OUR FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

CURRENT CLASS

I hope Knoxville continues to offer the same quality of life in 10 years that it does now. Since my vantage point is more of one from a business perspective, I would like to see us retain more of the entrepreneurial talent that graduates from UT. To do this, we need to continue to expand the resources / ecosystem to support these businesses from a capital and debt perspective. Housing affordability is getting out of control, and we need to pull prices back down to accommodate all. We need to continue to develop and expand our infrastructure including downtown and the waterfront. I would love to see our airport continue to grow and offer more direct flights, including Memphis!

The quality of life in Knoxville is amazing. Knoxville is near everything! Atlanta and Nashville are not far away, and the mountains surround us. Our best kept secret though is Lakeshore Park! We live close to the park, and our three boys (now grown) spent considerable time there - playing on the playground, walking/running, and playing baseball. Now, with the new trails, ballfields and infrastructure improvements, it is an even more amazing park that everyone can enjoy!

* Create more affordable housing. * Raise the pay for teachers and police officers - make both more attractive for folks to pursue. * Make improvements to the k-12 education system. * Study the homeless issue and how we can support / improve * Do a review of non-profits and "encourage" those with like models/goals to partner and/or combine. I believe we have too much overlap which strains funding. * Continue to improve the ecosystem for small business and entrepreneurs to retain more talent coming out of UT. * We are seeing a huge influx of folks from throughout the country. There is a balance. If we have too much of an inflow, housing prices will continue to rise out of control. How do we control this better? We need to study and come up with a solution.

Easy - I married a Knoxville girl!

I am currently reading Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio, a billionaire and hedge fund manager. Although I don't agree with everything in the book, it is a great perspective on rational thinking.

My dad always told me work hard and keep your head down. He was a very accomplished real estate attorney in Atlanta. He was a partner for a large firm in Atlanta, where I worked since I was young. I remember so many people telling me, "these attorneys are jerks - except your dad. He is the nicest guy." Now, I know dad was telling me to work your tail off and move to the top the right way - not by running over folks in the process. Let your performance speak for itself and treat everyone with respect.

Buy Apple and then buy Amazon and Google and HOLD! Be patient and work hard. Don't be quick to make judgements - process all the information and make sure you hear all sides before making a decision.