Chamber exec: Suburban counties can help Metro schools

ECD chief says 'it's important to get the talk right'

Email | Print By Geert De Lombaerde

08-06-2008 3:22 PM — The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce’s top economic development executive today said the region’s donut counties have a stake in Metro Schools’ travails.

Speaking to members of the Greater Cool Springs Chamber of Commerce about the economic development climate, Chief Economic Development and Marketing Officer Janet Miller said Cool Springs’ office campus setup “is a project that resonates in corporate America right now” and that Middle Tennessee as a whole remains well positioned to draw its share of major projects.

But not surprisingly, Miller noted that one weak weapon in Nashville’s economic development arsenal is the state of Metro schools. She urged business leaders in surrounding counties like Williamson to pitch in, saying a stronger core will benefit the entire region.

Referencing Gov. Phil Bredesen’s thoughts on similar issues in the past, Miller said “it’s important to get the talk right” about schools. That doesn’t mean ignoring the problems at Metro, she added, but focusing on the fact that all the parties involved – including the Mayor’s Office to the Tennessee Department of Education – are focused on moving the needle in a positive direction.

Regionalism surfaced regularly during Miller’s comments and those of Matt Largen, Williamson County’s director of economic development (and a former employee of Miller’s downtown). Specifically, both referenced the increasing level of competition between the area’s chambers of commerce.

"There’s a stronger tension in the region in the past few years," Miller said. And while the environment hasn’t deteriorated to the “hostage swap” scenarios some other markets have to deal with, she added that “chambers fighting with each other is bad for business...That says ‘Way too much risk’ for a company.”