PARTNERS NEWSLETTER | APRIL 2020
From the President's Desk

These are the best of times and these are the worst of times. We now know what Charles Dickens meant when he wrote these words in a Tale of Two Cities .

It is the best of times in Greene County as we see the natural beauty that surrounds us and the resilience of the people that make up our great county. As I make my occasional excursion to the grocery store, I pass families playing tennis in the streets, children making amazing chalk drawings on sidewalks, I hear children running and playing and couples holding hands on a casual walk. I could add I also have 2 of my 3 children home from college as we had just recently become empty-nesters in August. Greene countians are taking time to reconnect.

And yet, these are the worst of times as we cannot enjoy to the fullest extent the natural beauty of Greene County, schools are closed and the economic impact of the COVID-19 elevated the strain on our local economy and further disrupted our quality of live. Did I mention, as of publication, I have been on the job 5 days!

The team at the Greene County Partnership, despite the disruption of now working remotely, has adapted and refocused our energy and efforts. The regular responsibilities of coordinating events such as the NJCCAA World Series, Youth Leadership, Iris Festival and Keep Greene Beautiful, have shifted to gathering, filtering and publishing pertinent information to assist our community in coping, job placement and safety. We will continue to work to be a source of information and support during these difficult times. Regarding economic development, we have NOT taken our foot off the gas. We are diligently working to develop new, innovative strategies to be in the best position when this pandemic subsides as well as promote current opportunities as they arise.

I encourage you to follow all CDC guidelines for sanitation and distancing and refer to the US Chamber of Commerce for up to the minute Coronavirus business assistance at the following link: https://www.uschamber.com/coronavirus . When possible, support our local small businesses while adhering to Governor Lee’s executive orders.

“It was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope…” as Mr. Dickens continues. I not only have hope, but I also have confidence in Greene County.

Jeff
New Members
The Partnership welcomes the following new members: W&J Scents, The Blessed Bee Herbs, Don Mathis, individual, PromoMarket.us, Baileyton KOA, 107 Tire & Service Center, Competitive Pressure Washing, RG Diesel, LLC, and Dave Wright.
Iris Festival
Following recommendations from state and local officials, the 26th Annual Greeneville Iris Festival and Sundown on Depot are being rescheduled. A new date will be announced soon. In keeping tradition of promoting our community and the state flower, the Iris, we are asking you to go on a virtual IRIS WALK with us. Have a beautiful iris blooming in your flower garden? Take a quick photo and post it to social media. If you wish, tell us a little about the iris, it’s location, and be sure to tag us so we can share them too. Adapting to the ever changing times, we look forward to going on a  #greenevilleiriswalk2020  with you!
Green Coat News
Ground Breaking
The Green Coat Ambassadors attended a groundbreaking for the new Eastman Credit Union, March 6.  The new credit union will be located at 845 W. Andrew Johnson Hwy next to Aubrey’s.
Jobs4Greene Talent Exchange
JOBS4GREENE Virtual Talent Exchange

Are you currently hiring? Or will you soon be? We have a solution for connecting potential employees with local employers. In keeping with physical distancing, this virtual Facebook talent exchange will launch Wednesday, April 8 at 8 a.m. to connect job seekers with potential employers. This event will feature pre-employment tips on resume writing and interview preparation and available jobs.

We are asking you to become engaged in this event. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1130975193908001/ to post your available jobs and to search for employment. Should you have questions, Partnership staff will be available on Facebook to answer and assist.

“The GCP is working to promote all opportunities that are available as we are made aware of these during this very difficult time. We are proud to be the first in Northeast Tennessee to launch a virtual job fair and will continue to find innovate means to promote and develop job creation in Greene County,” said Jeff Taylor, Greene County Partnership President & CEO. 
Tourism







The 12th Annual Antique Appraisal Fair & Show, slated to take place on March 21 has been postponed until late June or early July. The committee is currently working with the Greeneville City Schools on a more firm date and all but one vendor will be able to participate. A special thanks goes out to all of our sponsors that are willing to move along with the event. The committee currently still has a waiting list for vendors. If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please contact Tammy Kinser at tkinser@greenecop.com .
NJCAA Sports Council
Even though the 2020 National Junior College Athletic Association’s Division III World Series has been cancelled, hopefully lots of positive news is on the way. Tourism’s Sports Council has bid on and expects to hear on April 20, the decision on hosting the 2021-2023 DIII World Series and the 2021-2023 DIII Men’s Tennis championships. The World Series would be held at Pioneer Park on the campus of Tusculum University and the Men’s Tennis would be held at the Greene County Tennis Center on Hal Henard Road and the courts at Tusculum University. In 2019, the NJCAA World Series brought in a $2.4M economic impact. If you are interested in participating on the Sports Council or would like to be a host family for any future events, please contact Tammy Kinser at tkinser@greenecop.com .
Keep Greene Beautiful
The 2020 Keep Greene Beautiful Golf tournament sponsored by GFL Environmental will be postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak. The event, which was scheduled for April, will be rescheduled to be held on June 25, 2020 at Link Hills Country Club. The event helps to raise funds for Keep Greene Beautiful’ s programs and activities held throughout the year. "Ultimately, the health and well-being of everyone associated with the tournament led us to this decision," stated Brad Peters, chairman of Keep Greene Beautiful, said in a statement. "We hope this postponement puts us in the best position to safely host the event in June” he added.
COVID-19 Resources
Useful Links to COVID-19 Resources:
 
·     IRS FAQ
·    STEP Application
·    ECA Application
·   FAQ Document
·    CARES Act
Covid-19 Critical Supplies
 
UT CIS’s Tennessee Manufacturing Extension Partnership is working with NIST MEP to connect companies to entities responsible for procuring COVID-19 critical supply shortage materials. Responses will also be shared with the State of Tennessee COVID-19 Unified Command team. 
 
You can access the survey and checklist by clicking the buttons below.
Census 2020
The U.S. Census Bureau will begin counting every person that lives in the United States. You can help grow Greene County, Tennessee by being counted! Ensure our community is accurately represented, BE COUNTED! To learn more about the upcoming census, visit uscensus.gov.
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