Stacy Cox

10 Year Vision for Knoxville I believe that Knoxville can be both a regional and national leader in innovation among several industries. With neighboring resources like the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge our city has great potential as an incubator for new ideas that will inspire the current and next generation of entrepreneurs who can be at the forefront of new technological, scientific, medical and industrial breakthroughs. What is Knoxville's Best Kept Secret? Well, I am not sure it is a secret, but the dining options in our city are amazing! It seems like there are always new places to try with amazing menus that keep me coming back for more! What would you do to strengthen Knoxville? I think our city and county are already so very strong in many ways which is why our community is such a great place to live and work. Both the city and county are very attractive places for new business growth and economic development. To continue to support that for the future I would focus on strengthening our infrastructure and removing as many barriers as possible to promoting the growth and creation of new opportunities to attract and promote new business growth and development. What is your favorite Knoxville memory? I would have to say coming to the 1982 Worlds Fair with my cousins when I was 12 years old. This was my first trip to Knoxville and it was amazing! The Energy Expo theme with all of the futuristic structures and, at the time, cutting edge technological displays along with cultural and unique exhibits from other nations created memories that I will never forget. Experiencing that Worlds Fair is part of what inspired my dream of becoming an architect. What is your favorite book or what book is currently on your nightstand? I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan, but enjoy many genres. Currently I am reading #Gospel What is the best advice you have received from a mentor, and who was that mentor? I have had many wonderful mentors over the years and was blessed to spend the early part of my career working with the legendary Knoxville architect, Bruce McCarty. One of many fond memories I have of Bruce was during a jobsite visit when he said to me "your best project will always be your next one." I have taken that to heart and share with our team today that each project an architect designs is an opportunity for improvement based on previous experience. I also admired how Bruce was so well admired and respected in the community, not only for his reputation as a great architect, but for how involved and engaged he was in caring for our city and community. His life and career have always been inspirational to me and it was a privilege to learn from him. What advice would you give to your 16 year old self? My 16 year old self knew it all and probably wouldn't listen to me, but I would tell him to be a better listener anyway.