Denise Rice
Tennessee Chamber President and CEO Bradley Jackson on Tuesday named longtime manufacturing veteran and Hamilton County resident Denise Rice as the incoming Director of the Tennessee Manufacturers Association. Founded in 1912, the Tennessee Chamber serves as the Tennessee Manufacturers Association and is the exclusive statewide partner with the National Association of Manufacturers.
A former manufacturing plant manager and operations director for Cormetech’s manufacturing facility in Cleveland, Tennessee, Ms.
Rice is the founder and president of Peak Performance, Inc, a workforce training and industry consulting agency specializing in the instruction of lean manufacturing techniques and strategic business planning designed to optimize operational efficiency. She brings over 25 years of combined career experience in various manufacturing specialties across Tennessee, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and New York and has served on the board of the Tennessee Chamber and the Chattanooga-based Tennessee Association of Manufacturers.
Ms. Rice is also a renowned advocate for engaging young students in industrial education and STEM learning, working with Cleveland State Community College’s OneSource Workforce Readiness Center and serving as an industry advisor to Cleveland High and Walker Valley High School’s engineering programs. In her new role, she will be responsible for planning and directing organizational and programmatic activities for the Tennessee Manufacturers Association under the operational umbrella of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
In announcing her appointment, Tennessee Chamber Board Chairman Greg Martz said, “After an extensive search, we are thrilled that Denise will be joining the Tennessee Chamber. Having managed a facility in Tennessee, Denise understands the challenges of manufacturers and is uniquely qualified to spearhead operations for Tennessee’s premier manufacturing advocacy organization.”
“It’s an honor to work with manufacturers and the state chamber. Manufacturing in Tennessee has a long and rich history, and I look forward to leveraging both the existing statewide manufacturing network of the Tennessee Chamber and growing our outreach and work around manufacturing,” added Ms. Rice.