Tennessee Economic Council on Women

Tennessee Economic Council on Women
Name	Tennessee Economic Council on Women
Formation	1998
Headquarters	Nashville, Tennessee
Region served	Tennessee
Leader title	Chair

Tennessee Economic Council on Women is a state-level advisory body established to improve the economic status of women in Tennessee through research, policy recommendations, and public-private collaboration. It operates in Nashville and engages with federal, state, and local institutions to influence workforce, family leave, and business development issues affecting women across urban and rural communities. The council collaborates with universities, nonprofit organizations, and legislative bodies to translate data into actionable policy proposals.

History

The council was created in 1998 by the Tennessee General Assembly during the administration of Don Sundquist to address workforce participation, wage disparities, and barriers to entrepreneurship facing women in Tennessee. Early partnerships included the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Vanderbilt University, and regional chambers of commerce such as the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. Over successive gubernatorial administrations including Phil Bredesen and Bill Haslam, the council expanded research collaborations with institutions like University of Tennessee, Knoxville and East Tennessee State University and engaged with national networks including the National Governors Association and the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. The council’s work has intersected with statewide initiatives such as the Tennessee Promise and legislative measures debated in the Tennessee General Assembly concerning paid leave and unemployment insurance.

Mission and Objectives

The council’s mission aligns with policy goals promoted by organizations like the National Women’s Law Center and the American Association of University Women to reduce wage gaps, support female entrepreneurship, and increase labor force retention. Objectives include producing data-driven reports in collaboration with academic partners such as Middle Tennessee State University, advising executive offices including the Office of the Governor of Tennessee, and convening stakeholders from entities like the Tennessee Small Business Development Center and the Tennessee AFL–CIO. It emphasizes measurable outcomes tied to indicators used by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

Organization and Membership

The council comprises appointed members representing sectors including business, finance, higher education, labor, and nonprofit advocacy. Appointments are made through gubernatorial offices comparable to processes used for boards such as the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and the Tennessee Board of Regents. Members have come from institutions like HealthStream, Inc., Dollar General Corporation, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, and academic programs at Belmont University and Tennessee State University. Ex officio participants have included leaders from the Tennessee Department of Human Services and the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. The council’s structure mirrors advisory models used by the White House Council on Women and Girls and state councils in locations such as California and New York.

Programs and Initiatives

Programs have ranged from statewide wage gap studies in partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau to entrepreneurship training modeled after curricula from the Kauffman Foundation and the SCORE Association. Initiatives include leadership development seminars featuring speakers from Lean In and the National Association of Women Business Owners, mentorship networks linked with Girl Scouts of the USA and YWCA, and policy roundtables with lawmakers from the Tennessee Senate and the Tennessee House of Representatives. The council has hosted town halls in collaboration with community colleges such as Nashville State Community College and workforce boards like the Tennessee Workforce Development Board to address childcare access and transportation barriers referenced in studies by the Brookings Institution.

Impact and Outcomes

The council’s reports have informed legislative debates in the Tennessee General Assembly and guided program design at agencies including the Tennessee Department of Human Services and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Cited outcomes include increased participation in small business programs sponsored by the Small Business Administration and enhanced alignment of workforce development curricula with employers such as HCA Healthcare and Amazon (company) operations in Tennessee. Independent evaluations by academics at Vanderbilt University and University of Tennessee, Knoxville have referenced council data in studies on pay equity, childcare policy, and labor force participation among women veterans and caregivers.

Funding and Governance

Funding streams have included state appropriations approved by the Tennessee General Assembly, grants from foundations such as the Tennessee Health Care Campaign and national funders similar to the Ford Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and in-kind contributions from partner institutions like Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Governance is overseen by a chair appointed by the Governor of Tennessee with reporting obligations to executive offices and compliance expectations aligned with statutes administered by the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury. The council’s procedures for transparency and accountability reflect practices promoted by organizations such as the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Category:Organizations based in Nashville, Tennessee Category:Women's organizations based in the United States