Haslam Announces First in Statewide Series of Jobs Roundtables

Monday, January 24, 2011 | 08:23am

First Regional Meeting to Take Place in Memphis Thursday

NASHVILLE – Governor Bill Haslam announced a series of regional jobs roundtables to take place across the state beginning this Thursday in Memphis.

The roundtables – as part of Haslam's jobs agenda – are locally driven and will include local officials and state leaders from the areas of education and economic and workforce development.


Haslam's regional approach to economic development will leverage each area’s existing assets and identify a unifying strategy that promotes partnerships between industry and education.

"Each region needs short-term and long-term strategies for job growth, and our regional job strategy is designed to encourage public-private partnerships between industry and post-secondary institutions," Haslam said. "Some areas have current coordinated efforts underway, and others will develop theirs from the ground up. I want to determine how the state can help in both sets of circumstances.

Haslam will ultimately establish "jobs base camps" in each region, but this marks the first phase of convening stakeholders and discussing how the state can facilitate regional coordinated efforts and offer more support.

"This will be one of many conversations I have about jobs in the Memphis and other regions as we work through my jobs agenda, and I will be proactive and personally involved with job recruitment and pitching our great state to potential businesses," Haslam added.

Haslam will begin Thursday in Memphis where Memphis Mayor A.C. Wharton and Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell have convened a diverse group of stakeholders for a conversation with Gov. Haslam.

The roundtable will take place at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at 3 p.m. CST.

Other roundtables will be announced at a later date.