Southern Growth Policies Board develops projects and publications under the guidance of four advisory councils. Each council is chaired by a Southern governor and membership is comprised of business, academic, government and nonprofit members representing all of the Southern states.
The four councils are aligned with Southern Growth’s major areas of research and members provide guidance and feedback on designing and implementing regional initiatives.
The councils include:
↔The Technology Council (STC)
The Southern Technology Council (STC) is the advisory council on innovation and technology policy issues for Southern Growth. The council is comprised of a diverse group of professionals in the science, technology and economic development fields with the principal mission of strengthening the Southern economy through technology and innovation.
Strategic Focus
- Facilitating an innovation-based economy through promotion of technology and technology companies
- Championing Research and Development as a key component of economic development.
- Connecting representatives from business, government, and universities in order to spur coordinated action to surmount the region’s weaknesses, and capitalize on the region’s strengths, in terms of technology development.
- One-on-One series of bi-monthly webinars hosted by STC states. Open only to STC members
- Leading the Southern Growth Policies Board Chairman’s Conference on the automotive industry: Driving the Next 20 Years: Creating the New Southern Automotive Industry, scheduled for June 7-8, 2010 in Lexington, KY.
- Creating SAMTA — The Southern Advance Materials in Transporation Alliance — an innovation cluster dedicated to promoting regional collaboration in the research and manufacture of future materials for the automotive and aerospace industries. (Contingent on funding).
- Assistance in establishing research centers at Oakridge National Laboratories, in areas such as bio and nuclear energy.
- Producing ongoing reports on innovation/technology topics, including innovation for the new Seeing the Future initiative, and Southern Target Industries, which examines state areas of common focus for economic development efforts.
↔The Community Council (CSC)
The Council on the Southern Community (CSC) is a regional forum for raising awareness about community challenges and opportunities in the changing economic and cultural environment of the South. The council guides Southern Growth’s research and projects in the areas of community development, leadership and civic engagement.
Strategic Focus
- Advising Southern leaders about community issues and trends
- Identifying and disseminating best practices to build healthy communities
- Broadening the region’s leadership base and raising leaders’ awareness about the economic challenges and opportunities of the 21st century
- Encouraging greater participation in civic life
- Youth Development and Engagement
Southern Growth’s 2008 conference focused on youth development and engagement and strategies for building policies and partnerships to foster youth leadership skills, workforce readiness, volunteerism, entrepreneurship and the traits to become active, responsible citizens. For a copy of Brave New South, the report that was the centerpiece of that conference, click here. - Community Forums
The Council on the Southern Community is seeking partners to hold community forums on economic recovery and engagement in support of the 2010 annual conference and report. Each year, more than 4,000 Southerners take part in community-level discussions to provide feedback and recommendations to Southern Growth Policies Board for inclusion in the Report on the Future of the South. For information about Southern Growth’s listening process and community forums, visit our community forums link. - Leadership Databank
The Council on the Southern Community has created an online resource for Southern leadership programs on the regional, state and community level. Visit the Leadership Databank link to find leadership programs in your home state.
↔The Workforce Council (CNEW)
The Council for a New Economy Workforce (CNEW) is a regional forum that conducts policy research and promotes innovative workforce development programs to accelerate the South’s growth into an economy characterized by skilled labor and entrepreneurial talent. The council works with leaders in the region to prepare and strengthen the Southern workforce to compete in the knowledge economy.
Strategic Focus
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↔The Globalization Council (GSC)
The Global Strategies Council (GSC) serves as the South’s advocate for all aspects of state-level international activity. It guides Southern Growth’s research and initiatives on issues ranging from trade, investment, immigration, transportation and education to relationship building between the states and overseas markets. The GSC’s mission is to help the South’s citizens, businesses, and communities become globally engaged and competitive.
Strategic Focus
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