Author Archives: Daryl Phillips, CEcD

About Daryl Phillips, CEcD

I am a professional economic developer. I presently work for communities and companies in developing and implementing workforce and economic development solutions as CEO of Phillips Economic Development Solutions (Phi EDS). Prior to September 2017, I was the economic development professional who served a community team of elected officials, business people, community leaders and dedicated stakeholders for economic development in Cheatham County, Tennessee (pop. 39,880) and its four towns. During my five-year tenure, I served the team as Cheatham County grew over 1,700 jobs, turned around population declines at the start of this decade into healthy population growth, increased tourism expenditures 20.3% and local tax revenue from tourism 25.4%, grew sales tax revenue 36%, focused on developing the local workforce and was recognized by SmartAsset as having the 9th highest Incoming Investment Index of all the 95 counties in Tennessee. I am a member of International Economic Development Council, Southern Economic Development Council, Tennessee Economic Development Council and International Council of Shopping Centers. I have earned the designation of Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) from International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) certification from National Development Council and hold a Master of Business Administration from Tennessee Technological University.

Cheatham County, Home of Best Places to Live

Cheatham County towns ranked the 3rd, 6th, 11th and 19th best suburbs to live in the Nashville area, according to the Movoto Real Estate Blog.  Kingston Springs, Pleasant View, Pegram and Ashland City — all of Cheatham County’s towns ranked … Continue reading

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IEDC Annual Conference October 4-7 in Anchorage

I am already making plans to attend the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Annual Conference again this year.  IEDC annual conferences are the largest annual gathering of economic development professionals in the world and provide professional development and networking opportunities … Continue reading

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Plan to attend Pleasant View Cruise’n and Groove’n every 3rd Friday

Pleasant View, Tennessee hosts Cruise’n and Groove’n every 3rd Friday from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. during the warm months of the year on their old town Main Street. Come see vintage cars, enjoy outdoor cooking and hear local bands play.  

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Ashland City Summerfest at Riverbluff Park June 23-27, 2015

Come to Summerfest at Riverbluff Park on the banks of Cumberland River/Cheatham Lake on June 23rd to June 27th.  See live music, fireworks, artisan and craft booths, mouth-watering food with rides and fun for the whole family! Chose to come on … Continue reading

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Cheatham County is a great place to retire, whether you come here to do it or work toward it

With all its outdoor recreational opportunities, walking trails, biking routes, green space, waterways, hunting land, culture, history, arts, etc. as well as local healthcare facilities — all close to the big city amenities of Nashville, Cheatham County is a great … Continue reading

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NACo Cheatham County Prosperity Summit was a success!

Our first try at the Cheatham County Prosperity Summit was in February and the icy weather forced us to reschedule until May 28th.  Storms, rain and a power outage the afternoon before did not deter us from our mission and … Continue reading

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The Kingston Springs Suite – life is still sweet there

THE KINGSTON SPRINGS SUITE TO BE RELEASED SINGER/SONGWRITER JIM CASEY TO VISIT KINGSTON SPRINGS JUNE 7th In October 1972, acclaimed songwriter and Kingston Springs, Tennessee resident Vince Matthews recorded an album paying homage to small town life and his home … Continue reading

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Nashville MSA is Most Active New Home Sales Market

The Nashville, Tennessee Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), which includes Cheatham County, was named most active new home sales market.

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Population Estimates by U.S. Census show Cheatham County is growing

The U.S. Census released its latest county population estimates recently and the data shows that Cheatham County’s population has grown the past two years at an increasing rate.  For more information on Cheatham County and its neighbor counties, you may … Continue reading

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Northwest Corridor Transit Study – planning for transit that impacts Clarksville, Nashville and Cheatham County transportation

The Regional Transportation Authority of Middle Tennessee (RTA) recently kicked off the Northwest Corridor Transit Study to evaluate transit options between Clarksville and Nashville.  One of the key components of the project is input from those who live, work, and … Continue reading

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Tennessee Governor’s Conference on Economic and Community Development 2015

Economic development professionals, business leaders, community leaders and elected officials will be attending the 62nd Annual Tennessee Governor’s Conference on Economic & Community Development on October 13th and 14th, 2015 at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel just a few miles from … Continue reading

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Adults get help to finish certificate or degree in Tennessee

Governor Bill Haslam’s Tennessee Reconnect initiative helps adults enter higher education so that they may gain new skills, advance in the workplace, and fulfill lifelong dreams of completing a degree or credential. Tuition to training at a Tennessee College of … Continue reading

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Primed for Primer to the CEcD Exam Process

I will be one of the presenters on a webinar, “Primer to the CEcD Exam Process:  What You Need to Know“, on April 8th at 2:00 p.m. CT.  The webinar provides those seeking to earn the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) … Continue reading

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NACo Cheatham County Prosperity Summit rescheduled for May 28th

The weather on our first try turned out to be frightful with ice covered roads that necessitated postponing the Cheatham County Prosperity Summit.  After what seemed to be a Herculean task of finding a date that worked, we found May … Continue reading

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Ashland City, Tennessee hosts Riverbluff Triathlon on August 8th

We hope you will join us on August 8, 2015 for the 5th Annual Riverbluff Triathlon and Festival.  The race begins at the Ashland City Riverbluff Park and runs, bikes and swims over several miles of scenic Cheatham County and Cheatham Lake.  Whether you are coming … Continue reading

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Steps to Starting a Business in Tennessee

The Cheatham County Chamber of Commerce and we (Cheatham County Joint Economic & Community Development Board) have some good information on our websites for starting a business in Cheatham County, but I am happy to point you to other resources … Continue reading

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Economic Development Finance Professional certification earned

from  a press release: PHILLIPS EARNS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FINANCE PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION Daryl Phillips with Cheatham County Joint Economic & Community Development Board in Ashland City, Tennessee recently received certification as an Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) from the National Development … Continue reading

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Economic Development Institute in Nashville, Tennessee

University of Oklahoma’s prestigious Economic Development Institute (EDI) will hold a session of EDI Institute in Nashville, Tennessee May 3-7 at the Airport Marriott.  This is a great way to learn more about economic development through a fully accredited course … Continue reading

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2015 Tennessee USDA Rural Development Conference

The annual USDA Rural Development Conference will be held in Murfreesboro, Tennessee on April 29th and 30th.  Check out the great lineup of speakers and I am sure that I will see you there.

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Kingston Springs named in Top Ten Safest Cities in Tennessee list

Kingston Springs, Tennessee in southern Cheatham County was recently named by the Movoto Real Estate Blog as one of The 10 Safest Cities in Tennessee.  Not only does Kingston Springs have a Crime Index of 92 out of 100, but … Continue reading

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Work Opportunity Tax Credit

NashvilleBizBlog: “There’s still time to claim the Work Opportunity Tax Credit” If you are not familiar with this beneficial business tax credit, the U.S. Department of Labor describes the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) as, “… a Federal tax credit … Continue reading

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Cheatham County Parcels at I-24 Exit 31 zoned commercial C-1

The Cheatham County Commission passed a resolution to zone two parcels with over 10 acres at the Interstate 24 Exit 31 to Commercial 1.  This exit is about midway between Clarksville and downtown Nashville and accesses Springfield, Joelton and Ashland … Continue reading

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Art of business for the artist

With so many talented artisans and craftsmen in Cheatham County, I wanted to highlight an article in Nashville Arts magazine, “Marketing for Artists” that gives some great tips on marketing your works of art.

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Cheatham County Prosperity Summit Cancelled for February 17, 2015

Due to ice, sleet and snow causing hazardous driving conditions, the Cheatham County Prosperity Summit scheduled for February 17th has been cancelled and will be rescheduled for a later date, most likely late April or early May.  The Cheatham County … Continue reading

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Cheatham County, Tennessee is hosting a County Prosperity Summit

On February 17, Cheatham County will host a County Prosperity Summit in conjunction with the National Association of Counties (NACo) and WealthWorks, with support from the Ford Foundation.  Cheatham County was selected through a competitive application process to host the … Continue reading

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Training for Artists to become Talented Entrepreneurs

The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville through the Nashville Entrepreneur Center will deliver a six-week training program for artists to turn their talent into a successful business.  Called Periscope, it provides training, idea sharing, mentoring and networking.  For … Continue reading

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Training for and by economic development professionals

University of Oklahoma’s prestigious Economic Development Institute (EDI) will hold a session of EDI Institute in Nashville, Tennessee May 3-7 at the Airport Marriott.  This is a great way to learn more about economic development and working toward earning the Certified … Continue reading

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Zip-a-Dee-Moo-Lah

The Nashville Business Journal published a current list of the 25 wealthiest zip codes in the Nashville area.  Three on the list were in Cheatham County; Kingston Springs (34082) at 15th,  Pleasant View (37146) at 18th and Pegram (37143) at … Continue reading

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Happy New Year!!!

Yes, 2014 is now history.  I hope that your 2015 looks promising for new adventures and successes.

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It’s a wonderful life and happy holidays

Watching the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life is a holiday tradition for a lot of us. We just saw a Christmas Eve screening of it at Belcourt Theater tonight and was reminded how much George Bailey and the Bailey Bros. … Continue reading

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