Dear Friends,

The Citizens of Kingsport have always had a spirit which makes service a part of who we are.  We are a people who work to make our community the very best place to live, work and play.

In September of 2011, I was delighted to announce that Kingsport joined the Cities of Service coalition and teamed up with AARP to appoint the City's first volunteer Chief Service Officer, Clarence W (Bunky) Seay.

It is with great pride and enthusiasm that I release Impact Kingsport, the City’s strategic blueprint for using service to improve economic development.

Impact Kingsport has three important goals:
*  Create or elevate volunteer opportunities that impact   economic development outcomes and contribute to community vitality
*  Make it easier for citizens with a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience to engage their community in a meaningful way.
*  Support both public and private sector efforts to engage more volunteers in ways that have the greatest impact

I want to thank all of you who will play a role in bringing Impact Kingsport to life over the next year and beyond. Together, we can share our energy, and expertise to make positive changes in our city. As volunteers, we can support the efforts of City government, champion the work of economic development and follow the Kingsport Spirit set by all generations.

It's amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit and I am confident there is no limit to what we can accomplish.