Aerial of downtown Chattanooga
Charles Wood of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of CommerceChattanooga's top economic developer said today that his biggest fear is that the region sits on its past success.
"My biggest concern is complacency - that as a community we get fat and happy," said Charles Wood, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce's vice president of economic development.
Wood, who took part in a panel discussion on regionalism before Chattanooga Rotarians, said the area needs to continue to focus on growth. He mentioned efforts to fashion a 40-year growth plan that is getting underway for a 16-county area covering Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.
Georgia State Sen. Jeff Mullis said the plan has to be "all inclusive" so it benefits everyone in the region.
Also taking part in the panel discussion were Tennessee state House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick and John Bradley, TVA's senior vice president for economic development.
See full story in Friday's Times Free Press.