History of NWTEDC
Northwest Tennessee Economic Development Council was established in the counties of Dyer, Henry, Lake, Obion, and Weakley, receiving its Charter of Incorporation from the State of Tennessee on April 9, 1965. The first few months of operation saw this group scrambling throughout the five county areas of enlisting interested parties and surveying the needs of the underprivileged. The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 made the creation of a local agency, pledged to the needs of the poor and organized by the same, possible. That Act created the Community Action Program (CAP) as a vehicle of the war on poverty, to draw federal, state, and local efforts together and meld them into an integrated assault on the problems, caused, and roots of poverty.
The main office was located at the Everett-Stewart Airport, near Union City, Obion County. The County of Obion furnished these offices as an in-kind contribution. The main office of the Agency relocated in 1997 to the Old Dresden Elementary School building located in Dresden, Weakley County Tennessee, and is presently still located in the facility. Much cooperation and coordination has been accomplished through the years.
Northwest was the grantee for Summer Head Start programs from the beginning of its operation. All programs were delegated to the School Systems during the first five years. Such program was converted to home-based and operated by the Agency personnel. Since that time, Head Start has grown in its operations to serve thirteen counties with center-based operations and employing over three hundred personnel.
The formation of Development Districts in the State of Tennessee brought about a reorganization of Community Action Agencies. On January 1, 1972, Northwest merged with two other CAAs and took into this agency the counties of Benton, Carroll, and Crockett. Some twenty-five employees were added to the Northwest staff. When the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA) of 1974 was passed and the Governor of Tennessee was named the Prime Sponsor for Manpower programs under such Act, only two of seventeen State CAAs were awarded contracts to operate CETA programs; Northwest was one of these two recipients.
In March 1977, Gibson County was reorganized as part of the Agency; as a result the Board of Directors was increased to fifty-one (51) members. At this time, the Agency was comprised of all nine counties in the Northwest Development District.
In January, 1978, C.C. Cates resigned due to illness and Mary Chris Nanney was later, on April 4, 1978, selected as Executive Director. Northwest at that time operated some 13 separately budgeted programs, totaling approximately $3,026,319, with 124 employees. A program planner-writer was hired and it was hoped that new programs and new resources could be found to continue the efforts to help eliminate poverty in our area. On or about January 1, 1984, when the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) was approved at the federal level, the Governor of the State of Tennessee, Lamar Alexander, named the Tennessee Department of Human Services to handle these contracts. About the same time, the Agency also began contracting with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture for the Temporary Food Assistance Program.
In December 1996, Eric Dupree was appointed as Executive Director upon the retirement of Mary C. Nanney. Dupree served in this capacity until July 1, 2001. The agency now operates under the direction of John Bucy, Executive Director and Don Ridgeway, Deputy Director. The agency continues in its efforts of serving families and children by administering approximately 13 programs in nine counties of the Northwest Tennessee area, with the Head Start Program being operated in 13 counties. Despite all the ongoing changes in regulations, budget restrictions, technology, etc.; the agency continues to move forward. Agency staff are committed to enhancing the future role, goals, and mission of this agency. We continue to do what we do best…“Helping People…Changing Lives”. Northwest employs over 350 employees inclusive of Head Start/Early Head Start employees.
Last edited: January 4, 2007
