Author Archives: Daryl Phillips, CEcD

from “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost:     Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Absolutely, it made a difference, it increased … Continue reading →

I swear it’s just a coincidence, but last week our local airport, Nashville International Airport (BNA), loosened its rules on drinking in the terminal and I joined their Frequent Parker Program.  Nashville International Airport is less than a 30 minute drive from … Continue reading →

Nashville is now firmly entrenched as one of the nation’s Top 25 largest cities, according to The Tennessean newspaper. The city of Nashville increased 5% since 2010 to 634,464 in July 1, 2013, according to U.S. Census population estimates. The … Continue reading →

Things have definitely turned around in the past 1 1/2 years for The Braxton Condominiums in Ashland City, Tennessee.  Those few months have attracted new owners, beautiful updates on the property and a creation of a new neighborhood of residents … Continue reading →

Mark your calendars on June 24-28 for Ashland City’s annual Summerfest 2014 celebration.  Summerfest will be held at Riverbluff park in Ashland City on the bank of the Cumberland River. Summerfest features a family-friendly carnival, lots of good food, arts … Continue reading →

It is Monday of the last full week in March.  Such a beautiful day looking out over the Cumberland River from the Riverview Restaurant here in Ashland City.  I have to go back to the office and get to work.  I … Continue reading →

“Led by the Cheatham County Chamber of Commerce and the Joint Economic and Community Development Board, the Cheatham Vision initiative optimizes public and private resources to improve and showcase the community’s assets. Cheatham Vision involves both people and business by … Continue reading →

I spent last week in class working toward the Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) certification from the National Development Council.  It was nice to have a weekend that the only numbers in my head were basketball scores.

Time magazine in its article “The South’s Red-Hot Town” proclaims Nashville as a red-hot town, “…its economy are on fire, sparked by a booming cultural scene, world-class health care, rising universities–and a really good spot on the map.” I agree. … Continue reading →

Quality of life… we talk about having it, but so does every other community, no matter how disparate.  We try to name our assets and hope that it matches with our target market’s idea of quality in their (or their … Continue reading →

Cheatham County, due to prior preparation, immediately joined as a partner in Tennessee Promise (see article in The Tennessean), Governor Bill Haslam’s initiative to fund the first two years of applied technology training or community college for high school graduates … Continue reading →

Tennessee’s plan to improve its labor force by providing free tuition to community colleges and tech schools gets national attention: http://www.npr.org/2014/02/08/273171722/tennessee-weighs-the-cost-of-a-free-college-education

I gave a short speech at the 2013 International Economic Development Council (IEDC) Annual Conference in Philadelphia in October titled “Economic Development, It’s a Wonderful Life” about how I use the classic holiday movie to tell the story of economic … Continue reading →

Forbes magazine named yesterday the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) 4th on its “Best Buy Cities: Where to Invest in Housing in 2014” list.  Cheatham County shares Nashville/Davidson County’s western border and is part of the MSA.

It’s Christmas Eve and I am watching the holiday classic movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, on TV. I am always impressed by how much George Bailey and the Bailey Bros. Building & Loan Association were involved in economic and community development. From George’s … Continue reading →

Hope he doesn’t quit his day job, but if you are an economic development professional, this song is for you: