- Cvsg - list.chattanooga.digital

What did you think about learning objectives?
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. March 3, 2026

March 3, 2026

For those who attended the regular meeting today, what did you think about the learning objectives and related discussion? I personally found it to be informative. It starts to get towards a larger purpose even as it focuses us on each person’s goals and interests. For those who didn’t attend, would you be interested in sharing your learning objectives? What community goal or issue is important to you—what are you working on? What do see as your role in achieving this goal or addressing this issue? What do you need to know to be successful in engaging and mobilizing the community to achieve this goal or address this issue? How will you know if your work has been successful? How will you measure progress toward and what are indicators of success with your goal/issue? Would you like to see an overall vision for your community? Do you want to see your issue as part of that vision? Why or why not? FYI, be sure to reply to this address: cvsg(a)list.chattanooga.digital — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521

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Venture's legacy organizations
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. March 3, 2026

March 3, 2026

Here’s information about Chattanooga Venture initiatives and legacy organizations. Bulleted items are related but not directly associated with Venture task forces. We will publish this on the Venturing platform. Please review and let me know what you think! Association of Visual Artists (AVA): The Association for Visual Arts’ mission is to strengthen and promote the artistic ecosystem of Chattanooga’s visual artists, art enthusiasts and arts-based institutions. AVA operates three art galleries (the Main Gallery, the Landis Education Gallery, and the Stage) as well as CHA Art Space and Chalk Alley. It also offers programs such as monthly critique groups, artist talks, member socials, workshops, exhibition receptions, coaching for artists, professional photography, and display screen rental. AVA hosts 4 Bridges Art Festival, the First Horizon Emerging Artists Program, Between the Bridges Festival, and the Propeller Program. A directory of local art galleries, museums, and other arts-based community organizations is located on AVA’s website. The Bessie Smith Cultural Center: The mission of the Bessie Smith Cultural Center is to preserve and celebrate African American History and Culture in Chattanooga through art, education, research and entertainment. The Bessie operates two permanent exhibits — Walk Through Time: The Chattanooga African American Experience and Chattanooga’s Black Soundtrack — as well as a rotating exhibit. The Bessie also hosts the annual Bessie Smith Legacy Gala, where the Bessie Smith Legacy Award is unveiled. The Bessie Smith Performance Hall is available for event rental. The Bessie also offers various educational resources, including tours and programming for schools, lectures and discussions, Bessie’s Front Porch, the Oral History Project, Bessie’s Book Club, and teacher resources. Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise (CNE): Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise’s mission is to create economically diverse neighborhoods filled with financially empowered citizens and housing for all. CNE offers lending services, housing counseling, real estate development, lighting walks, and rental properties. Chattanooga News Bureau: none Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences: Deeply rooted in the Paideia Philosophy, the Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences provides a Classical, Liberal Arts Education that cultivates lifelong intellectual and civic development through the practice of civil discourse. CSAS operates school age child care, a student shuttle in addition to buses, and various athletics and clubs. Child Care Task Force: none Clean-Up Of Chattanooga Creek: none GreenSteps: GreenSteps’ mission is to eradicate litter and reduce waste with education & community clean-ups. GreenSteps hosts community clean-ups, educational sessions, and tree plantings. Tennessee River Rescue: The Tennessee River Rescue is a community-led initiative that consists of an annual clean-up of the Tennessee River. Community Forums: none Community Gardens and Farmers Markets: none The Chattanooga Market: The Chattanooga Market aims to provide healthy, fresh produce, artisan foods, as well as locally-produced arts and craft wares to Chattanoogans and community visitors. The Chattanooga Market hosts public markets, some of which have hosted charities including but not limited to Erlanger Foundation, Down Syndrome Community of Greater Chattanooga, Stadium Corporation, and Chattanooga Food Bank. Markets include the Chattanooga Market, Erlanger East Market, Erlanger Market, Holiday Market, River Market, and special events. Creative Discovery Museum: Creative Discovery Museum’s mission is to inspire all children to explore, innovate, create, and play. CDM’s exhibits include TreeHouse Adventure, STEM Zone, ArtSpace, Tennessee RiverPlay, Little FarmHouse, UnEarthed, and temporary exhibits. CDM also hosts parties and is available for rental and offers programs such as PlayGym, Little Explorers, Club Discovery, Homeschool, and camps. CDM offers educator resources such as STEM tours, school group tours, classroom lessons, family nights, and educator benefits and hosts the annual AmuseUm event. Design Review Process: none Down-To-Earth Expo: none The Environmental Forums: none green|spaces: green|spaces’ mission is to work toward regional sustainability by progressing the way the community lives, works, and builds in Chattanooga and the surrounding region. green|spaces runs advocacy and incentive campaigns, education and training classes, design competitions, informal lunch and learns, a material and methods library, and other programs. Specific programs include Build It Green, The Green Prix, Understory, Sustainability Professionals of Greater Chattanooga, Empower Chattanooga, Healthy Homes, green|leader, and green|light, as well as partner initiatives Climate Action Plan and Youth Sustainability Board. green|spaces also operates a green business directory. The Facilitators’ Bank: none (operated under the Regional Planning Agency for a time) Gangs Task Force: none Handicap Services: none Human Rights and Human Relations Commission: Created via a city ordinance since rescinded and terminated. Joint City/County Jail and home for male status offenders: none Labor/Management Relations: none Miller Park Entertainment and Night Fall: Nightfall provides a multi-week schedule of diverse, quality musical entertainment in the heart of Chattanooga. Neighborhood Network: Neighborhood associations operate independently with support from City of Chattanooga Neighborhood Services (https://chattanooga.gov/stay-informed/neighborhood-programs/neighborhood-as…) Non-Profit Incubator: none Partners For Academic Excellence (PACE): none Public Education Foundation (PEF): Public Education Foundation’s mission is to cultivate relationships and create opportunities that empower all educators and students for success in learning and in life. PEF hosts initiatives in student support, such as Camp College, Gateway Scholars, and BlueSky Game Design Challenge; teacher development, such as Project Inspire Teacher Residency, STEM Fellows, Chattanooga Fab Institute, and CS Cohort of Cohorts; and leading leaders, such as Innovative Leadership Series, Volkswagen eLabs, and Fund for Teacher Fellows. Recycling Task Force: none; City of Chattanooga established a recycling program. Reformation of City of Chattanooga government: The City of Chattanooga operates city utilities, such as stormwater and wastewater, waste and recycling, urban forestry, transportation, street maintenance, public wifi, and public authority; community services, such as Head Start, senior programming, community centers, and assistance programs; and safety services, such as police, fire, victim services, the Family Justice Center, legal resources, and code enforcement. The City also operates public parks and recreation. Initiatives include Airport Inn Conversion, HUD Consolidated Plan 2025-2029, Plan Chattanooga, Chattanooga National Park City, One Chattanooga, and efforts to end gun violence and homelessness, as well as various transportation projects. Additionally, the City is engaged in multiple environmental initiatives: Free Tree ReLeaf, RainSmart Water Conservation, and Clear Chattanooga, as well as projects involving stormwater, invasive plants, rain management, water quality monitoring, biosolids management, green infrastructure, water quality buffer, stormwater control measures, and land development water quality. The City’s website also hosts many resources, including payment and application guides, volunteering opportunities, documents and inspection information, reporting assistance, public data, City Council materials, economic information, business resources, and more. Resident Management For Public Housing: none River City Company: River City Company is the economic development engine for Downtown Chattanooga. River City Company’s vision is to create a world-class downtown for all and work toward that goal every day by fostering a vibrant and thriving downtown that is the economic, social, and cultural center of Chattanooga. River City Company’s current programs include downtown Chattanooga’s Thanksgiving celebration, Emerging Producers, the downtown street banner program, Miller Park programming, Scenic City Sideshows, Noontunes, Reindeer on the Riverfront and Lighted Boat Parade, Ice Cream Crawl, Summerween, Witch and Warlock Paddle, and Artspark. Current projects include the Chattanooga Express Card and development on Hawk Hill, Riverfront Parks, Broad Street, and the Riverfront District. River City Company also owns and operates Miller Plaza. Ross’s Landing Park And Plaza: Ross’s Landing is operated by Chattanooga’s parks and outdoors department. Facilities include an amphitheater, a river pier, Chattanooga Green, a handicapped-accessible playground, a marina, and walkways. Ross’s Landing is also open for reservations. Sign and Billboard Ordinance: Chattanooga’s Sign and Billboard Ordinance was updated on April 1, 2025 to allow more flexibility, clarity for businesses, and support for public art. Spouse Abuse Shelter (Chattanooga Safe Space): The Family Justice Center’s mission is to meet people where they are and provide inclusive survivor centered services that promote healing, transformation and hope for the future; foster public safety; and drive social change through education and coordinated community collaborations. The center offers counseling, a lethality assessment program, outreach, and community resources. Chattanooga Room in the Inn: Chattanooga Room in the Inn’s mission is to empower women and children experiencing homelessness to rebuild their lives by providing transitional housing, support, and hope. The Room in the Inn’s main program, Shelter to Stability, provides a safe and supportive place for homeless women and children to live, along with resources needed to move toward stability and to find permanent, safe housing. Other programs include child advocacy, an aftercare program, and a thrift store. Partnership for Families, Children and Adults: Partnership for Families, Children and Adults’ mission is to improve the lives of our neighbors through a continuum of emergency services, stability resources, and self-sufficiency programs, ensuring a stronger, safer, and more informed community for all. It offers victim support, including rape crisis support, domestic violence support, and a 24/7 crisis hotline; stability services for kids and youth, including the HOPE Initiative, life skills training, and transitional housing; deaf services, including interpreting services, ASL classes, case management, employment support, community engagement, and assistive technology; elder support services, including a home care program and senior volunteer opportunities; and family support services, including workshops for parents during divorce or separation. Teenage Pregnancy Task Force: none The Tennessee Aquarium: The Tennessee Aquarium’s mission is to connect people with nature and empower them to make informed decisions about water and wildlife. In addition to its exhibits, the Aquarium also offers special events and programs for youth and families, such as camps, Sea Sprouts, and Sleep in the Deep. The Aquarium is open for rentals. It also operates the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, which furthers the Aquarium’s impact by conducting scientific studies, restoring the region’s natural ecosystems and educating members of the public to take conservation action. TNACI’s current projects include species conservation efforts for the Laurel Dace, lake sturgeons, Southern Appalachian brook trout, and barrens topminnow. The Tennessee Riverwalk: The Tennessee Riverwalk, also known as the Tennessee Riverpark, is a paved urban scenic pathway that runs for approximately 16 miles along the southern bank of the Tennessee River. The Riverwalk is operated by Chattanooga’s parks and outdoors department and can be used for bicycling, in-line skating, walking, jogging, and other fitness pursuits. The Chattanooga Rowing Center is located on the Riverwalk, as well as a kayak and canoe launch. A portion of the Riverwalk near the new Erlanger Park baseball stadium is currently subject to a temporary closure. Tivoli and Memorial Auditorium Renovation: The Tivoli Theatre Foundation operates the Tivoli Theatre, the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium, and the Walker Theatre. Alongside regular programming, the Tivoli Theatre Foundation hosts educational programs such as Camp Broadway, Summer Tech, and TivEd. The Tivoli also hosts the annual Jewel Awards. Walnut Street Bridge: The Walnut Street Bridge in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is a historic truss bridge constructed in 1890 and designed by Edwin Thacher. It is operated by Chattanooga’s parks and outdoors department and is currently undergoing construction. Warner Park and Zoo improvements: The Chattanooga Zoo’s mission is to engage and inspire the Chattanooga community to better understand and preserve wildlife by creating meaningful connections between people and animals. In addition to its regular programming, the Zoo also participates in initiatives in wildlife rehabilitation and conservation, including the Hellbender Conservation Program, Species Survival Plan, and Saving Animals From Extinction. The Zoo also offers educational programs, including field trips, outreach, Zoo Camp, twilight programs, and other education opportunities for homeschool students, preschoolers, scouts, and teenagers, as well as teacher resources. The Zoo is available for event rentals. Warner Park also hosts the Warner Park Pool, Frost Stadium, Miracle Playground, and softball fields. Warner Park is operated by Chattanooga’s parks and outdoors department. — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521

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Agenda and background for 3/3/26 regular Study Group meeting
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. March 2, 2026

March 2, 2026

The preliminary agenda for our next regular meeting, this Tuesday, March 3 at noon, is to: Review the Study Group’s purpose and goals/intended outcomes (listed below) Share your personal/organizational learning objectives Please come with some ideas about, if not fully defined, objectives for what you would like to accomplish or be able to do as a result of participating in the CVSG. Generally, learning objectives should start with an action verb, have measurable or observable results, and include conditions or criteria for those results. Have preliminary breakout “working group” discussions about: Planning and logistics for dialogues and other large group learning activities (see notes, etc., below) Expanding and focusing outreach efforts to increase participation and support Configuring, seeding, and utilizing our online platform Now for some background: The purpose of the Chattanooga Venturing Study Group is to learn from Chattanooga Venture and similar initiatives about how (and why) to engage and mobilize community members for inclusive, positive, sustainable change. The regular first Tuesday meetings of Study Group will function primarily as a learning forum, drawing on lessons from Chattanooga Venture and applying those insights to real projects and civic challenges represented by participants. The Study Group is not a decision-making body, but rather a space for reflection, shared learning, and informed dialogue. At the end of each regular meeting, attendees should leave with (1) practical, relevant insights how the Group’s purpose relates to their own goals and learning objectives, (2) greater understanding of how their goals fit with others’ goals and objectives, and (3) their role and tasks for achieving our shared goals, or intended outcomes, for the Study Group, which are: Capacity, Design, Structure: create durable capacity and build an “engine” to sustain the work. Inclusive Civic Participation: get citizen input on a comprehensive set of regional issues via dialogue among representatives of a broad range of local groups. Collaboration & Network-Building: interconnect people across complementary interests and common values as the basis for creating a unified vision to guide collaboration. Local Learning/Our Narrative: understand and steward Chattanooga Venture’s story, its legacy and lessons learned; clarify what’s special about Chattanooga (what attracts people, keeps them here, or pushes them away); and become advocates of our city’s narrative. Strategy: map community assets to surface untapped energy, leverage existing strengths and opportunities, and organize around priority focus areas to direct effort and resources effectively. Please share your thoughts about any of these items. I’ll send a final agenda on Monday. — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521 Dialogue Planning and Logistics: The dialogues should start with an issue that was addressed by Venture with someone with direct experience with how and why Venture addressed it as anchor, and, ideally, an exec of the relevant legacy organization as a key participant. Dialogues we have planned so far are: “Environmental Conservation and Education: The Bend and the River” on March 23rd, anchored by Sally Robinson with Andy Wood, Tennessee Aquarium President & CEO (tentative), and Tricia King Mims, National Park Partners Executive Director, as key participants “Housing Quality, Affordability, and Generational Wealth” (or something like that) on April 27th, with Chris Thompson, CNE President & CEO, as key participant and co-producer. Anchor discussant prospect in Maria Noel with Betsy McCright from Chattanooga Public Housing Authority and someone from CALEB as other key participants. Other dialogues should address education (PEF), local arts & culture (AVA and Bessie Smith Cultural Center), urban design and development (River City Company), violence and trauma (Children’s Advocacy Center and Family Justice Center). Develop a checklist (see below for a starting point) for all/each dialogue and assign tasks to individuals. Dialogue check list: Topic Date/time, location Registration Participants Anchor (individual who worked on the topic with Venture) Bio-sketch Key participants Information & promotions Receptionist Attendee check-in Nametags Room setup and breakdown Agenda/handouts Optional Content/media Sponsor

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Can you help out this evening?
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Feb. 23, 2026

Feb. 23, 2026

We have OVER 90 PEOPLE registered for our first dialogue tonight! This is without NO ADVERTISING and minimal promotions! Folks, I’m not sure what’s going on but I think we have tapped into something HUGE. I need your help! If you could arrive at about 4:00 to help get the room set up or plan to stay after to help put it back in order, I would greatly appreciate it. Zac will handle checkin/reception but I’m sure he would appreciate some help with that. Unfortunately, our “connecting activities” will be minimal, basically just opportunities for people to share their top why’s and how’s for community engagement. Melody, can you bring your bag a pens and stuff? I’ve made some simple input forms and will bring my pens but we’ll need more. I hope that we can have some discussion around each table as well as capture some basic input, so I’m looking for folks to act as table facilitators/spokespeople. Bigger picture, I’d greatly appreciate folks stepping up to help organize the dialogue sessions, specifically connecting activities. The goal is to facilitate connections around ideas & initiatives to promote collaboration. — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521

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Prep for Monday and beyond
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Feb. 20, 2026

Feb. 20, 2026

We have over 80 people registered for Monday! 🤯 That’s amazing in part because we have done almost no outreach and promotions. I think there’s huge interest out there, especially among younger folks, that is untapped. We could easily grow this if we put just a bit of effort into it. It also would be great to include connecting activities in every dialogue but that's really a team sport. What are your thoughts on how to build a team to lead engagement activities like facilitating small group discussions and doing community outreach? The other thing is that I really need to refocus on other things. It has been very gratifying to run the study group and I personally have learned a lot of interesting and useful stuff, but it has also cost me substantial amount of money and time, which I can’t really afford. I’m committed to support the dialogue sessions through April but really need others to take over. Kate and Pat are helping but Kate is taking a full time job so we need others involved. I’m also committed to providing an online platform for our purposes but that’s going to require substantial investment of money and time to develop and maintain. We need a team to help with this. Our next regular meeting on the 3rd will focus on these issues. Please reach out in the meantime. Any help or suggestions would be greatly… and are needed to sustain the group beyond April. — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521

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Seeking volunteers for Monday evening
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Feb. 19, 2026

Feb. 19, 2026

Is anyone willing to act as table facilitators on Monday evening for the dialogue with Ron Littlefield? This would involve capturing your neighbors' ideas for how, where, and why to engage community members. Thanks! -- Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. *Executive Officer and Principal* Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521

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Plans for Chattanooga Venturing Dialogue sessions... help needed!
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Feb. 9, 2026

Feb. 9, 2026

The first Chattanooga Venturing Dialogue is scheduled for Monday, February 23rd. Who might be willing to help? Most importantly, we need to promote the event and invite others, particularly younger persons with more diverse identities to attend. The purpose of the dialogues are to learn about how Venture addressed issues, with what results, and how Venture’s approach might be applied today, building on its results. The first dialogue will focus on the practice of community engagement — the practice and process of involving diverse, representative residents/stakeholders of an area in deciding how resources should be acquired, identified, and mobilized for goal-attainment and improvement — rather than a specific issue. Here are the general questions for the dialogue: How was community engagement identified and adopted as an approach to planning? How was it developed as a practice of Venture? What was the legacy of Venture’s efforts? How has community engagement been used in recent planning efforts? How are we engaging community members today? What are current goals and purposes for community engagement? What other issues might benefit from community engagement? Should we have more and, if so, how might it be done? What do you want to do with or get out of community engagement? Who will lead and support the effort? Ron Littlefield, former mayor, first executive director of Venture, and key leader in establishing Venture will be our primary discussant. We will involve folks with the City and RPA for the second question and representatives of All in Chattanooga and National Park City for the third. All attendees will be asked to answer the fourth question and share feedback on responses to earlier questions. What you can do: Promote the event to your associates, friends, and neighbors! The registration link is https://luma.com/cz0hwuhv. What else do you need for this? Assist with logistics, preparation, and clean up. Come early to help with set up. Help folks sign in, make name tags, find seats, etc. Stay afterward to put everything back. Facilitate table discussion around the last set of questions and read out results. Help plan future sessions. I’m leading the effort for the first two or three sessions but plan to hand this off to others. Two key challenges are to find financial support to cover costs and select topics that were addressed by Venture but also relevant today. Another challenge for the whole group is how to apply knowledge from Venture to issues of today that were not issues in the past such as caring for the aging, disabled, and children, mobility and transportation, and needs for deferred maintenance and mitigating negative impacts of growth. You may reply directly to this email but remember emails to cvsg(a)list.chattanooga.digital go to all fifty some people who have expressed interest in participating in the Study Group. Please make sure your response is relevant to everyone. You may also reply directly to me and/or Kate Rudder who is helping with logistics and programming. Thanks! — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521

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Update on Chattanooga Venturing Study Group
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Feb. 4, 2026

Feb. 4, 2026

You are receiving this message because I’ve added you expressed interest in the Chattanooga Venturing Study Group. Unfortunately, folks were not signing up for this list directly and it’s not practical for me to selectively email folks, so I massed subscribed everyone who has expressed interest. You can unsubscribe via the link below. The kickoff event on Monday went very well, with over 60 people in attendance. We got a lot of great input for our 2026 program, a summary of which is included below. We had a good meeting yesterday—our regular meetings are on the first Tuesday of the month at noon at Adelle’s, 400 E. Main St.—reflected on the kickoff meeting, reaffirmed our goals for 2026, and established committees for (a) events and (b) objectives. Reply to this email if you’d like to help or have any suggestions. Our first dialogue session will be on Monday, February 23, at Adelle’s, 400 East Main St. The topic will be “Community Engagement” with Ron Littlefield, former mayor of Chattanooga and a key leader of Venture, Kevin Roig, Mayor Kelly’s Chief of Staff, and others. Please help spread the word, invite others, and register to attend at https://luma.com/cz0hwuhv. Thanks! — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521 A Vision of a Better Chattanooga 1. Education - 34 votes / 13 ideas Thriving public education / Public ed as a priority / National role model for public ed / top-rated public school systems (19) Access to Free Early Education (4) Arts education in all schools K-12 (4) Established lifetime learning programs and facilities (3) Training for low income / low skills to build businesses in low income neighborhoods (2) Personal financial literacy in all K-12 schools (1) Being able to afford private schools without having to relocate (1) Better public education facilities Better pay for public school teachers = better quality teachers Higher ACT score in public schools 13->22 (measurable goal!) Community college focused on the humanities Reading proficiency for all African-American males (sound alarm early) 2. Walkability - 15 votes / 5 ideas Places dedicated to people without cars and ADA accessible (4) Mixed Super Blocks for pedestrians - plazas & promenade, eg. Barcelona (4) Inner-city loop of river walk, pedestrian-oriented transit (3) Improved connectivity & wayfinding to public spaces (2) Rails 2 Trails Greenway from river thru North Chatt (2) 3. Urban Design / Roads - 14 votes / 6 ideas Better landscaping in all commercial areas & trees on every street (5) Re-design downtown interstate (bypass?) (2) Reduce traffic, especially the interstate (1) Complete streets Flood-smart city w/resilient infrastructure & ecosystems (1) Improved waste management (sewer & trash) (5)3. 4. Public Transportation - 12 votes / 6 ideas Trolleys! (bring them back!) (6) Improved transportation & connectivity options (3) Fast expansive mass public transit (2) Transportation hub, inter-modal originating in Southside (1) Safe, fun, sustainable transport Transportation hub in the county to the city (maybe at the airport) 5. Governing Structures - 8 votes / 1 idea Metro government (8) 6. Natural Environment - 8 votes / 5 ideas Chattanooga Botanical Garden (5) Environmental protection: places off the table for development (2) Greenspace Investments (1) Reserve at Enterprise South Nature Park as intended Clean water: Room for the River, eg. The Netherlands 7. Housing - 7 votes / 4 ideas Everyone has a place to live. Real affordable housing (6) A review committee to stem the tide of cheap, ugly housing mushrooms all over town (1) An established community land trust. Goal > 1000 homes Zero homelessness. City has low-barrier shelter w/capacity for all amenities. 8. Jobs - 7 votes / 7 ideas Economic Opportunities for all Chattanoogans (3) Infrastructure to support single mothers (1) Narrowed the wealth gap - good jobs for all, higher minimum wage (1) Businesses recruited that care about people, planet, home. Benefit corporations, certified B Corps (1) Competitive salaries / higher minimum wage (1) Small Scale Loans Re-use Innovation Center: reclaimed materials 9. Health - 7 votes / 2 ideas Access to healthcare (4) Chattanooga as a National Center of Excellence in Healthcare (3) 10. Community Life / Neighborhoods - 5 votes / 5 ideas Increased usage of public spaces (1) More opportunities for creating & collaborating across cultures (through work, school, arts-events, neighborhood events, civic engagement, etc.) (1) Rossville Blvd Revitalized: grocery stores, ice cream, apartments (2) Local: neighborhood economic development An endowment for community projects (1) 11. Food - 4 votes / 2 ideas No food deserts: strengthened food/ag systems. Farm to Nooga. (2) Strong local food networks (2) 12. Citizen Involvement - 2 votes / 3 ideas Support and/or streamlined access/inclusion programs for New Chattanoogans (1) Younger citizens engaged & sharing their ideas. (1) High school and college students involved in venturing 13. Means/How we do it… - 1 vote / 2 ideas Kindness (1) Consolidated Efforts (consortium grants?) to address the problem of too many orgs going it alone 15. Tech & Community Engagement - 2 votes / 2 ideas Community Platform for citizen voice (2) One cohesive clearinghouse for plans & visioning. Community-wide plans tied together 16. Attractions - 2 votes / 2 ideas Convention/Destination Center (2) New public attractions Community Assets Development Resource Center Rails 2 Trails City/County council/commission meetings Form-based code committee Time Free Press Chattanooga Area Food Bank National Park City CARTA CNE Trust for Public Lands TDOT Uber/Lyft/Waymo Railroads Aldi Waterways (City of Chatt Program) Lookout Mountain Conservancy Glass Street Businesses: local laundries, music shop, alterations, daycares, repair shops, shoe repair Ag-Businesses: local food, fresh markets, hemp, etc McNabb Center Tech Goes Home Government at all levels Neighborhoods Chamber of Commerce Small business incubator (needs investment) CALEB Kiindhearts A Step Ahead Life Spring Chattanooga 2.0 Better Education Facilities Siskin Children’s Institute Level 1 Trauma Center at Erlanger ArtsBuild City office of Arts and Culture Crabtree Farms YMCA - mobile market Heart Institute ClearStory Arts CEMPA community care Chattanooga Free Store Chattanooga Area Food Bank The kindness of people in Chattanooga

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Results of February 3 CVSG regular meeting
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Feb. 3, 2026

Feb. 3, 2026

We had a very good discussion about the kickoff event during the CVSG regular meeting today. My takeaway is that we all feel really good about the event itself and the method/process but feel it needs to be more inclusive. Lisa, could you please share the text you received from one of the facilitators? I think it expressed this very well. Kate will share notes from the regular meeting and outputs of the kickoff meeting in the near future. In the meantime, key items from the regular meeting are: The first dialogue on Monday, February 23, at 5:30 PM (doors open at 5:00), featuring former mayor Ron Littlefield, will focus on citizen/community engagement. Please help promote this! I’ll send an email about it in the next week when we have participants nailed down. Registration is live at https://luma.com/cz0hwuhv. Attendees have the option of a free ticket, a “pay what you want” ticket with $10 suggested, and a $20 “benefactor ticket. Mayor Kelly is not available so we are looking for others to participate in the dialogue. Kevin Roig a senior member of his team or RPA leader who was involved with OneChattanooga plan to participate. Two other two dialogues are in the works: Conservation, Moccasin Bend Task Force, and, the river will be our topic on March 23rd, with Sally Robinson. I’m reaching out to Tricia King Mims with National Park Partners and Tennessee Aquarium staff to dialogue with her. Housing affordability and quality, co-produced by CNE, will be our topic for April 27. We need to identify individual(s) from Venture to anchor the dialogue. I plan to as Bob Corker for his recommendation. We now have two committees: Event planning, chaired by Pat Smith and supported by Kate Rudder, will take the lead on planning the dialogue series. Kate, Pat, I’ll assist with that but hope to hand that off to you after the first dialogue. My general guidance is that we should (a) address issues that we on Venture’s agenda, (b) feature Venture legacy organizations, and (c) focus on what to do now for the future. Goals and objectives, chaired by Steve O’Neil, supported by me. I believe Anca is also willing to help with this. My general thought is that we should focus on outreach, participation, and support objectives. Possibly our biggest issue is getting financial support for the program. I’ve been covering costs out of my pocket, which I frankly can’t afford to do. Kate and Philip have been doing serious work pro bono. We really need resources for outreach to diversify and expand participation. Kate and I will be engaging the foundations and developing a sponsorship program. I sincerely believe we have a strong value proposition and a sustainable business model. Please let me know of any resources or suggestions for how we might generate support. Thanks for your interest and involvement. More soon! — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521

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Covering costs
by Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Feb. 3, 2026

Feb. 3, 2026

Great event last night! What an amazing kickoff! Not to jump right into financial issues, but I covered the $375 service fee (which is very reasonable but still…) for the facility. Unfortunately, I cannot do this in the future. Frankly, I need to be making money, not spending it. I’ve added two paid tickets to the first dialogue. One is “pay what you want,” with a $10 suggested contribution for “Supporter". The other, “Benefactor” ticket is for $20. We will see how this goes. Let’s keep planning in earnest but, if we cannot fully cover the cost for the first dialogue plus some, we will need to radically changing plans for the dialogues. We will discuss today but just wanted to be clear and frank about the situation and need to find financial support for Study Group activities. — Greg Laudeman, Ed.D. Executive Officer and Principal Eduity, LLC www.eduity.net greg(a)eduity.net 706-271-5521

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