From the desk of Dr. Joann Massey:

On October 1, we hosted our 4th Annual Economic Development and Community Recognition Awards, and the room told our story better than any report we publish.

In one space we had an $82 million adaptive reuse project, a coffee company that grew out of a $25,000 forgivable loan, two suburban mayors, a basketball franchise, a tech education nonprofit, three young entrepreneurs who are already running real businesses, and a port director closing out 36 years on the Mississippi River.

All of that is economic development. We spend much of the year trying to explain that our work is broader than capital investment totals and job counts, and for one morning it was simply visible in the room.

Thank you to the Tennessee Valley Authority for sponsoring, and congratulations to every honoree. I'm excited to share a special edition of the EDGE Express that provides a closer look at a special morning.

To view and download photos from the event, click here.

With gratitude,

Dr. Joann Massey

EDGE President and CEO

jmassey@edgemem.com

Recognizing the People Who Move This Region Forward

Economic development is usually reported in totals like capital investment, jobs created, or tax revenue projected. Those numbers matter, but behind every one of them is a developer who took a risk, a chamber staffer who made a call, a mayor who chose regional cooperation over local advantage, or a business owner who opened the door one more day.

The 4th Annual Economic Development & Community Recognition Awards recognized those people directly. We hosted this year's breakfast on Thursday, October 1, and the range of honorees in the room speaks for itself. Below, we’re sharing an overview of every winner.

Economic Impact Project of the Year: Northside Square

Northside Square has transformed a high school that closed in 2016 into an $82 million mixed-use campus at 1212 Vollintine Avenue, now home to workforce training, tech education, literacy programming, healthcare, and the arts, with affordable housing on the upper floors. Adaptive reuse at this scale requires years of patience and a long list of partners who stay committed through the difficult middle stretch. Congratulations to The Works, Inc. and ComCap Partners.

Leadership Awards: Mike Palazzolo and David Bradford

Regional economic development only works when city and suburban leaders treat growth as shared rather than competitive. Both honorees have consistently made that choice, and it is the reason conversations like the Joint Economic and Community Development Board are productive.

Culture Makers Award: Memphis Grizzlies, Kandace Stewart

Culture is one of the few things a company cannot relocate. People choose to live where they feel connected to a place, and the Grizzlies have built something that holds this city together in a way that shows up in talent retention whether or not anyone measures it.

Small Business Loan Impact Business of the Year: Cxffeeblack

Cxffeeblack is what the EDGE Small Business Loan Program is built for. Our forgivable loans reach business owners at the moment when a relatively small amount of capital determines whether an idea becomes a business. Since 2014, the program has supported 134 businesses across 18 ZIP codes.

Kidpreneurs of the Year: JusBrooklyn (Brooklyn Morman) and Clay Girl Jewelry (Kensley Self and Mary Hollis Bailey)

These young honorees are running real businesses, with products, customers, and pricing decisions. Entrepreneurship is a skill people learn by practicing it, and starting early is an enormous advantage. We were proud to recognize all three.

Regional Economic Development Agency of the Year: CodeCrew, Audrey Willis

Talent development is economic development. CodeCrew prepares Memphians for careers in technology, which addresses the single question we hear most often from companies considering this market: can we hire here?

Economic Development Marketing Campaign Champion: Collierville Chamber of Commerce, Shelby Williamson

A community can have every advantage and still lose a project because the right people never heard about it. The Collierville Chamber has done the work of making sure its story reaches the audiences that matter.

Chairman's Award: Michael Hooks

The Chairman's Award recognizes sustained commitment to this region's growth. Congratulations, Michael.

Awards of Appreciation: Sharp, Orgill, Morgan Steel, Watco, Susan Hadley Maynor, and Randy Richardson

These companies and individuals invested in Memphis and Shelby County in ways that will outlast any single fiscal year. Among them, Randy Richardson closes out 36 years of service at the Port of Memphis, a career spent on infrastructure most people never think about and every one of us depends on.

Thank you to our sponsor, Tennessee Valley Authority

This event would not have happened without the Tennessee Valley Authority, whose sponsorship made the morning possible. Thank you to TVA and to Latrivia Welch, Government and Community Relations Manager, for the continued partnership.