Livingston Overton County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Zach Stephens has been selected as a founding fellow for the Porter Development Initiative.
Stephens said the program helps economic development professionals and elected leaders understand the drivers of regional prosperity and competitiveness. Stephens said the initiative utilizes case studies to examine effective strategies and development used in other regions across the United States and the world.
“One of my favorite sayings is, you know, I like to do R&D: Rip off and Duplicate, if it works,” Stephens said. “So that’s kind of the basis of the PDI, is what we’ll call it instead of saying Porter Development Initiative.”
Stephens said the PDI program showcases effective strategies for regional collaboration within specific industry clusters. Stephens said the process identified advanced manufacturing as the primary field for the Upper Cumberland region to grow and support.
“Supporting our existing industry and ensuring that they stick around,” Stephens said. “You know, no one wants to lose an industry, that’s detrimental to your area. So that’s kind of what we zoomed in on for the Upper Cumberland broadly.”
Stephens said he was selected for the fellowship by a regional gathering of leaders and the Tennessee President’s Council of universities and colleges.
“It is always great to have a seat at the table discussing, you know, what can we do not only regionally but across the volunteer state to, you know, help, you know, bring more jobs here, retain those jobs, you know, how we ensure that folks are living in a good environment, high quality lifestyle,” Stephens said.
Stephens said he will participate in a course titled Microeconomics of Competitiveness and Regional Strategy as part of the fellowship. Stephens said the goal is to understand how other regions collaborated with partners to bring similar success back to the local community.
“We looked at what is happening happened in Mexico and Germany,” Stephens said. “We’ve actually one of our case studies was actually the empower program through the Upper Cumberland development district and what they were able to do for I believe over 900 families by helping them raise their level of household income and get them stabilized.”
Stephens said the fellowship provides an opportunity to speak with new people and identify potential future collaborators.
“I think looking across the globe at what others have done just gives you a new lens to evaluate whatever whatever you’re dealing with in your community,” Stephens said.
Stephens said the organization is constantly deploying economic development strategies to support existing industry while looking for new opportunities on the horizon.
