By Bonnie Portillo and Nicole June – ClarksvilleNow.com

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Jeff Truitt, who was appointed as the new CEO of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council (EDC) in January, recently joined Katie Gambill and Charlie Koon on the Clarksville’s Conversation podcast to talk about his new position and his vision for Clarksville in the coming years.

Truitt previously served as Chief of Staff for Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett. He said the decision to leave the mayor’s office for his new position was a difficult one.

“I’m very excited,” Truitt said. “The decision to do so was a hard decision, because I really enjoyed being Chief of Staff. Mayor Durrett and I talked about it a whole lot. He was one of the first to approach me and say, ‘you really should consider this role’ and some other community members said it as well.”

Truitt remembers his time as Chief of Staff fondly, particularly working to better the community and push for the revitalization of the downtown area.

“We have been working hard on downtown revitalization and a lot of it is the heart and soul of our community, but what a lot of people don’t understand is that it’s the fertile ground for property tax revenue,” Truitt said. “It is an area of our community that has not seen a property tax revenue increase in over ten years, which is amazing in this community. So, the infrastructure is there, the police and fire are already there. It’s the place to go and increase property value to increase revenue without having to increase property taxes.”

Truitt first came to the Clarksville-Montgomery County area in 1992 as an airman in the United States Air Force. He joked that he still has a receipt from his stay at the Winner’s Circle Motel outside Fort Campbell after getting his orders because the post didn’t have a place for him to stay.

He began his career at Fort Campbell in weather, but later worked with the 160th and 5th Special Forces Group for about three years.

As he transitions into his new role with the EDC, Truitt is looking forward to new projects that can shape the future of Clarksville-Montgomery County.

“We are doing really well from an industry recruiting standpoint and we need to keep that foot on the gas pedal,” he said. He also stressed the importance of focusing on existing businesses.

“I think we need to spend time with our existing businesses and get creative with them to help them grow organically from our community. If you want to add a bunch of jobs, it’s a whole lot easier to get the people that are already here to expand,” Truitt said.

He said some of the big projects the EDC has planned include the multi-purpose event center in downtown Clarksville as well as a convention center in the Exit 4 area.

“We plan to work as hard as possible to make those come to fruition,” Truitt said.

Truitt also shared information about Fort Campbell Strong and a federal grant program that will potentially help transitioning soldiers and their spouses earn higher salaries. Want to know more? Listen to the full podcast below:

About Clarksville’s Conversation:
The Clarksville’s Conversation podcast, hosted by Katie Gambill and Charlie Koon on Clarksvillenow.com, gives you the opportunity to eavesdrop on interviews with leaders and innovators in Clarksville-Montgomery County who shape our community. Check back every Wednesday for new episodes.