Meetings held to improve region’s industrial recruitment
The Upper Cumberland Development District, in partnership with Tennessee Tech, is working to bring the 14 counties under the UCDD umbrella together in an effort to improve industrial recruitment and economic development on a regional level.
To further this goal, the UCDD has been holding regional planning meetings at the Hyder-Burks Pavilion at Tennessee Tech, inviting representatives from a variety of disciplines to attend and provide input as to what their respective communities consider important to their economic growth and the growth of the region.
Two such meetings have been held so far, one in October and one in December. UCDD director of economic development David Mainord, who, along with UCDD’s Wendy Askins, was instrumental in instituting the program, feels the gatherings have provided a wealth of information.
“We’re trying to develop a regional strategic plan,” said Mainord, who got the program idea after attending a planning session for the Appalachian Regional Commission in Washington, D.C.
“As you know, strategic planning is looking at your strengths and weaknesses and where you want to be, and sort of a road map of how to get there,” Mainord said. “And I just thought it would be really good if we could do this on a regional level. Hopefully, people would see the benefit and take it back to their communities and counties and do some planning on their own.”
The first meeting drew around 110 people with representatives from all of the 14 counties in the Upper Cumberland region.
Four main topics have been discussed: education and workforce, economic and business development, transportation and infrastructure, and leadership and collaboration.
County Executive Kenneth Rogers, who attended the meetings, said it’s important to function as a regional entity.
“We would really like to be competitive with the Nashville area, Davidson County, Rutherford County,” Rogers said, “and be able to pool our resources together. Three or four of us could have more impact than just one county.”
Rogers says cooperation within the region is key to growing the area economy.
“Basically if something lands in Warren County,” Rogers said, “it’s going to help White County, DeKalb County, Cannon and all the surrounding counties.”