In the fall of 2010, the Sewanee Business Alliance (SBA) filed legal its “document of incorporation” with the State of Tennessee. Leading the effort was Louis W. Rice Jr., John Goodson, Ed Hawkins, and Jimmy Wilson. The mission of the Sewanee Business Alliance is to support business growth and development, as well as local efforts to help our neighbors, and to help create a welcoming and caring community. The pandemic has been difficult, but together we have continued working to make a difference in our town.

Friends and neighbors in Sewanee have noticed the many areas where the SBA has impacted the community over the past ten years, including:

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

• Placing the “Welcome to Sewanee” banner on the side of Taylor’s Mercantile;
• Supporting the University’s moving University Book & Supply Store to Downtown;
• Helping the University raise funds for Village improvements during the annual Tiger Tuesday events ( $24,000 in 2020);
• Participating in the “Finding Your Place” program with the University to welcome incoming freshmen to Sewanee;
• Participating in the University’s Domain and Student Flex Dollars program;
• Producing a promo video for Sewanee;
• Assisting in the creation of the Village Improvement Plan.
• ANGEL PARK
• Planned and coordinated building Angel Park with dozens of community partners;
• Producing free community-wide concerts, and plays for Friday Nights in the Park during the summer;
• Hosting Sewanee Summer Music Festival events in Angle Park;
• Producing the annual AngelFest children’s events and free concert each Fall;
• Producing the annual Christmas tree lighting in Angel Park complete with Santa, carolers, hot chocolate, and cookies;

COMMUNITY SERVICE

• Maintaining Angel Park;
• Actively fund-raises for the Monteagle-Sewanee Rotary’s Hunger Walk, Housing Sewanee, and Mountain Goat Trail Alliance;
• Providing Angel Park to nonprofits for free;
• Facilitating the installation of free wi-fi in Angel Park;
• Paying for, and installing lighting for the Angel Park with community partners;
• Purchasing multi-colored Adirondack chairs for downtown and Angle Park;
• Producing “Light Up the Village” each December and January providing and installing LED Christmas lights for all participating Village businesses and the Post Office;
• Hosting the Sewanee Fourth of July Street Dance in conjunctions with the Sewanee Fourth of July Committee;
• Assisting in the creation of the Village Improvement Plan.

COVID RESPONSE

• Joining with the Sewanee Civic Association in support of the “37375 Campaign”, raising $21,000 for COVID-related health and safety items for area churches, schools, nonprofits, and businesses;
• Developing and administering a “General Relief Fund” to collect donations from local citizens and award economic aid grants to local businesses;
• Holding weekly SBA teleconference calls with information sharing on how the business district could stay united and safe for employees and community members, and:
• Purchasing and distributing masks and hand sanitizer, putting up signage telling people they must wear a mask, and installing plexiglass shields for everyone that sees the public from the Post Office up and down the street.

A FEW WORDS OF THANKS AND RECOGNITION
We are deeply grateful to everyone in the Sewanee community and at the University of the South.  We have had no greater ally than Frank Gladu who represented the University with great distinction and class. Frank is beloved and cherished by the members of SBA, and we wish him the best in his retirement.

Right now, the Sewanee, like the rest of the country, is dealing with the worst public health and economic crisis to hit the Mountain in decades. To ride out the storm, a “General Relief Fund” was started. It was supported by generous donations from residents and friends who believe, as we do, that a lively and diversified commercial district is vital to the economic and social sustainability of both the community and the University. Funds were used by SBA member businesses to pay urgent expenses ranging from rent to utility bills. A three-person committee of town residents reviewed the applications and authorized payments. The SBA thanks them for their service.

The Sewanee Business Alliance and its 42 members, thank the entire Sewanee community for all of its kindness to us and partnerships alongside us—past, present, and future. It’s been our privilege to work with you over the past decade as we all strive to make Sewanee a little bit better every day, every month, every year.  

When the pandemic subsides, we will return our focus to the civic engagement, economic development goals, and beautification projects which have been the hallmark of the SBA over the past years.