The Cookeville and Putnam County governments are partnering to create a multicultural advisory council with Impact Cookeville.
Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said growing diversity within the area prompted the need for the council.
“We’ve been working with the Impact leadership to try to come up with a council that will bring ideas to [Cookeville Mayor Ricky Shelton] and I to help with diversity in our community,” Porter said. “We have a lot of new companies that are moving here from Brazil, Spain, Italy, that are bringing employees to live here in Cookeville. We want to make sure those folks are welcomed.”
Porter said the council would help give voices to various groups around Cookeville and Putnam County who may not be well represented.
“We want them to be a very active council. We want the council to be diverse itself and from different groups,” Porter said.. “Not only bring us ideas, but to bring us solutions to issues that we may have and for that group to kind of be the spearhead to get these events and things we want to do going.”
The council would consist of six members with Porter and Shelton selecting three members each. At least one member would be either a current or former Impact leader.