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Memphis, Tennessee (Friday, Nov. 3, 2023) — The Greater Memphis Chamber today announced the launch of the Academy of Innovation for Memphis (AIM), which aims to make the region the most efficient and productive market in the nation through its training, assessment, and consulting services.

Led by internationally renowned organizational efficiency expert and author Dr. Donn Fisher, AIM offers in-person and virtual programs, including Lean Six Sigma certifications, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence training and/or assessments, Process Activated Training System® (PATS) training/implementation, succession planning, project management training, and more. For a full list of the services AIM provides, visit MemphisChamber.com/AIM.

“The Academy of Innovation for Memphis is a unique and invaluable competitive advantage for our region,” said Ted Townsend, President & CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber. “AIM helps organizations become more strategic, which saves them time and money and frees them to reinvest in growing their operations. And there is no one more qualified to lead AIM than Dr. Fisher, one of the foremost experts in this field.”

The Chamber decided to launch AIM following the 2022 closure of the Mid-South Quality Productivity Center (MSQPC), which was a joint venture between the Chamber and Southwest Tennessee Community College. AIM Executive Director Donn Fisher, Ph.D., previously served as the head of MSQPC, which was the region’s leading source of efficiency and productivity training for 34 years.

To celebrate the launch of AIM, the Chamber is offering a free efficiency assessment to its members who are at the Board of Advisors ($5,000 per year) and Board of Governors ($10,000 per year) levels.

“It’s unheard of for a chamber to offer efficiency and productivity programs of this quality and at this level,” said Dr. Fisher, who has written 18 productivity-related books over his 30-year career. “We offer a full suite of services, including helping train teams on the international standards used at Ford’s nearby BlueOval City manufacturing campus, writing training scripts, and creating succession plans. The aim of AIM is to make sure Memphis continues to be a globally recognized hub of productivity and efficiency.”

Over the past 30 years, Dr. Fisher has assessed more than 150 organizations worldwide, including FedEx, Memphis-Shelby County Schools, the City of Germantown, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Cargill Sweeteners NA (Cargill Corn Milling), Cotton Board, Thailand Productivity Institute, the University of Galway (Ireland), Hong Leong Management Group, Republic of Mauritius, U.S. Air Force Quality Institute – Maxwell AFB, Cigna, and more.

“The quality assurance and best practices provided by the Chamber’s Academy of Innovation for Memphis is a game changer for HopeWorks,” said Ron Wade, Executive Director of HopeWorks, which helps people in Memphis and the Mid-South find meaningful employment through Adult Education, Employment Services, and Holistic Reentry. “Dr. Fisher’s experience and passion for providing strategic planning and especially Process Activation Training Systems (PATS) has reduced the anxiety of succession planning within our organization. He is an internationally respected expert with a wealth of experience and an enduring passion for efficiency and accuracy, and Memphis is blessed to have him.”

Businesses interested in scheduling an assessment or training can send an email to Dr. Fisher at dfisher@memphischamber.com.

Media inquiries: Email Ryan Poe, Director of Communications, Greater Memphis Chamber.

About the Academy of Innovation for Memphis: The Greater Memphis Chamber’s Academy of Innovation for Memphis (AIM) works to improve the efficiency and productivity of organizations through training, assessment, and consulting services. Led by Executive Director Dr. Donn Fisher, an internationally renowned expert on productivity and efficiency, AIM offers a wide range of in-person and online programs, including Lean Six Sigma certifications, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence training and/or assessments, strategic succession planning, and more. Learn more at MemphisChamber.com/AIM. 

About the Greater Memphis Chamber: One of Memphis’ oldest institutions, the Greater Memphis Chamber is a privately funded nonprofit that serves as the region’s lead economic development organization and the “Voice of Memphis Business” on local, state, and national issues. The Chamber builds a greater Memphis for all — through economic and workforce development, pro-growth advocacy, and by providing support and resources to its investors, which include many of the region’s largest employers. Learn more by visiting memphischamber.com and memphismoves.com, following the Chamber on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, and subscribing to its weekly newsletter the Memphis Fourword.