News from Boyette Strategic Advisors

TVA Establishes New Community Development Program

NASHVILLE, Tn – 08/07/2006

TVA announced today announced the creation and launch of The Valley Targeted and Prepared Community Program (The Valley TaP Program) to strengthen its economic and community development efforts.

The program offers communities throughout the TVA service area access to an innovative strategic planning process to identify key target industries and actively recruit those industries. It was designed and will be administered by Boyette Levy, an Atlanta firm that provides strategic advice and communications support in the areas of economic and community development.

“A community must know and be prepared to market their community’s assets in order to best meet the needs of prospective companies,” said TVA Senior Vice President of Economic Development John Bradley. “Boyette Levy has both the experience and expertise necessary to facilitate selected Tennessee Valley community leaders through this valuable new TaP program.”

Communities will have an opportunity to submit applications, and this fall three to four communities in the Valley will be chosen to participate in The Valley TaP Program. The planning process will include an in-depth evaluation of a community’s resources and strengths to target and recruit specific industry segments, which could result in additional jobs and investments.

“This program is truly unique in the economic development business,” said Del Boyette of Boyette Levy. “We believe participating communities will come away with the economic development tools, knowledge and understanding to move to the next level in competing for new jobs and investment.”

Applications for The Valley TaP Program have been sent to all city, county or regional economic development organizations in the TVA service area. Communities interested in participating in the program should complete the application and return it by August 25, 2006, to:

Tracy King Sharp
Boyette Levy
100 Colony Square
1175 Peachtree Street N.E., Suite 1660
Atlanta, GA 30361

Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by a team of economic development professionals. Judges will be looking for communities that demonstrate strong community leadership, have economic development funds available and have infrastructure in place to support existing businesses and recruit new industries.

Following review of the applications, the selected communities will be notified in mid-September, with the planning process complete by early 2007. In subsequent years, an additional three to four communities will be chosen annually to participate in The Valley TaP Program.

Boyette Levy is a firm of strategic advisors dedicated to the nexus of public policy, economic development and communications strategy. They provide “outside the box” thinking for their clients in how they tell their stories, by helping their businesses develop, and in improving their communities.

TVA Economic Development helps make the Tennessee Valley a better place to live and work by partnering with distributor customers of TVA power, regional entities, state agencies and local communities to recruit new industries and provide resources to help existing businesses grow. Economic Development is a major part of TVA’s core mission.

TVA is the nation’s largest public power provider and is completely self-financed with revenues of $7.8 billion in 2005. TVA provides power to large industries and 158 power distributors that serve approximately 8.6 million consumers in seven southeastern states.