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AGENDA

DAY ONE
Tuesday, December 5

7:30 AM

Breakfast and Registration

Grab breakfast and begin networking early before programming begins.

8:30 AM

Welcome to the Tennessee Smart Mobility Expo

Our emcee NewsChannel 5’s Rebecca Schleicher and TennSMART’s board president Dr. Rich Davies will kick off the 2023 expo. 

8:40 AM

Tackling Transportation: How Cities are Embracing Mobility Solutions

The Mayors of Tennessee’s largest cities will discuss how they are addressing mobility issues and balancing population growth with traffic jams, long commutes, noise and air pollution, and citizen safety.

  • Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell   

  • Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon   

  • John Lancaster, Memphis Area Transit Authority 

  • Erik Schmidt, City of Chattanooga 

  • Jeannette Mills, TVA (moderator) 

9:45 AM

TEAM TN: Advancing Mobility Solutions for Tennesseans

TEAM TN is a National Science Foundation funded partnership that seeks to place Tennessee at the leading edge of transportation electrification and digitization. The Use Inspired R&D Working Group will discuss the latest technologies and trends fueling the development of the TEAM TN R&D strategy and how industry and community partners can engage in this partnership to advance new innovations and build economic prosperity for all Tennessee communities. 

  • Dr. Mina Sartipi, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga  

  • Abhishek Dubey, Vanderbilt University   

  • Dr. Sabya Mishra, University of Memphis 

  • Dr. Kevin Heaslip, TEAM TN; University of Tennessee, Knoxville (moderator)  

10:15 AM

Networking Break

Explore the technology showcase and meet your fellow industry colleagues. You can also get behind the wheel of an EV at our indoor test track.

11:00 AM

Connecting Music City

Connect Downtown is a 10-year action plan to improve mobility in Nashville’s downtown core with projects and programs to be delivered in three phases. Leaders from the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) will present the draft study recommendations just released that focus on five high-level “big moves” and include near-term quick wins as well as longer-term projects to make travel more reliable, faster, and safer. 

  • Brad Freeze, Nashville Dept. of Transportation & Multimodal Infrastructure  

  • Marty Sewel, Nashville Dept. of Transportation & Multimodal Infrastructure

11:20 AM

Test it in Tennessee

Tennessee boasts a first-of-its-kind testbed on I-24, the largest urban Internet of Things deployment of its kind in Chattanooga, and the first commercially available software-configurable quantum network. As the state seeks to grow its innovation ecosystem, listen as researchers and experts talk about different platforms available to test new technologies on these platforms. 

  • Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier 

  • I-24 MOTION team (Matt D'Angelo, Gresham Smith; Michelle Nickerson, TDOT; Josh Westerhold, Nissan North America; Dan Work, Vanderbilt University) 

  • Smart City Corridor in Chattanooga (Dr. Mina Sartipi, UTC) 

  • Quantum with EPB (David Wade, EPB) 

12:30 PM

Networking Lunch

 

1:15 PM

Charting the Future for Transportation Solutions in Tennessee

Tennessee is a leader in clean energy and recently announced a new initiative to leverage assets to attract mobility research and development investment to the Volunteer State. During this fireside chat, State leaders will discuss the future of sustainable transportation solutions and economic opportunity in Tennessee. 

  • Commissioner Stuart McWhorter, Tennessee Dept. of Economic & Community Development 

  • Commissioner David Salyers, Tennessee Dept. of Environment & Conservation 

  • Deputy Commissioner Preston Elliott, Tennessee Dept. of Transportation 

  • Lang Wiseman, Baker Donelson (moderator)  

2:00 PM

Trends Shaping Sustainable Mobility

Mark Smith, Technology Integration Program Manager in the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), will discuss the converging trends that are shaping mobility and the need to create knowledge, insights, tools, and technology solutions that increase mobility energy productivity through early-stage R&D, demonstration, and deployment. He will also highlight VTO’s collaboration with and investment in projects across Tennessee. 

2:30 PM

Mobility Innovations for Emission Reduction

Leaders from the Tennessee Department of the Environment & Conservation (TDEC) will join TVA to discuss how mobility innovations and sustainable transportation programs are informing planning efforts for TDEC’s TN Volunteer Emission Reduction Strategy, funded by EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant, and TVA’s Valley Pathways Study, a roadmap for a Net Zero greenhouse gas emission economy by 2050.

  • Deputy Commissioner Greg Young, Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation (moderator)  

  • Michelle Walker, Tennessee Department of Environment & Conservation  

  • Laura Duncan, TVA  

3:00 PM

Networking Break

Explore the technology showcase and meet your fellow industry colleagues. You can also get behind the wheel of an EV at our indoor test track. 

3:45 PM

The Future of Freight

Technology and innovation are reshaping traditional transportation networks. From autonomous technology to medium- and heavy-duty electrification to general route optimization, this panel of industry leaders will explore the ways their companies are facilitating this transformational change.

  • Brian Cunningham, Bridgestone Americas  

  • Eric Fuller, CO.LAB  

  • Thomas Griffin, FedEx  

  • Dan Pallme, Tennessee Dept. of Transportation (moderator) 

4:30 PM

Transportation Network Growth Opportunity Initiative

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO), a new economic development initiative to attract more research and development jobs and make Tennessee the No. 1 destination for mobility R&D investment in the Southeast. This panel will feature multiple perspectives about how TNGO can impact communities, industry, and talent development.  

  • Randy Boyd, University of Tennessee System 

  • Victoria Hirschberg, interim director of TNGO and University of Tennessee System 

  • Mehdi Khaleghian, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga  

  • Rena Purdy, Wayne County Joint Economic and Community Development Board  

  • Braden Stover, Tennessee Dept. of Economic & Community Development 

5:00 PM

Nissan Networking Hour

Enjoy the exhibits, test drive an EV, and network with industry partners during this reception powered by Nissan.  

DAY TWO
Wednesday, December 6

In September, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative, which seeks to make Tennessee the No. 1 destination for mobility R&D investment in the Southeast by organizing and deploying statewide research and industry assets to connect, compute, power, and fuel the future. Learn more about this important initiative from leaders driving the effort. 

7:30 AM

Breakfast and Registration

Grab breakfast and begin networking before our sessions begin.

In September, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative, which seeks to make Tennessee the No. 1 destination for mobility R&D investment in the Southeast by organizing and deploying statewide research and industry assets to connect, compute, power, and fuel the future. Learn more about this important initiative from leaders driving the effort. 

8:30 AM

Built in Tennessee

Leading original equipment manufacturers with significant operations in Tennessee will come together to discuss leaps in innovation and electrification, investment in R&D, and workforce needs to maintain Tennessee’s position as the leading automotive manufacturer in the Southeast.

  • Scott Craig, JTEKT North America 

  • Matthew Overbay, Nissan Americas 

  • Jason Swager, Volkswagen Group of America 

  • Dr. Rich Davis, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (moderator) 

In September, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative, which seeks to make Tennessee the No. 1 destination for mobility R&D investment in the Southeast by organizing and deploying statewide research and industry assets to connect, compute, power, and fuel the future. Learn more about this important initiative from leaders driving the effort. 

9:30 AM

Mobilizing our Mobility Workforce 

Workforce development is core to the mission to advance Tennessee’s smart mobility future. Building a workforce pipeline is not just about equipping workers with the skills needed to support emerging jobs. It is also about ensuring equitable access to education. This panel of educators, researchers, and providers will discuss current training opportunities, workforce development programs, and key areas of opportunity on all aspects of the industry from electric vehicle infrastructure deployment to grid maintenance to cybersecurity.

  • Larry Flatt, Motlow State Community College  

  • Brad Gibson, Middle Tennessee Electric  

  • Heath McMillian, TCAT Jackson   

  • Dr. Stephanie Ivey, University of Memphis (moderator)  

In September, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative, which seeks to make Tennessee the No. 1 destination for mobility R&D investment in the Southeast by organizing and deploying statewide research and industry assets to connect, compute, power, and fuel the future. Learn more about this important initiative from leaders driving the effort. 

10:15 AM

Networking Break

Explore the technology showcase and meet your fellow industry colleagues. You can also get behind the wheel of an EV at our indoor test track.  

In September, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative, which seeks to make Tennessee the No. 1 destination for mobility R&D investment in the Southeast by organizing and deploying statewide research and industry assets to connect, compute, power, and fuel the future. Learn more about this important initiative from leaders driving the effort. 

11:00 AM

Reverse Pitch Challenge LIVE

TennSMART and CO.LAB joined forces for the inaugural Sustainable Mobility Reverse Pitch Challenge, which brings together industry experts, corporations, and researchers to call for big solutions to real-world problems in sustainable mobility. Watch the finalists present their solutions to chronic issues impacting the industry related to supply chain & logistics, electrification, workforce turnover, or quantum tech. 

  • Lindsey Cox, LaunchTN  

  • Bryan Barringer, TennSMART  

  • Tasia Malakasis, COLAB  

In September, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative, which seeks to make Tennessee the No. 1 destination for mobility R&D investment in the Southeast by organizing and deploying statewide research and industry assets to connect, compute, power, and fuel the future. Learn more about this important initiative from leaders driving the effort. 

12:00 PM

Electrifying the Tennessee Skies

Road congestion in Tennessee is worsening every day as our state grows, and rural or remote communities are becoming more disconnected. During this session, Mark Moore, CEO of Whisper Aero, will present a visionary solution: regional air mobility, a multimodal, sustainable approach to transportation that will bring access to travel and goods for all Tennesseans and connect our state from big cities to rural communities. 

  • Mark Moore, Whisper Aero 

In September, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative, which seeks to make Tennessee the No. 1 destination for mobility R&D investment in the Southeast by organizing and deploying statewide research and industry assets to connect, compute, power, and fuel the future. Learn more about this important initiative from leaders driving the effort. 

12:20 PM

Networking Lunch

 
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In September, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative, which seeks to make Tennessee the No. 1 destination for mobility R&D investment in the Southeast by organizing and deploying statewide research and industry assets to connect, compute, power, and fuel the future. Learn more about this important initiative from leaders driving the effort. 

12:45 PM

Equity and Access for Rural Transportation

Rural roads account for a large proportion of total lane miles in Tennessee, and they play a significant role in our transportation system by safely moving people and goods to their destinations. As infrastructure solutions expand to connect our rural and urban areas, Tennessee’s rural communities are experiencing new and exciting possibilities. Learn more about recent and forthcoming initiatives to empower rural markets with opportunities in transit, transportation electrification, and related economic development. 

  • Dr. Pingen Chen, Tennessee Tech University  

  • Lily Ballengee, U.S. Dept. of Transportation ROUTES Initiative  

  • Mark Moore, Whisper Aero  

  • Colin Tetreault, Ernst & Young (moderator) 

In September, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative, which seeks to make Tennessee the No. 1 destination for mobility R&D investment in the Southeast by organizing and deploying statewide research and industry assets to connect, compute, power, and fuel the future. Learn more about this important initiative from leaders driving the effort. 

1:30 PM

Advancing Alternative Fuels and Carbon Reduction Strategies

in Transportation

Leaders from the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) will share their efforts to advance electric vehicle charging and other alternative fuels along Tennessee’s designated corridors as well as share ongoing efforts to utilize federal funds in support of greater investments in technologies and other solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

  • Deputy Commissioner Preston Elliott, Tennessee Dept. of Transportation (moderator)  

  • Matt Meservy, Tennessee Dept. of Transportation 

  • Andrea Noel, Tennessee Dept. of Transportation 

In September, the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD) announced the Transportation Network Growth Opportunity (TNGO) initiative, which seeks to make Tennessee the No. 1 destination for mobility R&D investment in the Southeast by organizing and deploying statewide research and industry assets to connect, compute, power, and fuel the future. Learn more about this important initiative from leaders driving the effort. 

2:00 PM

Closing Remarks

TennSMART's board president Dr. Rich Davies and the Tennessee Smart Mobility Expo chair Andy Lucyshyn will conclude the 2023 expo! 

Speaker Apply
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