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Into his fourth term as County Mayor, Claude Ramsey plays a pivotal role in
the economic progress of this community. As a manager and leader, Mr. Ramsey’s career
is distinguished by his openness and availability to both the business community
and public at large. He has been honored with numerous awards and offices that reflect
his dedication to the highest standards of conduct. As a fiscal conservative, Claude
Ramsey encourages progress in our community through responsible investment in the
growth of business and industry.
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Without question, a strong public education system is necessary to attract and retain
business to fuel Hamilton County’s economic expansion. Mayor Ramsey recently spearheaded
an effort to rally the community around its public school system. Over a period
of 10 months, more than 9,000 people participated in an education summit and worked
collectively to build a shared vision. Mayor Ramsey created six task forces to address
the issues and challenges identified through the public process. He met regularly
with the chairmen of these task forces to oversee their progress and keep the media
and public apprised of their work. In May, Mayor Ramsey presented their findings
and recommendations to the community. As a first step toward their implementation,
Ramsey identified eight key initiatives. These included early education programs,
a 90% reading goal, laptop computers for all middle and high school students, and
a 90% graduation rate. When fully implemented, these eight initiatives of the education
summit will catapult Hamilton County into a short list of model public education
systems in the country. |
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Mayor Ramsey’s administration actively recruits new business and industrial development.
He was successful in securing over $2.8 million in grant funds for expansion of
local industries. These funds helped leverage over $264 million in private investments
and helped create over 2,000 new jobs. Claude Ramsey was a driving force for the
transfer of the 1200-acre Enterprise South Industrial Park property from the U.S.
Army. When operational, the park will generate over 8,000 new jobs with a payroll
exceeding $240 million a year.
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Mr. Ramsey secured federal funding for the development of the Center for Entrepreneurial
Growth that assists entrepreneurs develop new businesses that feature advanced technology.
This innovative program is the result of Mayor Ramsey’s goal of creating more technology-based
jobs in our community and helping Hamilton County realize a greater role in the
Tennessee Valley Technology Corridor. In recognition of his leadership in Economic
Development, Congressman Zach Wamp stated, “Claude Ramsey goes about his job quietly
and with determination. When it comes to Economic Development, Claude gets things
done.” |
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During his term as Hamilton County Mayor, the County received its first bond rating
increase in 27 years, moving to a Moody rating of Aa1. The County also received
its first rating from Fitch Inc., an AA+. Only one other county out of 95 in Tennessee
has such a high financial rating. Mayor Ramsey instituted a new performance-based
personnel evaluation system, pay plan, and a new Leadership Excellence management-training
program for employees. |
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Prior to his term as County Mayor, he was the Assessor of Property from 1980 to
1994. He served on the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners for two years and
was a member of the Tennessee State Legislature for four years. During this period,
Mayor Ramsey exemplified the highest ethical standards. He insists on the same standards
for his staff.
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Claude Ramsey is very active in a variety of roles in the community. He has served
on the boards of numerous agencies including the Orange Grove Center, Chattanooga
Neighborhood Enterprise, the RiverCity Company, and the United Way. He served on
the Board of Trustees at Erlanger Medical Center and was Chairman of the Board of
Associates at Chattanooga State Technical Community College.
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Claude Ramsey exemplifies the spirit of individual achievement. Throughout his career,
he has advanced into positions of growing responsibility. He has succeeded in his
efforts through hard work and persistent pursuit of his goals.
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He was named “Chattanooga Area Manager of the Year” in 2003. This award is the largest
local awards program in the nation. In conjunction with Management Week in America,
it is presented annually to an executive whose management skills have profoundly
influenced the outstanding performance of a key element of American business, industry,
governmental, or non-profit activity. He was most recently named Outstanding Legislator
by the Southern Health Association.
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His diligence in tackling issues that effect quality of life have become well known
across the state. Initiatives such as Read 20, Step ONE, and Hamilton Shines are
making headway in addressing literacy, obesity, and public littering. Mayor Ramsey
has also played a key role in the creation of the Tennessee Riverpark, a facility
considered by many as one of the nation’s top greenway systems. |
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Claude Ramsey is married to Jan Fizer Ramsey. They have a son, Rich Balthrop, a
daughter, Stacy Schorr, and five grandchildren. They are members of Bayside Baptist
Church. |