TN.gov Newsroom

NASHVILLE - Matt Kisber, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, announced today that two Tennessee counties have met the criteria to join the state’s retiree recruitment program, Retire Tennessee. Lincoln and Jefferson Counties bring the state’s total number of active Retire Tennessee Programs to nine.

 

“Retiree recruitment is a crucial component of many communities’ economic development strategies, and I am pleased to welcome these two counties to the Retire Tennessee Program,” Commissioner Kisber said. “The success of this program is evidence of Tennessee’s remarkable quality of life. Communities like these are crown jewels in attracting new residents to our state.”

 

In the 2007-2008 program year, the original communities received more than 62,000 inquiries from potential retirees to Tennessee and received more than 600,000 unique visitors to their Web sites combined.

 

“The retirement market is ripe with retirees deciding where to spend their golden years, and Tennessee is in prime position to attract those potential residents,” said Ramay Winchester, manager of the Retire Tennessee Program. “Communities like Lincoln and Jefferson Counties are proactively seeking to capitalize on that market, and in so doing they bring benefit to the whole state.”

 

Communities participating in the Retire Tennessee Program must also be certified Three-Star Communities. These communities have established a Retiree Relocation Committee, conducted a community assessment, started marketing efforts to attract and relocate the retiree market and participate in trade shows geared toward attracting retirees.

 

The original Retire Tennessee programs are Cumberland, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Henry, Putnam and Sullivan Counties.

 

For more information on the Retire Tennessee program, Winchester at (731) 423-5771 or via e-mail at ramay.w.winchester@state.tn.us.

Contact: Laura Elkins

Office: 615-532-1910

E-Mail: laura.elkins@state.tn.us