Welcome to The Third Seat, where we share our conversations with experts & individuals who have a unique perspective to share! Every now and then there comes along an individual who sees the environment around them as an opportunity to improve upon what is already there. People like this dream big, see the world for what it could be, and are integral to the growth of communities all around the world. Today we have the pleasure of hearing from one of these individuals right here in Chattanooga, TN! Our guest today is Kim White, a former Chattanooga Mayoral candidate & someone who champions the city with every action she takes! Tune into this episode of The Third Seat to listen to the full interview with Kim White to hear what she has to say! We hope that you enjoy! Thanks for listening!
Below is some information about Kim, a link to her LinkedIn account, & more!
Kim White is a proven civic and community leader with a passion for making a difference. She is recognized as someone with the tenacity to take on critical issues and overcome tough challenges. Kim most recently served as the president and CEO of River City Company, the non-profit development organization with a 35-year history focusing on the economic growth and development of downtown Chattanooga.
During her 11 years of leadership, over $1.2 billion dollars of private investment occurred in downtown, along with a renewed focus on downtown housing, better connections with UTC and the development of great public spaces. In recruiting development that helped implement the City Center Plan, a plan which revitalized a critical area of the city, Kim also secured over $7 million dollars in private donations to redevelop multiple public spaces including Miller Park. She also spearheaded the formation of the Downtown Chattanooga Alliance, bringing a commitment from property owners to inject an annual investment of approximately $1 million dollars to enhance services in the downtown core. While initially controversial, the Downtown Chattanooga Alliance has since seen much success and gained widespread support and accolades from the community.
In September 2020, Kim left River CIty Company and announced her bid to run for Mayor of Chattanooga in a crowded field of 15. She subsequently lost in a highly contested runoff that occurred between the top two vote getters in April 2021. During that race, she raised an unprecedented $1.2 million dollars in financial contributions and gained extensive support in the business and development community with her focus on streamlining city government, supporting public safety initiatives and a renewed focus on job recruitment and affordable housing initiatives.
Prior to her tenure at River City Company, Kim served as president and CEO of the Corker Group, fully leasing and managing over 2 million square feet of real estate. Prior to returning to Chattanooga she had a successful 16-year career with Fortune 500 company, ALLTEL Communications, where she was responsible for recruiting top talent, building successful teams and growing market share in existing and newly acquired markets throughout the southeast.
