United States Senators Johnny Isakson and Bob Corker Headline Development Forum in Cobb

Isakson began his business career in 1967 when he opened the first Cobb County office of a small, family-owned real estate business, Northside Realty. He later served as president of Northside for 20 years, presiding over the company’s growth into the largest independent residential real estate brokerage company in the Southeast and one of the largest in America.

Senator Corker is the former Mayor of Chattanooga and will close the forum. Senator Corker worked 4 years as a construction superintendent and then started his own construction company with $8,000. The company grew as it quickly gained a reputation for meeting deadlines on time and under budget and eventually expanded to operations in 18 states. In 1999, Corker acquired two of the largest and oldest commercial real estate companies in Chattanooga.

During Senator Corker’s tenure as mayor, he brought over $2.1 billion of new investment to Chattanooga by putting in place crucial economic development tools to jump start the economy to attract jobs and businesses. He worked tirelessly with the Chamber to establish a recruitment program; he also worked with the county and state to develop a 1,200 acre industrial site, one of the Southeast’s most promising industrial parks. Corker worked with community leaders to establish partnerships to take advantage of Chattanooga’s location in the Technology Corridor and helped shape a new economy in the area.

In 2002 then-Mayor Corker announced a plan to completely reshape the face of Chattanooga through the 21st Century Waterfront Plan. After asking for community input, the result was a plan that changed the downtown for the better. Corker worked to establish a $120 million trust to fund the endeavor which came from revenue by taxes paid by visitors and from local donations. This entire effort was completed and left  no financial burden on the citizens.

Through his determination and collaboration with many in the Chattanooga community, Senator Corker, as Mayor, led a revitalization that spanned the economic, aesthetic, and educational lines of the City. He brought people from all walks of life together with a common goal of improving their community and the results have been outstanding.