BUSINESS MATTERS

Karin Hopkins

The average man and woman in Tuskegee has never heard of Leonardo DRS. On the flip side, if they do know something about the company, it’s probably a tiny bit of information gleaned from watching news reports or hearing street talk. This is about to change. The local community will soon become very familiar with Leonardo DRS and the T-100 training fighter jet. On July 20, 2017, about 50 people gathered at Tuskegee University in Henderson Hall for a brainstorming session organized by the Tuskegee Area Chamber of Commerce. They were asked to develop ideas for a campaign themed “100 Days of T-100 Support.” This is an awareness building effort with teeth.

During the brainstorming, participants were divided into ten clusters; Aviation, Business, Education, Employment, Government, Grass Roots, Media/Public Relations, Religion, Social Media/Technology and Youth. All of the clusters developed a list of recommendations for their categories. Each team also talked about actions that can be implemented and what constituency would be touched. Children are the focus of “Pre-K to PhD – What T-100 Means to Me,” an idea put forward as communications framing that can be adapted to all grade levels. Elementary school art projects and high school aerospace/aviation career awareness lessons were also suggested as instructional strategies that can engage teachers and students. Elected officials could pass resolutions of support for Leonardo DRS and the T-100 project. A day of writing T-100 support letters to the U.S. Congress and Senate was suggested. Innovative social media strategies were presented. Here’s another idea that was offered—wearing or displaying a colored ribbon as a symbol of support. How about a billboard on I-85 proclaiming Tuskegee as the “Future Home of the T-100”?

The people at the brainstorming really got into the process and their energy was popping like fireworks at a Chinese New Year event. Their recommendations will get synthesized into a cohesive campaign under the theme “100 Days of T-100 Support.” If Leonardo DRS wins the contract to assemble T-100 fighter jets, the “100 Days of T-100 Support” can morph into a celebration. Leonardo DRS has pledged to build a $300 million manufacturing plant at Moton Field and create hundreds of new jobs.

This was a powerful incentive for stakeholders to attend the brainstorming as a prelude to the “100 Days of T-100 Support” campaign. The public kickoff is Monday, July 31, 2017. Campaign strategies will be posted on www.airmenlegacy.com. We will also keep you updated through The Tuskegee News and on the digital media platform, ECHOboom. That brainstorming experience was exciting for many reasons. We witnessed the power of collaboration involving Tuskegee University, Utilities Board of Tuskegee, Macon County Economic Development Authority, Macon County Commission, City of Tuskegee, Macon County townships, Macon County Schools, grass roots advocates, aviation executives, media and public relations experts, historic preservationists and the Chamber. They all support the T-100 project and recognize the potential impact it could have on a wide range of BUSINESS MATTERS.

Karin Hopkins is executive director of the Tuskegee Area Chamber of Commerce and also co-founder of ECHOboom, a digital media platform. Contact her at ourchamberworks@gmail.com.