Clarksville, TN – At the 2019 Governor’s Conference on Economic and Community Development held late October in Nashville, Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) presented the annual ThreeStar awards to 59 counties in Tennessee, to include Montgomery County.
Participation in the ThreeStar program helps communities across the state of Tennessee through the development of strategies and projects in collaboration with local community leaders to improve economic development and quality of life issues that address Governor Lee’s priority initiatives.
Governor Lee’s priorities include Education & Workforce Development, Transparent & Efficient Government, A Healthier Tennessee, Jobs & Rural Economic Development and Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform.
The ThreeStar program in Montgomery County relies on the collaboration of the Economic Development Council, the Industrial Development Board, and community leaders, to put in place plans that will enhance the community’s quality of life and increase the competitiveness of the area.
The ThreeStar certification qualifies awardees a four percent discount on select state and federal grants at a matched rate and allows the community access for participation in state programs, such as the Tennessee Main Streets and Tennessee Downtowns, TNECD Tourism Enhancement Grant Program, the TNECD Retail Academy, the TN Placemakers Entrepreneurship Program, the Select Tennessee Property Evaluation Program and Site Development Grant Program. In addition, grant funding is available for counties to assist in the completion of an identified and submitted community goal.
In 2019, Montgomery County was awarded $25,000 in grant funding from the ThreeStar program; funds from that grant have been dedicated to a Workforce Development plan. From 2015 to 2018, TNECD has made four investments through Community and Rural Development Grants and Consulting Services to Montgomery County valued at $312,264.
“We are very pleased to be recognized for the fourth time as a ThreeStar community by the State of Tennessee,” said Industrial Development Board Executive Director Frank Tate. “and we are excited about our initiative planned for this grant, a local Clarksville-Montgomery County Workforce Development and Recruitment Program clarksvilleishiring.com.”
View the Workforce Development site: https://clarksvilleishiring.com/
Learn more about the ThreeStar program at https://www.tn.gov/ecd/ruraldevelopment/threestar.html.
