ECD Commissioner Hagerty To Moderate Expert Panel At TTDC’s Tennessee NEXT Conference
Tennessee’s Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty will moderate the opening‐day panel “Driving Economic Growth in Tennessee” at Tennessee Technology Development Corporation’s 2011 Tennessee NEXT Conference to be held May 5‐6 at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel. Joining Commissioner Hagerty as panelists are nationally prominent leaders in innovation Bill Bates, Chief of Staff, Council on Competitiveness; Barry Johnson, Senior Advisor & Director of Strategic Initiatives, U.S. Economic Development Administration; and Ray Leach, CEO, JumpStart Inc.
The session will examine best practices in technology‐based economic development and focus on strategies to align and maximize the resources of Tennessee’s regional innovation assets. Panelists will discuss how Tennessee can leverage its renowned public and private sector research capacity and entrepreneurial infrastructure to foster innovation, economic growth and job creation. “Governor Haslam and I are committed to making Tennessee the leading state in the Southeast for high quality jobs and knowledge‐based businesses,” said Commissioner Hagerty. “The innovation leaders joining me for this panel are among the most respected in their field and have a deep understanding of technology commercialization strategies. Our discussion will be a great opportunity for people attending the conference to hear about the ‘next wave’ of economic development and to incorporate that knowledge into their business plans.”
About the Panelists
William (Bill) F. Hagerty, IV was sworn in as Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development by Governor Bill Haslam on January 15, 2011. As head of the state agency primarily responsible for job creation in Tennessee, Commissioner Hagerty is on leave from Hagerty Peterson, LLC, a merchant bank and private equity firm he founded. Commissioner Hagerty has founded, funded and grown a number of successful business enterprises. As an executive, he has served as CFO, COO, CEO and Chairman of a variety of domestic and international firms. He serves on the board of directors of global publishing company Houghton, Mifflin Harcourt and R.J. O’Brien, the largest independent futures brokerage in the United States.
William (Bill) Bates is Vice President at the Council on Competitiveness and Secretary to the Council's Board of Directors. Bates manages the Council's outreach and message to Members of Congress, the Administration and Governors and also serves as the Executive Director of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils, a network of over 30 competitiveness councils from around the world committed to sharing best practices, identifying global competitiveness principles and seeking to better understand the drivers of national prosperity in a global economy.
Barry Johnson serves as Senior Advisor and Director of Strategic Initiatives for the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) within the U.S. Department of Commerce. With over 15 years of experience as a senior executive forming public/private partnerships, Johnson leads EDA's strategic partnership programs, collaborating with the White House, other federal agencies and regional leaders to implement innovative regional solutions to improve competiveness and foster economic growth throughout the nation.
Ray Leach is founding CEO of JumpStart Inc. Under his leadership, the Cleveland‐based organization gained national recognition for its innovative model and economic impact in Northeast Ohio, leading to its launch of JumpStart America. One of the first implementation partners of the Startup America Partnership, Leach is leading JumpStart America’s effort to build public, private, and philanthropic partnerships in all 50 states to grow entrepreneurial ecosystems and transform regional economies.
To read the official press release, click here.
