunities Conference held at Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis last week.  The event, sponsored in part by BERO, featured keynote speaker Lynn Norment, vice president and managing editor of Ebony Magazine.  As part of the conference, nearly 25 women entrepreneurs participated in the Business Planning Boot Camp, during which they learned the mechanics of creating a business plan.

The event was hosted by the Tennessee Economic Council on Women, Tennessee Economic and Community Development and Southwest Tennessee Community College. Sandra Silverstein spoke on behalf of rural West Tennessee, serving as the co-host representative for a future rural West Tennessee WBOOC event.

DRA Graduates 3 Tenn. Leaders

BERO would like to congratulate the 2009 Graduating Class of the Delta Regional Authority's Delta Leadership Institute. Tennessee graduates include: Anne Banks of Brownsville, Phyllis Black of Memphis, Sylvia Mathis Palmer of Dyer County, and Rhea "Skip" Taylor of Somerville.

The Delta Leadership Institute, which is operated by the Delta Regional Authority, is designed to create a corps of leaders with a regional and national perspective. The first class of the institute met in 2005. The program was operated by the DRA in cooperation with Delta State University at Cleveland, Miss. In April 2006, the DRA board chose the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa to coordinate the Delta Leadership Institute.

Community Development

Local Planning

Map Modernization Moves Ahead

Grainger and Jefferson Counties received notification from FEMA last week that their new preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps will officially become effective December 16.  Local government officials have six months to adopt the new maps in order to remain in the National Flood Insurance Program.

Also last week, Madison County become the first of the 14 2007 Map Modernization Program counties to receive a copy of their new preliminary Flood Insurance Rate Maps.  Local officials have 30 days to review them prior to meeting in July with FEMA and the study contractor to discuss any mapping concerns.

For further information concerning the mapping process or the National Flood Insurance Program contact Stanley Harrison at 423-434-6476 or stanley.harrison@state.tn.us.