Bedford County Commissioner Greg Vick, a Republican who represents the 2nd District, has announced he will run for re-election in Thursday’s General Election. 

 Vick said he plans, if re-elected, to continue progress on the priorities he cited in his initial bid for public office—educational development, workforce development and economic development.  

“I have been extremely fortunate to work with forward thinking County Commission members. Through our collaborative effort, the Commission has initiated a number of projects, such as the new Bedford County Education Center (TCAT-Shelbyville); a robust industrial recruitment plan, a revitalized downtown development initiative and securing rural broadband grants— all of these projects our County Commission created and endorsed.”  

The local businessman and farmer added, “These Commission projects have helped create new business opportunities, stimulated value in Bedford County . . . reduced our [past] property tax rate. Now, I want to see these projects through completion.”  

Vick highlighted several of the achievements made by the County Commission as being:  

• The $47 million Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) as being the single largest state investment in Bedford County history and will break ground this Fall.
• The 231 North Industrial Park Board, of which Vick serves as chairman, which recently announced the addition of Duksan Electara Co., as a major tenant. This $95 million dollar investment, coupled with the addition of over 100 new jobs, is the single largest industrial investment in Bedford County history. In addition, the Business Park Board has captured over $5 million in state and federal infrastructure grants to help stimulate projects that will generate hundreds of jobs and will eventually represent almost one quarter of a billion dollars in new investment.
• The Main Street Market Project, of which Vick served as chairperson, developed a revitalization plan, with full citizen involvement, which will turn a dilapidated downtown building at the entrance of the square into a thriving tourist destination.
• The Broadband Committee, of which Vick serves as chairperson, helped Bedford County receive over$2 million in state grants, providing over 1,000 households access to fiber broadband. A second round of grants this summer is scheduled to be awarded and will help Bedford County rural citizens receive an additional $7 million dollars in grants which will provide over 3,000 more people access to fiber broadband for their home or business.

“What I am really focused on this next term is career education and work force development. We need a true work force development commitment. It is critical we promote dual enrollment and career technological education opportunities for everyone. It is crucial we develop our own local workforce. We need our children to have career opportunities in Bedford County for the jobs we are attracting as a result of our industrial development efforts,” said Vick, who chairs the Workforce Development Committee and sits on the TCAT Board of Advisors.  

He stated, “Not everyone wants to go to college, but everyone needs to go to work.” Vick said currently, the local county high school graduation rate is 98 percent, but only 47 percent seek post-secondary education opportunities.  

The local businessman advised how it is a whole new world, and everyone must become workforce ready and job skill trained.  

“We have the largest number of people retiring from the workforce in our history. We need to develop our own workforce, so they are readily trained to meet the job needs,” Vick said.

A fourth generation Tennessean, Vick said he was the first Republican elected to represent the 2ndDistrict seat in Bedford County. He says proudly how he and his wife, Eileen, have lived in the Deason community for 19 years; they have 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren. The Commissioner earned a bachelor of science degree from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro and attended Nashville School of Law