Oak Ridge Today

Roane Chamber seeks nominations for April 25 awards banquet

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Chris Ahler Roane Chamber Award

Roane Chamber Board Chair Chris Ahler won the 2011 Paul Goldberg Young Professional Award. (Submitted photo)

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KINGSTON—The 68th annual Roane Chamber Awards Banquet—the spring social event of the year—will be held on Friday, April 25, to present this year’s coveted business awards: the Distinguished Service, Business of the Year, Woman of the Year, and Young Professional awards.

The awards have been an integral part of the Chamber for decades, with the Distinguished Service Award dating back to 1970. Some of the previous award-winners include such renown community names as Jim Henry, Ken Yager, David Webb, Rocky Top General Store, Patterson’s Home Appliances, Junior’s Restaurant, Dr. Sherry Hill, Live and Let Live Drug Store, Harriman Mayor Chris Mason, and Dr. Paul Goldberg, who was also additionally honored in 2010 with becoming the namesake of the Chamber’s newest award, the Paul E. Goldberg Young Professional Award. For a list of all the past winners visit www.RoaneChamber.com/Awards. [Read more…]

Roane Alliance names new president, CEO

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Wade Creswell

Wade Creswell

KINGSTON—The Roane Alliance board on Thursday unanimously agreed to hire Roane County native Wade Creswell as their next president and chief executive officer.

Creswell, 39, was recommended to the board by its officers and the selection committee after a nationwide search that began several weeks ago, shortly after current President and CEO Leslie Henderson announced she would retire on March 28.

Creswell will come to the Alliance from his position as vice president of development and public relations for health services at Michael Dunn Center, one of Roane County’s largest employers. The Michael Dunn Center is a nonprofit agency that serves children and adults with developmental disabilities. [Read more…]

Roane Alliance receives TVA sustainable community award for 
Roane County

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Roane Alliance Sustainability Award

Pictured from left are John Bradley, Tennessee Valley Authority; Danice Turpin, Tennessee Applied College of Technology; Teresa Jackson, The Roane Alliance; Leslie Henderson, The Roane Alliance; and Del Boyette, Boyette Strategic Advisors. (Submitted photo)

The Roane Alliance received a Silver Award on behalf of Roane County at a recent Tennessee Valley Authority sustainable communities luncheon.

The TVA Valley Sustainable Communities Program Recognition Luncheon was Dec. 3 in Nashville. The award ceremony honored 13 communities from across the Tennessee Valley Region.

Roane County’s trophy was presented by Heidi Smith, a general manager in TVA’s economic development program, to Leslie Henderson, president and chief executive officer of The Roane Alliance; Teresa Jackson, Roane’s sustainable officer of The Roane Alliance; and Danice Turpin, director of Tennessee Applied College of Technology, a member of the Roane Green Team. [Read more…]

Roane Alliance President Leslie Henderson retiring in March

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Leslie Henderson

Leslie Henderson

KINGSTON—Roane Alliance President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Henderson has announced she will retire at the end of March.

She has been the president and CEO of The Roane Alliance, the county’s economic development organization, since Feb. 16, 2004. Henderson announced her retirement in a Tuesday letter to Sharon Templeton, Roane Alliance board chair.

“Although I struggled with this decision, I feel now that it is the right time to start on the next phase of my life and start working on some of that bucket list—travel, writing, project work, family time, and maybe even some business ventures of my own,” Henderson said in the letter.

“As for The Alliance, I think the time is also right, as the staff is not only one of the best I’ve ever worked with, but is also well-positioned to do great things for Roane County going forward. Each of them is very competent and capable,” Henderson said. “All I do is keep them focused and provide the tools they need. I could not be more proud of their successes.” [Read more…]

Yager presents Brown-Forman donation to Roane Alliance’s Education Matters!

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Brown-Forman Donation to Roane Alliance Education Matters

Tennessee Sen. Ken Yager, center, presents a donation from Brown-Forman to the Roane Alliance’s Education Matters. Also pictured are Rep. Kent Calfee, left, and Allen Lutz of The Roane Alliance. (Submitted photo)

Tennessee Sen. Ken Yager on Thursday announced a new partner for the continued funding of The Roane Alliance’s award-winning Education Matters! program. Yager presented a $5,000 check at the beginning of the Roane County Chamber of Commerce regular monthly board meeting.

Yager presented the check to Allen Lutz, education and workforce development specialist for the Roane Alliance, on behalf of Brown-Forman—the global, multi-billion dollar company that produces and markets Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey.

The Brown-Forman donation comes on the heels of the Alliance’s Education Matters! program receiving an international economic development award earlier this month. The Roane County program won a Gold Award for Excellence in Economic Development (category 25,000-200,000 population) from the International Economic Development Council at their annual conference in Philadelphia. [Read more…]

Roane Alliance Education Matters! program takes home the ‘Gold’

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IEDC Award

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The Roane Alliance’s Education Matters! program has been selected as a Gold Award recipient by the International Economic Development Council, or IEDC, for excellence in economic development.

The award was presented at the 2013 IEDC Annual Conference in Philadelphia, Pa., on Tuesday. Receiving the award on behalf of The Alliance was Leslie Henderson, Alliance president and chief executive officer, and Allen Lutz, education and workforce development specialist at The Alliance.

Education Matters! received the award in the category of Partnerships with Educational Institutions in communities with a population between 25,000-200,000. According to the IEDC, their Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials, and the year’s most influential leaders. [Read more…]

Roane County takes green to a new level

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TVA Sustainable Community Silver Seal

Roane County has been designated as a Valley Sustainable Silver Community by the Tennessee Valley Authority through a program initiated by their Economic Development department to help communities improve existing sustainability programs and increase their ability to attract new investment in their community.

Roane County recently completed the TVA-sponsored program, which was developed and administered by consultant Boyette Strategic Advisors. The program documents a community’s assets to increase the likelihood that it will be viewed as progressive and competitive by companies looking to invest in new or expanded locations. [Read more…]

Roane County Chamber names new board chair, members

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Chris Ahler

Chris Ahler

KINGSTON—The chair of the Roane County Chamber of Commerce board for the 2013-2014 year is Chris Ahler, who owns his own investment management business in Harriman.

Ahler took over July 1 from outgoing board chair Kenyon Mee, the facility manager of Diversified Scientific Services, a subsidiary of Perma-Fix Environmental Services.

“Our Chamber board this year is one of the strongest in recent memory. It brings youth and experience all at the same time to a board that already boasts a virtual ‘Who’s Who’ of Roane County business and community leaders,” Chamber President Leslie Henderson said. “I am so pleased and gratified that all of these folks have agreed to serve (or continue to serve) our Chamber membership and our community in this way.” [Read more…]

Perma-Fix awards scholarships from Roane Chamber high school career day

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The third annual Perma-Fix Career Day Scholarships have been awarded to a graduate from each of the five Roane County high schools. The students receiving the $250 scholarships applied for them during their junior year while participating in the High School Career Day, sponsored by the Roane County Chamber of Commerce.

The five graduating students receiving the Perma-Fix Scholarships this year are David “Tre” Pack, Harriman High; Patricia Howe, Midway High; Charlee Lee Roberts, Oliver Springs High, Eric Luffman, Roane-Kingston County High; and Kelsey Legg, Rockwood High. They all attended the Chamber’s 2011 Career Day. [Read more…]

Roane Alliance kicks off Education Matters! fundraising drive

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Roane County Education Matters

Front row: Allen Lutz; back row (l-r): Carmen Van Horn, Gary Aytes, Chris Whaley, Leslie Henderson, and Chris Ayers. (Submitted photo)

The Roane Alliance on Thursday kicked off a fund drive to keep its Education Matters! initiative—a “Best Practice” program, according to the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce— continuing in the future.

The Education Matters! program funding is being cut as of June 30 of this year.

“The Education Matters! mission is that every child in Roane County gets some post-secondary education—and does well at it,” said Leslie Henderson, president and chief executive officer of The Roane Alliance. “Education Matters! is making remarkable progress towards that goal, but starting at the end of June this year, the program has lost its funding and we need the community’s help. [Read more…]

Roane Chamber has career day for high school juniors

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The Roane County Chamber of Commerce is having its Fifth Annual High Schools Career Day on Friday.

Roughly 475 high school juniors and about 50 businesses are expected to participate in the career day, scheduled to be held in the Roane State Community College gymnasium. Every 11th grade student in the five Roane County high schools will attend, organizers said. [Read more…]

Roane Chamber and SBDC announce business entrepreneur workshops

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The Roane County Chamber of Commerce and the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at Roane State Community College have joined together to offer three free workshops for entrepreneurs who are considering or have recently started their own business.

The two-hour workshops are scheduled for March 7, March 21, and April 11, from 1-3 p.m. at The Roane Alliance.

[Read more…]