Volunteer State News

NASHVILLE, TN—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Appropriations and Banking Committees and former Tennessee Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, will next week begin the first leg of his third-annual Economic Development tour across the state.

The first segment of the tour will take Hagerty to counties and cities across east and middle Tennessee, providing the opportunity to meet with businesses—large and small—entrepreneurs, workers, and farmers about the economy, job creation, and the harmful big government, tax-and-spend policies coming from Washington. 

“I’ve spent my life in business, not politics,” said Senator Hagerty. “And as Tennessee’s former Commissioner of Economic Development, I have a deep-rooted appreciation for the hardworking men and women, from Mountain City to Memphis, that power our state’s economy and job creation. Each year as I travel across the state, every conversation with Tennesseans, from the store clerk to the farmer to the entrepreneur, reinforces the truth that Tennessee’s economic success is rooted in the ingenuity and grit of our people, not top-down government regulation. I’ve seen first-hand how burdensome red tape and regulations can stifle success and choke off the opportunity to pursue the American Dream, and I’m committed to ensuring this never happens in Tennessee—for our children and grandchildren. I look forward to another tour around the state listening to our workforce’s concerns and ideas and gaining invaluable insight that will continue to shape my legislative efforts and decisions, always keeping Tennesseans—the cornerstone of our economy—top of mind.”

Hagerty is a life-long businessman who started his business career with the Boston Consulting Group. He later became a venture capital and private equity investor, where he invested in and served as an executive and board member of a wide range of companies, including those listed on the NYSE and NASDAQ. From 2011 to 2014, Hagerty served as a member of Governor Bill Haslam’s (R-TN) Cabinet and Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. During his tenure as commissioner, Hagerty reorganized the department, eliminating over 40 percent of the positions and saving millions of taxpayer dollars. At the same time, the new approach helped spur the strongest economic transformation seen—taking Tennessee from an unemployment rate higher than the national average when he arrived to become the number one state in the nation for jobs created through foreign investment and being named State of the Year for Economic Development an unprecedented two years in a row during his tenure.

Hagerty’s office will announce details of his public appearances ahead of time.

Original source can be found here.