BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//jEvents 2.0 for Joomla//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago X-LIC-LOCATION:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:CDT DTSTART:19700308T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=2SU END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:CST DTSTART:19701101T020000 RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=11;BYDAY=1SU END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:4b99570c1b625c24820a433854200a8c80 CATEGORIES:Monthly Meeting SUMMARY:2021 July Monthly Luncheon LOCATION:Crescent Club\, 6075 Poplar Ave, #909\, Memphis, TN 38119\, United States DESCRIPTION:
In September of 2020, the Greater Memphis Chamber, in partnershi p with the University of Memphis announced the appointment of Ted Townsend as Chief Economic Development Officer. Townsend serves in a joint-role over seeing and aligning both organization’s efforts to attract and grow busines ses in the Greater Memphis region.
Ted Townsend joined The University of Memphis in 2018 as the first ever Chief Economic Development and Govern ment Relations Officer and serves on the President’s Council. Ted leads the University’s economic development activities in Memphis and Jackson to inc lude attracting and retaining university-area businesses that provide inter nship and workforce opportunities for students. He also oversees the Univer sity Neighborhoods Development Corporation, the UMRF Research Park and the Government Relations and Policy Division. In this role, Ted leads a team t hat is dedicated to the vibrancy and mission fulfillment of the university through business and policy development.
Ted previously served as Dep uty Commissioner & Chief Operating Officer for the State of Tennessee D epartment of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) where he oversaw th e department’s day-to-day operations. During his nearly 7 years with the Ha slam Administration, TNECD announced over 1,100 projects committing 155,000 new jobs backed by over $32 Billion in private sector capital investment m aking Tennessee, State of the Year in Economic Development, multiple times.
Prior to his becoming Chief Operating Officer, Ted was Assistant Com missioner 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). Gove rnor Haslam appointed Ted as his board designee to the Delta Regional Autho rity and the Appalachian Regional Commission. Governor Haslam also appointe d 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 T NECD first Regional Director over the Greater Memphis Region.
Before joining TNECD, Ted was the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of arGent is Pharmaceuticals, Inc. of Memphis, a privately-held bio-pharmaceutical co mpany involved in the licensing, development and commercialization of thera pies for auto-immune and ophthalmic diseases. During his tenure, the compan y successfully raised $2 million in capital from angel and institutional in vestors, obtained Orphan Drug Designation in the U.S. and EU and assisted i n the build-out of the company’s international patent portfolio.
He i s a proud graduate of the University of Memphis and was a member of Leaders hip Tennessee Class V and the Leadership Memphis Executive Program 2019. T ed presently serves on the board of directors of arGentis, The Economic Clu b of Memphis as Vice President, the YMCA of Memphis & The Mid-South, Le adership Memphis Executive Committee, the UMRF Advisory Board, Junior Achie vement 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: Registr
ation & Networking
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm: Luncheon and P
rogram
*The registration deadline is Friday , July 16*