By Clint Confehr

Senior Staff Writer

Education, communication and marketing are at the root of Austin Mowell's prescription for a bright future in Marshall County, according to five points he's to outline Tuesday when the Robertson Fork Community resident speaks to a countywide panel.

"Work to keep talented people in the county," says Mowell, an employee of H&S Pharmacy No. 2 where the 17-year-old, son of Tony and Torie Mowell, Mooresville Road, works after classes at Marshall County High School. The senior says barriers should be built to work like a magnet to keep people here and attract investment.

Mowell, on his own, drafted his plan to improve the county, took it to MCHS Principal Keith Stacey and the two went to the executive committee meeting of the Joint Economic and Community Development Board on March 12 when the student listed five towns where he's lived, their populations and notable features. Tuesday at noon, Mowell is to speak to the entire panel of the JECDB in Lewisburg City Hall.

Appropriating more money for schools is what Mowell says to explain one of his five points. Education leads to a diversity of interests, he says, advocating a mix of ideas and talent.

"Invest into the future, into our school system," Mowell wrote. "Marshall County can try to recruit businesses, but if Marshall County does not have people who are qualified to work those jobs, companies will not locate here."

Mowell has lived in Fayetteville, Clarksville, Oxford, Ala., and Crestview, Fla. He offers communication tactics he's seen elsewhere when he recommends posting Marshall County's plan for the future on the Internet to provide information to businessmen.

"Take the plan and share it with the world," he said. "Build a website that competes with the best."

Do it like Clarksville and Williamson County so businesses can get information on their own, he said. On Monday, Mowell quoted another city's welcome sign: "Welcome to Clarksville, the Gateway to the New South."

Marshall County needs a comprehensive plan, he said: "not just for the next five years, but for the next 30-40 years... Lay out what Marshall County foresees for itself - what employers, environment and real estate development."

Such a plan should come with optimism, Mowell said. "Build up Marshall County; get people excited about being in Marshall County again."

The way to build optimism is through marketing, he said.

Marshall County Commissioner Tom Sumners attended the executive committee meeting of the JCDB when Mowell spoke.

Asked if Mowell's plan is realistic, Sumners replied, "From my point of view, it is."

After graduating from MCHS, Mowell plans to attend the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga where he wants to major in business administration and minor in political science. He has an interest in salesmanship and says he likes the idea of holding an elected government office after working in the business world.

"We're thinking about adding him to our community development board," Sumners said.