The American Association of Retirement Communities (AARC) has named Chattanooga/Hamilton County as the first community in Tennessee to receive its prestigious Seal of Approval as a retirement destination.

Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey and Chattanooga City Mayor Ron Littlefield celebrated the announcement of the AARC designation by formally launching Choose Chattanooga, a new initiative to market the Chattanooga area to people deciding where to retire and relocate.

"As often happens in Chattanooga, this initiative began with a group of volunteers coming together to develop a common vision for making our community a better place to live, work, and play," said Littlefield. "Thanks to their efforts, Chattanooga and Hamilton County have already received designations from both the state of Tennessee and the American Association of Retirement Communities."

According to Ramsey, Choose Chattanooga is a new addition to the overall effort to create more family-wage jobs. "Researchers at the Georgia Tech Innovation Institute project that each retiree household that establishes itself in a community creates at least two family-wage jobs," Ramsey said.

"Retirees buy houses and other goods and services locally. They participate in our community as volunteers and philanthropists. They vote and pay taxes, and their residence does not increase the need for school rooms or jail cells. In short, retirees enhance our economic environment and create opportunities for greater prosperity that have the potential to benefit everyone in our community."

Ramsey also announced that at the request of Choose Chattanooga’s volunteer taskforce, he and Littlefield have appointed a formal board of directors to take the initiative to the next level.

Rick Meredith, assistant commissioner with the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (ECD), applauded the Chattanooga area’s proactive approach to job creation.

"When Governor Bredesen’s administration revamped the Three-Star Economic Development Certification,Hamilton County was the first major metro to attain the designation," Meredith said. "When we began exploring a state-wide designation for retirement under the same program,Hamilton County was the only major metro that was ready to be a part of the Retire Tennessee pilot program."

Ramay Winchester, economic development specialist with ECD and member of the AARC’s board of directors, pointed out that few larger communities are actively marketing themselves to retirees. "To my knowledge, Chattanooga is the largest community in the United States that has launched a dedicated retiree marketing initiative," Winchester said. "That’s something that sets you apart. In addition, the taskforce of volunteers who have developed Choose Chattanooga have created some extremely professional marketing materials. This community has a way of putting its best foot forward whenever it tells its story."

Greg Vital of Independent Healthcare Properties/Morning Pointe Assisted Living, Alexian Brothers, the Chamber, and the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau provided seed funding for developing and maintaining the initial components of the Choose Chattanooga marketing initiative, which include a brochure designed specifically to attract potential retirees, a relocation video, and the www.ChooseChattanooga.com website.

The web site includes target messages for retirees as well as young creatives and experienced professionals. The Chamber has also established and is monitoring a toll free number, 886-567-2134, for people seeking retirement information.