Chamber’s Bunch starts new role with TBR
Vicki Bunch has enjoyed her work with The Greater Jackson Chamber in two stints over the past few years in which she’s helped the organization in its work of economic development for the local area.
She recently left The Chamber to join the Tennessee Board of Regents, but she will still be in a capacity to help the economic development for the entire state from a development standpoint.
Bunch started in her new role on May 1 as the Executive Director of the Tennessee Council for Career and Technical Education.
She’s essentially a liaison between a number of state departments including education, economic and community development, Board of Regents and workforce development and educational entities at the secondary and postsecondary levels.
“Part of my new job is to see what trainings are being offered at what schools and work tow, so thard alignment with nearby high schools to ensure a greater line of education from high school to postsecondary,” Bunch said.
That means ensuring that different programs offered at colleges and high schools line up together, but there is also a geographic element to that as well.
“Different areas of the state have different needs,” Bunch said. “Right now in West Tennessee, we have a lot of automotive manufacturers and their suppliers coming, so we need to produce the workforce that can help them out when they get here.
“East Tennessee doesn’t have as big of a need of that now as West Tennessee does, so their priorities are different.”
Even though she doesn’t have to move, Bunch does have an office in Nashville and her role is a statewide role.
“One day last week, I had meetings in six different counties, and one of them was way up in Bristol,” Bunch said. “But that’s OK because I love the state of Tennessee and driving around it, and I love connecting companies with specific needs to a supply where they can get what or who they need.”
Brandon Shields, brandon@Jacksonpost.news
