Also, join Benita Giffin with Obion County/UT Extension on these 6 days for Farmers' Market Fresh!
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Chamber Board Member Spotlight
Board Member Name:
Danny Patterson
Company Name:
Little General (Cox Oil Company)
Position:
Director of Marketing
Work Phone:
731 885 6444
Areas of Expertise:
Marketing, Sales
Other Interests:
Golf / Fishing
Why did you join the Chamber?
It gave me a chance to give back to the community after all that is what we all should do because without the community and each other what do we have? It has also been a great experience working with other leaders and meeting new people that come to live and work in our town and county.
Why do you serve on the Board of Directors?
Serving on the Board has given me a voice in the community that in some way I feel affect the community in a positive light toward growth that benefits everyone.
What is the Chamber's role in the business community?
To help all business so they grow and prosper in our community and give us the information as we network together that enables us to make this process happen.
Board Member Name:
Kyle Baggett
Company Name:
First Citizens National Bank
Position: Loan Officer 
Work Phone: 731-536-1601
Areas of Expertise:
Ag Lending, Commercial Business Loans, Consumer Loans
Other Interests:
Duck Hunting, Golf, Tennessee Athletics
Why did you join the Chamber?
I understand the benefit of how the local chamber can have on our community with job creation. A thriving chamber affects every aspect of our community, and with me as a local banker I see everyday with my customers if the economy of our local community is booming or bust. I felt I could help our local community grow, and make Obion County a better place to live.
Why do you serve on the Board of Directors?
Serving on the Board of Directors allows me to give my banking industry a voice when decisions on what direction the chamber will take that come up. I also enjoy learning how other business leaders of other companies handle problems differently that I am used too.
What is the Chamber's role in the business community?
Chamber main role is to network with major companies to hopefully bring jobs to our community. Chamber also provides a role to help existing business in the community informed on what is happening in our local community.
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Chamber Ambassador Member Spotlights
Ambassador Name:
Tim York
Company Name:
Center Point Business Solutions
Position: Client Manager
Work Phone:
(731)-885-4810
Areas of Expertise:
I enjoy working in the field of Human Resource Management because there are so many different layers involved. Often I will say that we are in the people business, so no two days are exactly the same. At Center Point we assist our clients with a wide range of things like recruiting, interviewing, hiring, payroll, training, maintaining personnel files, creating employee handbooks, etc... We have the opportunity to wear many hats on any given day of the week.
Other Interests:
I enjoy duck hunting, watching sports, all types of music, and hanging out with my family and friends. Also, as I have grown, I've learned the importance of education. I have been involved on the Rotary Scholarship Committee, as well as a mentor for high school students through the Tennessee Promise Program.
Why did you join the Chamber?
The Obion County Chamber of Commerce is one of the best ways to be involved in our county. This is also a great way to stay informed about what is going on. We are fortunate to live in a very active community where people and businesses are happy to support each other.
Why do you serve as an Ambassador?
Being an Ambassador for the Chamber was an easy decision. We try to help promote events and show support for local business by volunteering our time and helping to spread the word. As a person involved with a small, local business, it just makes sense to me.
What is the Chamber's role in the business community?
I am a firm believer in the "big picture" idea. So many things go hand in hand and people and businesses are so connected, even if we don't always realize it initially. The little things really do matter. The Chamber does a great job of bringing members of the business community together to communicate, network, and learn from each other. It's a great system.
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Mahindra of Ken-Tenn
Mahindra of Ken-Tenn recently had a ribbon cutting! We had a great turnout and wonderful lunch!
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Obion County Adult Leadership Graduation
By GLENDA CAUDLE:
Special Features Editor; The Messenger
"You got to see things a lot of people take for granted," Charley Deal told members of the 2015-16 Obion County Adult Leadership Class.
He was referring to the nine sessions that serve to acquaint Obion Countians with the many positive aspects of industry, business, education, the arts, medical care, media, local government and law enforcement in their part of the Volunteer State.
In addition to those important locally-focused opportunities, members of each year's class begin their adventure with a team building day in early fall, using that time to settle on a class project, as well. They also take a trip to Nashville for Legislative Day, where they meet Tennessee's secretary of state - this year's class was introduced to Tre Hargett - and spend time with the senators and representatives from this area who take their interests and concerns to the state Capitol.
Many graduates of the classes, which started in 1986, with the Obion County Adult Leadership Class of 1986-87, go on to assume leadership roles at both the county and city level, supporters say.
Deal is responsible for the WestStar program that expands such a focus to much of West Tennessee and frequently accepts alumni of Obion County Leadership into its ranks. He encouraged members of the 2015-16 class to keep in mind the experiences they have had as they go about their daily activities.
"Use it to sell your county to other people," he urged. "I challenge you to stay involved and to lead by example. Be vocal, but learn to listen, as well. And be committed to making Obion County even better."
Greg Dozier, a former member of the class and president of the board of directors, used his portion of the Thursday night program to call attention to the TALC Award won by the Obion County Leadership effort. The local organization competed with 80 other such programs to claim the prize as the top Tennessee Association of Community Leadership Programs last October.
Class members Nicole Kincade and Jennifer Slack presented the class project and described the contact effort that allowed the class to contribute $2,500 to help the City of Hornbeak finance a helipad for the town. The class members were also able to give more than $1,400 to the "Backpack" project that provides food for students in Union City and Obion County systems when school is not in session.
Three class members - Laura Waggoner, Tammy Sparks and Ms. Kindcade - were recognized for perfect attendance during the months' long program.
Dozier welcomed those attending, who were treated to a technological photo display of class activities played out on The Venue at Center Point Business Solutions' large screen, and presented plaques to mark the class members' completion of the program. He also offered closing remarks.
Phyllis Rauchle, who has been associated with the program since 2010, when she went through as a student and used the experience to prepare her to become director in 2011, introduced Deal, following an invocation by class member Rebecca Mueller and a meal shared by other class members, their guests, members of the board of directors and special guests.
Class members included Mrs. Waggoner, Mrs. Sparks, Ms. Slack, Matt Sanner, Jason Revell, Regina Pinion, Ms. Mueller, Corey McDaniel, Ms. Kincade, Barry Keathley, Flynn Jowers, Travis Johnson, Rob Holma
n, Gordon Fox, Bill Dahnke, Wendy Dalton, Damon Chandler and Gordon Bruff.
It was announced that Johnson and Ms. Kincade had been selected by their class to serve on the Leadership Obion County board of directors, joining Michele Barnes, Charlene Burpo, Jennifer Eason, Emily Hall, Amber Jones, Seth Rhenberg, Lolly Bearden, Carolina Conner, Lindsay Frilling, David Harris, Katie Keathley, Holly Turner, Michelle Bing, Lisa Davis, John Fry, Mandy Hinson, Dustin McBride and Donnie Walton.
The Obion County Adult Leadership Class of 2016-17 will begin sessions in late September or early October, according to Mrs. Rauchle. She will begin accepting applications in June at [email protected].
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Governor Haslam, Commissioner Boyd Announce 15 Communities to
Receive Site Development Grants
NASHVILLE - Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd announced today that 15 communities will receive $5.7 million in Site Development Grants to prepare economic development sites for market.
The Site Development
Grant program
is part of the larger Rural Economic Development Fund announced by Haslam and Boyd last October.
"We want to help our rural communities build capacity and be ready for investment and economic success, and through the Site Development Grant program, all 15 communities will be able to succeed and grow," Haslam said. "We've embraced change in our approach to workforce readiness with programs like Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect, and we want to congratulate all 15 communities on receiving these grants. I look forward to seeing each thrive and bring new business to our state."
The grants assist communities in finalizing infrastructure and engineering improvements for project ready certified sites. The grants are intended to help rural communities overcome barriers to site certification and prepare them to receive an economic development project.
The Site Development Grant program works in cooperation with the department's Select Tennessee Site Certification program, named the best site certification program in the U.S. by Area Development magazine.
"Site certification is really site elimination. Rural Tennessee communities already compete for jobs and investment and do quite well. We want to help them up their game and increase their
close
rate by making our rural county site inventory among the most attractive and project ready in the world," TNECD Commissioner Randy Boyd said.
"Through this investment, we expect to see more opportunities and deal flow in rural Tennessee by assisting communities in overcoming obstacles for certification or by improving a Certified Site," Assistant Commissioner for Rural Development Amy New added. "We want to partner with communities to complete the finishing touches on their sites so that we see more gold shovels tossing the ceremonial dirt."
An advisory committee made up of staff from the department, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture selected these 15 sites from a pool of 24 applications. The
application
process was competitive with grants awarded based on benefit to the community, economic impact and projected return on investment.
The grants awarded were:
- Brownsville I-40 Advantage $500,000 - Extension of 1600 linear feet of water line and boring under the railroad tracks to close the loop in the system along the bypass
- Centerville Shipps Bend Industrial Site $310,650 - Construction of access road and new wastewater line to the property
- Coffee County IB Joint Industrial Park $163,350 - Clearing of 16.5 acres of the 48.62 acre Select TN site
- Dresden IDB Pad Ready Site $290,700 - Paving of the access road to allow the property to be easily accessible and more appealing to industrial prospects
- Gibson County Industrial Site South $495,000 - Relocation of 69kV transmission lLine which splits the property
- Humboldt Gibson County Industrial Site North $356,400 - Extension of 3200 linear feet of 12 inch water main
- Lawrence County JECDB Team Lawrence Commerce Park East and West $309,985 - Widen and develop County Farm Road to meet state industrial access
requirements
and create better access
- Montgomery County IDB County Corporate Business Park $212,264 - Clearing of approximately 70 acres of trees that will allow for both better access to the central part of the site and increase interest through preliminary land work being completed
- Pulaski Industrial Park South Lot 5 $357,300 - Extension of 2500 linear feet of
sewer line
- Ripley Walker East Industrial Park $485,459 - Construction of 1000 linear feet of frontage road and the widening of Highland Street to include a third lane for turning onto the highway
- Roane County IDB Jones Road Site $356,072 - Clearing and grading for a building pad to accommodate a minimum 100,000 square foot building
- Shelbyville 23 North Business Park (Commerce Business Park) $500,000 - Construction of paved two lane industrial access road with utilities and park sign
- Tiptonville Lake County Industrial Site at Cates Landing $500,000 - Construction of wastewater lagoon improvements and the installation of approximately 18,000 linear feet of 12-inch force main
- Union City Northwest Tennessee Regional Industrial Center $450,000 - Grading of approximately 15.5 acres to create a pad ready site for a 105,000 square foot building that is expandable to 200,000 square feet
- Washington County Telford $473,405 - Grading of the 21.7-acre site to accommodate a 150,000 square foot facility
Each application was supported by the community's senator and representatives in the Tennessee General Assembly.
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DSCC Receives Positive Review from Accredita
tion Visit
DYERSBURG, Tennessee - The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) visited Dyersburg State Community College (DSCC) Feb. 16-19 to review its General Studies dual enrollment courses offered at Dyersburg, Dyer County and Brighton High Schools and the Certified Production Technician (CPT) program offered at Halls High School.
The SACSCOC accreditation team found that DSCC met all of the 27 standards under review and had no recommendations for improvement. DSCC President Karen Bowyer commended the guidance counselors, librarians, instructors and administrators at the local high schools for their assistance during the visit. "The team was very impressed with the good relationships and the communication that we have with the high schools they visited," stated Dr. Karen Bowyer.
Members of the SACSCOC team included Dr. Cheryl Cardell, vice president of the Commission on Colleges, Dr. Nancy Johnson, Chair of the SACSCOC committee and provost at Big Sandy Community and Technical College, Dr. Michael Kirkland, professor of History and Humanities at Bainbridge State College, Michael Knecht, director of Library Services at Henderson Community College and Dr. Cissy Matthews, vice president of Instruction at Galveston College.
SACSCOC accreditation team members (left to right) Michael Knecht, director of Library Services at Henderson Community College, Dr. Cissy Matthews, vice president of Instruction at Galveston College, Dr. Cheryl Cardell, vice president of the Commission on Colleges, Dr. Nancy Johnson, Chair of the SACSCOC committee and provost at Big Sandy Community and Technical College and Dr. Michael Kirkland, professor of History and Humanities at Bainbridge State College.
Dyersburg State Community College
Dyersburg State Community College is an open access, learning-centered institution that serves seven counties in West Tennessee. Founded in 1969, DSCC's vision is to elevate the region's educational attainment thereby enhancing the quality of life in West Tennessee. The home campus of DSCC is in Dyersburg, and centers are located in Covington and Trenton. DSCC offers Tennessee Transfer Pathways programs, career technical certificates and degrees; learning support courses, continuing education and public service programs. The college is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award the associate degree. Learning is enhanced by a variety of student organizations, international learning opportunities, state of the art technology and intercollegiate athletic programs.
Tennessee's Community Colleges
Tennessee's Community Colleges is a system of 13 colleges offering a high-quality, affordable, convenient and personal education to prepare students to achieve their educational and career goals in two years or less. We offer associate degree and certificate programs, workforce development programs and transfer pathways to four-year degrees. For more information, please visit us online at tncommunitycolleges.org.
Dyersburg State Community College
Office of Institutional Advancement
1510 Lake Road, Dyersburg, TN 38024
Ph: 731-286-3347 * Fax: 731-288-7788
www.dscc.edu
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*Attention*
Hometown Walk of Hope is being rescheduled for Sunday, June 5
3:00-10:00pm
**The Survivor Lap will be at 6:00 pm**
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Topic:
Obion County Fair
Presenter:
Blake Laws
When:
Tuesday, June 21, 2016
7:45am-9:00am
Where:
Obion County Public Library
Sponsored By:
Obion County Fair Board
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George Leake, Director of Career and Technical Education in Obion County, presented our May Business Matters! He gave a great presentation on the co-op programs offered at our local high schools and the benefits of learning these valuable skills!
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What is Economic Development?
By Lindsay Frilling, Obion County JEDC
I am often asked "What do you do for a living?" or "What is economic development?". It is difficult to articulate, and many times I tell people that I help create an environment for job growth and wealth creation, thus making our community a better place to live, work, and play. Recently, I found a video that describes economic development at it's core. The title is, "Daddy, where do jobs come from?" I hope you will take five minutes to watch!
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Union City J'Cettes Cookbooks for sale!
The 2016 Union City J'Cettes are proud to share with you a taste of simple but delicious recipes passed down from generation to generation within the Union City J'Cettes.
Compiled with a wide variety of recipes, we hope our cookbook will provide you with all your needs to offer family and friends with gracious hospitality and seasonable cooking!
To purchase your cookbook stop by the chamber today!
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Pathways to Prosperity Survey Participants Needed!
Roughly half of all Americans reach their mid-20s without the skills or credentials essential for success in today's increasingly demanding economy, according to the 2011 Harvard Graduate School of Education report, Pathways to Prosperity: Meeting the Challenge of Preparing Young Americans for the 21st Century. If we fail to expand ways to prepare youth for post-secondary education and the workforce, their quality of life will suffer, our society will lose out on their potential contributors, and the costs to our economy will be severe. In June 2012, Tennessee was selected to join a multi-state consortium, the Pathways to Prosperity network, a multi-state initiative aimed to address the "skills gap" that threatens the preparedness of young Americans entering the workforce. Entrance into this consortium lead to the founding of Pathways TN. The Northwest region became part of the Pathways consortium in 2015. Our mission is to provide TN students rigorous academic/career pathways which are linked to economic and labor market trends in our local area. Our framework is comprised of:
- Active industry involvement in student learning, starting in middle school
- Strong integration of student supports, interventions, and counseling
- Utilization of early warning indicators and remediation strategies
- Allows students to acquire post-secondary credits and/or industry certifications in high school
- Supports seamless transition from secondary to post-secondary education institutions
- Participants have multiple entry and exit points through grades 13-16
- Program completers are competitive in Tennessee's fastest growing sectors
We are interested in learning about your company needs and your willingness to be involved with our young people.
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2016 Tennessee Vacation Guide
The 2016 Tennessee Vacation Guide is out and looks great; you can view the official
TN eGuide here
. There is a vast reach in the 550,000 printed distribution and even more important, it is very specific to our Tennessee Visitors planning to travel! The TN Guide can be directly requested, or picked up at one of the State's 14 Welcome Centers. I hope you can take a minute to dive into the pages that showcase our story so well.
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2016-2017 Tennessee Municipal Guide
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Any Chamber member interested in receiving the hospital's cafeteria menu weekly may contact Emily Medley, food and nutrition services director, at
[email protected].
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 The Workforce Board is pursuing Work Ready Community status for all 11 of the counties we serve, including Obion County. One of the goals is Employer Support. By completing the form, employers are simply stating they are in favor of the Work Ready Community initiative and see value in the NCRC assessment. In no way is an employer committing to do anything, buy anything, require the certification, or anything of that nature. The employer is stating support for the initiative. You can visit the website and see our progress at http://workreadycommunities.com/TN/13. |
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Attention Job Seekers and Employers!
The Tennessee Career Center at Union City is offering Resume W
riting work s
h
ops on
Tuesday afternoons at 1 PM. Job seekers interested in attending a workshop will need to complete a resume' worksheet prior to attending a session. Space is limited, so registration is required. Register by
calling
731-884-3868 between 8-4:30 Monday - Friday.
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| List Your Available Commercial Property With Us Let us help you spread the word about your available commercial property by listing it at www.obioncounty.org. If you have commercial property you would like to list, please contact Lindsay Frilling at [email protected]. |
Interested in sponsoring Business Matters or Business After Hours? Contact Lauren Bennett at [email protected]
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THEC Awards $1,125,000 to Tennessee Communities to Develop Local
Networks That Support Adult Learners
NASHVILLE - May 11 - The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) has awarded
 $1,125,000 in Reconnect Community grants to five Tennessee regions to establish community programs that will serve the needs of adults interested in completing a postsecondary credential.
These Tennessee Reconnect Communities (TRCs) will join the three existing programs which launched earlier this year serving the regions of Middle Tennessee, Upper Cumberland, and the Southwest Tennessee region. Together, these eight centers will provide adults across Tennessee with free advising, career counseling, and a personalized path to and through college. The TRCs' collective impact strategies engage higher education institutions, local government, local employers, community organizations, and adult learners alike.
"Through launching the first three Tennessee Reconnect Communities, we have realized how crucial locally-based collaboratives are in achieving the Drive to 55," said Jessica Gibson, assistant executive director at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. "Our mission is to make these personalized advising services available to any adult Tennessean who wants to return to school to pursue a credential or degree."
This initiative is based on The Graduate! Network's (TGN) proven model for improving outcomes for adult learners. TGN is a non-profit organization whose work is based on collective impact strategies and bringing together entities from
different sectors to innovate ways to increase college attainment among adults. The partnership between Tennessee and TGN provides the communities with training, guidance, support, and information to develop sustainable and locally-focused Drive to 55 efforts for adults. Each TRC grantee will adapt this service model to their local context, unique strengths, community partnerships, and collaborations. As seen with the current TRCs, this will result in a community-based effort of service delivery to adults that is unique to each community's needs and characteristics.
"There has never been a better time for adults in Tennessee to complete a certificate or degree," said THEC Interim Executive Director Russ Deaton. "The Tennessee Reconnect Communities are one facet of programs that will provide adults the support they need to guide them through the process of returning to higher education."
The most recent round of TRC grants was awarded to five regions across the state; grant amounts include start-up funds of $225,000 per community and include technical assistance provided through The Graduate! Network. Implementation will begin June 2016 and the community programs will launch in November 2016.
The grants were awarded through a competitive application process. The TRC grant program is administered by THEC and subgrants are funded by the State of Tennessee with technical assistance funded by Lumina Foundation.
List of Funded Communities:
* Northwest TN
-Lead Organization: Obion County Chamber of Commerce
-Counties Served: Dyer, Lake, Lauderdale, Obion
* Southwest TN
-Lead Organization: Leadership Memphis
-Counties Served: Shelby
* South Central TN
-Lead Organization: South Central Tennessee Workforce Alliance
-Counties Served: Bedford, Coffee, Franklin, Giles, Grundy, Lawrence, Lincoln, Marshall, Moore
* Northeast TN
-Lead Organization: Douglas-Cherokee Economic Authority, Inc.
-Counties Served: Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Jefferson, Sevier, Union
* East TN
-Lead Organization: Alliance for Business & Training
-Counties Served: Carter, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi, Washington
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The Tennessee Higher Education Commission was created in 1967 by the Tennessee General Assembly. The Commission develops, implements, and evaluates postsecondary education policies and programs in Tennessee while coordinating the state's systems of higher education. There are nine public universities, two special purpose institutes, 13 community colleges, and 27 colleges of applied technology in Tennessee that educate nearly 250,000 students.
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