October 2019 Newsletter
Check out articles and pictures from September and
stay up to date on what we are doing this October!
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September Chamber Event Recap
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Governor's Conference on
Tourism and Hospitality
September 4-6
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2019 Tennessee Governor’s Conference on Hospitality and Tourism “Tops The Charts!”
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Over 400 representatives from across the state and from every segment of Tennessee’s hospitality and tourism industry attended The 2019 Tennessee Governor’s Conference on Hospitality and Tourism, held September 4-6 at the Music City Center in Nashville.
The premier annual industry event, which is produced by the Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association (TnHTA) in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Tourist development, features three days of professional development, keynote speakers, networking opportunities, a tourism marketplace with suppliers of goods and services to the industry, and social functions. In addition, the annual TnHTA Stars of the Industry Gala, which was held on Thursday evening, September 5, honors the industry’s best individuals, companies and organizations. This year’s conference theme was “Topping The Charts!”
The conference was highlighted by keynote addresses by Larry Stuart, who spoke on “The Spirit of Hospitality”; internationally recognized Internet expert Susan Sweeney who challenged attendees to take their web presence from middle of the road to the top of the charts; communications expert Sue Hershkowitz-Coore who spoke on effective business communications; and Brett Heising, expert in disabled travel, who provided great insight on attracting and servicing travelers with physical challenges.
Also featured as keynote speakers were Tennessee Department of Tourist Development Commissioner Mark Ezell, who presented a “State of the Industry” and Department program activities update; and Governor Bill Lee, who closed the conference on Friday with a message of his strong support of the industry and his appreciation for its impact on the state’s economy.
Click
here
for full article.
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Historic Ann's Open House & Ribbon Cutting
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Seng Selected to Participate in
TVA's Rural Leadership Institute
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TVA Economic Development announced the 2019-2020 Rural Leadership Institute class which will include Holly Seng, membership coordinator for the Obion County Chamber of Commerce. This leadership program is designed to help economic development partners in the TVA region connect their organization's strategy and day-to-day work with the economic development goals of the community. Led by TVAED staff and economic development experts, the Institute is designed to teach participants be more effective by focusing on the following topics and trends in the areas of:
- Foundations of Leadership
- Telling Your Community's Story
- Outclass the Competition
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"Since joining the Obion County Chamber of Commerce this past May, I quickly learned the vital role economic development plays in supporting our community, businesses, and industries," said Seng. "I look forward to learning more about economic development and leadership for rural communities so that I can be more effective in both my work and promoting Obion County."
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Northwest Tennessee Tourism Works Summit
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Northwest Tennessee Tourism Works Summit Held at Discovery Park of America
Stakeholders in Tourism and Economic Development Gathered for Summit to Explore the Economic Benefits of Growing Tourism Revenue for Rural Communities
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Discovery Park of America, one of the largest attractors for tourism in this region, was the location of the Northwest Tennessee Tourism Summit held Tues., Sept. 24.
A reception for attendees took place on Monday evening at Blue Bank Resort.
The event was organized by State Representative Mark White; Rob Mortensen, president of the Tennessee Hospitality and Tourism Association; Marty Marbry, West Tennessee division manager of the Tennessee Department of Tourism; Lindsay Frilling, CEO at Obion County Joint Economic Development Council; and Scott Williams, president and CEO of Discovery Park of America.
Around 100 tourism and government stakeholder attended the event that focused on working together to increase revenue from tourism for rural communities in West Tenn.
Click
here
for full article.
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Adult Leadership Obion County
UT Martin Team Building Day
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The 2019-2020 Adult Leadership Obion County participated in their first session on September, 25. The group traveled to UT Martin where they participated in team building exercises designed to help them get to know each other and work as a group. The class also discussed possible community service projects they will be responsible for completing prior to graduation in May of 2020.
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National Public Lands Day &
Tennessee Serves
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Reelfoot State Park kicked off National Public Lands Day and TN Serves Project with a welcome from the First Lady of Tennessee, Maria Lee, and a hike around the boardwalk.
The quarter of a mile walk gave attendees the opportunity to observe Reelfoot Lake and overlook the Cypress Forest along the water’s edge.
The service project focused on beautifying the Museum
area
and preparing for the Reelfoot Arts and Crafts Festival –one of the state’s largest festivals–that was held the following weekend.
Click
here
for more information.
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September's Very Important Business Event
(V.I.B.E)
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Thank you to all who attended our September V.I.B.E.! Amanda Barlow Leitch with Alzheimer's TN discussed senior care related to dementia and Alzheimer's. We also appreciate Alzheimer's TN and The Etheridge House for sponsoring this month's event. Be sure to join us for next month's event!
November VIBE:
When: Tuesday, Nov. 19
Time: 7:45 AM - 9:00 AM
Location: Obion County Public Library
Breakfast and Coffee Provided!
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"The goal of V.I.B.E is to present valuable content to
business owners and the community"
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Pictured above (l-r): Ashley King, Holly Seng, Jessica Gibson, Andrew Gibson, Lauren Tanner, Barrett Tanner.
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For the month of September, YPOC members attended Main Street Union City's Taste of Ken-Tenn event. The Young Professionals of Obion County's mission "is to incorporate local young professionals into our community, collaborate with our peers, and to do our part to help Obion County thrive." Anyone who lives or works in Obion County between ages 21-35 is able to join. The next scheduled event is Tuesday, October 29.
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OBION COUNTY ONE OF FIFTY-NINE COUNTIES SELECTED TO RECEIVE THREESTAR GRANTS
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- ThreeStar grant program will provide $2.4 million to Tennessee communities
- Funds support local workforce training, health and economic development initiatives
- All 95 Tennessee counties met requirements for ThreeStar certification
- Obion County was awarded a grant of $40,000
Click
here
for a full listing of selected counties.
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Region’s Firefighters Remember the Fallen
from Sept. 11, 2001
Discovery Park of America joins the community in cheering on first responders climbing an equivalent of the 110 stories of the World Trade Center
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Union City, Tenn.—More than 60 firefighters and first responders around the region gathered at Discovery Park of America on Sat., Sept. 7 to participate in the 2019 Memorial Stair Climb, an event held around the country by the
National Fallen Firefighters Foundation
.
Firefighters each climbed all 13 floors of the 199-foot Barbara Lynn Tanner Cooper Tower—the tallest structure in Northwest Tennessee—10 times, wearing all their gear and carrying all the lifesaving equipment used in an actual emergency.
“As we climbed today, we were paying tribute to those who lost their lives on 9-11 while in the service of doing what they loved; helping others,” said Lieutenant Rick Stacks with the Union City, Tenn. Fire Department and an organizer of the climb. “Many were saved that day because of the selfless attitudes, dedication and fearless conviction by those men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice.”
Click
here
for full article.
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Did you know that OCCHS and SFHS students can enter college with a full semester -or more- already completed by taking advantage of Dual Credit, Dual Enrollment, and Advanced Placement classes? DC, DE, and AP courses are taught by Obion County faculty, and give students a high school credit as well as postsecondary credit at most Tennessee colleges and universities and many out of state institutions. A recent Obion County graduate earned 27 hours of college credit while in high school. With many colleges charging $300 or more per credit-hour, the financial impact of Early Post Secondary Opportunities (EPSOs) is tremendous. Couple this with Tennessee Promise, a program that allows students to attend a technical school or community college tuition-free and the recently announced UT Promise that allows students meeting certain criteria to attend a University of Tennessee campus tuition free, and its easy to see that Obion County Schools is setting students up for success. School counselors Mrs. Kendall and Mrs. Mitchell at OCCHS and Ms. Pope at SFHS do a wonderful job guiding students to post-secondary opportunities that prepare them for life after high school.
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Girls making presence known in UCHS Coding classes
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Turns out, coding is not just for the boys anymore. At least not at Union City High School.
In a male-dominated field of study that is essentially the computer language used to develop apps, websites and software, the number of girls enrolled and excelling in both Coding I and II at UCHS is up drastically.
There are now 10 females involved in those classes at Union City High School. That total represents more than 25 percent of the total number of students currently studying the subject.
According to data published just a few years back, only 18 percent of students studying computer science were girls. There’s actually a nonprofit organization — Girls Who Code — which aims to support and increase the number of women in computer science by equipping young women with the necessary computing skills to pursue 21st century opportunities.
Dan Burnham, who teaches the two coding classes and is the school system’s IT assistant, says he sees a change in the landscape of his student field.
“It’s been a man’s world, but that is changing,” Burnham insisted. “There are more and more young ladies getting involved in both gaming and software. There’s increased interest from girls in the production and development of software, too.”
Assistant Director of Schools Michael Paul Miller — who also serves as the system’s CTE (Career Technical Education) director — claims Burnham is a big reason why females are beginning to develop more interest in the coding classes.
“Mr. Burnham makes his classes both interesting and enjoyable for the students,” Miller insisted. “He creates real-world situations and brings great passion to the classroom with his methods. And that’s not just for the guys. I believe the word has gotten out and the girls are starting to get interested.
“When we discussed adding the CTE program, coding was number one on the field-of-study list. We knew it wouldn’t be easy to find a teacher in rural northwest Tennessee, but we were really fortunate to have found a person who loves the subject and wants the students to share in his joy and know that it’s a great field of study with tremendous possibilities and potential down the road.”
Burnham’s teaching style centers around “being able to talk the talk.”
“It’s so very important to be able to talk the language,” he said. “And that’s especially true for the young ladies.
“Every concept I have that is new to them, I try to relate it back to something they already know, just to bridge the gap and help them learn. It certainly seems to be working and I see the excitement on their faces daily with what we’re doing.”
This is the first year for Coding II at UCHS, after Coding I was introduced two years ago.Foundations of computer science is also offered, and there are plans for AP computer science classes in the near future, according to Miller.
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