Synopsis

1.         The agenda noted the expansion of the Tennessee University Presidents' Council to include Presidents and universities from across Tennessee, with a focus on building regional leadership and competitiveness and the leading role of universities in forming innovation hubs and clusters.

2.         The meeting marked the launch of a strategic partnership with the Porter Development Initiative, an international development company created by Michael Porter.

3.         At the core of the agenda, Regional Steering Committee Chairs presented reports on their regions and their nominations for the inaugural PDI Leaders Academy.

4.         An overview of one of the case studies planned for the Academy curriculum was also provided.

Leaders Academy Delegation Reports

The meeting centered on presentations by the Chairs of the Regional Steering Committees, each outlining the cross-sector delegation nominated for the 2026 Academy. Each Chair defined the geographic scope of their region’s economic cluster zone — the counties in Tennessee and neighboring states that together comprise the region’s core economic, educational, social, and cultural ecosystem. The presentations also highlighted key regional features, provided an overview of Steering Committee membership, and summarized the composition of each nominated delegation. Highlights from the eight regional reports are summarized below.

TLAP CLUSTER ECONOMIC ZONE 1                                                                                                                            URBAN ANCHOR:  TRICITIES

REGION: Counties:  Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, and Washington.  Virginia – Washington and Scott. North Carolina – Ashe, Avery, and Watauga.

Regional Steering Committee:  Brian Noland, President, ETSU, Chair

President Noland noted that the Upper East Tennessee Zone 1 region extended into Kentucky, Virginia, and North Carolina, but for the sake of focus for the first delegation, they had decided to focus on key leaders within Tennessee.

Further highlights include—

·       Zone 1 has a population of over one million, but is often given less attention than other Tennessee regions for its economic capacity and potential

·       The University and Ballad Health system are the two primary trusted convenors in the region

·       To ensure the viability of the rural areas of the region, Ballad Health has committed not to close any rural hospital in the area, a key strategy for rural economic development

·       Key cluster assets include chemicals, nuclear energy, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing

·       The delegation includes key leaders from the major businesses and institutions of the region, which tend to be located in Tennessee

TLAP CLUSTER ECONOMIC ZONE 2                                                                                                                            URBAN ANCHOR:  KNOXVILLE-OAK RIDGE

REGION:  East Tennessee Development District.  16 counties with 56 municipalities, including:  Anderson, Blount. Campbell, Claiborne. Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, Monroe, Roane, Scott, Sevier, and Union.

REGIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE:  Donde Plowman, Chancellor, UTK and Tammy White, President and CEO, Leadership Knoxville, Co-Chairs

Tammy White made the presentation on Zone 2, which is anchored by the urban centers of Knoxville and Oak Ridge, noting that the region falls entirely within Tennessee and is aligned with the state’s development district.  The Zone 2 Steering Committee is representative of the sectors and counties of the region.  Further highlights include—

·       Zone 2 is the third largest population demographic of the state

·      The region boasts strong academic research and educational infrastructure, anchored by UT Knoxville, and also including Roane State Community College, Maryville College, and Pellissippi State Community College

·      Key clusters include banking/financial services, nuclear, and sustainable energy, among others

·      The Zone 2 Steering Committee includes key leaders from these cluster sectors, including the Director of ORNL, ORAU, and key leadership from TVA and the local banking sector.

·       Ms. White provided a profile and bio overview of each nominee and their alternates

TLAP Cluster Zone 3

Urban Anchor:  Chattanooga

REGION: Southeast Tennessee Development District: 10 Counties. Bledsoe, Bradley, Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, Rhea, and Sequatchie.

MSA: Georgia:  Catoosa, Dade, Hamilton, Marion, Sequatchie, and Walker

REGIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE:  Tim Smith, Mayor, City of Chattanooga, Chair

Charita Allen, Senior Advisor for Economic & Workforce Development, Office of the Mayor, provided the report on Southeast Tennessee since Mayor Kelly had to remain in Chattanooga for a Council meeting.  Ms. Allen noted that Zone 3 is anchored by Chattanooga but includes assets and regions in Georgia and Alabama as well.  Other highlights include—

·       The Chair for Zone 3 is a political leader—Mayor of the largest city in the region

·       It is unusual for a city Mayor in the area to be the neutral convenor for other elected officials and leaders across the region

·       At the same time, the Mayor recruited a Steering Committee from the three states that convenes major leaders from the key sectors of the area

·       Key cluster assets of the region include energy, with the TVA headquarters located there, as well as emerging assets in nuclear energy, quantum computing, fintech, and manufacturing

·       The city and region are analyzing the pros and cons of moving into AI and data centers, reviewing the water and environmental impacts of those industries

·       After reviewing the other delegations, the Zone 3 Committee is considering some additions and changes to their slate of nominees

TLAP CLUSTER ECONOMIC ZONE 4                                                                                                                            URBAN ANCHOR:  COOKVILLE-CROSSVILLE

REGION:  Bledsoe, Cannon, Clay, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Scott, Smith, Trousdale, Van Buren, Warren, and White.

REGIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE:  Mark Farley, President, Upper Cumberland Development District, Chair

Mark Farley presented the report and nominations for the Upper Cumberland Region, an 18 county area in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains situated entirely within Tennessee.  Report highlights include—

·       The Upper Cumberland is rich in environmental beauty and protected forests but has a history of generational poverty

·       Key cluster assets include manufacturing, logistics, emerging nuclear industry operations, tourism, and a local tile cluster industry built on the clay soil of the region

·       Tennessee Tech is the major academic research institution for the region and is increasing its engagement in business and economic development in the area

·       The Steering Committee includes the CEO of one of the state’s largest companies founded and led by a woman, the head of a major local investment firm, the director of economic development from Tennessee Tech, among others

·       The regional delegation also includes key leaders from the major companies and institutions of the region

·       Further data on the region appears in the final section of the minutes with the report on  Empower Upper Cumberland

TLAP CLUSTER ECONOMIC ZONE 5                                                                                                                            URBAN ANCHOR:  NASHVILLE

REGION:  Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Maury, Montgomery, Robertson, Sumner, Williamson, and Wilson counties.

REGIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE:  Robert Higgins, Chairman, Barge Design Solutions, and Nicolas Zeppos, Chancellor Emeritus, Vanderbilt University, Co-Chairs

Nick Zeppos initiated the report on Middle Tennessee, a region anchored by Nashville-Murfreesboro and contained within the state boundaries.  Chancellor Zeppos noted that while Middle Tennessee is growing rapidly and flourishing in many ways, there are concerns and challenges for the region, including affordable housing, congestion, overdevelopment, and in particular, a lagging entrepreneurial culture to generate future local prosperity.  Isaac Addae reiterated the various impacts of the significant in-migration, particularly young people, to the region.  Other highlights include—

·       Middle Tennessee boasts a strong academic research and workforce cluster with the many universities of the region, including Vanderbilt as the largest of the three R1 Research universities in Tennessee (along with UTK and University of Memphis)

·       Despite the R&D capacity of the region, the region’s economy has not grown primarily from research commercialization

·       Key cluster industries for the region are business/financial services (which includes HCA and the hospital management cluster of the area), tourism/hospitality, advanced logistics, and an emerging capacity for data analytics and data-based business opportunities based on the relocation of Oracle, Aazon, and others into the region

·       The 20-member Steering Committee includes key leaders from the region’s traditional companies and institutions, as well as from sports and hospitality/entertainment

·       The Committee worked to create a dynamic mix of strong leaders and sectors to ensure a high level of creativity for the group project

TLAP CLUSTER ECONOMIC ZONE 6                                                                                                                            URBAN ANCHOR:  CLARKSVILLE-FORT CAMPBELL

REGION: Counties:  Stewart, Houston, Dickson, Cheatham, Robertson, and Henry; Kentucky counties: Trigg, Christian, Todd, and Logan

REGIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE:  Buck Dellinger, President and CEO, Clarksville Economic Development Corporation and Jeff Truitt, Co-Owner, ServPro Southeast US, Co-Chairs

Buck Dellinger began by noting that the Zone 6 Committee felt strongly that their Zone and delegation must extend outside Tennessee into Kentucky.  Other highlights include—

·       Recent studies showed that over a third of the region’s economic activity came from outside Tennessee

·       A significant percentage of the regional workforce also travels daily across state lines

·       Key cluster assets include military, industrial, tourism, and agriculture, as well as other diverse economic opportunities

·       APSU is the major research and workforce development asset for the region

·       The region boasts the largest industrial park in the state with nearly 800 acres set aside  

·       Fort Campbell is a major economic asset yielding a high number of individuals who retire from military service and choose to remain in the area

·       The Committee felt that creating the Academy delegation provides a valuable opportunity to build new, meaningful ties with leaders and institutions across the state line that can accelerate economic growth

TLAP CLUSTER ECONOMIC ZONE 7                                                                                                                            URBAN ANCHOR:  JACKSON-MARTIN

REGION:  Counties:  Benton, Carroll, Chester, Crockett, Decatur, Dyer, Fayette, Gibson, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Henry, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison, McNairy, Obion, Tipton, and Weakley

REGIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE:  Yancy Freeman, Chancellor, UT Martin and Matt Marshall, President and CEO, United Way West Tennessee, Co-Chairs

Matt Marshall reported that he and Yancy Freeman, Chancellor, UTM decided to replace original plans to have two regions in  West Tennessee, with one in the northern half and the other in the southern half, with a single, large rural region.  Hence Zone 7 includes all of West Tennessee (excluding the Memphis area) and is anchored by Jackson and Martin.  

Other highlights include—

·       West Tennessee represents a region with greater potential than is often thought

·       The region boasts a large number of colleges and universities scattered across the region that offer a powerful infrastructure for workforce skills and economic development

·       The Committee feels that participation in TLAP and the Academy can give new energy to leaders in the region to step up and help the region to regain economic leadership and capacity that has eroded in the recent past

·       The Committee has selected 30 participants for the Academy since they decided to merge two regions

·       To further engage their delegation, the Committee plans to have the 2026 delegation recruit the 2027 delegation

TLAP CLUSTER ECONOMIC ZONE 8                                                                                                                            URBAN ANCHOR:  MEMPHIS

REGION:  Six counties and 39 municipalities that make up the MidSouth region. Counties:  Fayette, Lauderdale, Shelby and Tipton counties in Tennessee; DeSoto County in Mississippi; and Crittenden County in Arkansas.

REGIONAL STEERING COMMITTEE:  Bill Hargrave, President, University of Memphis and Anna McQuiston, Executive Director, Midsouth Development District, Co-Chairs

Bill Hardgrave presented the report and delegation from Southwest Tennessee, anchored by Memphis, but extending into Arkansas and Mississippi.  It was noted that both West Tennessee and Southwest Tennessee included Hamiliton County in their region, and agreed that did not represent a problem  Highlights include—

·       Zone 8 maps onto the Midsouth Development District, led by Anna McQuiston, the Co-Chair for the region

·       Key cluster assets include logistics (FedEx), biomedical, AI, and agriculture

·       Recent studies point toward the decline of the Emerald Valley in California due to water and land issues and to the rise of the Delta around Memphis as an emerging replacement

·       The Committee determined to pre-select the cluster focus and project for their delegation and chose to focus on agriculture, based on the emerging strategic importance of the Delta

·       The Zone 8 delegation will include working farmers, university experts in agriculture, and other agricultural leaders, creating a distinctive cohort for the Academy

Case Study Example:  Empower Upper Cumberland (EUC)

Mark Farley shared a brief overview of the EUC initiative funded with a $25M grant from the state of Tennessee.  Working with 800 families living in poverty, EUC successfully moved its first cohort out of poverty into self-sustaining employment and independence.  As the case study notes:

Early results are promising. As of June 2025, EUC has successfully transitioned 68 individuals from poverty, generating approximately US$3.5M in additional economic activity, supporting 21 local jobs in the region and generated over $565,000 in local, state, and federal tax revenues.. Combined, the program created a labor income gain of approximately $4,747,944 in the Upper Cumberland region.

The EUC model is now in negotiations with the New York Federal Reserve to replicate the program as a solution for rural poverty.  The case is also being presented immediately after the Council at an international microeconomics conference at Stanford University.  The case will also be included in the Academy curriculum in  2026.

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