Agenda

TimeEventLocation
DAY 0:Tuesday, July 28th, 2026
5:00 - 7:00pm(OPTIONAL: Casual working dinner for attendees who arrive the night before and looking to jumpstart networking and collaboration!)Calhoun's (Turkey Creek)
625 Turkey Cove Lane
Knoxville, TN 37934
DAY 1:Wednesday, July 29th, 2026ORNL Hardin Valley Campus: Building 2350 (MDF)
2350 Cherahala Blvd. Knoxville, TN 37932
9:00 - 9:30amArrival and check-in
Pre-registration is required for this workshop
ORNL: Hardin Valley Campus, Bldg. 2350 (MDF)
Room: 112 A-C
2350 Cherahala Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37932
9:30 - 10:15amWelcome and opening remarks
Dr. Edgar Lara-Curzio (ORNL)

Ronné Adkins (TDEC)
ORNL: Hardin Valley Campus, Bldg. 2350 (MDF)
Room: 112 A-C
2350 Cherahala Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37932
10:15 - 10:30amWorkshop overview: Purpose, Priorities, Plan
Crystal Warren (TDEC)
ORNL: Hardin Valley Campus, Bldg. 2350 (MDF)
Room: 112 A-C
2350 Cherahala Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37932
10:30 - 11:30amMaterials Reuse Opportunities
This session will provide an overview of key industrial waste streams across Tennessee and discuss current trends shaping waste management in the manufacturing sector. The session will also explore emerging technologies for advanced reprocessing of composite materials, highlighting promising innovations and their potential applications in industry.

Speakers:
Vaughn Cassidy (TDEC)

Matt Korey (ORNL)
ORNL: Hardin Valley Campus, Bldg. 2350 (MDF)
Room: 112 A-C
2350 Cherahala Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37932
11:30 - 11:45amBreak
11:45 - 1:00pm

Working Lunch:
Division Insights from TDEC Regulatory Divisions' Deputy Directors and Conversations

Enjoy a series of quick updates followed by a facilitated roundtable where panelists and participants exchange best practices, talk through challenges, and explore opportunities. Open discussion encouraged.

Moderator:
Jeremy Hooper (TDEC)

Panelists:
Air Pollution Control:
Martie Carpenter (TDEC)

Land Protection:
Robert Wilkinson (TDEC)
Brett Harris (Consultant for TDEC)


Water Resources:
Michael Atchley (TDEC)


Catered lunch (Brown Bag)

ORNL: Hardin Valley Campus, Bldg. 2350 (MDF)
Room: 112 A-C
2350 Cherahala Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37932
1:00 - 2:00pmOpportunities for Fleet Emission Reduction and State of Tennessee Efforts to Address Mobile Source Emissions
TDEC to share updates on current emissions data in Tennessee, the impacts this has on industrial fleets, and explore opportunities to collaborate with manufacturers.

Speakers:
Mark Finlay (TDEC)

Jonathan Overly (TN Clean Fuels Coalition)

Darcy Ayers (TN Clean Fuels Coalition)
ORNL: Hardin Valley Campus, Bldg. 2350 (MDF)
Room: 112 A-C
2350 Cherahala Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37932
2:00 - 2:15pmBreak
2:15 - 3:15pmPanel Session 1:
Tennessee’s Technical Assistance Network: Insights and ImpactThis dynamic session will highlight the organizations supporting Tennessee’s manufacturers. Panelists will introduce their roles, share real‑world case studies from manufacturing partners, and highlight the practical assistance they provide. After brief spotlights, the panel will shift to a moderated conversation and open Q&A.

Moderator:
Caleb Powell (TDEC)

Panelists:
Dr. Jeff Marchetta (University of Memphis)

Todd Reeves (TN Manufacturing Extension Partnership)
ORNL: Hardin Valley Campus, Bldg. 2350 (MDF)
Room: 112 A-C
2350 Cherahala Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37932
3:15 - 4:15pmPanel Session 2:
P2 Success Stories & Employee Buy-Ins

The panel of industry partners/participants will share success stories, best practices, leading into an open discussion with attendees and other participants.

Moderator:
Vaughn Cassidy (TDEC)

Panelists:
Terri Burnett (Bridgestone)

Corey Sawyer (The Magnum Ice Cream Company)

Jacqui Sikora (Sumitomo Riko)
ORNL: Hardin Valley Campus, Bldg. 2350 (MDF)
Room: 112 A-C
2350 Cherahala Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37932
4:15 - 4:30pmRecapORNL: Hardin Valley Campus, Bldg. 2350 (MDF)
Room: 112 A-C
2350 Cherahala Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37932
4:30pmAdjourn Day 1
5:00pmAfter Hours Networking at Orange Hat Brewery
No-host
Orange Hat Brewery
10246 Hardin Valley Road
Knoxville, TN, 37932
DAY 2Thursday, July 30thORNL Hardin Valley Campus: Building 2350 (MDF)
2350 Cherahala Blvd. Knoxville, TN 37932
8:00 - 8:15amCheck-inORNL: Hardin Valley Campus, Bldg. 2350 (MDF)
Room: 112 A-C
2350 Cherahala Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37932
8:15 - 8:45amRECAP of Day 1 & Opportunities for Discussion
(Coffee / breakfast)

Moderator:
Crystal Warren (TDEC)
ORNL: Hardin Valley Campus, Bldg. 2350 (MDF)
Room: 112 A-C
2350 Cherahala Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37932
8:45 - 9:45amBetter Buildings, Better Plants
Overview of the BB/BP program, including the Energy Boot Camp, case studies, and open discussion with participants.

Speaker:
Dr. Sachin Nimbalkar (ORNL)
ORNL: Hardin Valley Campus, Bldg. 2350 (MDF)
Room: 112 A-C
2350 Cherahala Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37932
9:45 - 10:00amBreak
10:00 - 11:00amCritical Materials Recovery:
Leveraging AI and autonomous robots to safely accelerate (hard drive and) battery separation for reuse in energy storage solutions.

Speaker:
Jonathan Harter (ORNL)
11:00 - 11:15amBreak
11:15 - 12:15pmPanel Session:
Hot Topics Discussion: A facilitated conversation to include items such as SM2ART, Workforce Development, and reducing the use of toxic materials, followed by Q&A.

Moderator / Panelist:
Crystal Warren (TDEC)

Panelists:
Emily Leonard (TDEC)

Soydan Ozcan (ORNL)
ORNL: Hardin Valley Campus, Bldg. 2350 (MDF)
Room: 112 A-C
2350 Cherahala Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37932
12:15 - 1:45pmWorking Lunch:
Define research and industry's deployment priorities, building off of the breakout session summaries: What can DOE and National Labs focus on to make the most impact?
ORNL: Hardin Valley Campus, Bldg. 2350 (MDF)
Room: 112 A-C
2350 Cherahala Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37932
1:45 - 2:00pmSplit out into tour groups:
4 groups of ~15
ORNL: Hardin Valley Campus, Bldg. 2350 (MDF)
Room: 112 A-C
2350 Cherahala Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37932
2:00 - 4:15pmTours of Hardin Valley Campus (HVC)
Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF)

Grid Research Innovation and Development Center (GRID-C)

National Transportation Research Center (NTRC)
4:15 - 4:30pmRecap and Opportunities for collaboration and/or future work discussionORNL: Hardin Valley Campus, Bldg. 2350 (MDF)
Room: 112 A-C
2350 Cherahala Blvd.
Knoxville, TN 37932
4:30pmAdjourn Day 2