John Lawrence Email & Phone Number

Memphis, Tn, Us

Memphis Light, Gas and Water is the nation's largest three-service public utility, serving more than 430,000 customers in Memphis, Arlington, Bartlett, Collierville, Germantown, Lakeland and Millington, Tennessee.The Economic & Business Development team is responsible for strengthening commercial sales, attracting industrial customers, promoting redevelopment and enhancing reliability to maximize system capacity, offset costs for current customers and create economic opportunity for all.MLGW combined utility rates are 37% lower than peer communities, electric reliability exceeds 99.9% and the team is prepared to find custom solutions for growing commercial and industrial customer needs.Economic DevelopmentBeyond promotion of community benefits and development opportunities, MLGW designs, constructs and delivers utility solutions to meet unique business needs.Existing Business AssistanceMLGW offers a concierge customer experience for large, complex and essential commercial customers, creating personalized strategic utility management programs.Energy Efficiency & Demand ResponseMLGW, with partners like TVA, work to lower utility costs, improve energy efficiency, and manage resources for businesses of all sizes and across all industries.MLGW is ready to meet the utility needs of a growing Metro-Memphis economy. The MLGW Economic & Business Department promotes commercial and industrial development throughout our service area of Shelby County. We enthusiastically believe expansion of local businesses and location of new industries drives the economic growth of our community, improving the quality of life for all of our customers.

Focused on core-business efficiency aligned with growth opportunity for a range of businesses and non-profits. Advised on policy, management, finance, development and marketing initiatives including:• Strategic, long-range and operational plans.• Human resources, budgets and fundraising.• Repositioning organizations as development and marketing entities.• Administering grant, loan, tax abatement and tax increment financing programs.Worked with manufacturing companies, logistics firms and neighborhood community development corporations. Advised large-scale historic restoration developers and small neighborhood restaurants. Led a long-range strategic planning contract assignment with an energy and water distribution company.

EDGE is the City of Memphis and Shelby County economic development arm with responsibility for the Port of Memphis, Pidgeon Industrial Park, Depot Redevelopment Authority, and Foreign Trade Zone 77.• Administering county-wide business attraction and expansion programs, tax incentives, grants, and loans.• Managing special economic development research projects.• Servicing a portfolio of active PILOT (Payment-In-Lieu-Of-Tax) projects, bonds, loans and TIF (Tax Increment Financing) districts.In ten years with EDGE, 160 projects were approved.• Filling 23.7 million square feet with 10,407 jobs making $56,444.• Adding $3.2 billion in investment and $368 million in MWBE spending.• Projects included office, industrial, residential, hotel and inner-city retail.Launched a COVID-19 relief grant in April 2020, quickly distributing $956,700 to more than 155 small businesses in Memphis’s most vulnerable neighborhoods.Received the Governor's Award for Performance, Accountability and Efficiency for ten consecutive years.Developed the Memphis and Shelby County Regional Economic Development Plan, a Brookings Institution Metropolitan Business Planning initiative spearheaded by the City of Memphis Mayor, Shelby County Mayor and FedEx’s Executive Vice President, along with 150 local industry leaders. This work led to:• The Greater Memphis Alliance for a Competitive Workforce• Metro Memphis Export Alliance• Metro Memphis Biologistics Initiative• A Medical Center Innovation District Anchor Strategy• An Entrepreneurship Powered Innovation Center

Provided executive management consulting to economic, community and downtown development agencies and contract leadership engagements including:• Director of the Memphis and Shelby County Growth Alliance made up of eight area mayors, seven chamber of commerce presidents and 25 business leaders charged with identifying job creation and long-term growth initiatives.• Program Manager of Livable Memphis charged with producing the annual neighborhood leaders summit, organizing dialogue about the impact of major infrastructure investments and raising funds to design a cycle-track connecting two major parks through an underserved neighborhood and historic commercial district.• Other engagements included real estate development seminars, downtown animation strategies, urban development forecasts, planning and design initiatives, marketing and communication plans, stakeholder engagement, advocacy, community outreach programs, and organizational development.

Identified area development opportunities, crafted legislation, created a marketing plan to exploit strengths, recruited members and defined a vision for the organization.While with the Memphis Airport Area Development Corporation: A new funding source was recruited. Agency strategy and objectives were refined. Relationships were established to address beautification, public safety, development and marketing. Vacant sites were cleared, a shopping center was renovated and a new retail center was planned. New businesses entered the market and others secured locations. Two hotels started renovations and another announced a $15 million redevelopment plan.

Oversaw all administrative and organizational activities of the Downtown Jackson (Mississippi) Business Improvement District, its foundation, its management staff of four and 21 contract employees. While with Downtown Jackson Partners: $125 million of development projects were completed. $200 million of projects started construction. $800 million of projects entered the pre-development phase. Office occupancy increased from 88% to 94% and new space was built. The first new Downtown apartments built since 1954 were constructed. Sixteen new restaurants opened. One hotel conversion was completed and one historic restoration started. Multiple area plans were written and incentive legislation was passed. Phase one of a new convention center was completed and the campaign to fund phase two was successful.

Facilitated development of residential, office, hotel and retail properties, attraction strategies, program policies and public facilities.As Director of Planning, responsibilities included the creation and implementation of specialized development plans for distressed areas, identification of redevelopment opportunities, creation and implementation of signage codes and directing activities of the area’s Design Review Board.Business Development responsibilities included facilitating development of residential, office, hotel and retail properties, tenant recruitment for existing properties and management of special development projects. Additional responsibilities included implementation of financial incentives, project feasibility analysis, production of marketing materials and coordination between governmental agencies.

As the Downtown Memphis Marketing Representative, responsibilities included all marketing and leasing functions for the 469,571 square foot One Commerce Square office complex.As Market Analyst, responsibilities included compiling research for, writing and publishing a semiannual comprehensive report on all industrial, office and retail activity in the Memphis real estate market.

Msba, Real Estate Development

Activities and Societies: President - Student Chapter of Lamda Alpha/Rho Epsilon (Professional Real Estate Fraternity)

Ba, Geography, Urban Planning For Business And Economics