BusinessTN

So many powerful people. So little space. Business TN’s annual list of the most powerful Tennesseans is an exhaustive research project that includes input from dozens of top decision-makers and sources across the state. Along the way, some interesting perspectives on power get debated that don’t materialize on the final list. The following is a small taste of some of those perspectives, presented in the form of BTN power awards.

Bi-Border Power: Jerry Miller, highly influential Tri-Cities businessman and founder of Kingsport-based Holston Medical Group, the largest independent, multi-specialty group practice in the area of northeastern Tennessee and southwestern Virginia.

Most Powerful Landholder: PSC Metals, owner and operator of the scrap metal operation adjacent to LP Field on the Cumberland River in downtown Nashville. Nashville’s powers that be would love to see PSC relocate so developers could conduct a dramatic transformation of the key urban locale.

Most Powerful Person with “Power” in His Actual Name: Tennessee House of Representatives Minority Leader Jason Mumpower, the not-yet-40-year-old Bristol representative leading the opposition voice of the House Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Out-of-State Celebrity Most Likely to be a Future Force: Peyton Manning, the Super Bowl MVP, who is married to a Memphian and already has significant investments in Tennessee, including part ownership of a chain of athletic training facilities, as well as a Knoxville hotel.

Most Prominent Forfeiture of Power: Bill Baxter, former TVA chairman, who oversaw the smooth transition to the new part-time corporate oversight board running America’s largest public utility. But Baxter was the sole vote against TVA’s new land policy halting land swaps with developers and later forfeited his seat on the board.

The “Farthest the Fastest” Award: UT-Knoxville men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl, who in resurrecting a program historically under the shadow of men’s football and women’s basketball has become a darling of the Big Orange Kingdom, arguably placing big-time pressure on UT men’s football coach Phil Fulmer to win. (Note: University of Memphis coach John Calipari has less dramatically but more effectively restored his program to national prominence.)

The Most Influential, Least-Touted Voice in Gov. Bredesen’s Circle: Drew Kim, Bredesen’s policy director, who is among the first voices Bredesen hears regarding priorities and strategy and who spearheaded the governor’s push into Pre-K programming.

The “Power Beyond the Music” Award: country music stars Tim McGraw and Toby Keith. Keith’s Show Dog Nashville is a new breed of entertainment company and has a bright future as a fixture on the Nashville music scene. McGraw, also a new music group owner and part-owner of Nashville’s professional arena football team, the Kats, has openly professed an interest in one day being Tennessee’s Democratic governor.