Sager, Eldridge part of Williamson Forward trip to Denver to study public transportation
George Wong |
Public transportation is one of the hottest topics in Middle Tennessee, and recently two officials from Lipscomb’s College of Business were among a group of local leaders who traveled to Denver, Colorado, to learn more about public transportation systems.
Ray Eldridge, dean of the college, and Suzanne Sager, assistant dean for professional development and engagement, were part of a team of Williamson County leaders and elected officials who went to Denver Sept. 18-20 as part of the Williamson Forward trip, organized by Williamson Inc.
The trip focused on public transit and the interconnectedness of transportation, education and economic development for the purpose of gaining insight as Williamson County moves forward into the future.
Every two years Williamson Inc. travels to other regions similar to the Tennessee county to find ways to help the community thrive and grow. For the second edition of Williamson Forward the theme was “Destination Denver.” Over 90 people attended including local business executives, government officials, school officials and mayors including Ken Moore of Franklin, Rogers Anderson of Williamson County, Jill Burgin of Brentwood and Rick Graham of Spring Hill.
Trip organizers selected the destination because they believe there are many similarities between the Williamson County communities and the Denver communities of Lone Tree, Centennial, and Castle Rock, which are experiencing rapid growth, have strong school systems and are home to major corporate headquarters. Trip participants met with local leaders and heard their success stories and lessons learned. The primary topics included transportation, education and economic development for the purpose of gaining insight as Williamson County moves forward into the future.
“I was able to participate two years ago with the group to visit Austin, Texas, and study how that community is addressing current challenges such as education, transportation, economic and technology issues,” said Eldridge. “It was a great opportunity to learn and see how Lipscomb University and College of Business can partner with the local community, government and business to improve the quality of life. Not often do you get to spend several days with local leaders and influencers to not only collaborate on local issues and build a community vision, but also tell the College of Business story.”
Bringing together business and community leaders in this format both benefits individual professionals, who are able to forge solid connections, and the community at large as the participants apply what they’ve learned in their work and other leadership roles.
“In general, we learned about the public/private partnerships that have led to Denver's growth and success in attracting new employers and developing an educated workforce,” he said. “Discussed the challenges of growth for a region, including transportation, high cost of housing, ensuring that graduates are prepared to succeed in the functions where companies are hiring.”
Sager said this trip was significant for she and Eldridge in several ways.
“Through this program we met many new contacts from the Williamson County/Nashville Region who will likely become hiring partners for College of Business majors,” said Sager. “We also saw first-hand the importance of ‘taking the long view’ and planning for five to ten years (or more) into the future. Being part of this group also affirmed the role that strong universities who partner with economic development groups can make a difference in attracting great employers.”
Eldridge said the College of Business will implement lessons learned through the experience such as the “importance of focus groups and gathering data before launching new programs and initiatives saves a lot of money on the promotion/sales.”
“In my area, I plan to have some focus groups to determine how we develop our career development event schedule for business majors,” said Sager. “Following up with potential employers from the trip now and engaging them in various recruiting opportunities.”
For more information about the College of Business, visit business.lipscomb.edu.