Aaron Smith began his summer internship with AccelNow and the Holston Business Development Center in May. He is in his second year of his Masters of Public Administration Program with a Public Financial Management and a Nonprof it Development concentration.
Aaron’s internship was funded in part by The Bingham Endowment, an endowment established in part to fund research and visiting talent to benefit Tennessee cities. The Bingham Fund is administered by the Municipal Technical Advisory Service, or MTAS, an agency of the UT Institute for Public Service.
He was born and raised in eastern Texas and moved to western North Carolina in 2004. “I came up here on vacation and feel in love with the mountains,” said Smith. “I knew I had to live here.”
Aaron has an undergrad in Business Management from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX.
“It was a great working on CAD Camp this summer, gaining experience writing grant proposals, and helping with the future CO.STARTERS programs,” said Smith.
Aaron gained increased knowledge and appreciation related to economic development. The roles of accelerators, entrepreneurs and city government all working together to produce economic growth in our region.
When Aaron graduates in December, he hopes to work in the public sector in the fields of town management or public financial management. He has worked in the private sector for a long time and is excited for a new experience.
In his free time, Aaron enjoys many outdoor activities such as hiking, cyclocross bicycling and whitewater kayaking. |
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