Livingston Mayor Lori Elder Burnett, Chamber President & CEO Zach Stephens, and Tourism & Main Street Director Morgan White joined more than 900 elected officials, economic developers, and community and business leaders on October 1 and 2 for the Tennessee Governor’s Conference on Economic and Community Development.

The annual conference, hosted by the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, brings together the people working to grow local economies and strengthen communities across the state, and it gave Livingston and Overton County a chance to learn what is working elsewhere and to build relationships with state partners.

Economic development is often thought of as recruiting a new company to town, but much of the work happens closer to home. It means staying in regular contact with the employers already here and helping them find workers, solve problems, and grow, and it means making sure working parents have access to childcare, since a job is only an option for a family that has somewhere safe and affordable for their children during the workday. It also means revitalization, which in Livingston is the continued investment in the historic square and downtown, where many of the county’s small businesses operate and where most visitors form their first impression of the community.

“We can’t talk about growing Overton County without talking about the companies that are already invested here and the families who work for them,” Stephens said. “Taking care of our existing industry, making sure parents can find childcare, revitalizing our downtown, and preparing for new investment are all part of the same job, and being in the room with people doing this work across Tennessee helps us do it better at home.”

The group returned home with new ideas and stronger relationships with state partners, and the Chamber will continue working with the City of Livingston, Overton County, and those partners on these priorities in the months ahead.