SPECIAL PROJECTS
The Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia Regional Partnership is an alliance of regional leaders who promote the unified regional identity, provides a forum for regional issues to be addressed in a collaborative manner. Under the Chairmanship of Gary Mabrey, President and CEO of the Johnson City, Jonesborough, Washington County Chamber of Commerce, and with the assistance of FTDD staff, the Partnership sought opportunities to promote regional projects and provide an environment where cooperative efforts could flourish. The Vision 2025 team encouraged focus area champions to implement action steps toward identified goals and objectives. An update of the goals and objectives was provided for the Economic Development Administration's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Plan. The team continues to encourage focus area teams to consider the vision when setting goals and objectives for our region, using the summary strategies and action steps to reach the goals identified for our preferred future.
The Chamber Coalition, under the leadership of Martha Lawson, took a delegation of regional leaders to the Tennessee Valley Corridor Annual Conference in Washington DC and met with Tennessee legislators to provide information regarding the projects which we, as a region, believe should be given priority. Chamber Coalition members attended the TVC Conference to identify collaborative projects within the TVC region.
The Tri-State Regional Collaborative Conference was organized as a result of the opening of US23/19 - Interstate 26 corridor which broadened the outreach of the Northeast Tennessee region into North Carolina. Representatives from Asheville, Northeast TN, and Southwest Virginia are working together to define areas of common interest and potential collaboration..
During the 2004-2005 fiscal year, First Tennessee Development District performed its annual update to the Tennessee Advisory Commission for Intergovernmental Relations Infrastructure Survey. Communities and schools reviewed the information previously gathered to insure correctness. With each update, this survey database becomes a more reliable source to match with grant funds available from state, federal, and local sources. TACIR publishes an annual report mad available to our local governments and school systems.
First Tennessee Development District participates on the board of the Northeast Tennessee Youth Council which is affiliated with the Workforce Investment Board. The WIB Youth Council successfully reached out-of-school and in-school youth through various programs aimed to either put them into full-time employment situations or provide opportunities for in-school youth through various programs aimed to either put them into full-time employment situations or to provide opportunities for in-school youth to gain basic skills and continue into advanced training. The WIB Youth Council programs exceeded all federal and state mandated youth performance measures.
The Tri-Cities TN/VA Quality Forum, annual conference promoting quality awareness in our region, focuses attention on the benefits of participating in quality management processes. Sessions cover topics in the areas of health, government, service, manufacturing, and education. FTDD staff participates on the planning team for this event and facilitates concurrent sessions. This annual event is sponsored by Northeast State Community College, the Northeast Tennessee Section of the American Society for Quality, Mountain States Health Alliance, the Business Journal of Tri-Cities TN/VA, and Eastman Chemical Company.
First Tennessee Development District provides assistance to community leadership programs located in our eight counties through leadership day facilitation and/or curriculum and program development. Along with the individual program work, FTDD also works with the Regional Leadership Council and acts as liaison between the various leadership groups. The Council is responsible for planning and implementing the annual Regional Leadership Day. This is a day when each of the leadership program participants come together to focus on a regional issue and to develop working relationships across county and municipality lines. Regional Leadership Day, 2004-2005, was hosted by Leadership 2015 (Johnson City) with a major sponsorship by Eastman Chemical Company and Citi Group. B.I.G. - "Build, Innovate and Grow" - was the theme for the day and featured presentations by local business and industry leaders who have excelled in preparing for and doing business in the 21st Century.
First Tennessee Development District works closely with the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association to coordinate tourism promotion in the region. Staff participates in the regularly scheduled board meetings, quarterly updates, and strategic planning sessions. NETTA provides a forum for regional tourism agencies and all businesses that benefit from tourism dollars to work together to promote our region's tourism entities and to provide an excellent destination for visitors. Claudia Moody, NETTA's Chief Executive Officer, reported that, based on 2003 Impact of Travel, tourism is a $10.8 billion industry in the State of Tennessee and generates $4,590.88 million in payroll, $566.62 million in state tax receipts and $318.48 million in local tax receipts, employing over 173,000. In Northeast Tennessee, tourism contributes $470.72 million in travel expenditures; $118.78 million in payroll, with over 5 thousand jobs; $14.73 million in local taxes; and $28.2 million in state taxes.
FTDD is represented on the board of the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance and participates as a member of the Administrative Team.
The District participants in the annual Tennessee Valley Corridor Economic Summits which focus on how the Tennessee Valley Corridor can work together to leverage the regional assets and capabilities in various technology fields. Progress reports on Corridor initiatives are presented, and collaborative efforts are explored and developed. Opportunities to identify common issues and a widening of the network of contacts provide a better understanding of where we can work together to fulfill FTDD's mission to provide regional progress through regional cooperation. Susan Reid, FTDD Executive Director, serves on the Board widening of the network of contacts are presented and collaborative efforts are explored and developed. Opportunities to identify common issues and a widening of the network of contacts provides a better understanding of where we can work together and to fulfill FTDD's mission to provide regional progress through regional cooperation. Susan Reid, FTDD Executive Director, serves on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Corridor as Congressman Jenkins' representative and will serve as Chairman of this board in 2005-2006.
FTDD is collaborating with the Tennessee Valley Authority to provide the eSynchronist Business Information System for our region. This system provides economic development organizations with information needed to guide decisions regarding local economic policy and business retention; it also provides a tool to define, organize data, analyze, and report existing company information, giving community decision-makers a better understanding of the local economy..
If you have any questions or comments about any of these projects please send an e-mail to Beulah Ferguson, Special Projects Coordinator.
