UT at Chattanooga names a new Executive Director of Economic and Workforce Development
Jermaine Freeman fills the new leadership position created to strengthen UTC’s role in regional talent development and economic progress.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) has announced that Jermaine Freeman has been appointed as Executive Director of Economic and Workforce Development, a new leadership position created to strengthen UTC’s role in regional talent development and economic progress.
A Chattanooga native who spent nine years in senior leadership roles with the City of Chattanooga—including service as Chief of Staff in the Mayor’s Office, as the city’s Senior Advisor for Economic Opportunity, and as the city’s Director of Economic Programs—Freeman has built extensive experience in economic and workforce development.
Across those positions, he worked with industry partners on economic development initiatives, talent pipelines, small-business support efforts, and major redevelopment projects.
UTC Chancellor Lori Bruce said the new position will help the University play a more coordinated and strategic role in meeting the region’s workforce needs.
“Jermaine has been in workforce and economic development for years, and he already has strong working relationships across Chattanooga because of his previous roles with the city,” Bruce said. “His experience and relationships make him a natural fit for this work.”
Bruce said the role strengthens the University’s ability to respond to emerging workforce trends while supporting Chattanooga’s continued growth.
Freeman, a graduate of the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences, earned his MBA from UTC in 2014. He said returning to campus in his new capacity carries deep meaning.
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