Plan on attending First Friday Forum from noon until 1:00 p.m., in Clayton Hall of the First United Methodist Church, 200 S. Church Street. First Friday Forum is brought to you by Jackson Downtown Development Corporation and First United Methodist Church. A $ 7.00 lunch is available. For more information contact Jackson Downtown Development Corporation at 427.7573 or visit www.DowntownJackson.com.

JACKSON, TENNESSEE - Jackson Downtown Development Corporation is proud to announce the return of the mayoral First Friday Forum on January 8, 2010. This popular event will feature Jackson City Mayor Jerry Gist and Madison County Mayor Jimmy Harris. Each mayor will deliver a five minute presentation, outlining their vision and agenda for 2010, to be followed by a question and answer session with the audience. The public is encouraged to have questions prepared for the mayors. Questions may be submitted via our website until January 1, 2010. We look forward to the mayoral First Friday Forum as an opportunity to continue dialogue among the community and our leadership.

Note: Due to the close proximity of the New Year’s holiday, January’s First Friday Forum has been scheduled for the second Friday of the month. All subsequent First Friday Forums will be

scheduled on the first Friday of every month through May.

Please plan on attending First Friday Forum from noon until 1:00 p.m., in Clayton Hall of the First United Methodist Church, 200 S. Church Street. First Friday Forum is brought to you by Jackson Downtown Development Corporation and First United Methodist Church. A $ 7.00 lunch is available.

For more information, visit www.DowntownJackson.com or call Jackson Downtown Development Corporation at 427.7573.

First Friday Forum continues on December 4, 2009, as we welcome Jackson Downtown Development Corporation Executive Director, Katie Pace. Pace will discuss the organization's mission to increase property values, recruit quality business and upscale residential, create new investment and promote the arts and cultural enrichment in downtown Jackson.

Pace will further discuss the challenges and successes of downtown Jackson throughout the past year in an effort encourage public dialogue concerning redevelopment.

Plan on attending First Friday Forum from noon until 1:00 p.m., in Clayton Hall of the First United Methodist Church, 200 S. Church Street. First Friday Forum is brought to you by Jackson Downtown Development Corporation and First United Methodist Church. A $ 7.00 lunch is available.

For more information visit www.DowntownJackson.com or call Jackson Downtown Development Corporation at 427.7573.

First Friday Forum sponsored by Two Doors Down Florist, Gift and Home Décor Shop Christmas Open House, continues on November 6, 2009, as we welcome President & CEO of Jackson Energy Authority, Danny Wheeler. In celebration of JEA's 50th anniversary, Mr. Wheeler will discuss the company's history in our city and outlook for the future of energy and telecommunications.

Two Doors Down Florist, Gift and Home Décor Shop invite the public to their Open House, Sunday, November 8 from 1-3 pm at 210 E. Main Street, Downtown Jackson. View their new Christmas inventory, just in time for holiday shopping.

The First Friday Forum Steering Committee is pleased to present this opportunity to celebrate JEA's anniversary with the community. Plan on attending First Friday Forum from noon until 1:00 p.m., in Clayton Hall of the First United Methodist Church, 200 S. Church Street. First Friday Forum is brought to you by Jackson Downtown Development Corporation and First United Methodist Church. A $ 7.00 lunch is available.

For more information visit www.DowntownJackson.com or call Jackson Downtown Development Corporation at 427.7573.

First Friday Forum continues its 2009-2010 series on October 2, 2009, as we welcome Dr. Nancy Zambito, superintendent of the Jackson-Madison County School Board, Eric Jones, principal of Jackson Central-Merry High School, and other staff members. The guests will discuss the planned Health and Science Magnet High School, a partnership with Jackson-Madison County General Hospital.

After the presentation, the panel will be available for questions from the audience. The First Friday Forum Steering Committee is pleased to present this opportunity to better understand this project and the future of education in Jackson-Madison County. We encourage all members of the community to attend this informative presentation.

Plan on attending First Friday Forum from noon until 1:00 p.m., in Clayton Hall of the First United Methodist Church, 200 S. Church Street. First Friday Forum is brought to you by Jackson Downtown Development Corporation and First United Methodist Church. A $ 7.00 lunch is available. To reserve a discounted table of eight for your business or for more information, visit www.DowntownJackson.com or call Jackson Downtown Development Corporation at 427.7573.

First Friday Forum kicks off the 2009-2010 series on September 11, as we welcome a panel of local security officials. The panel includes: Chris Brazzell, Jackson Madison County Emergency Management Agency, Chief James Pearson, Jackson Fire Department, and Larry Price, Interim Chief of the Jackson Police Department, and Sherriff David Woolfork, Madison County Sheriff's Department.

Each panelist will discuss key issues facing our local security and disaster management. After the presentations, the panel will be available for questions from the audience. The First Friday Forum Steering Committee is pleased to present this opportunity to better understand the security and defense measures of our community. We encourage all members of the community to attend this informative presentation.

Plan on attending First Friday Forum from noon until 1:00 p.m., in Clayton Hall of the First United Methodist Church, 200 S. Church Street. First Friday Forum is brought to you by Jackson Downtown Development Corporation and First United Methodist Church. A $ 7.00 lunch is available. To reserve a discounted table of eight for your business or for more information, visit www.DowntownJackson.com or call Jackson Downtown Development Corporation at 427.7573.

JACKSON, TENNESSEE— First Friday Forum begins its 2009-2010 series on Friday, September 11, 2009. Proposals for presentations are currently being accepted for the 2009-2010 season.

Proposals should be one page in length and include the organization’s contact information as well as provide a detailed explanation of the proposed relevant topic. All proposals must be received by the JDDC offices by Tuesday, July 14.

Plan on attending First Friday Forum from noon until 1:00 p.m., in Clayton Hall of the First United Methodist Church, 200 S. Church Street. First Friday Forum is brought to you by Jackson Downtown Development Corporation and First United Methodist Church. A $ 7.00 lunch is available. To reserve a discounted table of eight for your business or for more information, visit www.DowntownJackson.com or call Jackson Downtown Development Corporation at 427.7573.

The SBA is an independent agency of the federal government, created to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. Recognizing that small business is critical to our economic recovery and strength, the SBA is committed to helping entrepreneurs compete in today's complex global marketplace. Jackson Downtown Development Corporation is proud to present this opportunity to better understand the myriad of resources available for small businesses and start ups. We especially encourage all area chamber members, business owners and burgeoning entrepreneurs to attend this informative presentation.

Plan on attending First Friday Forum from noon until 1:00 p.m., in Clayton Hall of the First United Methodist Church, 200 S. Church Street. First Friday Forum is brought to you by Jackson Downtown Development Corporation and First United Methodist Church. A $ 7.00 lunch is available. To reserve a discounted table of eight for your business or for more information, visit www.DowntownJackson.com or call Jackson Downtown Development Corporation at 427.7573.

JACKSON, TENNESSEE - First Friday Forum continues on April 3rd, 2009, with the presentation of The Secret Holocaust Diaries: The Untold Story of Nonna Bannister, delivered by contributing authors Carolyn Tomlin and Denise George, and family members John and Henry Bannister.

The book is a poignant account of a young girl born to an educated and wealthy Russian family that is painfully torn apart by Hitler’s army. Through the terrors of Stalin’s rule and Nazi prison camps, Nonna Bannister managed to preserve family photos and documents to keep the memory of her family alive. For over half a century, she kept the dark truth of her past from her husband and children, but she granted permission for her diary to be published after her death.

Jackson Downtown Development Corporation is excited to bring you this compelling program, highlighting a pivotal moment in history and the challenges and triumphs of a truly remarkable woman. The Secret Holocaust Diaries: The Untold Story of Nonna Bannister has received a number of positive reviews and will be available for purchase at Books-A-Million in Jackson.

Plan on attending First Friday Forum from noon until 1:00 p.m., in Clayton Hall of the First United Methodist Church, 200 S. Church Street. First Friday Forum is brought to you by Jackson Downtown Development Corporation and First United Methodist Church. A $ 7.00 lunch is available.

To reserve a table of eight for your business or for more information contact Jackson Downtown Development Corporation at 427.7573 or visit www.DowntownJackson.com.

JACKSON, TENNESSEE - First Friday Forum continues its series on March 6, 2009, as we welcome Dr. Michael Wilcox, Jr., Assistant Professor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Dr. Wilcox will offer a summary of the recent TREND Tennessee Rural EcoNomic Development report and provide insight into adapting and expanding businesses in West Tennessee. Wilcox will emphasize the importance of entrepreneurship and how economic growth can be promoted by creating and sustaining a supportive environment for self-starting businesses.

Entrepreneurship has received an increasing amount of attention among researchers, economic development professionals, policymakers and local government officials, as the singular emphasis on industrial recruitment broadens to a more comprehensive strategy that encompasses business creation, retention and expansion. Jackson Downtown Development Corporation is proud to present this opportunity to better understand the role of entrepreneurship in our changing economic climate. We especially encourage all area chamber members, business owners and burgeoning entrepreneurs to attend this informative presentation.

Plan on attending First Friday Forum from noon until 1:00 p.m., in Clayton Hall of the First United Methodist Church, 200 S. Church Street. First Friday Forum is brought to you by Jackson Downtown Development Corporation and First United Methodist Church. A $ 7.00 lunch is available.

To reserve a discounted table of eight for your business or or more information, visit www.DowntownJackson.com or call Jackson Downtown Development Corporation at 427.7573.

JACKSON, TENNESSEE - Jackson Downtown Development Corporation is proud to announce the return of the mayoral First Friday Forum on January 9, 2009. Sponsored this month by BancorpSouth, this popular event will feature Jackson City Mayor Jerry Gist and Madison County Mayor Jimmy Harris. Each mayor will deliver a five minute presentation, outlining their vision and agenda for 2009, to be followed by a question and answer session with the audience. Mr. Steve Raper, Jackson Energy Authority, will mediate the Forum. The public is encouraged to have questions prepared for the mayors. We look forward to the mayoral First Friday Forum as an opportunity to continue dialogue among the community
and our leadership.

Note: Due to the close proximity of the New Year’s holiday, January’s First Friday Forum has been scheduled for the second Friday of the month. All subsequent First Friday Forums will be

scheduled on the first Friday of every month through May.

Please plan on attending First Friday Forum from noon until 1:00 p.m., in Clayton Hall of the First United Methodist Church, 200 S. Church Street. First Friday Forum is brought to you by Jackson Downtown Development Corporation and First United Methodist Church. A $ 7.00 lunch is available.

For more information, visit www.DowntownJackson.com or call Jackson Downtown Development Corporation at 427.7573.

JACKSON, TENNESSEE - First Friday Forum sponsored this month by Two Doors Down Florist, Gift & Home Decor Shop, continues its series on December 5, 2008. select members of the Lane College Concert Choir, will perform for the First Friday Forum audience. In addition, Carter McClure, of the Lane College Business Incubator will give a brief presentation, outlining the purpose of the incubator, its success thus far and upcoming projects.

Established in 1904, the Concert Choir has been in existence for over 100 years. Among their most notable performances was rendering music for the funeral of Alex Haley, author of the world famous book, Roots. Their distinguished directors over the years have included Professor Nathaniel Dett, an international pianist and composer and Dr. Mitchell Southall, a nationally renowned choral composer.

Plan on attending First Friday Forum from noon until 1:00 p.m., in Clayton Hall of the First United Methodist Church, 200 S. Church Street. First Friday Forum is brought to you by Jackson Downtown Development Corporation and First United Methodist Church. A $ 7.00 lunch is available.

For more information, visit www.DowntownJackson.com or call Jackson Downtown Development Corporation at 427.7573.

JACKSON, TENNESSEE - First Friday Forum sponsored this month by The Neely House, continues its series on November 7, 2008. Lee Benson, Union University Department Chair and Professor of Art and Director of the Jackson Union Sculpture Tour JUST, will discuss the importance of outdoor art and the JUST program.

The JUST program began in 2003, as an initiative to promote outdoor art in our community. A partnership with the City of Jackson and Union University, JUST has been a hugely successful program garnering positive attention for downtown. Art is truly an expression of a healthy and vibrant community and JUST helps to bring fresh, new sculptures to downtown Jackson each year. In addition, Rachel Raab, Executive Director at the West Tennessee Discovery Museum will give a brief presentation, outlining the purpose of the museum, its success thus far and upcoming exhibits.

Please plan on attending First Friday Forum from noon until 1:00 p.m., in Clayton Hall of the First United Methodist Church, 200 S. Church Street. First Friday Forum is brought to you by Jackson Downtown Development Corporation and First United Methodist Church. A $ 7.00 lunch is available.

For more information, visit www.DowntownJackson.com or call Jackson Downtown Development Corporation at 427.7573.

JACKSON, TENNESSEE - First Friday Forum, sponsored this month by Aeneas Internet and Telephone, continues its series on October 3, 2008. Dexter Muller from Pinnacle Planning Advisors and Steve Auterman with Looney Ricks Kiss Architects will discuss their collaborative project, the Jackson Neighborhood Analysis and Redevelopment Plan.

The City of Jackson and West Tennessee Healthcare have jointly funded this important venture as it will likely play a vital role in the continued revitalization of our community and our downtown. We look forward to this informative presentation regarding their strategy and the economic implications this endeavor may have on our community. In addition, Jodi Jacobs with Keep Jackson Beautiful will make a brief presentation regarding the Cigarette Litter Prevention Program. We are proud that downtown Jackson has been chosen as the pilot location for this program.

Aeneas has a long time commitment to the revitalization of downtown Jackson. We've been here in downtown Jackson for over a decade, and we believe in the potential the Jackson Downtown Development Corporation has been working to develop. We're proud to support this First Friday Forum event, and we're excited to hear more about the projects being discussed this month.
- - - Jonathan Harlan, CEO and President of Aeneas Internet and Telephone

Please plan on attending First Friday Forum from noon until 1:00 p.m., in Clayton Hall of the First United Methodist Church, 200 S. Church Street. First Friday Forum is brought to you by Jackson Downtown Development Corporation and First United Methodist Church. A $ 7.00 lunch is available.

For more information, visit www.DowntownJackson.com or call Jackson Downtown Development Corporation at 427.7573.