FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, August 26, 2019
LAWRENCEBURG, TENN. – The Lawrence County School System, in partnership with the Lawrence County Education Foundation, local leadership, staff, and stakeholders of the Lawrence County Chamber, welcomes Hope McDow as the most recent addition to its economic development team. McDow will serve as the Workforce Development Coordinator, a new position that is responsible for fostering relationships between local businesses, the school system, training partners, and students of Lawrence County. The Workforce Development Coordinator position was created after the Tennessee Department of Economic & Community Development held a strategic planning session earlier this year to identify and begin implementing a goal related to local workforce development solutions.
McDow’s industry experience, paired with her most recent tenure in the classroom and service as the program manager for career & technical education, makes her a natural fit for this position. “I am excited to serve students by helping them better understand and prepare for their careers,” said McDow. “In order to do that, I will act as a liaison between our local business community and our schools to ensure our CTE programs are providing students with relevant training.”
The Workforce Development Coordinator is funded by a partnership between Lawrence County Schools and the Lawrence County Education Foundation, while oversight and management are being carried out by the Lawrence County Chamber and LCSS.
“Apart from industrial product inventory for a company to operate their business, labor—specifically building a labor force through local education and workforce development initiatives—is the key driver for existing industries seeking to expand and prospective businesses seeking to locate in Lawrence County,” explained Ryan Egly, President & CEO of the Lawrence County Chamber. “Hope’s experience will best serve our efforts to create career pathways that lead directly from our local schools to local jobs.”
“If we educate and train our students for jobs that don’t exist in Lawrence County, they will more than likely live and work outside of Lawrence County. The creation of this position will give our schools, teachers, and students the information necessary to train for and pursue local career opportunities,” said County Executive T.R. Williams.
Mr. Johnny McDaniel, Director of Lawrence County Schools is dedicated to forming partnerships with local industries saying, “We are committed to student success and, as a community, supporting economic development efforts to best meet the needs of our business partners in Lawrence County. Hope has demonstrated her ability to foster relationships with local business & industry over the years to advance career and technical education initiatives and will take us to the next level in her new role.”
Mrs. Shannon Watson, Career & Technical Education Director, states, “We are excited to partner with so many great community organizations to make this happen! Above all, Lawrence County Schools is excited to provide a new level of service to our business community.”
McDow assumed her new role Thursday, August 1, 2019.
About the Chamber
The Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce is a network of businesses, industries, local governments, utilities, and private citizens that are committed to improving the quality of life in Lawrence County, Tennessee through economic & community development, tourism marketing, and workforce development.
###
