BY 2025 WE WILL:

CREATE MORE HIGH-QUALITY JOBS

GROW STRONGER BUSINESSES

DEVELOP SKILLS FOR THE NEW ECONOMY

INCREASE REGIONAL PROSPERITY FOR ALL

JOIN THE REGION’S MOST SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES IN ACHIEVING THE GOALS OF CHATTANOOGA CLIMBS

GET INVOLVED!

Find out how you can be a part of the Chattanooga Climbs 5-year strategic plan.

DOWNLOAD OUR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

SPREAD THE WORD

FUTURE READY GOAL:

Ensure residents have the skills needed to sustain productive careers and high quality of life.

Ensuring that regardless of race, age, or location, residents can access quality education at all levels

Aligning education programs with industry needs and providing clear career pathways

Driving employer engagement and student success through work-based learning programs

Establishing education centers of excellence in automation, freight systems, and healthcare

MOBILITY FOR ALL GOAL:

Empower an economy teeming with high-quality jobs accessible to all residents.

Planning and preparing greenfield and brownfield sites for business growth

Strengthening business retention, expansion, and recruitment initiatives

Supporting employer-driven solutions to address hiring barriers

Growing target industries through brand building, coalitions, and other initiatives

GIG CITY WINS GOAL:

Encourage entrepreneurial momentum to reach new heights, driving economic growth with startups and small businesses.

Increasing access to capital and resources to support entrepreneurs and small businesses – especially traditionally disadvantaged business enterprises

Re-energizing a campaign to attract entrepreneurs and amplify the Innovation District’s potential

Celebrating local entrepreneurs and innovators

Strengthening partnerships between established businesses and entrepreneurs to drive innovation

Accelerating research and development activity at local institutions, such as the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

INCLUSIVE ECONOMY, COLLABORATIVE LEADERS GOAL:

Chattanooga and Hamilton County leaders engage in transparent dialogue with the community and encourage civic engagement among all residents.

Maintain accountability through bold metrics and transparent reporting

Pursue an open dialogue about systemic issues such as race

Expand leadership and civic engagement programs to build alignment and strengthen connections throughout our community

BOLD INVESTMENTS. BOLD RESULTS.

THIS CAN DO JOB GROWTH AND INVESTMENT STRATEGY ADDED $1.3B TO THE CHATTANOOGA REGIONAL ECONOMY FROM 2014 TO 2019. WITH YOUR HELP, WE CAN CLIMB HIGHER TO ACHIEVE BOLDER GOALS.

Join regional business partners in making Chattanooga Climbs a success. Chattanooga Climbs Campaign Council Members

Valoria Armstrong
American Water

Alexis Bogo
Hamico Foundation

Darlene Brown
Real Estate Partners Chattanooga LLC

Alnoor Dhanani
Double Cola Company

Joe Ferguson
EPB

Eric Fuller
U.S. Xpress, Enterprises

Carol George
Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Terry Hart
Chattanooga Airport Authority

Craig Holley
Pinnacle Financial Partners

Paul Leath
Chattanooga Gas Company

Rick McKenney
Unum

Glenn Morris
M&M Industries, Inc.

Mitch Patel
Vision Hospitality Group, Inc.

Janelle Reilly
CHI Memorial

Mike St. Charles
Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, P.C.

Roy Vaughn
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee

James Wingard
Wingard Quality Supply, LLC

Chamber leadership

Christy Gillenwater, President & CEO
Chattanooga Chamber

Tom Glenn, Immediate Past Chair
Elder’s Ace Hardware

Jim Vaughn, Chair
Truist Bank

The Chattanooga Climbs Investors

Represents Annual Commitment Level – 5 Year Campaign

$100,000+ | Tier I

  • ASTEC
  • The Benwood Foundation
  • BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
  • City of Chattanooga
  • EPB
  • Hamilton County Government
  • Unum
  • U.S. Xpress
  • Volkswagen Chattanooga

$50,000 - $99,999 | Tier II

  • Chattanooga Times Free Press
  • CHI Memorial
  • Erlanger Health System
  • Parkridge Medical Center & Parkridge East Hospital
  • Reagan Outdoor Advertising

$25,000 - $49,999 | Tier III

  • Barge Design Solutions
  • Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, PC
  • Chattanooga Gas Company
  • CROY
  • First Horizon Foundation
  • Fletcher Bright Company
  • Hamico Foundation
  • HHM CPAs
  • Miller & Martin PLLC
  • Pinnacle Financial Partners
  • Regions Bank
  • Sanofi
  • Tennessee Valley Authority
  • Thompson Engineering 
  • Truist
  • Vision Hospitality Group, Inc.

$15,000 - $24,999 | Tier IV

  • Baker Donelson
  • FirstBank
  • Food City
  • See Rock City, Inc.
  • Sinclair Broadcast Group Chattanooga
  • Wright Brothers Construction Company, Inc.

$10,000 - $14,999 | Tier V

  • 3H Group, Inc.
  • Branch Technology
  • Capital Toyota | Lexus of Chattanooga
  • Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority
  • Double-Cola Company – USA
  • Elder’s Ace Hardware
  • Elliott Davis
  • FreightWaves
  • Hunt Commercial Real Estate, LLC
  • Husch Blackwell LLP
  • The Johnson Group
  • PlayCore
  • Pointer Management Company
  • Southeast Industrial Development Association
  • Synovus
  • Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union
  • Village Volkswagen, Audi Chattanooga, Kia of Chattanooga
  • WACKER-Charleston

$5,000 - $9,999 | Tier VI

  • Chattanooga Coca-Cola Bottling Company UNITED, Inc.
  • Galen Medical Group
  • Kelly Cars
  • Kenco
  • Lawson Electric Company, Inc.
  • Lincoln Electric Automation Chattanooga
  • Mountain View Auto Group
  • P & C Construction, Inc.
  • Pointe Property Group
  • Real Estate Partners Chattanooga LLC
  • The Robinson Team of Keller Williams Realty
  • Tennessee American Water
  • TriStar Beverage of Chattanooga
  • The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

$2,500 - $4,999 | Tier VII

  • Builtwell Bank
  • The Honorable Bob Corker
  • LBMC
  • Market Street Partners, PLLC
  • NAI Charter Real Estate
  • S&ME, Inc.
  • Siskin Hospital for Physical Rehabilitation
  • SmartBank
  • Southern Adventist University
  • Tranco Logistics, LLC

Under $2,500 | Chattanooga Climbs Supporters

  • Buzzi Unicem USA – Signal Mountain Plant
  • Chestnut Funds
  • Citizens Savings & Loan Corp.
  • Cleaning Solutions, LLC
  • Hixson Utility District
  • Komatsu America Corp.
  • Neuhoff Taylor Architects, P. C.
  • Ruby Falls
  • Sofix LLC
  • SSOE Group
  • Stowers Machinery Corporation
  • T.U. Parks Construction Company

The Chattanooga Climbs Steering Committee

Charita Allen, City of Chattanooga

Steve Angle, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Valoria Armstrong, American Water

Rebecca Ashford, Chattanooga State Community College

Anthony Byrd, Chattanooga City Council

Mickey Cloud, The Sasha Group

Scott Cooper, Tennessee Valley Authority

Mayor Jim Coppinger, Hamilton County Government

Stephen Culp, Smart Furniture

Jeff DeLoach, Chattanooga Times Free Press

David DeVaney, NAI Charter Real Estate Corporation

Bo Drake, Chattanooga State Community College

Randy Fairbanks, Hamilton County Commission

Todd Fortner, Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union

Angela Garcia, La Paz

Abby Garrison, Causeway

Gregg Gentry, Erlanger Health System

Tom Glenn, Elder’s Ace Hardware

Rusty Gray, Baker Donelson

Terry Hart, Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority

Ken Hays, Formerly Enterprise Center

Bryan Johnson, HCDE

Tim Kelly, Kelly Auto Group

Quentin Lawrence, Hope for the Inner City

Paul Leath, Chattanooga Gas Company

Ian Leavy, Volkswagen Chattanooga

Travis Lytle, SmartBank

Warren Mackey, Hamilton County Commission

Hodgen Mainda, EPB

Stefanie Mansueto, JP Morgan Chase

Rick McKenney, Unum Group

Russell Morehead, Croy Engineering

Sarah Morgan, The Benwood Foundation

Janelle Reilly, CHI Memorial

Erskine Oglesby, Chattanooga City Council

Mitch Patel, Vision Hospitality Group

Stacy Richardson, City of Chattanooga

Tiffanie Robinson, Lamp Post Properties

Mike Sarvis, Synovus

Marcus Shaw, Co.Lab

Sabrena Smedley, Hamilton County Commission

Ken Smith, Chattanooga City Council

Mark Smith, Miller & Martin

Mike St. Charles, Chambliss Bahner Stophel

David Steele, University of Tennessee of Chattanooga

Melissa Taylor, Chattanooga Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency

Jim Vaughn, SunTrust now Truist

Michael Walton, green | spaces

Barry White, Chattanooga Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Kim White, River City Company

Scott Williamson, Fletcher Bright

Scott N. Wilson, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee

James Wingard, Wingard Quality Supply

Joe Wingate, Hamilton County School Board