Rachel Ragland Joins Blount Partnership as Director of Economic & Workforce Development

Oversees the Partnership’s goals on how to grow the county’s economy and labor skills

Rachel Trump Ragland

Rachel Trump Ragland

Blount Partnership president/CEO Bryan Daniels announced today that Rachel Ragland has been hired as the Director of Economic & Workforce Development. She replaces Bill Eanes who left to join the business development team at VISION Engineering and begins on Jan. 2.

“We are happy to have Rachel join our team,” said Daniels. “Her experience in industrial development and her keen business sense on how to court different sectors of the economy are especially useful as we try to develop a diverse economy in Blount County.”

Ragland joins the Partnership after serving the last three years as vice president of business development at the Massey Group. There, she worked on commercial and industrial real estate development projects, and business development for Massey Group’s operating companies: Massey Electric and Cherokee Millwright and Mechanical. She also represented the organization in its marketing and community outreach efforts.

“I am very excited and honored to be joining the team at the Blount Partnership,” said Ragland. “I look forward to the opportunity to help bring new business into Blount County, and help continue its record of success.”

The Kingsport, Tenn., native graduated from the University of Tennessee with a degree in industrial engineering. While at UT, she worked in the manufacturing engineering department at B/S/H/ Home Appliances in implementing lean and just-in-time practices at its Lafollette, Tenn., manufacturing facility.

Ragland began her career at Cherokee Millwright and Mechanical as its industrial engineer.

A member of the Leadership Blount class of 2013, whose legacy project was establishing Blount County’s Youth Court program, Ragland is a member of the advisory board of Boys and Girls Club of Blount County.  From 2009-2013, she served on the board of Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of East Tennessee, acting as board vice president in the 2012-2013 term. Ragland helped establish Blount Young Leadership and Development (BYLD) for young professionals in Blount County.  She is a current member of Nucleus Knoxville.

Source: Oversees the Partnership’s goals on how to grow the county’s economy and labor skills