Tennessee Council Report

The various sections in the Tennessee Council are active with several
meetings held this year. The most significant item to report is the
successful merger of four sections in Tennessee. The Nashville Section
and the Middle Tennessee Section have merged and the new Section is
now know as the "Middle Tennessee Section." Activity had been minimal
for the past several years regarding the Middle Tennessee Section. The
majority of the members were employed in the aero space field and,
because of the job decline in this area, the merger of this section
with the Nashville Section was accomplished to better support the
remaining IEEE members in the Middle Tennessee Section (ie the region
around Tullahoma, TN). New Middle Tennessee Chair Andy Dozier reported
recently the merger was accomplised in a smooth manner.
 
The other merger involved the East Tennessee Section and the Oak Ridge
Section. While both sections were active, the close proximity of the
sections generated an interest in the merger which has been discussed
among both memberships for the past several years.Georgaphically, the
IEEE members in the East Tennessee Section mainly reside in west
Knoxville, Tennessee, which is within about 30 miles of Oak Ridge.
Officers of both sections worked to accomplish the merger. East
Tennessee Chair Al Akerman and Oak Ridge Chair Brian Swail were
instrumental in moving the process forward. The new section will be
known as the East Tennessee Section. Since this merger has just been
accomplished, the new officer election is in progress.
 
The sections in Tennessee now are:
 
1. Tri-Cities Section (upper East Tennessee area including Johnson City
   and Kingsport).
2. East Tennessee Section (Knoxville and Oak Ridge area).
3. Chattanooga Section (Chattanooga, TN area).
4. Middle Tennessee Section (Nashville, Tullhoma, Cookeville area).
5. Memphis Section (Memphis, Jackson, Martin area).
 
Nominations for the new Chair and Vice Chair for the Tennessee Council
have been received. The nomination process for the Secretary-Tresurer
is now in progress. After the latter has been accomplished, the
election will be held. Tennessee Chair Council nominee Philip Lim has
been invited to participate in Region 3 activities in Columbia, SC
this weekend.
 
Submitted by:
David L. Bower
Tennessee Council Chair
d.bower@ieee.org