Mayor Madeline Rogero, in keeping with a pledge to make Knoxville more business friendly, has appointed 11 leaders to the newly created Business Advisory Council.
The Business Advisory Council (BAC), to be presented to City Council on Tuesday, is organized through the Office of Business Support, which is managed by Patricia Robledo and under the supervision of Deputy to the Mayor and Chief Operating Officer Eddie Mannis. The BAC will help promote communication between city government and businesses and be a sounding board and advisor for city initiatives that affect businesses.
“The Business Advisory Council is key to helping us measure customer satisfaction with City services and advising the Office of Business Support on processes and procedures critical to doing business with the City,” said Mayor Rogero. Members of the BAC are appointed by Mayor Rogero and will serve two-year terms.
Shortly after her inauguration, Mayor Rogero created the Office of Business Support so that Knoxville would be an easy place to do business and where concerns of the business sector would be heard and addressed.
Those named to the BAC are: David Andrews, Andrews Electric; Margaret Backhurst, AIA LEED AP, Director of Design, Red Chair Architects; Tom Catani, Regional Vice President East Operations, US Cellular; William Garibay, Owner, ES&H (Environmental Safety & Health); Neal Green, Owner, All Occasion Catering; Joseph A. Ledford, PE, Chairman/ Office Manager, Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon; Adam Palmer, President/Co-Founder, Saw Works Brewing Company; Whitney Peter, President, The Sharp Companies/Volunteer Drywall; Joe Petre, President, Conversion Properties, Inc.; Damon Rawls, Owner, Jani King of Knoxville; and Deborah C. Stevens, President/Managing Shareholder, Lewis, King, Krieg & Waldrop, P.C.
The BAC will meet quarterly. Its first meeting will be from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 29, in the 5th floor conference room of the City County Building.
In addition, the Office of Business Support has just completed its first Business Resource Guide. The guide provides general information and an overview of the steps a prospective business owner must go through to establish or expand a business in Knoxville.
The Business Resource Guide can be found on the City of Knoxville’s website at: http://www.cityofknoxville.org/business/bizguide.pdf