Congressman Wamp’s commitment to Oak Ridge and leadership in economic development was recognized at a surprise dedication and renaming of the Zach Wamp Auditorium in the New Hope Center at Y-12. Standing with his wife, Kim, and son, Weston, Zach said, “I am so appreciative and honored by this extraordinary gesture.” A plaque will be displayed outside the auditorium that reads, “Throughout his 15-year congressional career, Zach Wamp has shown his ability to bring people together to promote the quality of life and economic well-being of the people of the Tennessee Valley.”

Hundreds of top leaders throughout the Tennessee Valley Corridor reconvened at the 21st National Leadership Regional Cooperation Summit in Oak Ridge, where it first began 15 years ago. Summit sessions included discussions of several ongoing education and economic development initiatives in the Corridor. These included the Tennessee Valley Nuclear Energy Coalition which seeks to advance nuclear energy to meet our rising demand for electricity, NEW-STEM Initiative that trains the next generation of scientists and engineers in the Tennessee Valley and America’s Veterans to Tennessee Engineers that guarantees veterans who are seeking an engineering degree a job after graduation.

What started as a regional economic summit has grown into a national award-winning economic development organization stretching across five states from North Alabama through Tennessee into Southwest Virginia, Western North Carolina and Southern and Eastern Kentucky. The technology summit brings the region’s public and private sectors together around a shared economic plan targeting energy, transportation and advanced manufacturing opportunities.

The New Hope Center is a state of the art facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex that houses a visitor’s center, a history display area and the Zach Wamp Auditorium. This modern building was built using private financing funds through a partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration and the private sector. “You don’t have to appropriate all the money to have capital improvement. The federal government can collaborate with the private sector to do great things and the New Hope Center is a perfect example of this partnership,” said Zach.