1. Review of 2008-2009
Economic Summit
Focus Group
Accomplishments
Presented by: Dr. Al Spritzer
ETSU College of Business and Technology
October 20, 2009

2. Strategic Areas:
Livable Communities
Infrastructure
Business Development
Health/Medical
Tourism and Hospitality
Education/Workforce

3. Focus Group: Livable
Communities
Facilitators: Suzanne Kuehn and
Jenny Lockmiller

4. Livable Communities Focus Group
 Worked with JCDA to provide information and incentives
for potential downtown businesses and residents.
 Assisted the Johnson City Area Arts Council to obtain
grant funds for the downtown historical markers program.
 Provided funds for landscaping of downtown historic
district.
 Provided funds to establish a website for neighborhood
information: www.johnsoncityneighborhoods.org.
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5. Livable Communities Focus Group
• Washington County honored with a Level 1 Award under
the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence.
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6. Focus Group:
Infrastructure
Facilitators: Brenda Clarke and
Robert Lynn White

7. Infrastructure Focus Group
• Completion by Johnson City of the Tennessee Street
Extension from West Market Street to Lamont Street.
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8. Infrastructure Focus Group
• Preliminary engineering funding obtained for I-26
interchange upgrades at the Gray and Boones Creek
exits.
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9. Infrastructure Focus Group
• Provided information to undertake water/sewer services
study for western end of Washington County.
• Obtained funding for county-wide transportation
improvements study.
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10. Infrastructure Focus Group
• Reviewed Internet, broad-band and fiber technology
capacity in Washington County.
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11. Infrastructure Focus Group
• Washington County achieved a “Benchmark III” award
from the Tennessee Department of Economic and
Community Development, becoming one of only 11
Tennessee counties to achieve the highest Three-Star
rating.
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12. Focus Group:
Business
Development
Facilitators: Todd Smith,
Jose Castillo and Jerry Brock

13. Business Development Focus Group
 Continued to develop Entrepreneurship Week annually in
November.
 Developed a framework for a Tri-Cities wide entrepreneurial
network.
 Created new Economic Summit website:
www.economicsummit.org.
 Developed www.wifitri.com highlighting the area wifi hotspots
in the Tri-Cities region.
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14. Business Development Focus Group
 Sponsored successful “Will This Float?” program, an event
which received Kaufmann Foundation recognition.
 Fifteen entrepreneurs submitted ideas and over 80
attendees participated in judging winners.
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15. Business Development Focus Group
 ETSU Innovation Lab sponsored “Float Camp” in March
with over 100 entrepreneurs participating.
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16. Business Development Focus Group
 Johnson City Development Authority coordinated state-
certified Main Street Program and sponsored downtown
business development loan program for small businesses.
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17. Focus Group:
Health/Medical
Facilitators: Jenny Brock and Jeff
Bedard

18. Health/Medical Focus Group
 Continued to sponsor Johnson City’s “Up & At ‘Em”
program and annual “Turkey Trot” activity with over
2,200 Thanksgiving morning participants.
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19. Health/Medical Focus Group
 Celebrated the completion of the Niswonger
Children’s Hospital at the Mountain States Health
Alliance main campus.
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20. Health/Medical Focus Group
 Construction continued for the new Franklin Woods
Community Hospital in Med-Tech Park; this project
accomplishes the full build-out of major properties in
Med-Tech Park.
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21. Focus Group:
Tourism and
Hospitality
Facilitators: Brenda Whitson and
Lori Cogan

22. Hospitality and Tourism Focus Group
 Promoted “Ride Johnson City” to a variety of motorcycle
groups, including 9,000 attendees of the BMW Motorcycle
Owners of America Rally. www.ridejohnsoncitytn.com
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23. Hospitality and Tourism Focus Group
 Received 2 Pinnacle Awards from the Northeast
Tennessee Tourism Association for the “Girlfriend
Getaway” promotion and a Direct Mail Media Box
promotion.
 Scheduled the 2009 Chamber of Commerce Christmas
Parade for the night of the First Friday in December.
 Online Vacation Guide requests
increased by 62% and
web downloads by 20%.
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24. Focus Group:
Education/Workforce
Facilitators: David Quick and Gary
Mabrey

25. Education/Workforce Focus Group
 Continued expansion of Junior Achievement to all schools
in Washington County.
 Conducted “job fairs” in response to current economy and
unemployment/underemployment in local workforce.
 Conducted a Career Fair for High School Juniors at
Northeast State Community College with more than 1,200
students, 54 businesses, and 4 universities participating.
 Conferred Tennessee Scholars designation on 218
students in city/county high schools. Over 1,400
Washington County students have achieved designation
in past four years.
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26. Education/Workforce Focus Group
 Continued Chamber Partners in Education program, with
every City/County school participating. A total of $451,000
has been committed since program inception.
 Continued active membership in the regional Workforce
Investment Board by providing resources to meet needs of
employers and the local workforce.
 Continued support for the Tennessee Diploma Project to
improve education quality in the State.
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27. Education/Workforce Focus Group
 Continued financial and other support for Dolly Parton’s
Imagination Library with over 3,300 children receiving
books valued at over $92,400 from the program. Over
89,000 books have been distributed in Washington County.
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28. Thanks to the many who
helped achieve this year’s
accomplishments!