The 62nd Annual Governor’s Conference on Economic and Community Development will be held Oct. 13-14 at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Nashville. The conference theme will focus on “Team Tennessee” showcasing how the state’s workforce, education and transportation systems are aligning to support Tennessee’s overall economic development mission.
This year’s conference will be attended by more than 800 economic development leaders, state and local elected officials, and business professionals.
“When people think of economic development, they typically think of business recruitment and expansions, but it’s so much more than that.
It is educational attainment, tourism, developing our communities and creating strong, vibrant places for people to live and work, and making all of that possible is a collaborative effort,” TNECD Commissioner Randy Boyd said. “This year’s conference will give attendees an opportunity to hear from several of my fellow cabinet members in addition to a number of other exceptional speakers, and I’m hopeful that our stakeholders will leave with new, creative ideas to share with their communities. I look forward to the conference and highlighting the efforts of so many hardworking people throughout our great state as we come together to celebrate ‘Team Tennessee.’”
The two-day conference includes 12 educational sessions on topics ranging from rural development, workforce and education, to entrepreneurism, branding and more. Also on the agenda are three plenary sessions which will explore issues involving economic development alignment, the state of transportation in Tennessee and the power of education, led by Commissioner Boyd, TDOT Commissioner John Schroer and Department of Education Commissioner Candice McQueen, respectively.
Business author Joe Calloway will be the keynote speaker for the Commissioner’s Luncheon on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Calloway is also a consultant and speaker with a client list including companies like Coca Cola, IBM, Cadillac and American Express. He works with small to mid-sized business groups including franchisees, medical practices, law firms and professional services groups. Calloway is the author of “Be the Best at What Matters Most” and five other ground-breaking business books including “Becoming a Category of One,” which received rave reviews from The New York Times.
For more information on the 62nd Annual Governor’s Conference, visit
govcon.tnecd.com. RSVP to Jennifer McEachern at jennifer.mceachern@tn.gov by 5 p.m. CDT Friday, Oct. 9.