{"id":10297,"date":"2015-08-19T08:00:04","date_gmt":"2015-08-19T13:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/?p=10297"},"modified":"2015-08-19T00:35:53","modified_gmt":"2015-08-19T05:35:53","slug":"tennessee-governor-bill-haslam-commissioner-randy-boyd-announce-creation-of-rural-development-task-force","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/2015\/08\/19\/tennessee-governor-bill-haslam-commissioner-randy-boyd-announce-creation-of-rural-development-task-force\/","title":{"rendered":"Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam, Commissioner Randy Boyd Announce Creation of Rural Development Task Force"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TennesseeNashville, TN<\/strong> – Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Randy Boyd have announced the creation of a Rural Development Task Force that will bring resources together from a wide range of organizations to advance rural communities and economic development throughout Tennessee.<\/p>\n

\"Tennessee<\/a>

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cTennessee\u2019s rural communities are the heart of our state in so many ways, whether it\u2019s our main streets, longstanding companies or as world-class tourist attractions, and we want to continue helping them thrive and grow,\u201d Haslam said. \u201cWe\u2019re pleased to announce this Rural Development Task Force, which will build on the work we\u2019ve already been doing to create a measured, thoughtful approach to supporting economic development in our rural communities.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTennessee is experiencing tremendous economic momentum, but unfortunately our success is not shared in many of our rural communities,\u201d Boyd said. \u201cMany are still suffering and our state can only be great if all communities share in the success. At the Department of Economic and Community Development, we are doubling down on rural development efforts. However, to make a transformative difference, we need a holistic solution. It\u2019s not just about recruiting a new business. It is about increasing educational attainment, supporting rural entrepreneurship, creating and promoting tourism, and of course, agri-business. Also, rural broadband is critical. Our new Rural Development Task Force brings together all key departments in state government along with our legislative leaders and many other public and private partners. The challenge is great, but so are the combined resources of this team. Together, we can make a major impact.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Rural Development Task Force will develop and adopt an initial three to four year strategic plan that will include a comprehensive vision for rural development. In order to do this, the taskforce will convene issues forums, identify and engage stakeholder groups and look to the successful ThreeStar program as a way to identify gaps, challenges and opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, the taskforce will work to identify, design and implement highly effective programming to address key issues that impact rural life.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Rural Development Task Force is comprised of:<\/span><\/h4>\n