NASHVILLE, TN—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Appropriations and Banking Committee and former state Commissioner of Economic and Community Development, will launch his first-annual Economic Development tour across the state that will take place each August when the Senate is in recess.
The tour will take him to counties and cities across west, middle, and east Tennessee, beginning August 16 and concluding September 8, giving him the opportunity to visit with business owners—large and small—workers, and farmers about the ongoing recovery from the pandemic-driven recession and the harmful big government, tax-and-spend policies coming from Washington.
“I spent my life in business, not politics,” said Senator Hagerty. “And as Tennessee’s former commissioner of economic development, I have a great appreciation for the men and women who help grow our state’s economy. Job and wage growth doesn’t happen from the government, it comes from the people through grit, ingenuity, and hard work, but government can hinder it. From the farmer, to the factory worker, to the executive, to the store clerk, Tennesseans deserve the chance to chase their American dream, and I’m committed to that. I look forward to spending this month traveling our state hearing the concerns and ideas that will help us return to the Blue Collar Boom we witnessed right before this pandemic.”
Hagerty is a life-long businessman who started his business career with the Boston Consulting Group. He later became a venture capital and private equity investor where he invested in and served as an executive and board member of a wide range of companies, including ones listed on the NYSE and NASDAQ. From 2011 to 2014, Hagerty served as a member of Governor Bill Haslam’s (R-TN) Cabinet and Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. During his tenure as commissioner, Hagerty reorganized the department, eliminating over 40 percent of the positions and saving millions of taxpayer dollars. At the same time, the new approach helped spur the strongest economic transformation seen — taking Tennessee from an unemployment rate higher than the national average when he arrived to become the number one state in the nation for jobs created through foreign investment and being named State of the Year for Economic Development an unprecedented two years in a row during his tenure.
Next week, the tour will take Hagerty to his boyhood hometown of Gallatin, Clarksville, Knoxville, and Tri-Cities.
Hagerty’s office will announce details of his public appearances ahead of time.