Crossville-Cumberland County was named a 2019 ThreeStar community at the recent Governor’s Conference and received the Governor’s Award for Performance, Accountability, and Efficiency.

The ThreeStar program is a strategic community development program developed to assist communities in preparing for a better future. The ThreeStar program now incorporates asset-based planning initiatives and a two-year timeline to accomplish goals. The asset-based planning component helps communities develop goals to maximize their local assets to drive economic development.

Certification in the ThreeStar program is based on annual documentation of local activity, evaluation and biennial participation in coordinated local stakeholder goal and activity planning.

Participating counties (and cities in these counties) will be eligible for a four percent discount (for eligible projects) on both the business development and community development ability-to-pay calculations (CDBG and FastTrack) each year the county fulfills the requirements of the ThreeStar program. CDBG also provides a bonus based on ThreeStar participation up to $25,000.

Additionally, only cities and counties that are active participants in the ThreeStar program are eligible to participate in other select TNECD Rural and Community Development programs. Finally, there is a grant available for counties to assist in completing one of the identified and submitted community goals.

Pictured below from left are Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bob Rolfe, Crossville Mayor Pro-Tem Art Gernt, Tennessee ECD Community Development Director Jody Sliger, Crossville Mayor James Mayberry, TCAT Crossville President Cliff Wightman, Crossville-Cumberland County ThreeStar Coordinator Malena Fisher, Governor Bill Lee, Cumberland County Mayor Allen Foster, Jennifer Gilliam and Tammy McKinney with Ben Lomand Connect, Crossville Councilmember JH Graham III, Crossville Councilmember Scot Shanks, Chamber of Commerce President Ethan Hadley, Crossville Councilmember Rob Harrison, and TN ECD Deputy Assistant Commissioner of Community and Rural Development Brooxie Carlton.