The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced recently the five applicants selected for the Tennessee Rural Fellowship, one of whom, Noah Morrison, is a Morristown West alum who is graduating from ETSU.

The Tennessee Rural Fellowship is a hands-on program focused on helping the state’s distressed and at-risk communities move important projects forward while building the next generation of leaders in economic and community development.

This cohort will support two of Tennessee’s distressed counties and three of the state’s at-risk counties.

Morrison will be supporting Carter County.

“Congratulations to the five outstanding applicants selected for the Tennessee Rural Fellowship Program,” said Assistant Commissioner of Community and Rural Development Brooxie Carlton. “Our rural communities are the backbone of the state, and we look forward to continuing to support those communities through this fellowship for the next two years.”

Fellows are placed in communities across the state for two years as part of the partnership between TNECD and Tennessee Tech University, where they will work directly with local leaders on implementing impactful projects, including but not limited to preparing sites for new industry, supporting downtown revitalization or tackling infrastructure and workforce challenges.

They are embedded in the day-to-day work of the community, providing added capacity while gaining real-world experience.

“This next cohort demonstrates what’s possible when state government and higher education work side by side on economic development,” said Tennessee Tech Director of Center for Rural Innovation Michael Aikens. “Through our partnership with TNECD, Tennessee Tech is investing in people and place: building on the ground capacity and resilience in distressed rural communities, expanding opportunity and creating the conditions for long term growth and prosperity across the state. This approach reflects the vision of Tennessee Tech’s Rural Reimagined initiative, focused on translating partnership and talent into real, place based outcomes for rural communities.”

The cohort of fellows and the communities selected went through a rigorous interview process, and during the twoyears, the cohort will take part in regular training and networking events with peers across the state.

This new fellowship will begin on August 3, continuing the program’s focus on practical impact and long-term community growth.