UT Institute for Public Service tells committee it delivered more than $2 billion in reported economic impact, outlines 2025 plans

Herb Berg, vice president of the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service, told the state and local government committee on a Feb. 2025 meeting that the institute’s agencies reported more than $2 billion in customer‑reported economic impact in the prior year and outlined program goals and new offerings for 2025.

Berg said the institute’s Center for Industrial Services accounted for roughly $2 billion of the reported impact by helping manufacturers win government contracts, reduce costs and adopt new technology. He said the center served 355 manufacturers last year and expects the unit to achieve $2.5 billion of customer‑reported economic impact in 2025. The center also plans to deliver basic manufacturing training to incarcerated individuals in a 10‑day “manufacturing boot camp” intended to teach entry‑level skills.

The County Technical Assistance Service, or CTAS, provided emergency response and technical support during recent flooding in Upper East Tennessee, Berg said. CTAS consultants assisted mayors, sheriffs, emergency managers, highway officials and property assessors during the event, and the unit trained 123 newly elected county officials last year through its County Officials Orientation Program. CTAS plans to develop an introduction to emergency management course for local officials and a solid‑waste certificate program for 2025.

Berg described work by the Law Enforcement Innovation Center, which developed an advanced leadership academy for the Memphis Police Department, added a fifth week to that curriculum and rolled out courses in human trafficking, forensic photography and a Spanish‑for‑law‑enforcement class. He said the center will add courses on cybercrimes and technology‑facilitated crimes in coordination with the Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice and related partners.

The Municipal Technical Advisory Service, MTAS, worked with cities on utility projects and hydrant maintenance, Berg said, citing projects with Morristown and Rockwood that involved wastewater planning and fire‑flow assessments. He said MTAS will survey municipal technology resources to identify opportunities to expand online services for residents.

Berg said the institute’s Center for Effective Leadership trained more than 8,000 local and state government officials last year and operates Tennessee’s certified public manager program, a 300‑plus‑hour course whose capstone projects produced a reported $24 million in economic impact in 2024. He said additional participants in the program this year are expected to generate further economic impacts.

The Tennessee Language Center provided interpretation and translation services, including translating a mayoral state‑of‑the‑metro address into Spanish and Arabic, Berg said, and was the first center in the Southeastern U.S. approved to offer a Japanese kanji aptitude test to students and educators.

SMART, the institute’s substance misuse and addiction resource, worked with more than 50 counties on plans to spend opioid abatement funds and partnered with private and public organizations to make naloxone (Narcan) available at large public music venues; Berg credited those efforts with reversing some overdoses. SMART plans to add an evaluation and research position to measure program effectiveness across participating counties.

Representative Scarborough (District 33) said he works with the Law Enforcement Innovation Center and praised the institute’s impact on Tennesseans. Representative Mitchell and Chair Howell also commended the institute; members asked whether the committee might organize a field trip to the institute’s new facility.

Berg closed his presentation by quoting a line from the Baker Center at the University of Tennessee: “Politics is an honorable undertaking and . . . public service is among the highest callings open to members of the human society,” which he presented as a reason for the institute’s partnership with legislators.

The committee adjourned upon a motion that was made and seconded and approved without objection.

Note: The institute’s figures and program descriptions above come from Berg’s presentation to the committee; amounts and program details are as reported by the presenter.