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Teknovation News and Notes
August 18, 2024 | Tom Ballard

News & Notes | Knoxville and Chattanooga are in the spotlight

Events in both cities dominate this week's items.

From Knoxville:

The Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council will hold its annual “Opportunities in Energy” event on Tuesday, November 19 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. EST at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Knoxville. Among the speakers already announced are:

  • Jeff Lyash, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Tennessee Valley Authority; and
  • Ed Rottmann, Founder and CEO of Chroma Energy Group (see teknovation.biz article announcing the company here).

The event will also include a representative from Type One Energy that announced at the end of July the final closing of its $82.4 million seed financing round (see another teknovation.biz article here). More speakers will be announced later. To register, click here.

Others from Knoxville:

  • The Knoxville Electric Vehicle Association (KEVA), Pellissippi State Community College (PSCC), and Drive Electric Tennessee (DET) are working to make the 2024 Knoxville Drive Electric Festival bigger and better. Set for 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. EDT on September 28, all activities – vehicles on display, rides and drives, vendors, etc. – will be held on the PSCC Hardin Valley Campus at 10915 Hardin Valley Road. The 2022 and 2023 Festivals were among the largest National Drive Electric Week events in North America (out of about 300 each year), with more than 120 EVs representing 40 different models. To register to attend, click here.
  • Lee Riedinger, retired administrator at both Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), has written a book titled Critical Connections: The University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge from the Dawn of the Atomic Age to the PresentORNL, UT Press, and UTK Libraries is hosting a celebration of the new book from 3 to 5 p.m. EDT on September 10 at the Institute for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing at the UT Research Park.
  • The Knoxville Technology Council (KTech) has announced several upcoming events. In chronological order, they are: (1) “Tech Workforce Meetup: Employee Value Proposition” at 5 p.m. EDT on August 22 at Avertium (click here to register); (2) “Women in Tech Networking Happy Hour” at 4:30 p.m. EDT at Finn’s Irish Tavern (click here to register); and (3) “KTech Networking Happy Hour” from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. EDT at Marble City Market (click here to register). As previously reported, KTech’s “Women in Tech Expo” is set for 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. EDT on September 19 at the Knoxville Convention Center. To register, click here.

From Chattanooga:

  • EPB has named Janet Rehberg to serve as President of its recently established Strategic Initiatives business unit. Building out this new business unit is the next step in EPB’s continuing strategy to keep Chattanooga on the cutting edge as the energy and communications industries undergo rapid change. In her new role which includes the EPB Quantum NetworkSM powered by Qubitekk, Rehberg will leverage her extensive experience and leadership skills to spearhead future-facing initiatives with the goal of capitalizing on emerging opportunities for the benefit of the community. At the same time, EPB’s Energy and Communications business unit, with Ryan Keel as President, will continue to provide world-class technology and customer service through the company’s established business lines. Rehberg comes to Chattanooga after most recently serving as Chief Strategy Officer and Vice President of Engineering for Tri-County Electric Cooperative in Aledo, TX.
  • For the first time in five years, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual meeting in person at 11:30 a.m. EDT on September 24 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. The agenda includes a presentation by President and CEO Charles Wood and a recognition of outstanding Chamber volunteers that will include the announcement of the “Council of the Year Award” and “Ambassador of the Year” recognition. Here’s a registration link.
  • For the second year in a row, Chattanooga will have its own “EV Ride & Drive” event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. EDT September 14 at Chattanooga State Community College’s (CSCC) McCormick Center, 4501 Amnicola Highway. The Company Lab is partnering with Chattanooga State and Drive Electric Scenic City to manage the event. To attend, register at this link.


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