The Macon County Economic Development Commission met on April 29 to elect new officers and discuss the prospect of hiring a new EDC director.
The meeting began with the election of new officers. John Hamlin of State Farm Insurance was elected chair and Brett Rogers of Duotech Services Inc., who was not present, was elected vice chair. Johanna Fein of the Highlands Chamber of Commerce was selected as the commission’s new secretary.
The remainder of the meeting's conversation centered on hiring a new director. The previous EDC director was Tommy Jenkins, who was working part-time before his retirement in August 2024, and was a contract employee through New South Strategies.
County Manager Warren Cabe said the director position has been a contract position with a company rather than a specific individual since the last employee resigned in 2011. Cabe opted not to renew the last contract held with Mountain West Partnership through the Southwestern Commission in January, which the county entered into following Jenkins' retirement.
Cabe said the EDC director position once had the primary responsibility of recruiting new businesses to the county, but the definition has since broadened, adding on gig workers, online businesses and remote workers. He shared with commission members updated title and job descriptions with samples from other counties.
“A lot of counties are retitling or renaming that position,” Cabe said. “A lot of them are pointing toward a director of community and economic development."
“A lot of people are using that definition of economic development to mean more than just trying to recruit a business; it’s part of a lifestyle. You get people to come to the area, you’ve got to have those attractions,” Cabe continued. "That’s not what people used to think of as economic development because you’re not setting up a business and selling something or a service, but that’s part of the draw to get those people here.”
The county usually budgets approximately $55,000 for an EDC director or contract, though Cabe said other counties have budgeted anything from $40,000 to over $100,000. He said the responsibilities other counties expect of their directors can differ drastically as well.
EDC board member Cory McCall of Outdoor 76 said, “I think that’s really important for us as a group to define first what the expectation is from somebody … I don’t know what we attract for $55,000, not to say that that has to be the cap, but what does that look like on a part-time or full-time basis? And what do we want somebody to do during that time?”
Steve Grissim said, “Their travel budget needs to be what you’re talking about for salary, because if you want results, you get what you pay for.”
“When you had the job description that’s community and economic development, I think that’s key,” Fein said. “I think it should be full-time, whether that’s contract or an employee, you’ve got to bring this salary up because I’ve just gone through a salary process, and I’m getting kids out of college that expect this kind of money and more.”
Hamlin said he would like the director to serve as a liaison both for businesses that could be recruited to the county and for those which are already established within the county.
He said as it is now if business owners come to the EDC board members with concerns, they don't know who to refer them to. “Part of this role, the community role conversation, to me make the most sense," Hamlin said.
Franklin Vice Mayor Mike Lewis, attending in lieu of Mayor Stacy Guffey, said Franklin’s approach has been to focus on improving the quality of life for as many people as possible, which will in turn attract new businesses and residents.
EDC members also agreed the director position should work to create networking opportunities between businesses and should serve as a liaison to the Franklin and Highlands Chambers of Commerce, creating chances for businesses to build vital connections.
The commission members were each tasked with coming up with 10 bullet points from which to build out a job description at the next EDC meeting, to be determined at a later date.