Chamber to lead delegation to Nashville this week

For its 20th annual Community Leadership Visit, the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce this year will lead a delegation to Nashville, Tenn.

The Sept. 12-14 best-practices visit would highlight the Tennessee city's efforts in building an entrepreneurial culture, approaches to education and workforce development, and focus on community branding and tourism, according to a news release.

Past visits have spurred economic and community development, including the trip to Colorado Springs, Colo., that led to accelerated plans for a Springfield-Branson National Airport terminal; the Lexington, Ky., trip that created the catalyst for the Community Focus red-flag report card on Springfield and Greene County; and the formation of the Springfield Regional Economic Partnership after the visit to Boise, Idaho, according to the chamber.

The Nashville metropolitan area is home to some 1.7 million residents, compared to the Springfield metro area's 444,617, according to the chamber's briefing packet on the trip. Nearly 60 Springfield-area delegates are scheduled to visit the city.