In the shadows of the State of Tennessee budget protesters in Nashville last week, the ninth annual Tennessee Valley Corridor Technology Summit was held just a few blocks away. While some were grumbling about our state's financial woes, we were in Nashville to applaud the many untold success stories of economic and community development over the last several years throughout the Tennessee Valley.

Although a large budget deficit clouds the Tennessee General Assembly these days, there is much to be proud of here in Tennessee and throughout the region. Last year alone, a record $6 billion of new investment took place in Tennessee AND since 1995 almost $40 billion has been added to our state's economy. However, it DOES "take money to make money." So if we make the investment in technology growth, the benefits will be a stronger economy and increased revenues.

It never ceases to amaze me that every year we continue to advance our missions and generate new jobs and opportunities in the private sector as well as in the major institutions in the Tennessee Valley. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), NASA-Marshal Space Flight Center, the University of Tennessee, the Arnold Engineering Development Center and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) are incredible resources that fuel the engines of high-tech growth in a region that was once known for poverty and illiteracy. The Tennessee Valley is rapidly becoming what Dr. George Kozmetsky, Chairman of the prestigious IC2 Institute at the University of Texas at Austin once termed a "technopolis" where high tech investment drives new businesses and fuels economic growth.

This year's Summit focused on the critical role our region will play in the Homeland Security requirements in the months and years ahead. Our research and technology in space, science, national security, energy production, biotechnology and transportation are growing in effectiveness and significance. The work being done here in the Valley has a direct effect on helping America win the War on Terrorism and securing our borders.

Several years ago at this annual Summit, we identified two major challenges facing our region's major federal facilities in Huntsville, Alabama and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. First, our infrastructure was aging and our World War II-era facilities needed to be modernized. I am happy to report that the improvement process is well underway and we are greatly encouraged by the cooperation we enjoy at the federal, state and local level to upgrade these facilities.

The second area of concern was our aging workforce. We realized that many of our highly skilled workers are preparing to retire in the next few years. At this year's Summit, we addressed this concern by rolling out a new Valley-wide initiative called the "Workforce Aging Management Program." By combining 18 community colleges and 7 technology centers into a consortium we can identify the deficiencies in the workforces while recruiting and training a new generation of workers to maintain the skills needed to meet the missions of the future.

Each year, as we plan for the Corridor Technology Summit, I am reminded that this is not a conference or a meeting. These Summits are a part of a long-term process to create the extraordinary technology growth that will leave a legacy of economic opportunity for all citizens in the Tennessee Valley. Keep up the great work!