MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Rapid population growth across Middle Tennessee — and the opportunities and challenges that come with it — will take center stage later this month when leaders from government, business, and regional planning gather at Middle Tennessee State University for a public forum focused on the region’s future.
The 2026 Forum on Growth and Regional Challenges will be held Friday, March 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the university’s Student Union Building Ballroom on campus in Murfreesboro. The event is organized by the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) at MTSU and will feature speakers and panelists discussing issues tied to Middle Tennessee’s rapid expansion.
The featured speaker for the luncheon event will be Stuart McWhorter, deputy governor and commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. McWhorter is expected to address economic development trends and the broader impacts of growth across the state.
A mayoral panel will also be part of the program, bringing together regional leaders to discuss how communities are managing growth-related challenges. Panel participants include Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland, Franklin Mayor Ken Moore, and Lawrence County Executive David Morgan. The discussion will examine topics ranging from infrastructure needs to workforce development and entrepreneurship.
Moderating the panel will be Michael Skipper, executive director of the Greater Nashville Regional Council.
Additional speakers scheduled to address attendees include 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 and board chair of Cumberland Region Tomorrow.
Event organizers say the forum provides an opportunity for the public and regional stakeholders to hear directly from leaders addressing the complex issues created by the region’s rapid growth.
“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, director of the MTSU Business and Economic Research Center.
Arik will join Sidney A. McPhee, president of Middle Tennessee State University, and Joyce Heames, dean of the university’s Jones College of Business, in welcoming attendees to the event.
Organizers say topics discussed during the forum will include regional infrastructure, economic development, workforce needs, entrepreneurship, and long-term planning as Middle Tennessee continues to experience significant population growth.
Registration for the luncheon event is available through the BERC website, with a registration deadline of March 16. Parking for off-campus attendees will be available at the Rutherford Lot on North Rutherford Boulevard, with shuttle service transporting guests to the Student Union before and after the event.
The forum is sponsored by several regional organizations and businesses, including Middle Tennessee Electric, Destination Rutherford, Ascend Federal Credit Union, and Wilson Bank and Trust, among others.
Founded in 1970, the MTSU Business and Economic Research Center conducts research on regional economic trends and provides data and analysis for both the university and community partners across Middle Tennessee.
