Who
We Are
Our team has decades of experience supporting companies in their location investment decisions. We have successfully worked with startups, multinational corporations and Fortune 500 companies to support their long term growth plans in the Chattanooga region.
Meet the Team

Charles H. Wood, CEcD
Interim President and CEO of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of CommerceCharles Wood serves as the Chief Economic Development Officer for the Greater Chattanooga Economic Partnership. Charles is responsible for all economic development and business attraction efforts for the Partnership. Prior to joining the Partnership, Charles held economic development positions in Pensacola, Florida, College Station, Texas and Mobile, Alabama. During his more than 15-year career in economic development, Charles has led recruitment and expansion efforts resulting in thousands of jobs created by dozens of companies including Hewlett Packard, Mellon Financial and Volkswagen. He holds a Masters Degree in Economic Development from the University of Southern Mississippi, completed Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma and holds the designation of Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) from the International Economic Development Council.
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Lindsay Hiatt, TCEcD
Director of Economic DevelopmentLindsay Hiatt is Director of Economic Development for the Greater Chattanooga Economic Partnership. She provides technical support and project management services to companies and site consultants considering a location in the Chattanooga region. Since beginning her career in 1999, Lindsay has supported economic development in the region with a particular emphasis on automotive, manufacturing and office projects. Lindsay has earned the designation of Tennessee Certified Economic Developer (TCEcD) administered by the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services. In her tenure, Lindsay has been instrumental in the creation of thousands of jobs and over $1 billion in capital investment in the region.
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Miriam Hamilton, TCEcD
Director of ResearchMiriam Hamilton is Director of Research at the Greater Chattanooga Economic Partnership. She is responsible for tracking broad economic indicators and assisting with prospect inquiries and general requests from others for research and economic data. Miriam is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a Bachelor of Science – Psychology. She is a graduate of the Leadership Chattanooga program, class of 2000. She has completed course work to earn the designation of Tennessee Certified Economic Developer (TCEcD) administered by the University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services. Miriam is a current member of The Council for Community and Economic Research.
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Marcherie J. Savage
Economic Development Marketing ManagerMarcherie J. Savage is a Chattanooga native and holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from Tennessee State University. As an Economic Development Marketing Manager at the Chamber, Ms. Savage helps with developing and executing marketing strategies, marketing plans, as well as conceptualizing and designing creative marketing assets for a range of platforms to promote the growth of Chattanooga’s economy.
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Tessa Vance
Administrative Assistant, Economic and Talent DevelopmentTessa Vance is a California native with a degree in Marine Biology. Though her academic background may be different from many in the economic development space, she loves the challenge of a new field. Tessa is responsible for assisting multiple departments with prospect inquiries, workforce development strategies, business retention and expansion, company recruitment, and general requests.
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