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2021 July Monthly Luncheon
Crescent Club
6075 Poplar Ave, #909
Memphis, TN 38119
United States
(901) 684-1010

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Wednesday, July 21, 2021, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM CDT
Category: Monthly Meeting

Guest Speaker: Ted Townsend - Chief Economic Development Officer, The Greater Memphis Chamber 

In September of 2020, the Greater Memphis Chamber, in partnership with the University of Memphis announced the appointment of Ted Townsend as Chief Economic Development Officer. Townsend serves in a joint-role overseeing and aligning both organization’s efforts to attract and grow businesses in the Greater Memphis region.

Ted Townsend joined The University of Memphis in 2018 as the first ever Chief Economic Development and Government Relations Officer and serves on the President’s Council. Ted leads the University’s economic development activities in Memphis and Jackson to include attracting and retaining university-area businesses that provide internship and workforce opportunities for students. He also oversees the University Neighborhoods Development Corporation, the UMRF Research Park and the Government Relations and Policy Division.  In this role, Ted leads a team that is dedicated to the vibrancy and mission fulfillment of the university through business and policy development.

Ted previously served as Deputy Commissioner & Chief Operating Officer for the State of Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) where he oversaw the department’s day-to-day operations. During his nearly 7 years with the Haslam Administration, TNECD announced over 1,100 projects committing 155,000 new jobs backed by over $32 Billion in private sector capital investment making Tennessee, State of the Year in Economic Development, multiple times.

Prior to his becoming Chief Operating Officer, Ted was Assistant Commissioner of Strategy where he provided management over multiple divisions to include Innovation, Small Business, Rural Development, Federal Programs and the department’s Center for Economic Research in Tennessee (CERT). Governor Haslam appointed Ted as his board designee to the Delta Regional Authority and the Appalachian Regional Commission. Governor Haslam also appointed Ted as his proxy to the State Workforce Development Board where he served for 2 years in that capacity. Mr. Townsend also served the department as TNECD first Regional Director over the Greater Memphis Region.

Before joining TNECD, Ted was the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of arGentis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of Memphis, a privately-held bio-pharmaceutical company involved in the licensing, development and commercialization of therapies for auto-immune and ophthalmic diseases. During his tenure, the company successfully raised $2 million in capital from angel and institutional investors, obtained Orphan Drug Designation in the U.S. and EU and assisted in the build-out of the company’s international patent portfolio.

He is a proud graduate of the University of Memphis and was a member of Leadership Tennessee Class V and the Leadership Memphis Executive Program 2019.  Ted presently serves on the board of directors of arGentis, The Economic Club of Memphis as Vice President, the YMCA of Memphis & The Mid-South, Leadership Memphis Executive Committee, the UMRF Advisory Board, Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South, Seeding Success Public Policy Advisor and is the current Chairman of the Board for Life Science Tennessee.

Luncheon Timeline:
11:30 am - 12:00 pm: Registration & Networking
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Luncheon and Program

Registration 

*The registration deadline is Friday, July 16*

 

 

Please refer to the Registration Policies and Procedures here.

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Contact: [email protected] or 901-552-6096