The Tennessee Valley Corridor is pleased to formally announce the addition of Congressman Hal Rogers and the Fifth congressional district in southern and eastern Kentucky to the growing science and technology corridor first formed by Congressman Zach Wamp (R-TN) in the mid-1990s to accelerate technology development and new high-tech job creation in southern Appalachia.

Congressman Rogers (R-KY) joins a bipartisan group of seven congressional colleagues who have banded together to encourage state and federal facilities, key employers, educators, and economic developers in their districts to cooperate in advancing economic development initiatives throughout the Tennessee Valley.

"Chairman Hal Rogers is an influential and well- respected Member of the United States Congress and Kentucky's 5th District will be an valuable asset to our technology-rich Tennessee Valley Corridor," said Congressman Zach Wamp. "Congressman Rogers is a kindred spirit in that he recognizes our region's growing reputation and incredible potential as an international leader in science and technology."

First elected to Congress in 1980, Congressman Rogers is a leading member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee where his colleagues selected him to serve as the first chairman of the important new Subcommittee on Homeland Security.  Rogers has said that he believes the immediate need for innovative and integrated Homeland Security systems to protect America from terrorists represents the makings of ?the next Manhattan Project? for the Tennessee Valley, and he has challenged the entire region to unite its collective capabilities to help meet this important federal mission.

Rogers service as chairman of an Appropriations Subcommittee places him in the "College of Cardinals," the elite group of 13 House members who chair a House Appropriations Subcommittee and have jurisdiction over the $750 billion in federal appropriations that fund the nation's government programs.  He also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and the Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State and the Judiciary.  In his 23rd year on Capitol Hill, Rogers has a reputation as a skillful insider with significant influence over federal budget policy in a wide range of areas. 

In his district, Rogers helped create and secure funding for a new $15 million Center for Rural Development, located in Somerset, Kentucky, that serves as an economic development and telecommunications hub for a 42-county region of rural Kentucky.  Rogers works tirelessly to bring jobs, better education and greater opportunities to the families who live in his district

"I couldn't be more pleased to see the Fifth congressional district become a part of the Tennessee Valley Corridor," said Congressman Hal Rogers.  "The mission of this unique organization fits perfectly with what we are doing all over southern and eastern Kentucky, which is using teamwork and technology to create new jobs and opportunities for our people."

Rogers joins Tennessee Congressmen Zach Wamp (R-Chattanooga), John J. Duncan (R-Knoxville), Bill Jenkins (R-Rogersville) and Lincoln Davis (D-Byrdstown), as well as Virginia Congressman Rick Boucher (D-Abingdon), and Alabama Congressmen Bud Cramer (D-Huntsville) and Robert Aderholt (R-Haleyville) in leading the multi-state effort.

The Tennessee Valley Corridor strategically links such regional assets as NASA?s Marshall Space Flight Center, the U.S. Army?s Redstone Arsenal, the U.S. Air Force?s Arnold Engineering Development Center, the Department of Energy?s Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 national security complex, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, several world-class research universities and dozens of important corporate leaders in science and technology.

From homeland security solutions to medical breakthroughs ? from aerospace adventure to environmental exploration ? the Tennessee Valley Corridor has become one of the fastest growing regions in the world for new technology investment and job creation. To this end, the Tennessee Valley Corridor, Inc., a non-profit regional economic development organization led by a board of regional public and private sector leaders, has adopted nine Tennessee Valley Ventures and hosts a series of regional summits to showcase the region?s abundant science and technology resources and to build cooperative efforts.  For more information about the Tennessee Valley Corridor, visit www.tennvalleycorridor.org.