ThereNext - Economic Development Consulting & Strategic Advising

Our Founder

Jermaine Freeman, M.B.A.

Founder, ThereNext Strategies

Jermaine established ThereNext Strategies after serving in varying roles within the Office of The Mayor of Chattanooga, most recently as the Chief of Staff. Jermaine served as the Chief of Staff to Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly for two years. Prior to becoming Chief of Staff, Jermaine served as Mayor Kelly’s top economic development advisor, serving as Senior Advisor for Economic Opportunities, in a role that Mayor Kelly appointed him to shortly after the Mayor took office in 2021.

Before joining the Kelly Administration, Jermaine served as Deputy Chief of Staff to former Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke, from 2020 until the end of Mayor Berke’s last term in 2021.

Before becoming Deputy Chief of Staff, Jermaine served as Director of Economic Programs, where his work focused on assisting small businesses and entrepreneurs with technical assistance, small business grants, and wayfinding.

Over the course of his time in local government, Jermaine spearheaded, coordinated, and collaborated on a number of projects and initiatives under two mayoral administrations, including small business awards to eligible entrepreneurs and small business enterprises, affordable housing projects, major business expansion projects involving real estate and tax incentives, including tax increment financing and payments-in-lieu of taxes. Jermaine also worked on initiatives with the City of Chattanooga’s Office of Public Safety and Office of Community Health; Office of Sustainability; Department of Equity & Community Engagement; Department of Finance & Administration; and a number of City boards, including the City of Chattanooga’s Industrial Development Board; Land Bank Authority; Sports Authorities; Health, Education, and Housing Facilities Board; and the Chattanooga Downtown Redevelopment Corporation.

His experience also includes collaborating and supporting a number of area nonprofit, quasi-governmental; and philanthropic organizations, including the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority; Electric Power Board (EPB); Chattanooga Housing Authority; Chattanooga Tourism Company; Enterprise Center; AIM Center; Launch CHA; Co.Lab; United Way; Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga; Hamilton County Department of Education; Benwood Foundation; Trust for Public Land; Urban League of Greater Chattanooga; and Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.

Jermaine earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, and his Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. His education and work provided opportunities for immersive experiences in Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Cuba, Brazil, South Africa, Russia, Kenya, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Japan, and South Korea.