$16,300 Rural Development and ETHRA marketing partnership

                                                                                                               

July 16,2009 - OAK RIDGE, Tenn.—Rural Development Area Director Jerry Amonett and East Tennessee Human Resource Agency Program Administrator Jay Willoughby today announced a total investment of $16,300 to fund a marketing outreach program for ETHRA. The check presentation took place at the ETHRA Workforce Development Office in Oak Ridge.

 

"This investment will provide ETHRA the tools they need to stay on the cutting edge of technology," said Amonett. "Thanks to the support of our congressional delegation, Rural Development has the financial resources to help with this important project that will impact the 21 region in east Tennessee."

 

The $8,000 Rural Development grant will be combined with $8,300 in ETHRA contributions to continue their current marketing outreach program designed to assist businesses in the area with workforce development as well as distribute informational CDs and videos, and provide an update to the agency's website.

 

"The Rural Development grant allows us to make the residents in our 21 county region more aware of the services we provide, while making the information easily accessible for everyone," said Willoughby. "ETHRA is proud to partner with Rural Development in this venture."

 

The areas that will be affected by this grant are Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Fentress, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Knox, Loudon, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, Sevier and Union Counties.

 

Rural Development’s rural business enterprise grant program provides assistance to local governments and non-profit organizations that assist small businesses, develop local business infrastructure, provide job training, conduct feasibility studies or provide technical assistance to businesses and community leaders.

 

Others participating in the presentation included Sen. Bob Corker's representative David Leaverton, ETHRA Director of Operations and Services Sandy Lamb, and RD Area Specialist Larry Mason.

 

USDA Rural Development invests in rural communities through business development, community infrastructure and homeownership programs. Last year Rural Development assisted more than 678,000 Tennessee families and businesses investing more than $435 million through affordable loans, loan guarantees and grants.

 

For more information on Rural Development programs available in East Tennessee contact the Rural Development Area Office in Knoxville at 865-523-3338 ext. 4, toll free at 1-800-342-3149 extension 1491, or visit us online at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/tn.

 

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