For too long, many of our most talented residents have had to drive across county lines to find high-quality careers. That commute takes time away from our families and takes tax dollars out of our community. As the Vice President of the Hickman County Chamber of Commerce and a Director of Operations managing 16 commercial locations, I know what it takes to build a thriving business, train a workforce, and sustain economic growth.
Our county is inherently business-friendly, but we are missing out on high-quality recruitment because our foundational infrastructure is dated. While broadband is readily available across our community, we are falling short in our critical telecommunications infrastructure and basic utility capacities, particularly water and sewage. Upgrading these systems is expensive, but we cannot rely solely on local taxpayers to foot the bill. Hickman County is currently leaving money on the table by severely lacking in our pursuit of available grant funding—and that has to change.
Here is my actionable plan to drive local economic growth and secure the funding we need (click each for more in-depth information):
Aggressive Grant Acquisition: We are severely lacking in the proactive pursuit of state, federal, and private grant funding. I will use my operational background to champion an aggressive, data-driven approach to identifying, securing, and managing infrastructure and economic development grants. By competing for external funding, we can finance our county's modernization without placing an undue burden on local taxpayers.
Targeting 10 to 15 Small to Mid-Size Businesses: Rather than chasing a single, massive corporation that could overwhelm our local resources and permanently alter our rural landscape, my goal is to strategically recruit 10 to 15 high-quality, small to mid-size businesses. Bringing in multiple smaller employers diversifies our local economy, mitigates risk, and perfectly fits the character of Hickman County.
Modernizing Water, Sewage, & Telecommunications: To successfully attract these 10 to 15 target businesses, we must use secured grant funds to upgrade our foundational infrastructure. Expanding water and sewage capacities at our commercial sites, alongside building out robust telecommunications networks, is required to meet the operational demands of 21st-century employers.
Bridging the Education Gap: A thriving local economy requires a workforce prepared for tomorrow's opportunities. I will fight to build stronger pipelines—and seek out specific workforce development grants—to connect Hickman County schools, local technical training centers, and the business community so our graduates possess the exact skills our targeted mid-size employers require.
Empowering Local Small Businesses & Entrepreneurs: Because our local regulatory environment is lean, our focus should be on proactive support. I will work to ensure our homegrown entrepreneurs have access to regional networking, Chamber resources, and small business grant opportunities necessary to scale their businesses and hire locally.
Maximizing Our Unique Community Assets: Hickman County possesses cultural and agricultural assets that draw significant revenue. Through my leadership roles with the National Banana Pudding Festival and the Hickman County Ag Pavilion project, I have seen firsthand how well-managed community assets can drive local tourism. I will push to secure tourism and agricultural enhancement grants to support these assets without altering our rural landscape.
Summary True economic development in Hickman County requires addressing our dated water, sewage, and telecommunications infrastructure head-on and completely revamping how we pursue external funding. Rather than chasing massive industrial complexes, I am committed to aggressively pursuing grants to modernize our utilities so we can recruit 10 to 15 right-sized, small to mid-tier businesses. By diversifying our economy, bridging the workforce education gap, and leveraging my hands-on business experience, we can create a resilient local economy where our residents can work, thrive, and prosper locally, all while protecting the local taxpayer.