TEDC Board Meeting Minutes

Members present: Spurgeon, Oliveri, Lawyer, Denton, Theiss.   Members present via conference call: Holt, Wood, LaGrange.   Suzie Lusk was also present.

 Spurgeon called the meeting to order at 9:15 AM CST.   The minutes were reviewed and a motion was made to accept by Denton which was seconded by Oliveri.   The motion passed.

The financials were reviewed.   A motion was made by Oliveri to accept, which was seconded by Lawyer.  The motion passed.

Regional Meeting update.   Middle Tennessee held their meeting on December 7 in Manchester TN.   Approximately 40 TEDC members attended.   TN Deputy Commissioner of Labor, Bob Henningsen spoke to the group.   After the meeting, a tour was arranged of the Arnold Engineering Development Center.

West Tennessee is set to meet on January 19 – with a speaker still pending.   Sponsors will cover the cost of lunch.

East Tennessee is tentatively meeting either January 24, or February 7.   It is hoped to have a speaker from EDA address the group.

The TEDC Legislative day on the hill is scheduled for February 15, 2006.  A lunch will be held for TEDC members where Kisber and Wolley will address the group.   At this point, it is unknown as to whether or not a reception will be held due to pending ethics reform legislation.

It was brought before the board that a new membership fee schedule be adopted for retiree members of TEDC.    This new membership level is proposed to be $150 a year.

A motion was made by Spurgeon that any present active TEDC member, who has been an active member of TEDC for at least 5 years, is eligible upon full-time retirement for a TEDC retiree rate of $150 per year.    An amendment was made to this motion by Theiss  - that a person must have been an active dues paying member during the last 5 years which was seconded by Holt.   The motion including amendment as stated was made to approve by Oliveri which was seconded by Lawyer.   The motion passed.

Spurgeon gave a report to the board about the first TEDC Past Presidents dinner.   There were 17 past presidents in attendance.

A motion was made by Spurgeon, that upon retirement, any past President of TEDC shall become an honorary lifetime member of TEDC.   The motion was seconded by Oliveri and was passed unanimously.

Old Business – There is still work being done on a competitive incentive analysis study.  It is still hoped that TVA update the Lisa Webb Robbins data.   Also, Chattanooga is leading an effort to offer up suggestions for revisions to State incentives.   Wood suggested looking a project that TN lost to another state and use that as a case study.

New members proposed:  Steve Raper – Jackson Energy Authority and Rachel Crickmar, TVA.   Oliveri made a motion to approve new members, which was seconded by Denton.  The new members were accepted.

RFP for public relations firm:  at the close of the meeting, the Board members reviewed 14 RFPS that had been submitted.   A short list was made of 4 firms, which will present to the TEDC Board in early January.