Christopher Watkins has taken over as the new Knoxville Economic Development Director.

Watkins is taking over for Glenn Lyons who recently retired at the end of June. Watkins’ most recent job was the assistant and then interim Economic Development Director for Marion County and before that was the Lucas County Economic Development Director in Chariton. Watkins tells KNIA/KRLS that the Knoxville position was appealing to him with how much progress is being made in the community.

“The things that have gone on in Knoxville have been just really neat to see and something that the community should be really proud of. Several aspects that make this job attractive; one, we have a council and a mayor that want progress, we have a city manager that also wants progress, and we have a community that is dying for it. You look at the VA District and the success that it’s had and some of the commercial projects that are going on currently, there are a lot of neat things going on.”

Hear from Watkins on today’s Let’s Talk Knoxville.