MURFREESBORO, TN (WGNS) - Middle Tennessee’s rapid growth — and the strain that comes with it — will take center stage again on March 20 when Middle Tennessee State University hosts the 2026 Forum on Growth and Regional Challenges. The event, organized by MTSU’s Business and Economic Research Center, runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. Registration is open through March 16 at berc.mtsu.edu.

Stuart McWhorter, Tennessee’s deputy governor and commissioner of Economic and Community Development, will headline the luncheon. His appearance comes as the region continues to grapple with record population increases, rising development pressure, and the need for long‑term infrastructure planning.

Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland, an MTSU graduate, will join Franklin Mayor Ken Moore and Lawrence County Executive David Morgan for a mayoral panel digging into the realities of growth on the ground. Expect discussion on everything from traffic and utilities to entrepreneurship and workforce pipelines. Michael Skipper, executive director of the Greater Nashville Regional Council, will moderate.

The forum will also feature insights from 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. Each will bring a different lens to the region’s challenges, from media and business to long‑range planning.

Murat Arik, director of the BERC and holder of the Jones Chair of Excellence in Urban and Regional Planning, said the event is designed to give residents and leaders a clearer picture of what Middle Tennessee is facing — and what solutions may be emerging. MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee and Jones College of Business Dean Joyce Heames will welcome attendees.

Parking for off‑campus guests will be available in the Rutherford Lot on N. Rutherford Boulevard, with shuttle service running before and after the event.