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TN Business Retention and Expansion

A man holds a glass plaque noting 100 years of business.

June 16-17, 2026

Chattanooga, TN

TN Certified Economic Developer Program

Course Details

Date:
June 16-17, 2026

Course Times:
Onsite Check-in 9:30 a.m. ET
10:00 AM - 5:30 p.m. ET
8:00 AM - 12:30 p.m. ET

Agenda:
Coming Soon!

Course Fee:
Registration: $445 | Early Registration $395 (by: May 25, 2026)

Location:
Chattanooga Marriott Downtown, Two Carter Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402

Hotel Information & Link:
Chattanooga Marriott Downtown, Two Carter Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402

Please Note:
Chattanooga Marriott Downtown | Two Carter Street, Chattanooga, TN 37402

A limited number of rooms have been reserved at a discounted rate of $117. Make your reservations by May 22, 2026 to receive the groups rate. Reserve your room and select the dates you need to stay for our group rate. Please book early as the block could fill up.

The group rate is available exclusively to registered course attendees. Reservations will be verified against the official course roster.



The registration fee covers course instruction. Course materials, selected meals and refreshment breaks are complimentary. Registration does not cover hotel and other travel expenses. Registration is limited and is filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Please make payment for the course no later than 10 business days before the course start date. If payment is not received, you risk having your registration cancelled to make room for those on the wait list.

Cancellations made 10 business days or more before the course start date will be eligible for a full refund or credit toward a future TCED course. Cancellations made less than 10 business days will be eligible for credit only, minus a $100 cancellation fee.

The hotel group rate provided on this page is available exclusively to registered course attendees. Reservations will be verified against the official course roster. Reserve your room and select the dates you need to stay for the group rate. Please book early as the reserved block of rooms could fill up.

A limited number of scholarships are available to course participants from Tennessee. Scholarships do not include hotel, travel or meals.

If applying for a scholarship, please register for the class to save a seat and choose the "Invoice" option. If a scholarship is not awarded, the participant may decide to keep the seat or withdraw at the time of notification with no penalty. Scholarships are non-transferable.

Download the Scholarship Application, or get more information about scholarships on our Scholarships webpage.

If you need assistance accessing your account, please contact us at 615-253-6371 or email us. You may also register by submitting a Course Registration Form by email. 

The attire for the course is business casual.


Meet Your

TCED Course Instructor

Laith Wardi Instructor Photo

Laith Wardi

Laith Wardi, CEcD, has worked in the economic development profession for over 30 years.
He started his career in Erie County, Pennsylvania—focusing on entrepreneurial development and business
retention & expansion (BRE) outreach initiatives. He later transitioned into regional management of an eight county BRE program across Northwest Pennsylvania.

In 2000, Laith founded ExecutivePulse, Inc.—a CRM provider to thousands of economic development,
government, and allied professionals across North America and beyond. He sold that firm in 2025 and
started Gem City Growth Strategies--an economic development consulting and strategy services company.

In 2002, Laith received his economic development certification (CEcD) through The International Economic
Development Council (IEDC) in Washington, DC. He provided certification training for that organization from 1996 to 2025. During his tenure with them, Laith trained roughly 10,000 economic development
professionals on best practices business retention & expansion strategies, tools, and tactics. In 2024, he
cowrote the current BRE certification manual for IEDC.

Laith is a longtime instructor for the industry’s other main education and governing body, Oklahoma
University’s Economic Development Institute (OUEDI). Each year, he conducts two eight-week online business retention & expansion courses for that organization. He also created the certification curriculum for this course of study.

Laith is a frequent speaker and presenter to economic development and allied audiences throughout the US and Canada on globalization, talent/workforce, resiliency, and AI/technology assimilation topics. He
conducts certification training for a number of states and has done limited speaking and training
engagements in Europe and Mexico as well.

Laith has sat on many community and economic development boards in Northwest Pennsylvania. Currently, he serves on both The Tom Ridge Environmental Center and Millcreek Township General Authority.