TEDC Board Meeting Minutes

August 13, 2002, TAB Offices, Nashville, Tennessee

Members Present: Rhonda Rice, Roger Sigler, Randy Brewer, Steve Hiatt, Heidi Smith, G. C. Hixson, Bob Grimes, Mark Herbison, Frank Tamberrino

Others Present: Dave Goetz and Suzie Lusk, Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry

1. Rhonda Rice called meeting to order.

2. Approval of Minutes: Motion by Hixson, second by Herbison, approved.

3. Approval of Financials: Motion by Brewer, second by Hiatt, approved.

4. New Members approved at the August 13 meeting: Motion by Hixson, second by Herbison.

Brandom Gengelbach - Nashsville Chamber of Commerce
James E. Allen - Tennessee Valley Authority
Scott Sandman - Fentress County Chamber of Commerce
Leticia Lanham - D.F. Chase, Inc.
Robert Price - Price & Price Mechanical, Inc.
Ed Craft - The Nicks Group, Inc.

5. Legislative Update: The new legislation was discussed. Potential problems could arise regarding franchise tax issues. Spending restraints have been removed as is normal with an outgoing administration. The new administration will make cutbacks.

A fifteen-person tax commission has been put into place to discuss the tax structure of the state. Three names will be given as nominations by TEDC. Charles Troest, a corporate tax rep from Baker Donelson, is a possibility. TEDC must play a larger role in incentive discussions. Dave Goetz asserts that incentive strategy should be addressed. The tax commission will probably be short term, possibly two years.

Before the Primary, TAB will be interviewing forty candidates starting in late August. The question came about whether or not TEDC should participate in the interviews in geographic areas. There will be a training session held in Knoxville regarding how to vote.

It was decided to form a committee to prepare case studies to share with gubernatorial candidates Bredesen and Hilleary regarding why projects located outside of Tennessee. Rhonda Rice will chair a committee that will pull together this information with the mission and vision of TEDC in mind. Mark Herbison and Roger Sigler will assist in collecting data. The board will review and present as a joint TAB/TEDC venture. Each candidate will be invited to speak at the fall conference.

6. Fall Conference: Registration information will go out with a cut-off date of 9/10/02. The room rate at the Holiday Inn Holidome, Murfreesboro is $69.00. Golf tournament will be held at Indian Hills. The program is not yet complete. Keynote speakers will be the gubernatorial candidates. John Bradley from TVA will also speak.

7. Spring Conference: TBA

8. SEDC Update: The fall conference will be held September 21-25 in Birmingham, AL. Scholarships are available through SEDC.

9. Board Nominations: Volunteer of the Year: Richard Swift, Clarksville, TN. Motion by Tamberrino, second by Grimes. Approved and passed.

Fred Harris Award: Eldon Leslie. Motion by Hixson, second by Rice. Approved and passed.

Jim Spradley Award: none.

Lifetime Membership – Honorary membership is not presently in the by-laws. As this needs to be voted on by membership, Bob Grimes will take the lead in patterning guidelines after SEDC's existing criteria to present at the fall conference.

Frank Tamberinno and Randy Brewer, assisted by Rhonda Rice, will create an awards committee and research a potential Practitioner Award and Professional of the Year Award.

Bob Grimes will lead a membership committee.

10. Communications: Dave Goetz will spearhead a group to compile the results of a survey from 1996 regarding conferences. The results will be presented at the October meeting.

Heidi Smith, Roger Sigler, Rhonda Rice and Mark Herbison will look into standardized sponsorships using KIDC as an example. They will present their findings at the next board meeting.

11. New Business: There was some discussion concering a state-wide economic development endeavor, combining the efforts of TEDC and state ECD in order to maximize resources. The overall concept needs to be more thoroughly explored. The TEDC board will give recommendations to Dave Goetz.

12. Old Business: None.

13. Adjourn: The next meeting will take place during the Governor's Conference, September 12-13, 2002, in Nashville, TN. The meeting was adjourned.

Meeting minutes by Kim Denton, 2002-2003 TEDC Secretary-Treasurer