Volkswagen President and CEO Stefan Jacoby Praises Tennessee Valley Corridor
Stefan Jacoby - Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit
May 27, 2010
Prepared Remarks from Stefan Jacoby at the 2010 TVC National Summit
(as submitted to TVC Staff on May 26)

Thank you, Congressman Wamp, for that kind introduction.
 
Thank you also for helping to bring Volkswagen to Chattanooga. We’re glad we came to your congressional district and to the Tennessee Valley.
 
It is a pleasure to be with you this morning. The Tennessee Valley Corridor is a remarkable example of regional cooperation.
 
Your leadership has helped make the Tennessee Valley a magnet for technology-driven jobs.
 
A lot has happened since Volkswagen announced its decision to come to Chattanooga nearly two years ago. I would like to show you some of the progress….
 
[Roll time-lapse video of plant construction]
 
It’s amazing how much we accomplished in 30 seconds!
 
As the video said, we’re not just putting up walls and roofs. We’re putting down roots.
 
We are part of the Tennessee Valley community.
 
We could have gone nearly anywhere in the United States with our new plant.
 
The decision to come to Tennessee was driven by our heads and our hearts.
 
We had good reasons — and it just felt right.
 
The Web site for the Tennessee Valley Corridor lists 10 reasons the corridor is a technology hot spot.
 
It’s a pretty good overview of the objective factors behind our choice.
 
Two of the most important for us were “institutions that collaborate” and “national leadership through regional cooperation.”
 
This meeting is a good example of that collaboration and cooperation. You are focused on keeping a pool of talented workers in the region. Volkswagen is reaping those benefits.
 
We recently completed the hiring of our first 100 front line workers – all were from Hamilton County.
 
These new employees are beginning the rigorous training process designed to ensure the highest quality products coming out of our Chattanooga plant.
 
We’ll celebrate our progress next week with the official opening of our state-of- the- art training center next week.
 
We are on the fast track to start production on our new midsize sedan next year.
 
The midsize sedan, and the Chattanooga plant, are an integral part of our strategy for the U.S. market.
 
We have refined every aspect of our operations in this country to meet the needs of American consumers.
 
We streamlined our organization, strengthened our dealer network, improved brand promotion and delivered products that hit the sweet spot in every demographic.
 
You’ll begin to see the tangible results of this new product strategy in just a few weeks with the unveiling of our new compact sedan, a successor to our popular Jetta in New York City.
 
I can’t release too many details, but be prepared for a dramatic announcement that really kicks off the summer vacation season.
 
Ladies and Gentlemen, whether we’re in New York, Herndon or Chattanooga – Volkswagen is at Home in America.
 
We’re proud of our investment in the U.S.
 
The Chattanooga plant and the 2,000 people who will work there are a catalyst for economic growth throughout the region.
 
Our $1 billion investment in Tennessee translates into $12 billion in income growth, $1.4 billion in total new tax revenue and 9,500 indirect jobs at suppliers and other businesses.
 
To put that in perspective, $12 billion is equivalent to the total annual spending by the State of Tennessee. It is more than double the state’s share of the federal stimulus package.
 
We have awarded more than $686 million worth of contracts to Tennessee Valley companies. Another $230 million in construction projects are planned over the next 20 years.
 
At our adjoining supplier park, more than half of the contracts have gone to local or Tennessee companies.
 
We are also collaborating with educational institutions in Tennessee and in other parts of the Tennessee Valley Corridor.
 
Our education partnerships are designed to be comprehensive and mutually supportive.
 
That is why we fund programs from the elementary school level to world-class research institutions.
 
We help train teachers. We help students get to college. We help them succeed in college. We provide opportunities after college. We also work with students in vocational schools and community colleges.
 
In Tennessee, we have committed more than $5 million over five years to Hamilton County Schools; the University of Tennessee campuses in Chattanooga and Knoxville; the Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Fisk University and Tennessee State
 
Our partnership with Tennessee State provides scholarships and faculty support in the College of Business and Engineering. We also support an endowed chair in Supply Chain Management.
 
At Fisk, we established a fellowship for high-achieving students who are engaged in community service. Some of the beneficiaries would not have been able to attend Fisk without that support.
 
In Hamilton County, we have partnered with the Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy, a magnet elementary school, to provide a science lab. Nearly all of the students at the South Chattanooga school come from low-income families.
 
Our partnership with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory provides learning opportunities at the research facility for upper-division and post-graduate students who are interested in careers in the automotive industry.
 
At the Northern end of the Tennessee Valley Corridor, we have a five-year partnership with Virginia Tech to support environmentally responsible technology, manufacturing and engineering.
 
Those are just some of the programs we are supporting.
 
We are not just making a financial commitment to education. We are also committing time and expertise.
 
Volkswagen employees work directly with students and provide opportunities for learning outside the classroom.
 
Some Virginia Tech students served as a pit crew for the Jetta TDI Cup series.
 
Of course, we hope that the best and brightest students in the Tennessee Valley end up working for Volkswagen.
 
But even if they don’t, their knowledge will enrich the community and contribute to the economic vitality of the region we call home.
 
Creating technology-driven talent is critical for Volkswagen.
 
We are not just a car company. We are a technology company.
 
The cars of today are computers on wheels. The days of the shade tree mechanic are over. 
 
Technology is also driving the transition toward sustainable mobility.
 
Our industry is reinventing the automobile.
 
At Volkswagen, we are taking a two-track approach to sustainable mobility.
 
We are doing all we can do get the most from today’s fuels while pursuing nearly every possible option for tomorrow’s power sources.
 
Our TDI technology — turbocharged direct injection — is setting new standards for mileage and performance.
 
It provides 20 to 40 percent better mileage and 50 percent more torque.
 
In a coast-to-coast trip, our clean diesel Jetta TDI averaged 58 miles a gallon.
 
Cars that routinely get 70 miles a gallon are within reach.
 
Volkswagen is leading the way with clean diesel.
 
Now we want to lead the way with hybrids and electric cars for the mass market.
 
We are preparing to enter the electric car market in a big way.
 
We will soon put electric test fleets on the road in Europe, North America and China.
 
We will offer three new all-electric cars in 2013 — the E-Up!, the E-Golf and the E-Jetta.
 
By 2018, we expect that 3 percent of our cars will be electric vehicles.
 
Volkswagen and other car companies are making a huge investment — in the high double-digit billions — to bring alternative-fuel vehicles to the market.
 
We need help from government policy makers. Specifically, we need additional investments in research, incentives to encourage purchases and infrastructure support.
 
Most of all, we need government policies that encourage innovation across the full spectrum of possibilities.
 
This is an exciting time in the auto industry.
 
We cannot predict today what the cars of tomorrow will look like. But we know big changes are coming.
 
Government can facilitate the shift to sustainable mobility but it should not try to force it. The government cannot pick winners and losers
 
The members of the Tennessee Valley Corridor understand the need to let technology flourish.
 
In today’s world, education and technology are the twin engines of economic growth
 
Spread the word as you meet with policymakers here in Washington.
 
And, please, keep up the good work that you are doing throughout the Tennessee Valley.
 
Volkswagen is ready to help as you lead the region to a brighter future.
 
 
 
UAH is Now Part of ORAU Consortium
The Huntsville Times, Gina Hannah
May 30, 2008
UAH's entry into the Oak Ridge Associated University consortium will allow the local school to participate in more scientific research projects, UAH President David Williams said Thursday.
 
Williams and Ron Townsend, president of ORAU, signed an agreement at the Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit in Huntsville that gives students and faculty at UAH access to research grants, internships and instruments at federal laboratories, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory near Knoxville.
 
The agreement will help the university attract more and better students, Williams said. UAH now has 7,200 students, including undergraduates and graduates.
 
 
"ORNL is an enormous federal research center."
 
ORAU is composed of nearly 100 doctorate-granting universities and colleges across the U.S. Its mission is to foster scientific research and education through partnerships among academia, government and industry. Formed in 1946, the consortium is a nonprofit that operates as a contractor for the Department of Energy and has about $230 million in contracts annually.
 
Townsend said the program has enabled 500 students to conduct research in 150 facilities across the nation.
 
"It also helps nurture relationships between faculty and research scientists," he said.
 
Townsend said the consortium is particularly interested in working with UAH in projects involving high-performance computing, energy research, materials science and climatology, fields in which the university already conducts research.
 
"We want to leverage that research," he said.
 
Entry into the consortium will give UAH access to research instruments that would cost millions of dollars to obtain otherwise, Williams said.
 
"It saves us exorbitant amounts of money to get access to that infrastructure," he said.
 
Part of that infrastructure includes a Department of Energy supercomputer, now the world's fastest. The computer is capable of sustaining 50 trillion calculations per second.
 
Congressman Cramer Receives 'Champion' Award
The Times Daily, Staff Report
June 08, 2008
U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer, D-Ala., has received the 2008 Tennessee Valley Corridor Champion Award.

The award is the organization's top award and goes annually to a regional economic development leader.

Having recently announced that he won't seek re-election to Congress, a special tribute and presentation was made to Cramer during the summit. Cramer, who represents the Shoals, was thanked for his many years of service to north Alabama, the Tennessee Valley Corridor and nation.

Numerous officials attended the ceremony, including U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr., U.S. Sens. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., and Bob Corker, R.Tenn., U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn.

"Each year, the Tennessee Valley Corridor board of directors selects a 'Corridor Champion' who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in helping to advance the objectives of the Tennessee Valley Corridor," said Wamp, a founding member of the organization.

"I can't think of an individual more deserving of this award than my friend and colleague Congressman Bud Cramer.

"He has done so much to advance the economic and technology development in the Tennessee Valley."
Local Leaders to Open Alabama Office to Explore Ventures and Partnerships
The Oak Ridger, Staff Report
June 06, 2008
Top leaders from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Y-12 National Security Complex and Oak Ridge Associated Universities recently announced a plan to open an Oak Ridge-Huntsville Partnership Office in Huntsville, Ala.

The office is expected to be opened this summer to explore more joint ventures and projects between public and private partners in Oak Ridge and Huntsville.

The announcement was applauded last week by U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., during the Tennessee Valley Corridor's National Technology Summit in Huntsville, Ala.

"The purpose is to explore more cooperative projects with major institutions in Huntsville and Oak Ridge, and with other U.S. Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration programs across the country," Thom Mason, Oak Ridge National Laboratory director, is quoted as saying in a news release.

"We hope the Huntsville office will help accelerate our efforts to find the synergies and cooperative projects and ventures that can be of benefit to the nation, the corridor, our communities and organizations," said Darrel Kohlhorst, Y-12 president and general manager. 

"We are already at work with Dr. David Williams and his team at (the University of Alabama)-Huntsville to look for more ways we can work together, and to assist them in doing more work with DOE, NNSA and other universities across the nation," said ORAU President Ron Townsend.

Mason, Kohlhorst and Townsend said more specifics, including the location of the new Huntsville office and the full-time staff designated to support the office, will be announced soon.
General Says at Summit: 10,000 Jobs Following BRAC 'A Conservative' Number
The Huntsville Times, Shelby Spires
May 29, 2008
Private jobs coming to Huntsville and surrounding areas because of decisions to move military work here could soar well past the 10,000 mark estimated, military and government officials said today. But military jobs coming here don't necessarily mean that people will move in droves from northern Virginia, where the jobs are now.
 
However, more than half of those applying for the relocating positions come from areas outside Huntsville, such as California, Florida and the Northeast, a senior leader of the Missile Defense Agency said.
 
Companies are "cold-calling our office now about the potential of moving their work or expanding into defense industry opportunities," U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer, D-Huntsville, told The Times after the last session of the Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit.
 
"They see this area as a growth potential and, frankly, an easier place to develop that kind of industry."
Cramer said small businesses in New York and California contacted his office because of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission decisions to move about 4,700 military jobs to Redstone Arsenal. He declined to name them, citing confidentiality pledges.
 
The cost of living and wages are higher in those states than in Alabama, Cramer noted, "and it makes sense that they can perform this work, or expand into it, cheaper."
 
In addition, he said, "large companies like Raytheon, Northrop Grumman and Boeing are already moving people and jobs here in the 50 to 60 number range, and that could grow."
 
The companies would perform engineering support - such as software and simulation hardware development -- to the larger companies and directly to Redstone.
 
Another 10,000 jobs are estimated to follow the military work, but those don't include business interests in Redstone that Cramer has seen recently, he said.
 
Also, that 10,000 figure "is really a conservative one," said Army Maj. Gen. Jim Myles, head of the Aviation and Missile Command on Redstone. "I expect it could be up to twice that number before it is all over."
 
Myles, along with the Missile Defense Agency's Maj. Gen. Chris Anzalone of the Air Force, said they estimate 20 to 25 percent - or just over 1,000 - of the 4,700 people now holding the relocating jobs will actually move to the Tennessee Valley.
 
"There are still jobs in northern Virginia," Anzalone told a group of about 200 business leaders at the summit. "We are marketing this area now in Boston and Silicon Valley and areas that do the same kind of work you do here."
 
Anzalone said the MDA is reaching out to people who worked on programs such as the Navy's Trident missile - a submarine-launched missile with similar technical issues as missile defense programs.
 
"The Trident missile has been built, and it is ramping down," Anzalone said. "What are those people doing now? Let's find out and bring them here."
'Smart Parks' Key to Success, Businesses Say at 2008 National Technology Summit
The Huntsville Times, Gina Hannah

Industrial park representatives tell how they succeed Building "smart parks" - industrial parks in which high-tech research takes place - is key to successful economic development, a panel of regional business leaders said on May 28.

 

 

 

 

 

Speakers at an opening session of the Tennessee Valley Corridor 2008 National Summit said they believe the corridor that runs from Alabama to Virginia has the brainpower and infrastructure to create such parks.

 

 

 

 

 

The gathering of some 500 business and government leaders meets again today at the Von Braun Center.

 

 

 

 

 

Rick Davis, director of Huntsville's Cummings Research Park, said part of the development's success has come in its preparation: the city's acquisition of land and placement of infrastructure. Cummings is the nation's second-largest research park, with 285 companies and more than 24,000 employees.

 

 

 

 

 

Representatives from Chattanooga, Oak Ridge and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville also presented their success stories and plans for high-tech economic development:

 

 

 

 

 

Chattanooga's Enterprise South, a 3,000-acre Tennessee Valley Authority "megasite," is ready for automotive or high-tech industries to move in, said Hayes Ledford, vice president of public policy for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. Ledford said the site has two rail lines and is a foreign trade zone.

 

 

 

 

 

Tom Rogers, president and CEO of Technology 2020, a public-private partnership in Oak Ridge, said the city is developing a series of high-tech parks.

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. David Millhorn, executive vice president and chief operating officer for the University of Tennessee System, said the new Cherokee Farm campus in Knoxville will focus on hightech research and technology transfer. The campus is expected to cost about $1.2 billion in mostly private money.

 

 

 

 

 

This year's summit is the third Huntsville has hosted since the series' inception in 1994. The event's aim is to bring together business entities for partnerships benefiting the region's economy.

 

 

 

 

 

One such partnership scheduled to be announced this morning is UAH into the Oak Ridge Associated Universities consortium. The agreement will allow UAH to conduct more research in the energy field, university spokesman Ray Garner said.

 

 

 

 

 

U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, one of the summit's founders, said he's been pleased with their success.

 

 

 

 

 

"This is as high-powered a group as we've had," Wamp, R-Tenn., said. "We feel like we're going to be successful, or not, as a region, not independently."

 

 

Luminaries Speak at Technology Summit
General George Casey, Others to Discuss Impact of BRAC, Marshall Space Flight Center
The Decatur Daily, Eric Fleischauer
May 20, 2008
The Tennessee Valley Corridor National Technology Summit in Huntsville on May 28 and 29 will feature a keynote address by the U.S. Army’s highest ranking officer, four-star general and U.S. Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey.
 
The summit will include discussions on the impact of Base Realignment and Closure on the Tennessee Valley, America’s global competitiveness, Marshall Space Flight Center’s increasing leadership role in NASA, nuclear power and the Tennessee Valley’s role in securing U.S. energy independence, and development of research parks.
 
U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer, D-Huntsville, will convene the summit.
 
“There are so many exciting opportunities related to BRAC and the transformations taking place within the U.S. Army that we in North Alabama have the chance to seize and maximize for the benefit of our entire region,” Cramer said in a statement. “Nobody knows these opportunities better than the chief of staff of the U.S. Army, and we look forward to hearing more about this from General Casey.”
 
Cramer is serving his last term in Congress, and the summit will include a tribute to his economic leadership.
The Tennessee Valley region expects to gain at least 4,700 military jobs by the year 2011, and a projected 10,000 other related high-paying jobs within the same timeframe.
 
Other speakers and participants:
·  U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile.
·  U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn.
·  U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Tenn.
·  Maj. Gen. Chris T. Anzalone, deputy for test, integration and fielding, Missile Defense Agency.
·  Maj. Gen. James R. Myles, commanding general of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal.
·  Dr. Mark Swinson, chief scientist, U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command
·  Ron Lewis, deputy G-3/5 for Enterprise Integration, U.S. Army Materiel Command.
 
The public is invited to the summit. It will be at Von Braun Center. Registration is $175.
 
To register, or for more information, go to www.tennvalleycorridor.org.
Congressional Leaders Say They Back More Nuclear Power at Recent Technology Summit
The Chattanooga Times Free Press, Staff Report
May 29, 2008
TVA’s revival of nuclear power plant construction can’t come soon enough, Tennessee Valley lawmakers said today.
 
“Time is a wastin,’ “ U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., told nearly 500 business and government leaders gathered here for this year’s Tennessee Valley Corridor summit. “I think we’re in a period where we need to have a renewal of new nuclear power in America.”
 
Sen. Sessions praised the Tennessee Valley Authority for restarting its oldest reactor last year at the nearby Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, claiming it should be “a cash register” for the federal utility. He also urged that TVA not only follow through with plans to build two new reactors at the Bellefonte site in Hollywood, Ala., but he also urged TVA to finish the old reactors it scrapped two years ago.
 
Sen. Sessions support for more nuclear power generation was echoed during the 2-day conference here by U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and by U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Chattanooga, who started the Tennessee Valley Technology Corridor after he was first elected to Congress in 1995.
 
Rep. Wamp also said TVA is uniquely positioned as a federal agency to work with the U.S. Department of Energy for a nuclear fuel recycling facility in Oak Ridge.
 
“We can be a leader in this Valley in not only producing nuclear power but in recycling its wastes,” Rep. Wamp said today.
Clean, Plentiful Fuel a Must for U.S.
Conference Presenters Drive Home Need to Rid Ourselves of Foreign Oil
The Knoxville News Sentinel, Andrew Eder
May 31, 2007
A quintet of East Tennessee industry leaders and researchers shared ideas - from drilling for oil in Alaska to harvesting Tennessee crops for ethanol - on how to solve the energy puzzle at a conference Wednesday.
 
But whether it's TVA's nuclear power, Eastman Chemical Co.'s coal gasification, the University of Tennessee's cellulosic ethanol, Pilot Travel Centers' transportation fuels or other energy sources, the overall challenge is the same: Meet the rising energy demand at home through cleaner technologies that lessen dependence on foreign oil.
 
"If we can't fix that problem," said Pilot's president and CEO, Jimmy Haslam, "the U.S. will not remain the No. 1 country in the world."
 
The panel, moderated by U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Chattanooga, was part of the two-day Tennessee Valley Corridor 2007 National Summit, held at the MeadowView Resort and Convention Center.
 
The summit, which concluded Wednesday, drew more than 500 attendees. Panelists in the energy discussion spoke to a standing-room only crowd.
 
Tom Kilgore, TVA's president and CEO, touted the federal utility's restoration of the Unit 1 reactor at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in Athens, Ala. The reactor, which is being tested after first achieving a nuclear chain reaction last week, may begin producing electricity as early as this week, Kilgore said.
 
He cited the low cost of nuclear fuel, along with the reliability and low emissions of nuclear power, as factors in restarting Browns Ferry 1 and potentially adding two or three more reactors to TVA's portfolio.
 
"You can see why nuclear energy is part of our security and part of our economic development," Kilgore told the audience.
 
Mark Costa, senior vice president of corporate strategy and marketing for Eastman Chemical Co., discussed the firm's use of coal gasification, a cleaner method than combustion for generating power with coal.
 
Eastman has run its coal gasification plant for 23 years, Costa said, and the company benefits from having a less volatile fuel source compared to natural gas.
 
David Millhorn, UT's executive vice president, talked about the Tennessee Biofuels Initiative, which envisions the state as a leader in production of cellulosic ethanol, a transportation fuel made from grasses and other dedicated energy crops. Most domestic ethanol is currently made from corn.
 
"We can do this at the laboratory now," Millhorn said. "What we don't have is a demonstration at the commercial level."
 
That demonstration is coming in the form of a biorefinery that will allow researchers to produce what the university has coined "Grassoline," a moniker that earned a hearty laugh from the audience.
 
Also on the panel was Ronald Bailey, a professor and dean at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, who discussed research on hydrogen fuel cell technology for cars.
 
But the most pointed comments among the panelists came from Haslam, who told audience members that in spite of multibillion-dollar profits and soaring prices at the pump, "oil companies are not the bad guys in the U.S."
"We need and want the Exxons of the world to go out and find more oil," Haslam said.
 
He called for the government to open a protected wildlife reserve in Alaska to oil drilling. The Pilot chief also criticized a tariff on imported ethanol from countries like Brazil, which produces cheap ethanol from sugarcane.
Such policies show that the domestic farm industry - whose corn farmers have benefited from a spike in corn prices thanks to increased demand for ethanol - is dictating energy policy, Haslam said.
 
"There is no need to continue to coddle the farm business," he said.
 
The summit also included panel discussions on issues like health care and maintaining the country's technical work force. On the latter subject, George Dials, general manager at the Y-12 National Security Complex, said that more than half of his work force could retire today if they chose.
 
The difficulty of replacing those technicians, Dials said, is "the thing that worries me most about the future."
Medical Education Puts Region on Cutting Edge of Health Care
The Kingsport Times News, Rick Wagner
May 30, 2007
The greater Tri-Cities area has two medical schools, a pharmacy school, a state-of-the-art medical simulation lab, and a regional health information organization. Those, along with two major hospital systems, are among tools to improve health care and the healthiness of the region, said panelists at the Tennessee Valley Corridor 2007 National Summit Wednesday.
 
Dr. Martin Eason, director of the Center for Experimental Learning at the Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University, said simulators allow medical students, nursing students, community physicians, respiratory therapists, nurse anesthetists, paramedics and emergency medical technicians, and other medical professionals to practice.
 
“I know how to take care of a patient from reading a book?” Eason, also an attorney, told more than 400 during the “Sharing Healthcare Solutions for All Communities” session. “Our mannequins don’t sue, and if they die, they have a reset button.”
 
The center began in 2005, part of a trend of medical simulation training that began in earnest about a decade ago but has been used in aviation and the military for decades.
 
Eason said he videos all the simulation sessions for later viewing by participants.
 
“Adults learn by doing,” Eason said. “There’s nothing like watching yourself screw up on TV to make you do better the next time.”
 
He said ETSU has patented material that simulates skin and flesh that bleeds when cut, used for surgery practice. The school also invented a pelvic operation simulator, used to practice hysterectomies, and has just got its first laparoscopic surgery simulator.
 
Aside from the mannequins and other simulation devices, the center uses volunteers who act like they are sick or injured.
 
“My dream is to have King College nursing and Milligan College nursing come to use this. It’s for the whole community,” Eason said.
 
He said the center also is available for continuing education credit for doctors and other medical personnel.
 
Eason recalled that in 2005, doctors in training took part in simulation session on a rare condition called amniotic fluid embolism that can kill mothers shortly after giving birth. The mannequin simulator died.
 
That afternoon, some of the same students diagnosed the condition in a woman giving birth at Johnson City Medical Center and she lived, which Eason said was credited to the morning training session.
 
Also Wednesday:
 
• Dr. Paul Stanton, president of ETSU and former head of the medical school there, said ETSU, Wellmont Health System, Mountain States Health Alliance and the Veterans Affairs Medical Center are working together to improve health care in the region.
 
• Dr. Ray Stowers, vice president and dean of the DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, said the undergraduate medical program at LMU will help fill a demand for rural medical care. The inaugural class begins in August with 150 chosen from 2,000 applicants, with the first class to graduate in the spring of 2011.
 
• Dr. David Reagan, chairman of the CareSpark board of directors, outlined progress of the health information exchange program. The goal is to increase access to patients’ medical information to improve care, improve health, cut costs and ultimately save lives.
 
• Dr. Larry Calhoun, dean of the ETSU College of Pharmacy, said the privately funded school had 575 applicants for 70 spots in its first class and had more than 500 for for its second class. The first class will graduate in 2010. Among that class is a Kingsport police officer who attended night school to get ready for pharmacy school and three single moms, one who drives daily from Blowing Rock, N.C., to Johnson City.
 
• Dennis Vonderfecht, president and chief executive officer of MSHA, emphasized that the nonprofit operator of flagship Johnson City Medical Center works with ETSU, the medical school, Johnson City and other entities to improve health care in the region. Programs include the Med Tech Corridor and having one of six kidney and pancreas transplant programs in Tennessee, he said.
Alexander Says U.S. Can Win Competition with China for Brain Power
Bristol Herald Courier, Jennifer Wig
May 30, 2007
It’s a tale of two countries: China and the United States.
 
China seeks to steal our brainpower as it grows, but the U.S. will win this technological war, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said Tuesday evening.
 
America, which contains 5 percent of the world’s population, produced 30 percent of the world’s wealth last year.
Those are figures Chinese leaders want to emulate, and to do so, they have begun recruiting America’s top minds, such as university professors.
 
"They very well understood that raising that brainpower advantage would raise that standard of living," Alexander said. "How does China approach this challenge of improving its brainpower advantage and how do we approach the problem of keeping and improving our brainpower – our advantage?"
 
Alexander’s remarks were part of the annual Tennessee Valley Corridor summit Tuesday. The two-day conference brings together business, education and government leaders from Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama and Kentucky to promote solutions for national problems.
 
Alexander said the America Competes Act, a bill under discussion in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, provides a path for winning the brainpower war.
 
The legislation outlines funding for the National Science Foundation, scholarships for K-12 math and science teachers and research grants.
 
Such tools are the keys to keeping our advantage, Alexander said, but the root of his optimism lies in what China doesn’t have: "secret weapons like Eastman [Chemical Company]."
 
Private companies in the U.S. such as Eastman, often donate money to local universities for better teacher training, Alexander said.
 
No other country has America’s research laboratories or universities, he said.
 
Alexander said these types of efforts began after World War II and led to the U.S. winning the Cold War. The nation’s leaders simply need to continue what we’ve done right all these years, he said.
 
"Remember what you were doing back then, and you’ll keep winning all the games," he said.
 
U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Chattanooga, said bipartisan efforts such as the America Competes Act are why the Tennessee Valley Corridor group meets annually.
 
He said he just completed a discussion about ethanol and its future in U.S. energy.
"These are big issues," Wamp said. "We get together, and we’re helping our country. When we work together like this and defy the skeptics, we allay the cynics. In the South, we call it ‘gittin’ ‘er done.’"
 
The Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit continues today at the MeadowView Conference Center in Kingsport.
Scheduled discussions include national health care, energy security, boosting college enrollment rates and improving the nation’s technical work force.
Summit Addresses Energy Security
The Knoxville News Sentinel, Andrew Eder
May 30, 2007
A two-day summit here brought together industry leaders, researchers and politicians to address challenges like energy security and recruiting the technical work force of the future.
 
The two-day technology meeting that began Tuesday was attended by more than 500 people and was put on by the Tennessee Valley Corridor, a regional science and technology economic development group.
 
Speakers included federal officials, members of Tennessee's congressional delegation and representatives from TVA, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Y-12 National Security Complex and University of Tennessee.
 
More details online and in Thursday's News Sentinel.
Alexander: America Holds 'Secret Weapons' to Success
The Kingsport Times News, Hank Hayes
May 29, 2007
U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander said America can win a global brainpower struggle against China and India because it still holds “the secret weapons” to success — the private sector, labs and research universities.
 
“We have all the great research universities in the world,” the Tennessee Republican told business and government leaders attending the opening dinner of the Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit at the MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center.
 
Alexander insisted America will build on its “brainpower advantage” with congressional passage of the America COMPETES Act (Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education and Science), which he called “the biggest piece of legislation in Congress this year.”
 
The legislation calls on the federal government to act on a series of recommendations coming from the National Academy of Sciences and make critical investments in K-12 education, higher education and research.
 
“It will double the funding for the National Science Foundation, it will dedicate more funding to more risky research, and focus heavily on K-12 activities,” Alexander said. “In Tennessee, it will mean scholarships, hundreds of them, for future math and science teachers. ... There will be support for summer academies in every state. ... In research it doubles the funding for physical sciences in the National Science Foundation — that’s very big for Oak Ridge or for any of our research universities.”
 
Alexander noted that during a Senate delegation’s visit to China last year, he discovered how China’s top leaders literally issued specific directives to their education stewards.
 
“What they wanted to talk about was their innovation society — what they intended to do in China in the next 15 years to improve their brainpower advantage,” Alexander said of the trip. “They understood that’s how they raise their standard of living.”
 
Alexander also pointed out that amid job outsourcing to countries like India, America still produces 30 percent of the world’s wealth despite having only 5 percent of the population.
 
He acknowledged Eastman Chemical Co. for doing things like making a $1 million gift to East Tennessee State University to give math and science teachers more training.
 
“That is not nearly as likely to happen in China or India or any other competitor in the world,” Alexander said of Eastman’s gesture. “There are also no labs in the world like Oak Ridge National Laboratory.”
 
U.S. Rep. David Davis, this year’s summit host, said Northeast Tennessee also has the right elements to compete globally.
 
“You have to keep taxation as low as possible,” said Davis, R-1st District. “Keep regulation as low as possible. Keep a good work ethic and a good education system like we have in Northeast Tennessee. You put those four things together, and we will continue to blossom economically.”
 
After his remarks, Alexander and U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-3rd District, were both given National Association of Manufacturing Awards for “Excellence in Legislation.” Wamp is the founder of the Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit.
 
Susan Reid, executive director of the First Tennessee Development District, was also recognized for being this year’s “Corridor Champion.” She chairs the Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit board of directors.
 
For more about the summit go to www.tennvalleycorridor.org.
Kingsport Hosts Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit
News Channel 11/Tri-Cities.com, Melinda Perkins
May 29, 2007
Hot topics like education, economic development and energy alternatives drew some of the best and brightest to the Tri-Cities Tuesday for a national summit. The Tennessee Valley Corridor's two day summit kicked off Wednesday morning at MeadowviewConvention Center.
 
The Tennessee Valley Corridor serves as a community, business and education alliance for Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky and Alabama.
 
During a two day summit community leaders, business leaders and politicians will swap ideas on how the Tri-Cities region can contribute to advancing the national and local economy.
 
"It can mean a great deal in the way of jobs," Tennessee Valley Corridor Chairman Susan Reid said."There's a lot networking that goes on here. When we work together we get an awful lot more done than when we work separately, so this is really important for that reason."
 
One of the organization's primary goals is to create and maintain high tech jobs in the southeast, but folks with the organization also spend a lot of time on other issues like education, healthcare, even homeland security.
 
U.S.Senator Lamar Alexander is the keynote speaker Wednesday at the summit. In his keynote address, Alexander will emphasize the importance of creating and keeping jobs in our region.
 
"The advantage of the summit is to remind us of all the excellence we have here and realize that is really the source of the good new jobs we create in upper East Tennessee," Alexander said.
 
The Tennessee Valley Corridor is the brainchild of Congressman Zach Wamp. Congressman David Davis is hosting the event.
Corridor's Leaders to Discuss Energy, Security
Summit Brings in Business, Elected Officials Each Year
The Huntsville Times, Wayne Smith
May 27, 2007
With gas prices reaching record highs, it seems like an appropriate time to talk about our nation's energy supply and security.
 
Energy will be one of the major themes at this week's Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit. This year's 17th summit will be Tuesday and Wednesday at the MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center in Kingsport, Tenn.
 
The corridor - stretching from North Alabama through Tennessee and into Kentucky and Virginia - brings together business and elected officials from across the region to discuss economic development.
 
The list of keynote speakers includes Tom Kilgore, president and CEO of the Tennessee Valley Authority, which restarted its Unit 1 nuclear reactor at Browns Ferry last week. The Unit was shut down Thursday because of a leak of hydraulic fluid from a control system.
 
U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer, D-Huntsville, is expected to join U.S. Rep Zach Wamp, R-Tenn., for a session Wednesday on energy security.
 
This year's summit, titled "New Corridor Solutions for America's Biggest Challenges,'' will also focus on health-care solutions, education, maintaining the region's technical work force and homeland security.
 
"The caliber of speakers, leaders and organizations represented at the Corridor's National Summit year after year is very telling of the role our region continues to play in solving some of America's toughest challenges,'' said Paul E. Stanton Jr., president of East Tennessee State University.
 
"The collaboration among key players that takes place at this event is essential to advance the Corridor as one of America's premier science and technology centers.''
Alexander, Corridor Congressmen, Other Top Government, Education and Business Leaders to Keynote the Upcoming Tennessee Valley Technology Summit
Healthcare Solutions, Energy Security, Education and Workforce to Be Discussed at May 29&30 Event in Kingsport
Tennessee Valley Corridor News Release
April 12, 2007
Kingsport, Tenn. – The major themes and an impressive line-up of confirmed speakers, including U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander, Congressman David Davis (R-TN), Congressman Zach Wamp (R-TN) and Congressman Lincoln Davis (D-TN), were recently announced for the 2007 Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit.  The Corridor Summit will be held May 29-30 at the MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center in Kingsport, Tenn. Complete information about the event can be found online at www.tennvalleycorridor.org.
 
Some of the other keynote speakers already confirmed to join Senator Alexander and the Corridor Congressmen at this year’s Summit include:
 
  • Cynthia Glassman, Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, U.S. Department of Commerce; Anne Pope, Federal Co-Chair, Appalachian Regional Commission; and Tom Kilgore, President and CEO, Tennessee Valley Authority;
  • Dr. Paul E. Stanton, Jr.,  President, East Tennessee State University; and Dr. David Millhorn, Executive Vice President, The University of Tennessee;
  • Jimmy Haslam, President, Pilot Travel Centers, LLC; and Norris Sneed, Senior Vice President, Eastman Chemical Company;
  • Colonel Art Huber, Commander, Arnold Engineering Development Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Arnold Air Force Base; Gerald Boyd, Manager, Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Operations; Ted Sherry, Manager, National Nuclear Security Administration, Y-12 Site Office; and George Dials, Manager, BWXT/Y-12.
Many more speakers will be announced soon.
 
“We are very excited to once again host the annual Tennessee Valley Corridor National Technology Summit in the Tri-Cities,” said Congressman David Davis (R-TN). “Past Summits have focused on the challenges facing our nation, and this year we are eager to showcase and focus not just on the challenges, but also the solutions the Corridor offers on a variety of very important national issues.”
 
This year’s Summit, titled “New Corridor Solutions for America’s Biggest Challenges,” will focus on such major topics such as healthcare solutions, energy security, education, maintaining our region’s technical workforce and homeland security.
 
“The caliber of speakers, leaders and organizations represented at the Corridor’s National Summit year after year is very telling of the role our region continues to play in solving some of America’s toughest challenges, and this year will be no different,” said Dr. Paul E. Stanton, Jr., President of East Tennessee State University. “The collaboration among key players, both in our region and from across the nation, that takes place at this event is essential in continuing to advance the Corridor as one of America’s premier science and technology centers.” 
 
The upcoming Summit in Kingsport is the 17th in a series of such events that have strategically linked the technology-rich Tennessee Valley Corridor -- from North Alabama through Tennessee into Southwest Virginia and Southern and Eastern Kentucky.
 
“This Summit is an opportunity to also showcase all that the Tri-Cities, TN/VA area offers for both our region and the nation,” said Susan Reid, chair of the Tennessee Valley Corridor Board of Directors. “The Corridor continues to be a national leader in groundbreaking technologies and research, and we look forward to showcasing the many exciting ventures, solutions and accomplishments emanating from the Tri-Cities region during the Kingsport Summit in May. No one will want to miss this event.”   
 
Building on such regional assets as East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal, the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center, the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the National Transportation Research Center, the Center for Rural Development, the National Safe Skies Alliance, several world-class research universities and dozens of corporate leaders in science and technology, the Corridor has helped showcase the Tennessee Valley's superior quality of life and the people, business, natural and scientific resources needed for high-tech research, development, business and investment in the 21st Century.

Previous Corridor Summits over the past 10 years have been held in Chattanooga, Kingsport, Knoxville, Johnson City, Nashville, Oak Ridge and Tullahoma, Tenn.; Huntsville/Decatur, Ala.; Somerset, Ky.; and Washington, D.C.
 
In 2004, the Tennessee Valley Corridor was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as one of the top two regional economic development organizations in the country.  The Corridor tied with the famed Research Triangle Partnership in North Carolina as the nation’s most outstanding organization’s for enhancing regional competitiveness.
 
For complete information on the Tennessee Valley Corridor or for more details on how to register for the National Summit in Kingsport, please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org.
Summit Highlight Video Now Available!
Tennessee Valley Corridor Announcement
April 29, 2007

Time to Get Exicited About

the 2007 National Summit!


One Great Way to Do that is to
CLICK HERE to check out
Video Highlights from Last Year's Summit in Chattanooga.

 

Thanks to the generous time, efforts and ongoing support
 of the Y-12 National Security Complex and the
BWXT Y-12 Video and Motion Picture Services Department, 
the Corridor has a unique opportunity to continue to showcase and highlight
some of the outstanding speakers and topics presented at the
2006 National Summit in Chattanooga, Tenn.


Now, thanks to Y-12, both Corridor faithfuls
and those who may not be as familiar with our National Summits
can experience some of the highlights from one of our best Summits yet.

Please make sure you and your organization
are one of the highlights at the 2007

Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit
May 29-30, 2007
MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center
Kingsport, Tenn.

Online registration begins soon! 

For more information and sponsorship materials, please visit
www.tennvalleycorridor.org/summits/detail.html 
or call
Jenn Wade at 615-329-9525
or
Erin Koshut at 256-539-5776.

Hydrogen Powered Cars the Norm by 2050
WDEF-TV News 12 (Chattanooga), John Legge
May 31, 2006
Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles will overtake conventional gas powered automobiles in the year 2030, and be the most produced type vehicle on the market by 2050.

That's one point of discussion at the opening day of the Tennessee Valley Corridor National Technology Summit.

A workshop looking at alternative fuels kicked off the event.

Those researching new methods of powering transportation say if the government addresses this issue with a sense of urgency, a majority of Americans could use cleaner burning, American-made energy sooner.  Ron Bailey, Dean of Engineering at UTC, says "when oil stays at $70 a barrel many things become feasible and more attractive for the capital investment to bring it into commercial use."

The summit also showcases new technology developed in the Tennessee Valley, like this portable bomb detection device.

It continues tomorrow.
Marshall's Role in Exploration Gets Big Boost
NASA Exec Calls Center 'Keystone' in New Space Vision
The Huntsville Times, Wayne Smith
June 02, 2006

Rex Geveden, NASA's associate administrator, believes that in the future more people will live off the planet than on it.

As the infrastructure is built to settle the solar system, he said Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville will continue to play a significant role.

"In this case, the infrastructure isn't roads and cars like it is on the surface of the Earth,'' said Geveden, a former deputy director at Marshall. "It's rockets, fuel depots and things like that.

"Marshall has got a very significant role in all of that. They've got the primary transportation segment, and that's the keystone of pulling all of the infrastructure together.''

Marshall is in charge of developing the Crew Launch Vehicle and the Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle as part of the Vision for Space Exploration. "If you see fire and smoke, it originates in Huntsville, Alabama,'' Geveden said.

Geveden was a keynote speaker Thursday at the Tennessee Valley Corridor's National Technology Summit. He spoke at a session titled, "Advancing America's Competitiveness Through Innovation, Discovery and Connectivity.'' The summit brings together more than 600 economic leaders to talk about regional growth across the corridor, which stretches from North Alabama to Kentucky, and into Virginia and Tennessee.

Two years into the new space vision, Geveden said NASA is on schedule, which calls for completing the International Space Station by 2010, retiring the space shuttle and transitioning to a new program.

"We've got the major roles and missions assigned out. We're designing hardware and doing test work on some engines,'' Geveden said. "We're not in full stride, but we're running.''

He said NASA is optimistic that it will meet the July launch date for the Discovery shuttle flight. The shuttle has not flown since July.

"If we make that date and have a good, successful flight, we're going to keep aligned with getting the space station built and getting on with the return trip to the moon,'' he said.

Just as with the race to the moon in the 1960s, Geveden said it is important technologically and economically for the United States to lead the way in space exploration.

"It's important for this region, this country and for mankind in general,'' said Geveden, who has direct oversight of all NASA programs and field centers and was formerly NASA's chief engineer. "I consider it our destiny.''

For critics of space exploration and those who question its funding, Geveden said the country is still benefiting from technology developed during the space race in the '60s. He said for every $1 spent on space exploration, $8 is returned to the economy.

"They're are still people who ask why we need to explore space when we have pressing domestic issues like recovering from Hurricane Katrina, and the war in Iraq,'' he said, noting that NASA's funding accounts for less than 1 percent of the federal budget.

"I would say go back to the Apollo mission. We had Hurricane Camille and the war in Vietnam. But does anybody today regret the commitment to be the first person on the moon?''

Space as security issue

U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer, D-Huntsville, said that the international competitiveness in space exploration - particularly from China using its space program under the military umbrella - has implications on America's security.

"I think Marshall's role in the president's vision are now clear,'' said Cramer, a member of the House Appropriations Committee. "What we've got to do now in the appropriations process is look after NASA's budget and reassure some other doubting members that in today's atmosphere and with the growing federal deficit, NASA deserves to have this level of a budget.

"Our Alabama delegation is in a good position to do that.''

Geveden said America's investment in space has "paid off significantly and will continue to do so.''

Science from the Apollo mission helped develop the miniaturization of electronics. And Geveden said similar technological advancements will result from the new space initiative.

"I believe the technology will advance robotics, life-support systems, nanotechnology and other areas,'' he said. "Technology doesn't happen if you don't have a challenge.''

Additionally, he said space exploration can lead more people to study science and technology, similar to the inspiration Apollo provided. "Part of the solution is having compelling things to work on, and space exploration is one of those things.''

The Buzz on Electric Car Research
News Channel 9, WTVC (Chattanooga), John Pless
June 01, 2006
Dirty air, oil wars and politics are causing the best and brightest minds in the country to find new ways to power our vehicles.

Just like the combustion engine replaced horses, electricity will one day replace gasoline.

Right now local car dealerships like Honda and Toyota can not keep up with the demand for hybrid cars. In some cases buyers have to put money down in order to be on a waiting list.

All-electric cars are the next big wave.

So TVA is giving it's electric vehicle test track off of Amnicola Highway near the Chickamauga Dam to UTC, so engineers can be among the first to ride that big wave.

"We have got to start making some choices today to make sure that future generations have options for travel," said John Powell, who is the executive director of the Advanced Transportation Technology Institue.

ATTI is in UTC's new math and engineering center and partners with the university on research of electric vehicle technologies.

Under a scorching sun Thursday afternoon TVA President and CEO Tom Kilgore handed over the "key" to it's long-mothballed electric vehicle test track to UTC.

TVA Board member Bill Baxter said "this facility will now provide a relevant base for current, vital research for the next generation for clean fuel technologies. This is what it is really about, getting ahead of the curve."

As hybrid engine technology moves into it's next wave engineers are already looking toward the day when engines for most vehicles will be all-electric.

Along with new battery technology engineers will develop hydrogen fuel cells to produce the energy that makes cars go.

"Listen, 15 years from now we better be driving hydrogen fuel cell cars and not these gas powered cars or the rest of the world is going to have us on our knees," Republican U.S. Representative Zach Wamp of Tennessee said.

TVA built the test track about 25 years ago to develop electric cars. After a couple years' use it sat dormant. In the mid-1980's gasoline was plentiful and cheap and TVA then dropped it's interest in alternative fuels for cars.

So now that Chattanooga is getting back in the fast lane for electric vehicle research the track will be put into serious use.

The one-mile test track is nestled in a 52-acre piece of land near the dam. You'd think it's a remote wetland until you notice TVA's power lines overhead.

It is expected to become one of the country's premier proving grounds for developing the next generation of vehicles.

UTC hopes to gain national attention, along with the best and brightest young engineering students.

Rep. Wamp said advances in research are expected to lead to big economic advances for the Chattanooga region.

"We're now capable of landing a next generation automobile manufacturer at Enterprise South."

Wamp added Chattanooga and it's Enterprise South Industrial Park are on Toyota's short list. He said Toyota plans to build ten new plants within five years and will be a leader in the production of hybrid and electric cars.
Research Consortium To Use TVA Electric Vehicle Facility
The Chattanoogan, Staff Report
June 03, 2006
Congressman Zach Wamp announced on Thursday a new research partnership between the Tennessee Valley Authority, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Advanced Transportation Technology Institute that he said will propel Chattanooga into a leadership role in the development of alternative fuel and hybrid transportation.

This special event was held in conjunction with the Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit at the new facility located off of Amnicola Highway, adjacent to Chickamauga Dam.

TVA constructed a research and development user facility for electric vehicles in 1981 on its site adjacent to Chickamauga Dam. The site has previously been utilized as a fabrication site by TVA contractor but has been licensed for use as a test track for ATTI for the past several years.

The applied research partnership, known as Advanced Technologies for Transportation Research Program (ATTRP), develops and deploys transportation technologies that utilize clean and secure sources of energy.

Past TVA Board Chairman Bill Baxter said, “Through the efforts of TVA combined with efforts of UTC, ATTI and others this facility will provide a research base for current and vital research.”

Instability in the Middle East and disruptions in America’s domestic oil supply have spurred national debate about U.S. dependence on foreign petroleum, officials said. For years, forward-thinking leaders have been encouraging the development of alternative fuels and operating systems for vehicles, and now fluctuating gasoline prices have consumers supporting the idea, it was stated.

The new consortium will bring a renewed mission to the electric vehicle facility located at TVA’s Chickamauga Dam location, officials said. Researchers will study fuel efficiency, endurance, steering, along with other performance variables in vehicles.
“This facility can be a leader for all types of next generation vehicles,” said Congressman Wamp. “There are all types of opportunities for this one mile test track.”
UTC Chancellor Dr. Roger Brown said, “Consider that today, we are announcing a partnership between this region’s comprehensive institution of higher education, a non-profit organization dedicated to the development of clean and efficient fuel, and the nation’s largest public producer of power.”
Congressman Wamp quoted Os Guinness saying, “The power to convene is greater than the power to legislate.”
Event participants had the opportunity to drive test vehicles around the one mile track.
Tech Summit Offers Tips on Government Contracts
$25B Available for Small Businesses Across the Region
The Huntsville Times, Wayne Smith
June 01, 2006
The Tennessee Valley is open for business - particularly for small companies who want to work with the government.

And there's a lot of money available: more than $25 billion a year across the region in federally funded research programs.

Communities in the region need to use their technology resources to foster economic growth. That's the message local leaders heard Wednesday as the 16th annual Tennessee Valley Corridor Technology Summit got under way.

The corridor spans four states, stretching from northeast Alabama to southern Kentucky and to southwest Virginia. It includes NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. Marshall alone spends $2.5 billion a year. The center is responsible for NASA's new Crew Launch Vehicle, among other things.

"We've got the Crew Launch Vehicle - and that's a $1 billion procurement for the upper stage,'' said Stephen Beale, director of Marshall's Office of Procurement. "The small business subcontracting piece of that will be major.

"There are Huntsville firms, firms across the Tennessee Valley that are working with us to establish partnerships. And beyond that, we've got other procurements just to run our center."

Marshall's new challenges in the return to space mission is in addition to the thousands of jobs coming to Redstone Arsenal from decisions made by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC). Beale said it's not just the major contractors that stand to gain, but smaller subcontractors as well.

Beale said Cummings Research Park breeds opportunities for companies to come to Huntsville - bringing more subcontractors for both NASA and the Army.

"We see more (subcontractors) coming with our efforts,'' Beale said. "We're partnering with the BRAC folks to work together. We've got a lot of things ahead of us and a lot of opportunities for subcontractors.

"Our issue is Huntsville having enough skills. The work is coming and not everybody is coming with the work."

Beale spoke at a session Wednesday on doing business with the Army, NASA and other government agencies.

He said that small businesses often provide the best ideas for new technology and that those ideas have turned into a lot of success stories in Huntsville.

"It's the guy who gets frustrated with the big companies and decides to go out and market their ideas," Beale said.

But small businesses also need to learn how to work with government agencies in securing contract work. Beale said small businesses can benefit by teaming with a larger contractor, a mentor-protege approach. "Look for advice from larger contractors, see what's required (in bidding for government work)," he said.

Carol Elliott, contracting officer for the National Nuclear Security Administration's office, said that small businesses need to be able to market themselves. "You need to understand our vision and let us know what you can do to help us,'' Elliott said.

Judy Wilson, director of procurement and contracts for the Department of Energy, Oak Ridge Operations, said there are lots of opportunities for small, medium and large businesses when it comes to gaining a share of government work in the region.

"A lot of the new technology ideas comes from small businesses, and they are our shining stars," Wilson said. "We've also found that small businesses are more customer-oriented and very focused on what you want them to do."

This year's conference is also focusing on alternative energy sources and new forms of transportation. The two-day summit continues today.
Technology Announcement Expected
News Channel 9, WTVC (Chattanooga), Angela Lee
June 03, 2006
Solar power, wind power, ethanol and hybrid cars.

For years and years we've been hearing the talk about the need to create "alternative fuels sources."

In fact Chattanooga was home to one of the country's first electric car test tracks. It was owned by TVA at the Chickamauga Dam.

But TVA closed the track down in 1988.

Wednesday there was more talk as the 2006 Tennessee Valley Technology Corridor Summit came to Chattanooga.

In fact -- there's talk of at least three major announcements -- one of which is a hi-tech vehicle propulsion manufacturer returning to Chattanooga.

It's the first day of the 2006 National Summit of the Tennessee Valley Corridor.
During the workshop titled,”Alternative Transportation/Energy Independence”, there's talk of finding alternatives to petroleum.

In talking to professionals attending the summit -- NewsChannel 9 found out an electric vehicle and propulsion system manufacturer, EV America, founded in Chattanooga will soon return.

And that company may soon be taking advantage of the old electric vehicle test track closed by TVA back in 1988.

Sources say TVA will soon announce the long term lease of it's Electric Car Test Track -- to UT-Chattanooga and the Advanced Transportation Technology institute.

The track was opened adjacent to the Chickamauga dam in 1981 and closed in 1988.

UTC's Dean of Engineering and Computer Science, Dr. Ron Bailey, tells us the development of alternative transportation opens the door to economic development a clean environment and jobs for the Tennessee Valley.

He says, “These things can be done right here in Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley particularly. If we could take advantage of all the partnerships that do exist and can be built for the future stretching from one end of the car to the other.”

Officials say that with ever increasing gas prices, alternative energy sources are growing new legs.

They we're back where we were following that 1973 gas crisis, and the electric vehicles are using newer technologies, with a stronger market.

During an evening dinner at the Hunter Museum, Tennessee Governor Bill Bredesen and Congressman Zach Wamp are expected to be in attendance.

There is word that one of these two men are planning a big announcement in regards to economic development.

Depend on NewsChannel9 to bring you the very latest.
Bredesen Touts State’s Technology, Growth Potential
Governor Says Top Business Rating Should Help State Lure Investment
The Chattanoogan Times Free Press, Dave Flessner
June 01, 2006
Gov. Phil Bredesen promised Wednesday to seize upon Tennessee’s improving reputation for technology and economic growth to generate even more business for the Volunteer State.

"While things are hot and people are looking at us, this is the time to grab hold of some of that prominence and turn that into new investment," Gov. Bredesen told a gathering of government and business leaders at the opening of the Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit.

"I think there’s no better set of opportunities in our state right now than the development of technology in this corridor," he said.

Last month, Site Selection magazine ranked Tennessee behind only North Carolina in its annual survey of jobcompetitive states.

In the past three years, Tennessee has lured more than $10 billion in new investment from businesses, generating an extra 85,000 jobs, Tennessee Economic Development Commissioner Matt Kisber said.

Nonetheless, Tennessee’s job growth since the turn of the century has averaged less than half the pace of the 1990s, according the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Gov. Bredesen said for Tennessee businesses and workers to compete in the global economy, they will need to possess more advanced skills than in the past.

"It’s all going to come down to education and technology," he said.

Most of Tennessee’s research and development now comes from Uncle Sam. Among the $1.4 billion in research and development spending in Tennessee in 2003, $990.6 million came from federally funded projects, according to Eric Cromwell, head of the state’s twoyear-old Technology Development office.

In the Tennessee Valley corridor that stretches from North Alabama to Southwest Virginia, nearly $30 billion in military, space, energy and homeland security research projects are funded by the federal government.

"The partnerships we have built in this corridor can help our region compete in the 21 st century," said U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp, R-Chattanooga, the host for this week’s corridor summit.
Hydrogen for Fuel
City May Get Bus with New Power Cell
The Chattanoogan Times Free Press, Mike Pare
June 01, 2006
A CARTA shuttle bus powered by electricity from a hydrogen fuel cell could be running on Chattanooga’s streets by the end of the year, officials said Wednesday.

Approval of the nearly $1 million project by the Federal Transit Administration may come within the next 30 days, said John Powell, who directs the Advanced Transportation Technology Institute in Chattanooga.

"There are probably not a half dozen of these nationally," Mr. Powell said at the Tennessee Valley Technology Corridor Summit about buses run on innovative fuel cell technology.

He said the money would fund operational costs and the purchase of the fuel cell and the hydrogen.

Ron Sweeney, the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority’s general manager, said plans call for equipping one of CARTA’s all-electric, 22- foot downtown shuttle buses with the fuel cell.

"We’re all ready to do it," he said. "We’re hoping FTA will release the funds."
General Hydrogen Corp., with offices in Gallatin, Tenn., would supply the fuel cell, Mr. Sweeney said.

Tony Troutt, the company’s vice president of business development, said it already has done initial monitoring of a CARTA shuttle bus and determined the fuel cell would work in it.

"We’ve got the system designed," he said. "We’re wait- ing for the green light."
The fuel cell bus offers advantages over the current batterypowered vehicles including better range and performance and the ability to go up steeper hills, officials said.

Mr. Sweeney said the buses’ existing battery packs must be changed out during the day, while the fuel cell vehicle could run the entire 13.5-hour operating period.

"It will save us a good bit of labor," he said. Also, batteries must be replaced every three or four years, Mr. Sweeney said.

"It could save in capital costs, as well," he said.

CARTA operates one of the nation’s largest fleets of electric and hybrid electric buses. It has 12 electric buses and five hybrids.

The CARTA bus would carry hydrogen tanks to supply the fuel cell, Mr. Sweeney said. Also, the bus would carry ultracapacitors in which some electricity is stored, he said.

"If you need to go up a hill or a burst of speed, the ultracapacitors would release some of its stored energy. It would give it that extra boost," he said. Experts see hydrogen-powered fuel cells as one of the possible answers to the nation’s consumption of large volumes of oil. With oil and gas prices up and growing concerns about global warming, experts involved with the corridor summit are looking for new ways to move people around.

Ron Bailey, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s dean of engineering, said U.S. dependence on foreign oil has grown since the Arab embargo in the early 1970s. Also, oil costs likely won’t go back down again, said Dr. Bailey, whose school is partnering with the Advanced Transportation Technology Institute.

While fuel cell-powered vehicles have a role, Dr. Bailey said, a lot of technologies can come into play.

Wayne Davis, the University of Tennessee’s associate dean for research and technology, said it and UTC want to establish a socalled "hydrogen highway" in the corridor, which would run from Huntsville, Ala., to Southwest Virginia.

A goal is to set up hydrogen fuel stations in Chattanooga and Knoxville as demonstration projects using fuel cell vehicles, he said.

Also, Dr. Davis said, plans are to operate hydrogen fuel generation stations.
Leaders Eye Ways to Tap into Technology
Tennessee Technology Corridor Summit Kicks Off Today
The Chattanooga Times Free Press, Dave Flessner
May 31, 2006
U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp represents 11 Tennessee counties that stretch from Georgia to Virginia.

But since he was first elected to Congress in 1994, the Chattanooga Republican said he has looked beyond his own sprawling district to help his hometown grow.

"Along the corridor from Huntsville (Ala.) to Tullahoma to Oak Ridge, we have tremendous technology resources that I believe hold the key to Chattanooga retaining and rebuilding its manufacturing base," Rep. Wamp said Tuesday.

Nearly 600 leaders from across the Tennessee Valley will gather today in Chattanooga for the 16th economic development summit since Rep. Wamp launched the Tennessee Technology Corridor in 1995. The two-day conference, hosted by Rep. Wamp in his hometown for the third time, will highlight ways that Chattanooga and other cities can capitalize on more than $25 billion a year of federally funded research programs in the region.

Stretching from Northeast Alabama to Southern Kentucky and Southwest Virginia, the corridor includes the NASA Marshall Flight Center and U.S. Army Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville; the Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tullahoma, Tenn.; the Oak Ridge National Laboratory; and more than a dozen other research institutions.

"Chattanooga can be the hub for a lot of what is being developed in this corridor," said Joe Ferguson, president of the Enterprise Center in Chattanooga and one of the organizers of this week’s summit.

Already, Chattanooga’s SIMCenter at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has linked up with high-speed fiber optics to one of the world’s fastest computers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Rep. Wamp said.

Companies such as Aerisyn and Ion America are developing new alternative energy businesses in Chattanooga, he said.

"The corridor helps each of our communities to support one another, both politically and economically," said Susan Reid, the current chairwoman of the 17-member board for the nonprofit Tennessee Valley Corridor Inc. "In a global economy, economic development must be a regional, not just a community, effort."

The corridor was recognized in 2004 as the winner of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s top award for regional development, tied with the Research Triangle in North Carolina.

"Regional economic development is not a fad; it’s a trend," Rep. Wamp said. "As we pull together in our region, we all benefit."

This week’s summit will focus on alternative energy sources and new forms of transportation.

"As I look at the resources we have in this corridor and Chattanooga’s rich heritage of manufacturing, it gives me a lot of hope for our economic future," Rep. Wamp said.
Baxter Honored with Tennessee Valley Corridor Champion Award
The Chattanoogan, Staff Report
June 07, 2006
On behalf of the Tennessee Valley Corridor, Inc., Congressman Zach Wamp presented Bill Baxter, chairman of Holston Gases Inc. and former chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), with the 2006 Corridor Champion award at the Corridor's National Summit.

The Corridor Champion award was designed to recognize a person who has significantly contributed to promoting the mission, vision and work of the Corridor and its partners.

"Bill Baxter is a leading East Tennessee business executive, he served as the local Summit Chairman for the 1997 Knoxville Summit, was an amazingly successful Tennessee commissioner of economic development, an outstanding chairman and director of the Tennessee Valley Authority, and a great friend and advocate for the Corridor and for so many of our organizations. He is, in my opinion, probably the most talented economic development leader anywhere in the South, if not the nation," said Congressman Wamp. "It was an honor to present him with the 2006 Tennessee Valley Corridor Champion Award."

Mr. Baxter is the current chairman of Holston Gases, Inc., serves on the TVA Board of Directors, and in June of 2005 was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as chairman of TVA, where he then served until March of this year.

Joining Rep. Wamp when the award to Mr. Baxter was presented were the Corridor board of directors, several Corridor Congressmen speaking during the event including Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr. of Tennessee, Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky, Rep. Robert Aderholt of Alabama and Rep. Bob Inglis of South Carolina, and more than 500 Summit attendees. Earlier in the day, U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer of Alabama and Lincoln Davis of Tennessee also addressed the gathering.

Rep. Wamp received the first Corridor Champion award at the 2004 Knoxville-Oak Ridge Summit. Rep. Wamp first envisioned the Tennessee Valley Corridor in 1995, and since then has worked with key leaders to build a strong alliance of community, business, education, economic development and government leaders throughout the Tennessee Valley during a series of regional technology summits.

In 2004, the Tennessee Valley Corridor was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as one of the top two regional economic development organizations in the country. The Corridor tied with the famed Research Triangle Partnership in North Carolina as the nation's two most outstanding organizations for enhancing regional competitiveness.
Congressman Robert Aderholt Joins Congressional Colleagues in Announcing Outstanding Speakers for May 31-June 1 Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit in Chattanooga
Technology Summit to Focus on Advancing America’s Economic Competitiveness and Combating Rising Energy Prices
Tennessee Valley Corridor News Release
May 16, 2006
Decatur, Ala.  – U.S. Representative ­­­­­­Robert Aderholt (R-AL) today joined several of his congressional colleagues from throughout the Tennessee Valley Corridor in announcing major themes and an impressive line-up of speakers for the 2006 Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit to be held May 31-June 1 at the Chattanooga Convention Center in Chattanooga, Tenn.
 
“Key leaders and institutions from Alabama’s 4th Congressional District are pleased to be active participants in the Tennessee Valley Corridor’s efforts to grow and attract more high-tech jobs to our region,” said Congressman Aderholt. “And this year’s Summit is very important because it is going to zero in on how we work smarter at working together in maintaining America’s competitive advantage with the rest of the work – and how we reduce our dependence on foreign oil that continues to drive gas prices at the pump and energy costs for industry and for all of us.  I hope anyone interested will make plans to attend this important event.”
 
Some of the keynote speakers for the Summit that Congressman Aderholt helped announce today include:
  • Congressman Zach Wamp (R-TN), host of this year’s event; Congressman Bud Cramer (D-AL); Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY); Congressman Lincoln Davis (D-TN); Congressman John Duncan, Jr. (R-TN); and Congressman Bob Inglis (R-SC).
  • Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen (D-TN); Matt Kisber, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Economic Development;  Sandy Baruah, Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, U.S. Department of Commerce; Anne Pope, Federal Co-Chair, Appalachian Regional Commission; Bill Sansom, Chairman, Tennessee Valley Authority; and Tom Kilgore, President and CEO, Tennessee Valley Authority.
  • Dr. John Petersen, President, University of Tennessee; Dr. Frank Franz, President, University of Alabama-Huntsville; Dr. Paul Stanton, President, East Tennessee State University; and Dr. Roger Brown, Chancellor, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.
  • Deborah Taylor Tate, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission; Jim Clinton, Executive Director, Southern Growth Policies Board; Dr. Jeff Wadsworth, Director, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; George Dials, Manager, Y-12 National Security Complex and many, many more.
Anyone interested in attending the Corridor Summit is welcome.  For complete information about the event or to register online for the May 31-June 1 event, please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org.
 
The upcoming Summit in Chattanooga is the 16th in a series of such events that have strategically linked the technology-rich Tennessee Valley Corridor -- from North Alabama through Tennessee into Southwest Virginia and Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

Building on such regional assets as NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal, the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center, the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the National Transportation Research Center, the Center for Rural Development, the National Safe Skies Alliance, several world-class research universities and dozens of corporate leaders in science and technology, the Corridor has helped showcase the Tennessee Valley's superior quality of life and the people, business, natural and scientific resources needed for high-tech research, development, business and investment in the 21st Century.

Previous Corridor Summits over the past ten years have been held in Oak Ridge; Chattanooga; Knoxville; Tri-Cities, TN/VA; Huntsville/Decatur, Ala.; Tullahoma, Tenn.; Nashville; Somerset, KY; and Washington, D.C.
 
In 2004, the Tennessee Valley Corridor was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as one of the top two regional economic development organizations in the country.  The Corridor tied with the famed Research Triangle Partnership in North Carolina as the nation’s most outstanding organization’s for enhancing regional competitiveness.
 
For complete information on the Tennessee Valley Corridor or to register for the May 31-June 1, 2006 event in Chattanooga please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org – or call 865-637-0251.
Congressman Rick Boucher Joins Congressional Colleagues in Announcing Outstanding Speakers for May 31-June 1 Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit in Chattanooga
Technology Summit to Focus on Advancing America’s Economic Competitiveness and Combating Rising Energy Prices
Tennessee Valley Corridor News Release
May 16, 2006
Abingdon, VA  – U.S. Representative ­­­­­­Rick Boucher (D-VA) today joined several of his congressional colleagues from throughout the Tennessee Valley Corridor in announcing major themes and an impressive line-up of speakers for the 2006 Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit to be held May 31-June 1 at the Chattanooga Convention Center in Chattanooga, Tenn.
 
“Key leaders from Virginia's 9th Congressional District are pleased to be active participants in the Tennessee Valley Corridor's efforts to grow and attract more technology based jobs to our region," said Congressman Boucher. "This year's Summit will focus on maintaining America's competitive advantage and the economic development of the Tennessee Valley Corridor region.  I hope anyone interested will make plans to attend this event.”
 
Some of the keynote speakers for the Summit that Congressman Boucher helped announce today include:
  • Congressman Zach Wamp (R-TN), host of this year’s event; Congressman Bud Cramer (D-AL); Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY); Congressman Lincoln Davis (D-TN); Congressman John Duncan, Jr. (R-TN); Congressman Bob Inglis (R-SC) and Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL).
  • Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen (D-TN); Matt Kisber, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Economic Development;  Sandy Baruah, Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, U.S. Department of Commerce; Anne Pope, Federal Co-Chair, Appalachian Regional Commission; Bill Sansom, Chairman, Tennessee Valley Authority; and Tom Kilgore, President and CEO, Tennessee Valley Authority.
  • Dr. John Petersen, President, University of Tennessee; Dr. Frank Franz, President, University of Alabama-Huntsville; Dr. Paul Stanton, President, East Tennessee State University; and Dr. Roger Brown, Chancellor, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.
  • Deborah Taylor Tate, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission; Jim Clinton, Executive Director, Southern Growth Policies Board; Dr. Jeff Wadsworth, Director, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; George Dials, Manager, Y-12 National Security Complex and many, many more.
Anyone interested in attending the Corridor Summit is welcome.  For complete information about the event or to register online for the May 31-June 1 event, please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org.
 
The upcoming Summit in Chattanooga is the 16th in a series of such events that have strategically linked the technology-rich Tennessee Valley Corridor -- from North Alabama through Tennessee into Southwest Virginia and Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

Building on such regional assets as NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal, the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center, the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the National Transportation Research Center, the Center for Rural Development, the National Safe Skies Alliance, several world-class research universities and dozens of corporate leaders in science and technology, the Corridor has helped showcase the Tennessee Valley's superior quality of life and the people, business, natural and scientific resources needed for high-tech research, development, business and investment in the 21st Century.

Previous Corridor Summits over the past ten years have been held in Oak Ridge; Chattanooga; Knoxville; Tri-Cities, TN/VA; Huntsville/Decatur, Ala.; Tullahoma, Tenn.; Nashville; Somerset, KY; and Washington, D.C.
 
In 2004, the Tennessee Valley Corridor was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as one of the top two regional economic development organizations in the country.  The Corridor tied with the famed Research Triangle Partnership in North Carolina as the nation’s most outstanding organization’s for enhancing regional competitiveness.
 
For complete information on the Tennessee Valley Corridor or to register for the May 31-June 1, 2006 event in Chattanooga please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org – or call 865-637-0251.
Congressman Zach Wamp Joins Congressional Colleagues in Announcing Outstanding Speakers for May 31-June 1 Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit in Chattanooga
Technology Summit to Focus on Advancing America’s Economic Competitiveness and Combating Rising Energy Prices
Tennessee Valley Corridor News Release
May 16, 2006
Chattanooga, Tenn. – U.S. Representative Zach Wamp (R-TN) today joined several of his congressional colleagues from throughout the Tennessee Valley Corridor in announcing major themes and an impressive line-up of speakers for the 2006 Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit to be held May 31-June 1 at the Chattanooga Convention Center in Chattanooga, Tenn.
 
“We are very excited about being back in Chattanooga to host what we hope will be one of our best Summits ever, and the topics we will focus on could not be more important,” said Congressman Wamp, host of this year’s Summit and founder of the annual Corridor Summit series. “We are going to zero in on how we in the Tennessee Valley can work together to help advance America’s economic competitiveness and grow more jobs here at home – and perhaps most importantly, how we can use America’s technological advantages to push for greater energy independence from the Middle East through advanced transportation and alternative energy technologies.”
 
Some of the keynote speakers for the Summit who will join Wamp, Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield and Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey at this year’s Summit include:
  • Congressman Bud Cramer (D-AL); Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY); Congressman Lincoln Davis (D-TN); Congressman John Duncan, Jr. (R-TN); Congressman Bob Inglis (R-SC) and Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL);
  • Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen (D-TN); Matt Kisber, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Economic Development;  Sandy Baruah, Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, U.S. Department of Commerce; Anne Pope, Federal Co-Chair, Appalachian Regional Commission; Bill Sansom, Chairman, Tennessee Valley Authority; and Tom Kilgore, President and CEO, Tennessee Valley Authority.
  • Dr. John Petersen, President, University of Tennessee; Dr. Frank Franz, President, University of Alabama-Huntsville; Dr. Paul Stanton, President, East Tennessee State University; and Dr. Roger Brown, Chancellor, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.
  • Deborah Taylor Tate, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission; Jim Clinton, Executive Director, Southern Growth Policies Board; Dr. Jeff Wadsworth, Director, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; George Dials, Manager, Y-12 National Security Complex and many, many more.
Anyone interested in attending the Corridor Summit is welcome.  For complete information about the event or to register online for the May 31-June 1 event, please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org.

The upcoming Summit in Chattanooga is the 16th in a series of such events that have strategically linked the technology-rich Tennessee Valley Corridor -- from North Alabama through Tennessee into Southwest Virginia and Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

Building on such regional assets as NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal, the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center, the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the National Transportation Research Center, the Center for Rural Development, the National Safe Skies Alliance, several world-class research universities and dozens of corporate leaders in science and technology, the Corridor has helped showcase the Tennessee Valley's superior quality of life and the people, business, natural and scientific resources needed for high-tech research, development, business and investment in the 21st Century.

Previous Corridor Summits over the past ten years have been held in Oak Ridge; Chattanooga; Knoxville; Tri-Cities, TN/VA; Huntsville/Decatur, Ala.; Tullahoma, Tenn.; Nashville; Somerset, KY; and Washington, D.C.
 
In 2004, the Tennessee Valley Corridor was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as one of the top two regional economic development organizations in the country.  The Corridor tied with the famed Research Triangle Partnership in North Carolina as the nation’s most outstanding organization’s for enhancing regional competitiveness.
 
For complete information on the Tennessee Valley Corridor or to register for the May 31-June 1, 2006 event in Chattanooga please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org – or call 865-637-0251.
Congressman Lincoln Davis Joins Congressional Colleagues in Announcing Outstanding Speakers for May 31-June 1 Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit in Chattanooga
Technology Summit to Focus on Advancing America’s Economic Competitiveness and Combating Rising Energy Prices
Tennessee Valley Corridor News Release
May 16, 2006
Tullahoma, Tenn.  – U.S. Representative ­­­­­­Lincoln Davis (D-TN) today joined several of his congressional colleagues from throughout the Tennessee Valley Corridor in announcing major themes and an impressive line-up of speakers for the 2006 Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit to be held May 31-June 1 at the Chattanooga Convention Center in Chattanooga, Tenn.
 
"Key leaders and institutions from Tennessee's 4th Congressional District are pleased to be active participants in the Tennessee Valley Corridor's efforts to grow and attract more high-tech jobs to our region," said Congressman Davis. "This year's Summit will focus on putting science and technology to work, through regional cooperation, so we continue to maintain America's competitive edge with the rest of the world. Among the many issues to be discussed during the two-day Summit will be finding ways of reducing our dependence on foreign oil. I hope anyone interested will make plans to attend this important event."
 
Some of the keynote speakers for the Summit that Congressman Davis helped announce today include:
  • Congressman Zach Wamp (R-TN), host of this year’s event; Congressman Bud Cramer (D-AL); Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY); Congressman John Duncan, Jr. (R-TN); Congressman Bob Inglis (R-SC) and Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL);
  • Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen (D-TN); Matt Kisber, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Economic Development;  Sandy Baruah, Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, U.S. Department of Commerce; Anne Pope, Federal Co-Chair, Appalachian Regional Commission; Bill Sansom, Chairman, Tennessee Valley Authority; and Tom Kilgore, President and CEO, Tennessee Valley Authority.
  • Dr. John Petersen, President, University of Tennessee; Dr. Frank Franz, President, University of Alabama-Huntsville; Dr. Paul Stanton, President, East Tennessee State University; and Dr. Roger Brown, Chancellor, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.
  • Deborah Taylor Tate, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission; Jim Clinton, Executive Director, Southern Growth Policies Board; Dr. Jeff Wadsworth, Director, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; George Dials, Manager, Y-12 National Security Complex and many, many more.
Anyone interested in attending the Corridor Summit is welcome.  For complete information about the event or to register online for the May 31-June 1 event, please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org.
 
The upcoming Summit in Chattanooga is the 16th in a series of such events that have strategically linked the technology-rich Tennessee Valley Corridor -- from North Alabama through Tennessee into Southwest Virginia and Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

Building on such regional assets as NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal, the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center, the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the National Transportation Research Center, the Center for Rural Development, the National Safe Skies Alliance, several world-class research universities and dozens of corporate leaders in science and technology, the Corridor has helped showcase the Tennessee Valley's superior quality of life and the people, business, natural and scientific resources needed for high-tech research, development, business and investment in the 21st Century.

Previous Corridor Summits over the past ten years have been held in Oak Ridge; Chattanooga; Knoxville; Tri-Cities, TN/VA; Huntsville/Decatur, Ala.; Tullahoma, Tenn.; Nashville; Somerset, KY; and Washington, D.C.
 
In 2004, the Tennessee Valley Corridor was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as one of the top two regional economic development organizations in the country.  The Corridor tied with the famed Research Triangle Partnership in North Carolina as the nation’s most outstanding organization’s for enhancing regional competitiveness.
 
For complete information on the Tennessee Valley Corridor or to register for the May 31-June 1, 2006 event in Chattanooga please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org – or call 865-637-0251.
 
Congressman John J. Duncan Jr. Joins Congressional Colleagues in Announcing Outstanding Speakers for May 31-June 1 Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit in Chattanooga
Technology Summit to Focus on Advancing America’s Economic Competitiveness and Combating Rising Energy Prices
Tennessee Valley Corridor News Release
May 16, 2006
Knoxville, Tenn.  – U.S. Representative ­­­­­­John J. Duncan Jr. (R-TN) today joined several of his congressional colleagues from throughout the Tennessee Valley Corridor in announcing major themes and an impressive line-up of speakers for the 2006 Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit to be held May 31-June 1 at the Chattanooga Convention Center in Chattanooga, Tenn.
 
“This year’s Summit will look at ways in which we can work together to ensure that America stays competitive within the global economy and how to reduce our dependence on foreign oil to combat high energy prices,” said Congressman Duncan. “I am pleased that many representatives of Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District are active participants in the Tennessee Valley Corridor’s efforts to grow and attract high-tech jobs to our region.”
 
Some of the keynote speakers for the Summit that Congressman Duncan helped announce today include:
  • Congressman Zach Wamp (R-TN), host of this year’s event; Congressman Bud Cramer (D-AL); Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY); Congressman Lincoln Davis (D-TN); Congressman Bob Inglis (R-SC) and Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL);
  • Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen (D-TN); Matt Kisber, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Economic Development;  Sandy Baruah, Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, U.S. Department of Commerce; Anne Pope, Federal Co-Chair, Appalachian Regional Commission; Bill Sansom, Chairman, Tennessee Valley Authority; and Tom Kilgore, President and CEO, Tennessee Valley Authority.
  • Dr. John Petersen, President, University of Tennessee; Dr. Frank Franz, President, University of Alabama-Huntsville; Dr. Paul Stanton, President, East Tennessee State University; and Dr. Roger Brown, Chancellor, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.
  • Deborah Taylor Tate, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission; Jim Clinton, Executive Director, Southern Growth Policies Board; Dr. Jeff Wadsworth, Director, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; George Dials, Manager, Y-12 National Security Complex and many, many more.
Anyone interested in attending the Corridor Summit is welcome.  For complete information about the event or to register online for the May 31-June 1 event, please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org.
 
The upcoming Summit in Chattanooga is the 16th in a series of such events that have strategically linked the technology-rich Tennessee Valley Corridor -- from North Alabama through Tennessee into Southwest Virginia and Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

Building on such regional assets as NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal, the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center, the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the National Transportation Research Center, the Center for Rural Development, the National Safe Skies Alliance, several world-class research universities and dozens of corporate leaders in science and technology, the Corridor has helped showcase the Tennessee Valley's superior quality of life and the people, business, natural and scientific resources needed for high-tech research, development, business and investment in the 21st Century.

Previous Corridor Summits over the past ten years have been held in Oak Ridge; Chattanooga; Knoxville; Tri-Cities, TN/VA; Huntsville/Decatur, Ala.; Tullahoma, Tenn.; Nashville; Somerset, KY; and Washington, D.C.
 
In 2004, the Tennessee Valley Corridor was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as one of the top two regional economic development organizations in the country.  The Corridor tied with the famed Research Triangle Partnership in North Carolina as the nation’s most outstanding organization’s for enhancing regional competitiveness.
 
For complete information on the Tennessee Valley Corridor or to register for the May 31-June 1, 2006 event in Chattanooga please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org – or call 865-637-0251.
 
Congressman Hal Rogers Joins Congressional Colleagues in Announcing Outstanding Speakers for May 31-June 1 Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit in Chattanooga
Technology Summit to Focus on Advancing America’s Economic Competitiveness and Combating Rising Energy Prices
Tennessee Valley Corridor News Release
May 16, 2006
Somerset, KY  – U.S. Representative Harold (­­­­­­Hal) Rogers (R-KY) today joined several of his congressional colleagues from throughout the Tennessee Valley Corridor in announcing major themes and an impressive line-up of speakers for the 2006 Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit to be held May 31-June 1 at the Chattanooga Convention Center in Chattanooga, Tenn.
 
"Key leaders and institutions from Kentucky's 5th Congressional District are pleased to be active participants in the Tennessee Valley Corridor's efforts to grow and attract more high-tech jobs to our region," said Congressman Rogers. "This year's Summit is very important because it will zero in on maintaining America's competitive edge in the world market place and reducing our dependence on foreign oil, which continues to drive up gas and energy costs for consumers and industry alike.  I hope anyone interested will make plans to attend this important event."
 
Some of the keynote speakers for the Summit that Congressman Rogers helped announce today include:
  • Congressman Zach Wamp (R-TN), host of this year’s event; Congressman Bud Cramer (D-AL); Congressman Lincoln Davis (D-TN); Congressman John Duncan, Jr. (R-TN); Congressman Bob Inglis (R-SC) and Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL)
  • Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen (D-TN); Matt Kisber, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Economic Development;  Sandy Baruah, Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, U.S. Department of Commerce; Anne Pope, Federal Co-Chair, Appalachian Regional Commission; Bill Sansom, Chairman, Tennessee Valley Authority; and Tom Kilgore, President and CEO, Tennessee Valley Authority.
  • Dr. John Petersen, President, University of Tennessee; Dr. Frank Franz, President, University of Alabama-Huntsville; Dr. Paul Stanton, President, East Tennessee State University; and Dr. Roger Brown, Chancellor, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.
  • Deborah Taylor Tate, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission; Jim Clinton, Executive Director, Southern Growth Policies Board; Dr. Jeff Wadsworth, Director, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; George Dials, Manager, Y-12 National Security Complex and many, many more.
Anyone interested in attending the Corridor Summit is welcome.  For complete information about the event or to register online for the May 31-June 1 event, please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org.
 
The upcoming Summit in Chattanooga is the 16th in a series of such events that have strategically linked the technology-rich Tennessee Valley Corridor -- from North Alabama through Tennessee into Southwest Virginia and Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

Building on such regional assets as NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal, the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center, the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the National Transportation Research Center, the Center for Rural Development, the National Safe Skies Alliance, several world-class research universities and dozens of corporate leaders in science and technology, the Corridor has helped showcase the Tennessee Valley's superior quality of life and the people, business, natural and scientific resources needed for high-tech research, development, business and investment in the 21st Century.

Previous Corridor Summits over the past ten years have been held in Oak Ridge; Chattanooga; Knoxville; Tri-Cities, TN/VA; Huntsville/Decatur, Ala.; Tullahoma, Tenn.; Nashville; Somerset, KY; and Washington, D.C.
 
In 2004, the Tennessee Valley Corridor was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as one of the top two regional economic development organizations in the country.  The Corridor tied with the famed Research Triangle Partnership in North Carolina as the nation’s most outstanding organization’s for enhancing regional competitiveness.
 
For complete information on the Tennessee Valley Corridor or to register for the May 31-June 1, 2006 event in Chattanooga please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org – or call 865-637-0251.
Congressman Bud Cramer Joins Congressional Colleagues in Announcing Outstanding Speakers for May 31-June 1 Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit in Chattanooga
Technology Summit to Focus on Advancing America’s Economic Competitiveness and Combating Rising Energy Prices
Tennessee Valley Corridor News Release
May 16, 2006
Huntsville, Ala.– U.S. Representative ­­­­­­Bud Cramer (D-AL) today joined several of his congressional colleagues from throughout the Tennessee Valley Corridor in announcing major themes and an impressive line-up of speakers for the 2006 Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit to be held May 31-June 1 at the Chattanooga Convention Center in Chattanooga, Tenn.
 
“North Alabama is once again proud to participate in the Tennessee Valley Corridor Economic Summit,” said Representative Cramer.  “This year, key leaders and institutions from throughout the region will discuss how the entire Corridor can work together in maintaining America’s competitive advantage and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.  I look forward to hearing from people across North Alabama and throughout the Corridor.”
 
Some of the keynote speakers for the Summit that Congressman Cramer helped announce today include:
  • Congressman Zach Wamp (R-TN), host of this year’s event; Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY); Congressman Lincoln Davis (D-TN); Congressman John Duncan, Jr. (R-TN); Congressman Bob Inglis (R-SC) and Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL).
  • Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen (D-TN); Matt Kisber, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Economic Development;  Sandy Baruah, Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, U.S. Department of Commerce; Anne Pope, Federal Co-Chair, Appalachian Regional Commission; Bill Sansom, Chairman, Tennessee Valley Authority; and Tom Kilgore, President and CEO, Tennessee Valley Authority.
  • Dr. John Petersen, President, University of Tennessee; Dr. Frank Franz, President, University of Alabama-Huntsville; Dr. Paul Stanton, President, East Tennessee State University; and Dr. Roger Brown, Chancellor, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.
  • Deborah Taylor Tate, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission; Jim Clinton, Executive Director, Southern Growth Policies Board; Dr. Jeff Wadsworth, Director, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; George Dials, Manager, Y-12 National Security Complex and many, many more.
Anyone interested in attending the Corridor Summit is welcome.  For complete information about the event or to register online for the May 31-June 1 event, please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org.
 
The upcoming Summit in Chattanooga is the 16th in a series of such events that have strategically linked the technology-rich Tennessee Valley Corridor -- from North Alabama through Tennessee into Southwest Virginia and Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

Building on such regional assets as NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal, the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center, the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the National Transportation Research Center, the Center for Rural Development, the National Safe Skies Alliance, several world-class research universities and dozens of corporate leaders in science and technology, the Corridor has helped showcase the Tennessee Valley's superior quality of life and the people, business, natural and scientific resources needed for high-tech research, development, business and investment in the 21st Century.

Previous Corridor Summits over the past ten years have been held in Oak Ridge; Chattanooga; Knoxville; Tri-Cities, TN/VA; Huntsville/Decatur, Ala.; Tullahoma, Tenn.; Nashville; Somerset, KY; and Washington, D.C.
 
In 2004, the Tennessee Valley Corridor was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as one of the top two regional economic development organizations in the country.  The Corridor tied with the famed Research Triangle Partnership in North Carolina as the nation’s most outstanding organization’s for enhancing regional competitiveness.
 
For complete information on the Tennessee Valley Corridor or to register for the May 31-June 1, 2006 event in Chattanooga please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org – or call 865-637-0251.
Congressman Bill Jenkins Joins Congressional Colleagues in Announcing Outstanding Speakers for May 31-June 1 Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit in Chattanooga
Technology Summit to Focus on Advancing America’s Economic Competitiveness and Combating Rising Energy Prices
Tennessee Valley Corridor News Release
May 16, 2006
Kingsport, Tenn.  – U.S. Representative ­­­­­­Bill Jenkins (R-TN) today joined several of his congressional colleagues from throughout the Tennessee Valley Corridor in announcing major themes and an impressive line-up of speakers for the 2006 Tennessee Valley Corridor National Summit to be held May 31-June 1 at the Chattanooga Convention Center in Chattanooga, Tenn.
 
“Key leaders and institutions from Tennessee’s 1st Congressional District are pleased to be active participants in the Tennessee Valley Corridor’s efforts to grow and attract more high-tech jobs to our region,” said Congressman Jenkins. “And this year’s Summit is very important because it is going to zero in on how we work smarter at working together in maintaining America’s competitive advantage with the rest of the work – and how we reduce our dependence on foreign oil that continues to drive gas prices at the pump and energy costs for industry and for all of us.  I hope anyone interested will make plans to attend this important event.”
 
Some of the keynote speakers for the Summit that Congressman Jenkins helped announce today include:
  • Congressman Zach Wamp (R-TN), host of this year’s event; Congressman Bud Cramer (D-AL); Congressman Hal Rogers (R-KY); Congressman Lincoln Davis (D-TN); Congressman John Duncan, Jr. (R-TN); Congressman Bob Inglis (R-SC) and Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL);
  • Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen (D-TN); Matt Kisber, Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Economic Development;  Sandy Baruah, Assistant Secretary for Economic Development, U.S. Department of Commerce; Anne Pope, Federal Co-Chair, Appalachian Regional Commission; Bill Sansom, Chairman, Tennessee Valley Authority; and Tom Kilgore, President and CEO, Tennessee Valley Authority.
  • Dr. John Petersen, President, University of Tennessee; Dr. Frank Franz, President, University of Alabama-Huntsville; Dr. Paul Stanton, President, East Tennessee State University; and Dr. Roger Brown, Chancellor, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.
  • Deborah Taylor Tate, Commissioner, Federal Communications Commission; Jim Clinton, Executive Director, Southern Growth Policies Board; Dr. Jeff Wadsworth, Director, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; George Dials, Manager, Y-12 National Security Complex and many, many more.
Anyone interested in attending the Corridor Summit is welcome.  For complete information about the event or to register online for the May 31-June 1 event, please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org.
 
The upcoming Summit in Chattanooga is the 16th in a series of such events that have strategically linked the technology-rich Tennessee Valley Corridor -- from North Alabama through Tennessee into Southwest Virginia and Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

Building on such regional assets as NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal, the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center, the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the National Transportation Research Center, the Center for Rural Development, the National Safe Skies Alliance, several world-class research universities and dozens of corporate leaders in science and technology, the Corridor has helped showcase the Tennessee Valley's superior quality of life and the people, business, natural and scientific resources needed for high-tech research, development, business and investment in the 21st Century.

Previous Corridor Summits over the past ten years have been held in Oak Ridge; Chattanooga; Knoxville; Tri-Cities, TN/VA; Huntsville/Decatur, Ala.; Tullahoma, Tenn.; Nashville; Somerset, KY; and Washington, D.C.
 
In 2004, the Tennessee Valley Corridor was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as one of the top two regional economic development organizations in the country.  The Corridor tied with the famed Research Triangle Partnership in North Carolina as the nation’s most outstanding organization’s for enhancing regional competitiveness.
 
For complete information on the Tennessee Valley Corridor or to register for the May 31-June 1, 2006 event in Chattanooga please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org – or call 865-637-0251.
 
NASA Associate Administrator Rex Geveden to Keynote National Technology Summit Next Week in Chattanooga
Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit to Kick-Off Wednesday, May 31
Tennessee Valley Corridor News Release
May 24, 2006
Huntsville, Ala. - The 2006 Tennessee Valley Corridor National Technology Summit, which begins next week on May 31 and continues through June1, features several North Alabama keynote speakers, and among them is Rex Geveden, NASA Associate Administrator. 

Mr. Geveden is expected to speak to more than 500 of the top science, technology, government, business, education and economic development leaders from the Tennessee Valley Corridor's four-state region from North Alabama, through Tennessee and into Southwest Virginia and Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

"From the work being done at the Corridor's various well-respected science, technology, economic development and education institutions, with NASA being one of these main players, we have managed to leverage the Corridor as a go-to region for science and technology economic development," said Susan Reid, chair of the Tennessee Valley Corridor Board of Directors. "We're honored that Mr. Geveden recognizes the importance of the Corridor's continued promotion, growth and collaboration and will be joining us at this year's Summit."

Other North Alabama keynoters include: Congressman Bud Cramer (D-AL); Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL); Steve Beale, Procurement Officer, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center; and Dr. Frank Franz, President, University of Alabama-Huntsville.

This year's Summit will place special emphasis on how Corridor leaders can best advance America's Competitiveness through innovation, discovery, education and energy independence, and the role those in the Tennessee Valley hope to play, in strategically leveraging our higher education and national scientific institutions in these areas to help grow the nation's economy.
 
Building on such regional assets as NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal, the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center, the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the National Transportation Research Center, the Center for Rural Development, the National Safe Skies Alliance, several world-class research universities and dozens of corporate leaders in science and technology, the Corridor has helped showcase the Tennessee Valley's superior quality of life and the people, business, natural and scientific resources needed for high-tech research, development, business and investment in the 21st Century.

For more information on next week's Summit or to register online, please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org/summits/detail or call Jenn Wade at 615-428-4010.
Adult Enrollment Declines at Tennessee Colleges
Chattanooga Times Free Press, Dorie Turner
July 31, 2005
The number of adults attending Tennessee colleges has decreased by nearly 10,000 in the last decade while overall enrollment has grown, records show.

The trend could hurt the state’s ability to attract new industries and could deplete Tennessee’s aging work force of employees with up-to-date skills, said Dr. Bill Fox, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

"It’s a serious reason for concern because Tennessee does have an adult labor force with less education than is the norm around the country," he said. "The state as a whole will ultimately pay the price with an economy that’s less vibrant."

Georgia, however, is seeing an opposite trend.

The two public colleges in Northwest Georgia have had jumps in adult enrollment, officials said. Dalton State College’s 25-and-older enrollment rose nearly 76 percent, or 773, in the last decade as the overall student body grew by 1,250 students.

At Northwestern Technical College in Rock Spring, Ga., adults account for 51 percent of the student body. In the last decade, adult enrollment nearly doubled while overall enrollment more than doubled.

Tennessee higher education officials disagree over what is causing the Volunteer State’s adult enrollment decline.

Some say the rise in online colleges like the University of Phoenix, which markets to working adults, siphoned off students from brick-and-mortar institutions. Others blame the lack of financial aid for adults in a time when tuition and fees annually increase.

Chattanooga State Technical Community College spokesman Foster Chason said the migration of Hamilton County residents across the border into Georgia probably has hurt adult enrollment.

"That becomes part of it because it becomes out-of-state tuition," he said.

At the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, 24 percent fewer students age 25 or older are attending college compared to a decade ago, while overall enrollment increased nearly 6 percent. That means 464 fewer adults are taking classes at UTC while 404 more students are enrolled at the university.

For the University of Tennessee, adult enrollment fell 41 percent, or 1,491, over the past 10 years while the overall student body grew by 5 percent, or 879.

Community colleges, where older students are more likely to attend, are experiencing the same kind of decline but with a shrinking student body.

At Chattanooga State, adult enrollment fell 16 percent, or 690 students, in the last 10 years. Overall attendance slipped 7 percent, or 607 students, in that time period.

Cleveland State Community College’s adult enrollment fell nearly 14 percent, or 208 students. The college’s student body shrank by 7 percent, or 220.

Jeannie Cummings, 48, decided to go back to college after her husband died three years ago. Now she’s usually the only adult in her human resources classes at UTC, she said.

"You just don’t see people my age going back much because they can’t juggle the classes with jobs and responsibilities," the Polk County resident said. "It’s very difficult."

Dr. Brian Noland with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission said he’s been trying to solve the mystery of Tennessee’s lower adult enrollment for several years. Even though tough economic times usually drive laid-off workers back to college, Tennessee hasn’t seen such a boom, he said.

"Regardless of national trends with respect to the economy, our number of nontraditional students has continued to decline," Dr. Noland said. "We’re all left with this interesting puzzle."

This year, lawmakers amended the Tennessee Education Lottery scholarship program to include nontraditional students. Tennesseans age 25 or older with a family income of $36,000 or less can get a $3,300 lottery scholarship if they enroll in college for a year and make the required 2.75 GPA.

Dr. Noland, who helped craft Tennessee’s scholarship program, said adult students are becoming a focus of the state’s higher education policymakers. The commission’s recent revisions to the formula used to determine how much state funding goes to colleges added an incentive for enrolling adult students, he said.  "It’s one of the first priorities in our master plan," Dr. Noland said. 
 
Tennessee Valley Corridor Setting the Pace for the Nation
Tennessee Valley Corridor Press Release
January 01, 2004

Knoxville, TN - Over 750 top economic development leaders, scientists, academics and industry executives gathered today at the Knoxville Convention Center for the 10th annual Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit and heard the an important message from three top leaders in their respective fields � "You are doing it right."

The Summit has a history of bringing together high-profile leaders from across the Tennessee Valley and the nation to create plans for regional collaboration and the leverage the Valley's abundant science and technology assets for greater regional economic development and new job creation.

This year's Summit was no exception. The Summit's theme and mission "Research, Technology, Jobs," was praised by national leaders at the highest levels including U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, Phil Bond, Under Secretary of Technology for the U.S. Department of Commerce, and Ray Orbach, Director of the Office of Science for the U.S. Department of Energy.

One major accomplishment at the Summit today was a formal signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to create a new Tennessee Homeland Security Consortium (THSC). Secretary Ridge, Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, key members of the Tennessee Valley's Congressional delegation, and the state of Tennessee's top research institutions came together today to signify an important partnership formed to combat the war on terror. The THSC is a formal partnership between all of Tennessee's Carnegie I research universities and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to provide leadership, visionary solutions, training, education, and technology for the homeland security challenges facing our nation today.

Secretary Ridge praised the Tennessee Valley Corridor and THSC for pooling the region's resources, noting that those who think regionally in regards to technology and innovation will be far ahead in terms of not only economic development, but also in security. The collaborative fashion in which the Corridor has organized should be regarded as a national model, he further noted.

Bill Baxter, director of Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and Jeffrey Wadsworth, director of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), also announced today that their organizations have formed a partnership that will allow researchers and scientists at colleges and universities across the Tennessee Valley to connect to ORNL's world-class supercomputer center.

The National Center for Computational Sciences at ORNL was recently chosen by the U.S. Department of Energy to lead a partnership to develop the world�s fastest supercomputer to be located in Oak Ridge, Tenn. TVA has a fiber optic telecommunications network throughout the Valley that will enable area institutions to link directly to the National Center for Computational Sciences at ORNL and other major national research and education networks.

Phillip Bond, Undersecretary of Technology for the U.S. Department of Commerce, was on hand to commend the Tennessee Valley Corridor for recently winning the 2004 Economic Development Administration Excellence Award for Enhancing Regional Competitiveness. The Research Triangle Park Partnership in North Carolina was a co-winner of the national honor. Bond noted the significance of the Tennessee Valley Corridor being placed in the same category as the world-renowned Research Triangle Park. Bond said that the Corridor's mission to "put science and technology to work" through technology transfer and new product development, new business and new job creation is the key component to America's success in economic development in today�s world marketplace.

"This Summit is focusing on how we grow more new high-paying jobs here in Tennessee Valley," said Congressman Zach Wamp (R-TN), founder of the Tennessee Valley Corridor. "We are zeroing in on the types of research, resources and technologies coming out of Oak Ridge, our universities and elsewhere, that are helping both new entrepreneurs and existing businesses create real new jobs here in our communities."

For 10 years, the Tennessee Valley Corridor Summits have helped showcase the Tennessee Valley's superior quality of life through the people, businesses and natural and scientific resources needed for high-tech research, development, business and investment in the 21st Century. For more information on the Corridor or for the latest on the Knoxville/Oak Ridge Summit, please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org.

Tennessee Homeland Security Consortium Forms Partnership between Tennessee Universities and National Lab
Memorandum of Understanding Signed at Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit
Tennessee Valley Corridor Press Release
January 01, 2004

KNOXVILLE, TN � Surrounded by U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, Governor Phil Bredesen and members of the Tennessee's Congressional delegation, the state of Tennessee's top research institutions gathered today to signify an important partnership to combat the war on Terror by forming the Tennessee Homeland Security Consortium (THSC).

The THSC is a formal partnership of Tennessee�s Carnegie I Research institutions and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) interested in providing leadership, visionary solutions, training, education, and technology for the homeland security challenges facing our nation today.

"The THSC was conceived to bring the combined capabilities of Tennessee's top research institutions to the War on Terror, to help focus national and international visibility on those capabilities, and to give the THSC members a central collaboration point focused on homeland security issues," said Dr. Robin White, Executive Director of the UT/ORNL Center for Homeland Security and Counterproliferation and one of the founding members of THSC.

The Director of the Governor's Office of Homeland Security, Major General Jerry Humble echoed Dr. White's comments. "The Tennessee Homeland Security Consortium represents a distinct a distinct advantage for the State of Tennessee, drawing upon an exceptional array of intellectual resources, experiences, and perspectives from our state's top research institutions and the Oak Ridge National Lab," said Maj. Gen. Humble. "The additional of this wealth of talent is overwhelming."

Signing the Memorandum of Understanding was Dr. Jeff Wadsworth, Director of ORNL; Dr. Joe Johnson, President of the University of Tennessee; Dr. Shirley Raines, President of the University of Memphis; Colleen Conway-Welch, Dean of the School of Nursing, Vanderbilt University; Dr. Tom Cheatham, Dean of the College of basic and Applied Science, Middle Tennessee State University; and Dr. Michael Woodruff the Interim Associate Vice President for Research of East Tennessee State University.

"The state of Tennessee is blessed to have six Carnegie I research institutions and the Oak Ridge National Lab," said Congressman Zach Wamp, R-TN. "This consortium will bring together a network of 10 campuses across the state of Tennessee plus the nation�s largest multi-purpose national laboratory, with approximately $1.5B in federal research expenditures annually. The Tennessee Congressional Delegation looks forward to working with the Tennessee Homeland Security Consortium to ensure that our priorities support the overall homeland security goals of the state and the nation."

Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge to Keynote Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit
Tuesday Luncheon Hosted by Congressmen Duncan, Wamp and Davis Features Secretary Ridge, Congressman Hal Rogers (KY) and Governor Phil Bredesen in Discussion About America�s Newest Challenge
Tennessee Valley Corridor Press Release

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. � U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge will keynote the 10th annual Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit at the Knoxville Convention Center on Tuesday, June 1, with a luncheon address focused on the theme of �Meeting America�s Newest Challenge.��

A former Governor and member of Congress from Pennsylvania, Secretary Ridge was sworn in by President Bush on Oct. 8, 2001, as the nation�s first Office of Homeland Security Adviser in the aftermath of the September 11 events. In November 2002 Ridge was elevated to his current position as secretary when the U.S. Senate voted to make the department a Cabinet-level department.

After September 11, President Bush declared war on terrorism and moved quickly to secure our homeland defenses, borders, airports and ports. To do that, he turned to Ridge, a man the President said �has the strength, experience, personal commitment and the authority to accomplish this critical mission.�

�The Tennessee Valley has many assets that will play a significant role in research and deploying the technology to meet the Homeland Security challenges we now face as Americans,� said Congressman Zach Wamp. �Secretary Ridge's presence is a demonstration, that this administration is committed to the Valley and the missions we carry out.�

Joining Ridge at the luncheon event as featured speakers will be Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen and U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers, who is in his 12th term representing Kentucky�s Fifth Congressional District. In 2003 Rogers� colleagues elected him the first chairman of the House Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which is responsible for the funding and oversight of the Department of Homeland Security. Rogers is also a member of the Select Committee on Homeland Security, which has legislative jurisdiction over the Homeland Security Act that established the new federal department.

�Having my good friend and colleague Congressman Hal Rogers attend our Summit is truly a pleasure,� said Congressman Duncan. �As chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee, he brings many years of experience and expertise to the event, and I believe the Valley�s strong commitment to regional cooperation will leave him with a lasting impression of our area�s national leadership in this arena.�

The Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit, which will be held May 31-June 2 with sessions in Knoxville and Oak Ridge, will be co-hosted by Wamp and Congressman John J. Duncan, Jr.. The three co-chairs of the Summit are Gerald Boyd, manager of Oak Ridge Operations for the Department of Energy, Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale, and Pat Beasley, president of Pro-Temp Staffing and immediate past chair of the East Tennessee Economic Council.

In his role as Secretary of Homeland Security, Ridge, 58, oversees such federal agencies as U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Secret Service, among others. Ridge�s 180,000-person department is the second largest federal agency, behind the Pentagon.

Ridge is a Vietnam veteran, who earned a Bronze Star for Valor as an infantry staff sergeant. He is a native Pennsylvanian, raised in Erie, who earned a scholarship to Harvard. Following his service in Vietnam, he returned to school to earn his law degree. He was first elected to the U.S. Congress in 1982 and reelected six times before being elected Pennsylvania�s governor.

Prior to the luncheon and Secretary Ridge�s remarks, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) of the Tennessee Homeland Security Consortium, a new statewide homeland security partnership organized by the UT/ORNL Center for Homeland Security, will be signed by Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, Maj. Gen. Jerry D. Humble, director of the Tennessee Office of Homeland Security and top representatives of Tennessee�s Carnegie I Research Universities and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The universities in the partnership with ORNL are the University of Tennessee System schools, Vanderbilt University, University of Memphis, East Tennessee State University, Tennessee State University and Middle Tennessee State University.

The theme for this year�s Summit is �Research. Technology. Jobs.� The event begins with an opening reception on Monday night at the Knoxville Convention Center and will be followed by a full day of presentations, highlighted by Ridge�s keynote address. The Summit continues on Wednesday when it moves to Oak Ridge at the Oak Ridge Associated Universities� Pollard Technology Conference Center for a morning session to be followed by tours of Oak Ridge and Knoxville high-tech facilities.

The Tennessee Valley Corridor was honored recently as the co-winner of the prestigious national U.S. Department of Commerce�s 2004 Excellence in Economic Development Awards along with the Research Triangle Partnership as two of the nation�s most outstanding regional economic development organizations. The Corridor is an economic development organization strategically linking the technology-rich Tennessee Valley from North Alabama through Tennessee into Southwest Virginia and Southeast Kentucky for new business development and new job creation.

For 10 years, the Tennessee Valley Corridor Summits have helped showcase the Tennessee Valley�s superior quality of life through the people, businesses and natural and scientific resources needed for high-tech research, development, business and investment in the 21st Century.

Incoming UT President Dr. John Petersen To Make First Major Address to Region During Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit
Tennessee Valley Corridor Press Release
January 01, 2004

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. � Dr. John Petersen, the University of Tennessee�s incoming president, will deliver his first major speech to the region during the upcoming Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit, Wednesday morning, June 2 at the recently renovated Pollard Technology Conference Center at Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU).

Petersen, who will begin his job here on July 1, will speak at 8 a.m. to kick-off the third and final day of the Corridor�s regional economic development summit. Petersen�s speech will focus on the theme of �Building Our High-Tech Workforce� and the role of the University of Tennessee as a working partner with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Department of Energy, the Y-12 national security complex, ORAU and other Oak Ridge facilities in growing more technology businesses, preparing the future workforce and developing the kinds of research programs that help advance our region in the New Economy. As UT�s new president, Petersen will lead the state�s five-campus, 42,000-student system.

"It is a high honor that Dr. Petersen will be in Oak Ridge and utilize the Pollard Technology Conference Center at ORAU as the backdrop for his first major address since taking over at UT," Oak Ridge Mayor David Bradshaw said. "We cannot overstate the importance of the synergy that exists between the university, Oak Ridge and our federal facilities here. The location of this first address says a great deal about this wonderful partnership -- a partnership that we will continue to grow as we get to know Dr. Petersen and he gets to know our community. I want to warmly welcome him to Oak Ridge and East Tennessee."

Mayor Bradshaw�s remarks were echoed by Congressman Zach Wamp. �We welcome Dr. Petersen to the Tennessee Valley Corridor and we are honored that he selected our Corridor Summit as the venue for his first major address since assuming the role as president of the University of Tennessee,� Congressman Wamp said. �The relationship between the university and the Oak Ridge facilities is significant and we are looking forward to working with Dr. Petersen as a partner in deepening and strengthening our ties and working toward our shared goals.�

Wamp is a co-host of this, the 10th anniversary of the regional Tennessee Valley Corridor Summits, along with fellow Congressman John J. Duncan Jr. �UT plays an extremely important role in the Tennessee Valley�s economy and its future as a technology region,� said Congressman Duncan. �Whether it is educating the next generation of business leaders and engineers or partnering with ORNL in advanced vehicle and transportation research at the National Transportation Research Center in Knox County, UT is helping to shape tomorrow�s technology and economic growth.�

Gerald Boyd, Manager of DOE�s Oak Ridge Operations, said, �It is noteworthy that Dr. Petersen�s first major speech to the region will be in Oak Ridge. The University of Tennessee plays a major role in the continued success of the Department of Energy�s mission in Oak Ridge through its contract with Battelle to manage ORNL. We join with Mayor Bradshaw and other leaders in our community to welcome Dr. Petersen to Oak Ridge.�

Petersen comes to UT from the University of Connecticut, where was provost and the school�s executive vice president since 2000. Prior to that he was dean of the College of Science and professor of chemistry at Wayne State University from 1994-2000. He also held positions and taught at Clemson University and Kansas State University.

Petersen has a Ph.D in inorganic chemistry from the University of California at Santa Barbara and the B.S. in chemistry from California State University. He and his wife, Carol, are in the process of moving from Connecticut to Knoxville.

�Research. Technology. Jobs.� serves as the theme for the May 31-June 2 Summit at the Knoxville Convention Center and ORAU. Officials and leaders from government, education, regional businesses and local communities will convene to talk about working together to better leverage the region�s varied technology assets to create more and higher-paying jobs throughout East Tennessee and the larger Tennessee Valley.

The Summit participants will be treated to a Tuesday keynote luncheon address by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, in addition to remarks by Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen and U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers, in his 12th term representing Kentucky�s Fifth Congressional District. Rogers also is chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which is responsible for the funding and oversight for the Department of Homeland Security.

The Tennessee Valley Corridor was honored recently as the co-winner of the prestigious national U.S. Department of Commerce�s 2004 Excellence in Economic Development Awards along with the Research Triangle Partnership as two of the nation�s most outstanding regional economic development organizations. The Corridor strategically links the technology-rich Tennessee Valley from North Alabama through Tennessee into Southwest Virginia and Southeast Kentucky for new business development and new job creation.

During the past 10 years, The Tennessee Valley Corridor Summits have fostered a greater regional understanding of the Tennessee Valley�s technology-related federal and state investments and in showcasing the business, natural, scientific and human resources required for high-tech research, development and investment in the 21st Century. More information and details about the upcoming Summit are available at the Corridor�s website � www.tennvalleycorridor.org or by calling 865-637-0251 for additional information.

Congressman Wamp Joins Rogers, Ridge In Rolling Out New Initiatives to Combat Terrorism In Rolling Out New Initiatives to Combat Terrorism
Tennessee Valley Corridor Press Release
January 01, 2004

Somerset, KY--Tennessee Congressman Zach Wamp, U.S Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge and Kentucky Congressman Hal Rogers announced the formation of two new Kentucky-based homeland security organizations during the two-day Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit here.

Wamp, who began the Tennessee Valley Corridor Summits 10 years ago, welcomed more than 600 people to the event at The Center for Rural Development along with Tennessee Congressman John J. Duncan Jr. and Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher.

"This is great news for the Corridor and for the nation as we all work together regionally to secure the nation in these difficult times," Wamp said. "These organizations that Congressman Rogers announced will help fight terrorism and bring new jobs and economic development to Southern and Eastern Kentucky and is another development that strengthens the Tennessee Valley Corridor."

Rogers announced the creation of the National Institute for Hometown Security, a non-profit research and development (R&D) organization that will seek to develop homeland security solutions to help protect and preserve America's critical infrastructure, which includes transportation, agriculture, water, and public health services. The Institute will primarily focus on developing solutions for smaller cities and rural areas.

Secretary Ridge stressed the importance of the Corridor focus on homeland security and said this is an issue that cannot be solved at the federal level without help from the hometowns and regional cooperative efforts like the Valley Corridor. Ridge also praised Wamp, Rogers and Duncan for their hard work on these regional initiatives.

The National Institute will be based at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset and will be governed by a 13-member board of directors. Ewell Balltrip was named as Executive Director and will oversee the day-to-day operations of the organization.

Also announced was a major agreement between Kentucky's public and private universities that are joining together to create the Kentucky Homeland Security University Consortium. Operating as a virtual laboratory, Consortium members will work together on research and development projects that are geared towards improving the security of America's hometowns.

"One of the most important things we can do as a Corridor is to closely link our research institutions and laboratories with our universities and to encourage collaboration as they work on our homeland security initiatives and on other major projects," Wamp said during a Friday morning breakfast.

Wamp's focus on linking technological growth with workforce development was highlighted during a Friday panel discussion on which he was joined by Dr. Frank Akers, associate Laboratory Director, National Security, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Anne Pope, Federal Co-Chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission; and Lonnie Lawson, director of the Center for Rural Development.

Wamp led the discussion about Technology and Workforce Development for the 21st Century: Keys to Economic Growth.

For more information about the Tennessee Valley Corridor please visit, www.tennvalleycorridor.org.

Homeland Security Chief Tom Ridge To Keynote Valley Corridor Summit In Kentucky
Southern & Eastern Kentucky Summit Nov. 4-5 at Somerset, to focus on "Technology: Linking Homeland Security and Hometown Prosperity" 'Technology: Linking Homeland Security and Hometown Prosperity'
Tennessee Valley Corridor Press Release
January 01, 2004

SOMERSET, KY. � Representative Hal Rogers of Kentucky�s Fifth Congressional District announced today that U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge will deliver the opening keynote address of the Southern & Eastern Kentucky Summit here on Nov. 4-5. Rogers said that Secretary Ridge�s comments will focus on the Summit�s theme: �Technology: Linking Homeland Security and Hometown Prosperity.�

This Summit will be the first ever held in Kentucky as part of the Tennessee Valley Corridor series of Summits. �I am pleased that this year�s Summit will bring such high caliber speakers to Kentucky,� said Congressman Rogers. �In addition to Secretary Ridge all of our other sessions are filled with regional and national leaders that will discuss homeland security issues and the impact they will have on the Tennessee Valley Corridor region.�

The Co-Chairs of the Summit are Ewell Balltrip, executive director and chief executive officer for the National Institute for Hometown Security, and Dr. Jo Marshall, president of Somerset Community College.

The two-day event will be held at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset. It will begin with the opening dinner in the Center�s North Hall on November 4th hosted by Congressman Rogers, who is in his 12th term representing Kentucky�s Fifth Congressional District. Secretary Ridge will deliver the keynote address during the dinner.

Secretary Ridge, who also spoke at the Tennessee Valley Corridor�s spring Summit in Knoxville, is a former Congressman and former governor of Pennsylvania. Secretary Ridge was sworn in by President Bush on Oct. 8, 2001, as the nation�s first Office of Homeland Security Adviser in the aftermath of the September 11 events. In November 2002 Ridge was elevated to his current position as secretary when the new Department of Homeland Security was created.

After September 11, President Bush declared war on terrorism and moved quickly to secure our homeland defenses, borders, airports and ports. To do that, he turned to Ridge, a man the President said �has the strength, experience, personal commitment and the authority to accomplish this critical mission.� In 2003, Congressman Rogers, was elected to be the first chairman of the House Subcommittee on Homeland Security, which is responsible for the funding and oversight of the Department of Homeland Security. Rogers is also a member of the Select Committee on Homeland Security, which has legislative jurisdiction over the Homeland Security Act that established the new federal department.

"The Southern and Eastern Kentucky region is fast becoming a major center of excellence for our Homeland Security efforts and having Secretary Ridge here to learn first-hand about this region's many capabilities and technologies is a major step forward for our institutions and our private-sector companies working to support the nation's newest challenge," said U.S. Representative Zach Wamp, who represents Tennessee�s Third Congressional District. Wamp first began the Tennessee Valley Corridor Summits in 1995.

In his role as Secretary of Homeland Security, Ridge, 58, oversees such federal agencies as U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Secret Service, among others. Ridge�s 180,000-person department is the second largest federal agency, behind the Pentagon.

Ridge is a Vietnam veteran, who earned a Bronze Star for Valor as an infantry staff sergeant. He is a native Pennsylvanian, raised in Erie, who earned a scholarship to Harvard. Following his service in Vietnam, he returned to school to earn his law degree. He was first elected to the U.S. Congress in 1982 and was reelected six times before being elected Pennsylvania�s governor.

The Corridor is an economic development organization strategically linking the technology-rich Tennessee Valley from North Alabama through Tennessee into Southwest Virginia and Southern and Eastern Kentucky.

For 10 years, the Tennessee Valley Corridor Summits have helped showcase the Tennessee Valley�s superior quality of life through the people, businesses and natural and scientific resources needed for high-tech research, development, business and investment in the 21st Century. The Tennessee Valley Corridor and the Research Triangle in Raleigh, N.C., were honored recently as the co-winners of the U.S. Department of Commerce�s 2004 Excellence in Economic Development Awards.

For more information on the Corridor or for the latest on the Somerset Summit, please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org.

Tennessee Valley Corridor Summit in Washington, D. C. Opens with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff
Tennessee Valley Corridor Press Release
January 01, 2005
Contact:
Jennifer L. Compton
AkinsCrisp Public Strategies
(615) 969-4737

(Washington, DC) – The Tennessee Valley Corridor’s national technology Summit, which opens tomorrow, July 11, and continues through Tuesday, July 12, in the nation’s capital features America’s top Homeland Security leader as the keynote speaker at the Corridor’s opening dinner Monday night.
 
On the heels of last week’s terrorist bombings in London, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff is expected to speak to the nearly 500 top Corridor leaders assembled about the important role that technology will play in America’s efforts to combat terrorism here and around the world.  Many of those technologies are being developed, tested and deployed through the coordinated work of several public institutions and private businesses within the Tennessee Valley Corridor. 
 
“From the work being done at all of the Corridor’s research universities, at the Oak Ridge National Lab and Y-12 National Security Complex, at the Institute for Hometown Security and National Safe Skies Alliance, as well as dozens of corporations in the Valley, we have mobilized the Tennessee Valley Corridor to be a real ‘go to’ region in our efforts to help secure the homeland,” said Summit host and Corridor founder Congressman Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.). “We are pleased that Secretary Chertoff recognizes the value of a region rich in technology assets as we confront many new challenges at home and abroad.”
 
Congressmen Harold “Hal” Rogers (R-Ky), the chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee of House Appropriations, and Congressmen Bud Cramer (D-Ala.) and John J. Duncan, Jr. (R-Tenn.), are also expected to address those attending the opening Summit dinner.  Congressmen Lincoln Davis (D-Tenn.), Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) and Bill Jenkins (R-Tenn.) will also be in attendance and are expected to address Summit participants on Tuesday morning.
 
Earlier on Monday, Corridor officials and leaders from several top U.S. agencies will brief the nearly 500 top leaders from throughout the Corridor who have convened in Washington on a variety of issues and opportunities for new job creation in the Tennessee Valley.  Monday’s briefings and presenters are scheduled to include:
 
Homeland Security -- John Doesburg, Director of Homeland Security, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Dr. Charles McQueary, Under Secretary for Science and Technology, U.S. Department of Homeland Security;
 
Defense -- Alan B. Goldstayn, Executive Director, Arnold Engineering
Development Center, U.S. Air Force; Mike Schexnayder, Deputy to the Commander, U.S. Space and Missile Defense Command, U.S. Army; Major General Paul Fletcher, Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Programs, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force;
 
NASA -- Charles Chitwood, Deputy Director, NASA Marshall Space Flight
Center; Doug Cooke, Acting Associate Administrator, Exploration Systems Missions Directorate, NASA Headquarters; Steve Miley, Acting Assistant Associate Administrator for Institutional Assets and Investments, Space Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters; and Paul Hertz, Assistant Associate Administrator for Science, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters;
 
Energy -- Gerald Boyd, Director, DOE-Oak Ridge Operations; Jim Decker, Deputy Director, Office of Science, U.S. Department of Energy; Marty Schoenbauer, Assistant Deputy Administrator for Military Application Stockpile Operations, National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA);
 
Economic Development -- Susan Reid, Executive Director, First Tennessee Development District; Rick Peltz, Alternate Federal Co-Chair, Appalachian Regional Commission; Tom Rogers, President, Technology 2020; Wayne Cropp and Bob Colby, Chattanooga/Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau.
 
On Tuesday, July 12, the Summit will continue with a keynote address from U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman – and presentations from new Tennessee Valley Authority Chairman Bill Baxter and Oak Ridge National Laboratory Director Jeff Wadsworth – on how Corridor institutions and technologies can help the U.S. become less dependent on foreign sources of energy.
 
Other sessions on Tuesday will focus on ways to protect and encourage high-tech manufacturing in the Corridor – as well as new opportunities for regional economic development throughout the region.
 
Building on such regional assets as NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal, the U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center, the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the National Transportation Research Center, the Center for Rural Development, the National Safe Skies Alliance, several world-class research universities and dozens of corporate leaders in science and technology, the Corridor has helped showcase the Tennessee Valley's superior quality of life and the people, business, natural and scientific resources needed for high-tech research, development, business and investment in the 21st Century.

Previous Corridor Summits over the past ten years have been held in Oak Ridge; Chattanooga; Knoxville; Tri-Cities, TN/VA; Huntsville/Decatur, Ala.; Tullahoma, Tenn.; Nashville; Somerset, KY; and Washington, D.C.
 
In 2004, the Tennessee Valley Corridor was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as one of the top two regional economic development organizations in the country.  The Corridor tied with the famed Research Triangle Partnership in North Carolina as the nation’s most outstanding organization’s for enhancing regional competitiveness.
 
For more information on the Tennessee Valley Corridor or for a detailed Summit agenda, please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org.
Tom Ballard Honored with Tennessee Valley Corridor Champion Award at DC Summit
Tennessee Valley Corridor Press Release
January 01, 2005
Contact:
Jennifer Compton
(615) 329-9525
jcompton@akinscrisp.com

Washington, D.C.--On behalf of the Tennessee Valley Corridor, Inc., Congressman Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) presented Tom Ballard, Director of Economic Development and Partnerships for the Technology Transfer division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, with the 2005 Corridor Champion award earlier this month at the Corridor’s National Summit held in Washington, D.C. Ballard was recognized in part for six years of outstanding leadership as chairman of the Tennessee Valley Corridor Board of directors.

The Corridor Champion award was designed to recognize a person who has significantly contributed to promoting the mission, vision and work of the Corridor and its partners.  Wamp said Ballard had been an outstanding leader in promoting the Tennessee Valley Corridor as one of the nation's premier science and technology centers, and to helping leverage the Valley's abundant research and technology assets and institutions for maximum regional economic development and new job creation.

Ballard served as the Corridor’s board chairman for the past six years since the Corridor organization’s inception, first assuming his role in 1999.  He will continue to serve on the Corridor’s executive committee – and he serves as the first board chairman of the newly-created Tennessee Valley Corridor Foundation. 

For over 30 years, Ballard served the University of Tennessee in a variety of roles -- most notably as the University's Vice President of Public and Government Relations. He left the University over a year ago to join the team at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Office of Tech Transfer and Economic Development.

Congressman Wamp received the first Corridor Champion award at the 2004 Knoxville-Oak Ridge Summit. Wamp first envisioned the Tennessee Valley Corridor in 1995, and since then has built a strong alliance of community, business, education, economic development and government leaders throughout the Tennessee Valley during a series of regional technology summits.
 
In 2004, the Tennessee Valley Corridor was recognized by the U.S. Department of Commerce as one of the top two regional economic development organizations in the country.  The Corridor tied with the famed Research Triangle Partnership in North Carolina as the nation’s two most outstanding organizations for enhancing regional competitiveness.
 
For more information on the Tennessee Valley Corridor, please visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org.
Rep. Wamp: Tennessee Valley Corridor's National Summit Review
Tennessee Valley Corridor Press Release
January 01, 2005
by Rep. Zach Wamp

While promoting a regional approach to economic development and working throughout the year, the board members, sponsors and activists engaged in the process of the Tennessee Valley Technology Corridor are providing a great service to our region, our nation and the free world.

Last week, nearly 500 leaders gathered for another “Summit” on technology in Washington, D.C.. We commenced our series of conferences and programs that push forward an agenda of growing a new economy that is centered in manufacturing and research from energy, space and transportation and responds to nationwide challenges such as energy independence, national security and homeland security.

For more than a decade, institutions of education and industry, government leaders and economic development professionals have worked together to land new missions, expand research and build a “hot bed of technology” throughout this Technology Corridor, which received the top Department of Commerce Award given for Regional Economic Development in 2004. The Tennessee Valley Corridor begins in Huntsville, Alabama, north through East Tennessee, and stretches yet further into southeast Kentucky and southwest Virginia.

This year’s gathering lived up to its billing and without question goes down in the history of these conferences as one of the very best.

Six year Corridor Board Chairman Tom Ballard was presented the Corridor Champion Award for outstanding leadership as he turned over the organization’s leadership reins to Susan Reid of the First Economic Development District at the opening dinner.

Presentations were made by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman on how to use the Tennessee Valley Corridor’s technology assets to secure our homeland and decrease our energy dependence on foreign oil. Excellent panel discussions were held featuring national and regional leaders in manufacturing and job creation such as Deborah Wince-Smith of the Council on Competitiveness and Southern Growth Policies Board’s Jim Clinton.

Manufacturing technologies represent one of the strongest assets inside the Tennessee Valley, and Wince-Smith praised the Corridor for developing strong alliances between job training centers and economic development boards.

Jim Clinton with the Southern Growth Policies Board emphasized the necessity of committing ourselves to lifelong learning for every community. Education for manufacturing and technology is rapidly and constantly changing. We must be ahead of the curve as we work to recruit businesses to our region by maximizing our resources and supporting our current employees with the training they need.

While it is difficult to precisely measure what the net impact is today or will be in the future from this extraordinary regional cooperation, I am absolutely positive the impacts are making a significant difference in the economic vitality, employment potential and quality of life throughout the Tennessee Valley.

The challenges America faces in this new century are immense. At no time in the “post Cold War” era has the technology growth, mission strength or economic future of the Valley looked brighter. We cannot rest on our laurels or grow weary from our work. Regions that build on their strengths and set goals in the spirit of cooperation will thrive in the future. Certainly, the top leaders of the U.S. government witnessed our collective capabilities in Washington, D.C. this past week.

Congratulations to all for an outstanding event as we look forward to our work together over the next year and the 2006 Corridor Summit event in Chattanooga.

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