Marketing and Communications

More jobs, more capital investment for East Tennessee businesses and more training for the region’s entrepreneurs. That’s one way to sum up the broad impact of the Tennessee Small Business Development Center at Pellissippi State Community College for the first six months of this year.

The TSBDC’s 2009 semi-annual report highlights several milestones, including capital formation of nearly $10 million, an increase of 42 percent for the last half of 2008. As indicators of its economic impact, the organization also cited 115 new jobs and 19 new businesses in its 16-county service area.

The TSBDC helps new businesses trying to get off the ground, and it supports existing businesses, like Downtown Hardware in Oak Ridge, nominated for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Success Story Program this year.

One of the store’s owners, Ann Bratton, sought the TSBDC’s help evaluating the store’s target market, among other services. The store struggled with competition from larger ones that moved into the area. TSBDC advice, seminars, resource information and ability to put her in touch with people who could answer her questions enabled Bratton to develop a plan to help the business grow.

“As my family-owned business approaches its 54th anniversary, I feel confident we will be able to survive and prosper in the coming years,” Bratton said.

According to the report, the TSBDC served several more clients during the last reporting period and increased the number of online seminars from three to 21, with 128 people participating. The TSBDC continued its work in the areas of advocacy for small businesses, innovation and technology transfer, international trade, resource development and minority business development.

Minorities represent 13.6 percent of the center’s clients and 18.8 percent of training attendees. Women account for 41.8 percent of clients and 53 percent of training attendees. The TSBDC also continued building its relationship with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, like the Pellissippi State TSBDC, a Knoxville Area Chamber partner.

For more information about the TSBDC and the Pellissippi State office, visit www.tsbdc.org.

When Knox Achieves put out a call for mentors to work with a new program, Mike North, assistant dean of the Division Street Campus at Pellissippi State Community College, was quick to respond.

Jeremy Andrews, a recent West High School graduate, is glad he did.
After a summer of ringing up groceries, Andrews is ready to enter college to become an accountant. He said his mentor made a big difference.

“He was a great guy,” Andrews said. “We talked about how I need to study a lot, and he showed me around campus. Without him, I don’t think I would know what to do with financial aid and getting my classes together. I think I’d be pretty lost.”

Andrews is participating in the new Knox Achieves tuition-assistance program, which is providing Knox County high school graduates in financial need with up to $2,000 in annual tuition to attend Pellissippi State or Roane State Community College or Walters State Community College.

North is also participating in Knox Achieves. He and others from the college have been recruited to guide students in the program through collegiate waters.

“We help students get in the door and acclimated to college,” North said.

Each mentor was assigned in January to three or four high school students. The mentors have stayed in contact with them, through graduation and beyond, helping them meet the deadlines and complete the paperwork required for placement testing, financial aid, the admissions application and course enrollment.

In its first year, Knox Achieves, a special project of the East Tennessee Foundation, has paired 400 high school students with mentors.

Pellissippi State employees Gay Bryant, Robin Davis, Ann Satkowiak and Anthony Wise also answered the call for mentors. LeChelle Davenport, a financial aid coordinator, has guided the students on financial aid opportunities.

Wise, vice president of Learning, has been helping two Carter High School graduates jump the hurdles of financial aid and admissions deadlines.

“Many of them are the first generation in their family to go to college,” Wise said. “They don’t have parents to say, ‘This is what it’s like.’”

“It’s really been rewarding,” said Satkowiak, director of Services for Students With Disabilities, who has been mentoring three Karns High School graduates. All three are first-generation college students.

“The students appreciate what we do,” she said. “I’ve treated them more like their mother than a college official. I have two children about the same age.”

“Our challenge today,” states the Knox Achieves Web site, “is to prepare and train those skills here in Knox County so that we have the necessary local workforce to attract new industry and retain existing business…. A second, but equal, challenge is to ensure that our high school graduates get the skills they need to support their future families.”

Whether or not the Knox Achieves succeeds in its goals, only time will tell. But if the level of dedication from mentors like North is any indication, the program’s a shoo-in for success.

To find out more about Pellissippi State, visit pstcc.edu or call (865) 694-6400. To volunteer as a Knox Achieves mentor, contact Krissy Dealejandro, the organization’s executive director, at krissy.dealejandro@knoxcounty.org or call (865) 215-4754.

Donating just one pint of blood can help save up to three lives. Area hospitals need approximately 350 pints per day to cover supplies for patients, and red blood cells commonly used for surgery and trauma patients have a shelf life of 42 days.

These are all facts associated with blood donation. But it’s the stories behind the facts that motivate individuals to literally roll up their sleeves and help.

Faculty, staff and students at Pellissippi State Technical Community College will be doing just that on Wednesday, March 25.

Medic Regional Blood Center will be at two of the college’s four locations: the Pellissippi Campus, 10915 Hardin Valley Road in West Knox County, and Blount County Center, 1010 Middlesettlements Road in Alcoa.

The blood drives are open not just to those affiliated with Pellissippi State–the public is welcome and is encouraged to attend. Hours are 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Pellissippi Campus and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. at Blount County Center.

All blood types are needed. Donors must be at least 17 years old and weigh no less than 110 pounds. Medic recommends eating a high-protein, low-fat meal before donating blood; donors should not fast.

For information on the Knox County blood drive, contact Carolyn Carson at (865) 694-6554. The contact for the Blount County drive is Sherri Byrd, (865) 981-5324. Medical questions may be directed to Medic at (865) 524-3074.