The City of Murfreesboro, which was first designated in the Valley Sustainable Communities Program at the Gold level in 2014, has maintained its status in the program for an additional three years.
The Valley Sustainable Communities Program, was initiated by TVA Economic Development in partnership with consulting firm Boyette Strategic Advisors, as part of its community preparedness offerings to assist communities in evaluating existing sustainable programs, cataloging their sustainable assets, and increasing future commitments to sustainability.
The goal of the program is to document a community’s assets and increase the likelihood that they will be viewed as progressive and competitive by companies looking to invest in new or expanded locations.
In order to continue to support the integrity of the Valley Sustainable Communities Program long term, the program was established so that the qualification for each community would be designated for a period of three years. At that point, a designation renewal process is initiated to re-designate the community under the program.
The designation renewal process is focused on reviewing all programs that were part of the Sustainable Inventory previously developed and scored, and ensuring that all such programs are still in place and eligible for continued points designation. This process resulted in an updated Sustainable Inventory and Marketing Messages for Murfreesboro and its designation as a Gold community for the next three years.
“This program has taken Murfreesboro’s economic development marketing efforts to prospective and existing sustainably-focused companies to a whole new level,” said Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland. “We are excited to be designated at the Gold level for an additional three years.”
“Murfreesboro’s continued designation at the Gold level recognizes that it has community-wide sustainability initiatives in place, with programs available to support the existing business community and promote economic development,” said Del Boyette, President/CEO of Boyette Strategic Advisors.
Sustainability has become a key issue for economic development organizations and communities as more corporations have demonstrated an increasing commitment to sustainability. A recent survey conducted by PwC found that 80 percent of CEOs believe it’s important to measure and reduce their environmental footprint. The typical reasons for this corporate commitment are reduced operating costs for increased profitability, attracting workforce talent and greater customer satisfaction.
John Bradley, TVA Senior Vice President of Economic Development, said, “We are seeing that more and more companies have an increasing business emphasis on sustainable operations, and are adding this component to their RFIs as they search for a community where they can locate, grow, and enhance their company and employee sustainability commitments.”
“MTSU is proud to be a partner in this initiative that emphasizes sustainable practices and the economic benefits they provide to business,” said Joe Whitefield, assistant vice president of facilities services at Middle Tennessee State University. “It is a great accomplishment for Murfreesboro to receive the Gold level designation and to retain it for another three years.”
“Murfreesboro’s status as a Valley Sustainable Gold Community reflects Murfreesboro Electric’s continued commitment to being a good steward of the environment and making Murfreesboro a competitive destination for the country’s most sought after businesses,” said Murfreesboro Electric Department General Manager P.D. Mynatt.
At the conclusion of this year’s cycle, it is expected that a total of 31 communities across the Valley will have been recognized in the program. In addition to completing the inventory of sustainable assets and utilizing the Valley Sustainable Communities designation in their marketing materials, communities that complete the program also receive marketing support from TVA Economic Development.