A veteran of Oak Ridge National Laboratory's industrial and economic development team will head the lab's new Chattanooga office, officials said today.
Jeff Cornett, 53, manager for industrial and economic development at ORNL, will act as a liaison to Chattanooga and serve out of the office at EPB's headquarters downtown.
One of his jobs will be to try to connect individuals and companies with U.S. Department of Energy programs. He'll also support Chattanooga area manufacturers which need assistance.
"I look forward to helping Chattanooga's vibrant business and industrial community find ways to leverage ORNL's world-class research capabilities and technical expertise," Cornett said.
He said at the official opening of the office that "I've handed out a lot of business cards. I look forward to future calls and see what we can do together."
U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann, R-Tenn., said that ORNL is "open for business in Chattanooga."
"This will be a legacy day in Chattanooga," he said.
Thom Mason, who heads the Oak Ridge, Tenn., lab, said it already is working with EPB in relation to the smart grid, but the office could be an example for the rest of the country moving ahead.
He said he sees future work in clean energy technology, manufacturing and computing.
See more in Friday's Times Free Press.