Click the photo to view the check presentation and comments from Thrive 2055.
New Release
The Greater Chattanooga Association of REALTORS® has contributed $10,000 to Thrive 2055, a regional project inspiring long-term, collaborative planning across 16 counties in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. The Association represents five of those counties — Hamilton and Sequatchie counties in Tennessee, and Catoosa, Dade, and Walker counties in Georgia. Its support underscores the critical role the housing industry will play as the region’s population grows by 38 percent during the next 40 years.
“Realtors have often been called the ‘gatekeepers’ of their communities, and with the explosive growth we’ve seen during the past decade, probably no one has had more first-hand encounters with the newest members of our community and region than we have,” said Randy Durham, a past president of the Association and a member of the Thrive 2055 Coordinating Committee. “It is exactly for this reason that Thrive 2055 has become so critically important to our future — to enable us to understand and grasp the full nature of our plans and dreams, and identify the tools we’ll need to make them a reality.”
The Association’s donation will go toward the project’s continued efforts in scenario building, public outreach, and development of strategies to advance Thrive 2055’s four Initiatives: Regional Economic Development, Regional Transportation, Education and Training, and Natural Treasures. In January 2014, following a year-long period of research and public feedback, volunteers from around the region organized into groups to determine action items for each initiative. Their work will culminate in the creation of a strategic plan detailing specific projects on which regional stakeholders can collaborate to foster a prosperous future.
“Thrive 2055 is at a critical point in our three-year planning process as we transition from understanding the existing conditions of our region to forming visionary, forward-thinking strategies,” said Bridgett Massengill, project manager of Thrive 2055. “We are honored to have the support of area realtors through GCAR’s financial contribution to help us carry out our mission to make the most of our economic opportunities while preserving what we love about our home communities.”
About Thrive 2055: Thrive 2055 is a local, volunteer-led project whose goal is to advance a future characterized by “Educated people with good jobs living in a great place.” Guided by the Values of Community, Leadership, Connections, Competitiveness and Collaboration, the project is focused on engaging people in the 16-county region to make the most of our economic opportunities while preserving what we love about our home communities. Funding for the three-year project comes from local companies, private foundations, and local governments. The 16 counties of the tri-state region include Jackson and DeKalb in Alabama; Dade, Walker, Catoosa, Murray, and Whitfield in Georgia; and Bledsoe, Bradley, Hamilton, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, Rhea, and Sequatchie in Tennessee. For more information, please visit www.Thrive2055.com.