On Saturday, October 8, 2022, the Board of Directors of the First Tennessee Development District hosted the Annual Meeting in Gatlinburg. During the course of the weekend, board members also took part in a strategic planning session to identify regional opportunities and the next steps in pursuit of those opportunities.
During the Annual Meeting, the board received program updates from the staff. This includes a record setting volume in economic and community development, industrial development, and FTDD Foundation projects. Over the course of the past year, the District secured economic development grants and projects totaling $61.9 million dollars to support efforts throughout the region. This figure is not inclusive of the $8.9 million in EDA grants or the $25 million dollar Tennessee Opportunity Initiative Pilot grant awarded to the FTDD Foundation in May. More details on the work of the FTDD can be found in the current Annual Report.
The Board also selected a new slate of officers for the coming year. Outgoing Board Chair, Joe Grandy introduced a motion to approve the recommendation of the Nomination Committee of Mayor Mahlon Luttrell as Chair, Mayor Patty Woodby as Vice-Chair, and Mayor Pat Shull as Treasurer. Representative David Hawk of Greene County seconded the motion, which met with unanimous approval. In his closing remarks, Mayor Grandy shared “it’s been an honor serving in this role, I’ve had the opportunity to see firsthand what this organization does, the impact the staff have, and what the Development District means for the region. There is just nothing else like it.”
Following the vote, Mayor Luttrell thanked Mayor Grandy for his leadership over the past year and the his fellow board members for entrusting him with the chairmanship, and added that “the FTDD is vital to the region, through it and working together, we are going to do great things.” After his remarks, Mayor Luttrell adjourned the 56th Annual Meeting of the FTDD Board of Directors.
For questions related to the FTDD Annual Meeting, please contact Mark Stevans, mstevans@ftdd.org.