Page 47 - Cityview Jan-Feb 2017

have enough. We worked with folkslike then Senator Tim Burchett and we got legislation passed to allow dogs on patios, so that, now when I walk down Market Square, and see all the dogs on patios, it always makes me smile to see all the people being able to enjoy their pets as a result. There was also the idea for the dog parks. We had some extra land at our o ce, and we put a dog park on it. It was amazing to see how many people used it so we decided to try todo more dog parks.And every one we builtpeople loved so wecontinued to do them.And now I think we’vegot seven, with threemore to come.Korda: So that was a good solution for the rst problem,and the second?Boyd: We also needed an easy way for owners to have their pet spayed or neutered.Korda: What is the euthanization rate today in Knox County?Boyd: It is about 5,000so it’s still 5,000 toomany, but it’s about60% less than it wasjust six years ago. We’re making progress. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re making progress.Korda: You’ve gone from business into a quasi-political position. Why did you want to make that move?Boyd: To make a di erence, and because the governor asked me. Initially, he asked me to do something that I was passionate about, and that was providing access to education for young people. Starting with America’s Most Pet-Friendly initiative I went tothen-mayor Mike Ragsdale and asked him to help me create these dog parks. He said “that’s a great idea, but I want you to do a favor for me in return,I want you to help me create an opportunity for every single high school student in Knox County to go to a technical community college free of charge.” For me, it was like the Pearl Harbor Moment. It’s like when Roosevelt came on the radio and said that our country had been bombed.students] need to do one-days’ worth of community service. The third part of the program was match each one of them up with a mentor, somebody that had actually been to college and could guide them because our target was those young people that had never had anybody in their family go to college. As a result, the first year we sent 330 kids to college. 68% were the first ones in their family to go to college; 75% had a family income ofunder $50,000. A few years later, we were in 14 counties. One of my board members Mayor Haslam was elected Governor, and said “this is a great idea. Roll it out across the state.” Three years after that, we were in 27 counties including Shelby and Davidson, offering scholarships to 24,000 students.In our last year as a private organization, with money being raised by donors for the scholarships, we sent 5,000 kids to school matched with 2,200 mentors. In that period, we raised 15 million dollars from private donors.Korda: Is it still operating today and who’s running it?Boyd: Krissy DeAlejandro, who was Mayor Ragsdale’s Assistant Chiefof Sta at the time. The Tennessee Achieves Organization is now operating Tennessee Promise. The reason the Governor asked me to come work for him in the rst place was to help be a special advisor on higher education.I didn’t really want to do it, and I said you know, I’m a business guy, and I don’t think I’m going to really like being in government. I resisted, but it’s hardWhen he shared that idea with me,I couldn’t say no, so we createda program that would send every single high school student in Knox County to a community college or technical college on a Last Dollar Scholarship, meaning that the money that was required would be paid by local donors. My job was to raise the money. The second thing, was from my being a Boy Scout: when you earned a merit badge you always had to do community service. So for every semester they go to college [theseJANUARY FEBRUARY 2017 45v