Recap: General Meeting, Keynote Speaker

Randy Boyd, Commissioner, TN Department of Economic & Community Development, gave a forward-looking Keynote Speech. He discussed his vision for our state and how our industry can play a part in shaping the future for the better. Public utilities can impact a county in so many ways, he said. Some counties may face more obstacles than others. For example while some counties are growing at an accelerated rate each year, there are rural counties in Tennessee without widespread broadband (which is as essential as "water or electricity"), a lack of higher education opportunities, and inadequate advanced infrastructure needed to attract new business. "It is sort of hard to celebrate our successes when some of our counties are struggling." But, Boyd and his Department are committed to helping all of Tennessee prosper with the help of grants and other programs aimed at bringing businesses or tourism opportunities to every county in the state. "We want to be a state that is good for investors. A big part of what we do is supporting our communities. People don't want to work where they don't want to live."  A rural county may not have the infrastructure in place, but ecotourism can fill that void, especially for counties where that makes more sense than trying to bring in a factory. Boyd emphasized that all counties should focus on higher education, broadband, infrastructure and working together. "If we play better as a team, we can all win."