Chattanooga, TN --- The U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announce an event for local veterans featuring the Mobile Vet Center. This free event takes place on the main campus of Chattanooga State in the Humanities Auditorium on September 27 from 7:30 -12:15 p.m. Attendance is limited to the first 350 veterans who register. Free parking will be available in the Center for Engineering, Technology, Arts and Sciences (CETAS), formerly the Olan Mills Warehouse, parking lot. Chattanooga State's Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) will host the event, with additional sponsorship courtesy of Cohutta Banking Company, a Synovus bank.

According to TSBDC Director Sharyn Moreland, "The purpose of the half-day event is to let local veterans know about the wide range of services available to them." The Mobile Vet Center (MVC) is one of several deployed nationwide offering access to readjustment counseling services for Veterans and their families in rural and underserved communities across the country. MVCs are customized with confidential counseling space and a state of the art communication package. Dr. James Catanzaro, president, Chattanooga State, will open the event with welcoming remarks on behalf of the College. Additional remarks by Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield and County Mayor Jim Coppinger are scheduled. The keynote speaker is General (Retired) B.B. Bell, a veteran with 39 years of service. He has a master's degree from the University of Southern California, and holds two honorary doctorate degrees. General Bell is a lifetime member of the New York based Council on Foreign Relations. In addition to traveling the country as a lecturer and speaker, he is currently a consultant for the Department of Defense.

The event includes panel discussions about opportunities in education, housing, and small business. Walter Perry, III, SBA Tennessee district director, will oversee the panel discussion on small business opportunities. Ed Ellis, Knoxville field office director, HUD, will lead the panel discussion on housing opportunities. Master Chief Petty Officer (Retired) Don Smith, assistant commissioner, Tennessee Department of Veterans Affairs, will be present to issue a "Challenge to Veterans and their Families." Participants will have the opportunity to network with panelists and others in attendance. Exhibitors from the areas of housing, small business, education and veterans affairs will