In November, Class VII hit the road for Session II in Upper East Tennessee. Different from other Signature Program sessions, the Upper East Tennessee session focuses on smaller and rural communities nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.
Class VII spent Session II touring the Tri-Cities, learning about the region’s rural healthcare, education, entrepreneurship, and workforce development, while they visited the World’s Fastest Half Mile, a rural elementary school, and Eastman Chemical Company, one of the region’s largest employers.
Class VII member Avice Reid, the Director of Community Relations for the City of Knoxville, reflect on her time with Leadership Tennessee in the Appalachian Highlands.
Avice Reid
Senior Director
Knoxville City Government
Knoxville, Tennessee
“Regretfully, I must confess that I have traveled through the Tri-Cities numerous times, but never stopped to visit and take in its offerings. Northeast Tennessee is most impressive. From the innovative ways it is improving educational opportunities from elementary school through college, to the way it is taking a regional approach to attract new businesses and develop the workforce, Northeast Tennessee is on the move.
I was most impressed that the various chambers, politicians and business leaders realize that in order to become and stay competitive, it’s no longer about “I” but “We”. As a first step, the leaders assessed their strengths (manufacturing, medical research, and tourism) and are collectively trying to attract new businesses needing these skilled workers. The current workforce is not prepared to fill the technology jobs companies like Eastman and Ballad Health will require in the future and they realize they can’t recruit new businesses without a matching workforce. At the same time, they are addressing the basic needs of students and families in order to produce a better educated future workforce.
As the City of Knoxville’s Community Relations Director, I am challenged to help the City remove barriers and create opportunities for all residents. The good news is that some of the strategies discussed in the Tri-Cities can be used in Knoxville and across the state. There are several areas I would like to see more collaboration across the state and utilize state funding to implement viable solutions. As I discussed with classmates from Memphis to the Northeast, we all are searching for solutions to issues like how to grow an economy when the corresponding educated workforce is diminishing. In additional, as a state we are facing issues with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and need to implement more strategies to address its impact.”