MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Ongoing explosive growth across the Midstate and the challenges that it brings will again be in focus March 20 when the Business and Economic Research Center at Middle Tennessee State University hosts the 2026 Forum on Growth and Regional Challenges.

Stuart McWhorter, deputy governor and commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development, will be the featured speaker at the luncheon event, set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, March 20, in the MTSU Student Union Building, Second Floor Ballroom, 1768 MTSU Blvd. Registration is available at https://berc.mtsu.edu/, and the deadline to register is March 16. 

Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland, an MTSU alumnus, will participate in a mayoral panel examining growth challenges and possible solutions — from infrastructure to entrepreneurship to workforce development — along with Franklin Mayor Ken Moore and Lawrence County Executive David Morgan. Moderating the panel will be Michael Skipper, executive director of the Greater Nashville Regional Council.

Also addressing attendees will be Benjamin Goad, executive editor of The Tennessean; Stephanie Coleman, president of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce; and Alan Thompson, chief marketing officer of RaganSmith, a Pape-Dawson company, and board chair of Cumberland Region Tomorrow.

“We’re excited to again present this forum that provides a wonderful opportunity for the broader Middle Tennessee community to hear from an excellent slate of speakers and presenters about the many challenges that growth brings from a local, regional, state and national perspective,” said Murat Arik, BERC director and holder of the Jennings and Rebecca Jones Chair of Excellence in Urban and Regional Planning.

Arik will be joined by MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and Joyce Heames, dean of the Jones College of Business, in welcoming attendees to the event.

Event sponsors include Cumberland Region Tomorrow, Greater Nashville Regional Council, Middle Tennessee Electric, Southern Bancorp, Destination Rutherford, Ascend Federal Credit Union, Wilson Bank and Trust, Clarksville Industrial Development and Pape-Dawson.

Parking will be available for off-campus guests in the Rutherford Lot, 398 N. Rutherford Blvd. Please look for the Event Parking flags and attendants to board the shuttle. A shuttle will run continuously from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and again from 2 to 3 p.m. following the event from the Rutherford Lot to the Student Union.

About BERC

Since its establishment at Middle Tennessee State University in 1970, the Business and Economic Research Center, or BERC, has conducted research on the regional economy as a public service and on a contract basis for clients from the community. BERC has completed research projects for both MTSU and external clients on a variety of topics, including the economic impact of universities, regional population growth, and current trends in various industries.

For more information on BERC, visit berc.mtsu.edu. 

— Jimmy Hart (Jimmy.Hart@mtsu.edu)