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Image Source: City of Gatlinburg
Mountain Tough. It’s a term that embodies many of the residents of Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It was seen in how they quickly responded to devastating wildfires that engulfed large portions of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and ravaged Gatlinburg in 2016. It can also be seen in the indomitable spirit of the community’s longtime and now retired city manager, Cindy Ogle.
In a job where the demands often lead to short tenures (one to two years, according to data from Zippia.com), Ogle maintained her post for 35 years. Ogle attributes her longevity, in part, to marrying her husband Bud and his highly respected family (the Ogles) in Gatlinburg. During her time leading the operational aspects of Gatlinburg’s government, Ogle has been the driving force behind a variety of initiatives that have gone on to shape a city that’s not only enjoyed by millions but cherished by the over 3,500 residents that call it home. These initiatives include driving annual revenue growth from $19.7 million in 1988 to over $100 million in 2023, establishing a variety of green initiatives, and the development of youth sports tourism flagship venue, Rocky Top Sports World.
Ogle answered a resounding ‘yes’ when asked if she always wanted to work in local (or state) government, however, her path to Gatlinburg was not direct. After earning a degree in social work from the University of Tennessee, Ogle set out to “play a small role in saving the world,” as she described it. While Ogle said it was difficult finding a job initially, she was able to start her career working for Congressman John Duncan, Sr. whom she was connected to through a college friend.
After working for Duncan for one year, Ogle moved back to the Volunteer State and began working for the University of Tennessee Department of Head Start Training, a position that aligned with her degree. But when a round of layoffs left her out of this position, Ogle pursued a Master of Public Administration from the University of Tennessee. It was there that a professor encouraged her to apply for an open position with the city. Ogle began her career with Gatlinburg in 1978 when she was hired as a grants coordinator, a move that set the ultimate path of her career. “I was going to get a little bit of experience under my belt and move on,” Ogle said. “That was 45 years ago.”
Rather than move on, she moved up. When the assistant city manager was promoted to city manager, Ogle took over as assistant city manager, where she’d serve the next decade before becoming city manager herself.
Ogle credits her time as assistant city manager as “on the job” training for her future role, allowing her to not only learn about the nuances of her community but also build relationships that would support her work in the years to come.
The 2016 wildfires claimed 14 victims and caused an estimated $2 billion in property damage. Ogle and her husband, Bud, lost their home in the fire. A tragedy that would have derailed many, seemed to only strengthen the determination of Ogle and others. Ogle, along with a group of business and civic leaders, worked tirelessly to ensure that the community rose above its circumstances. The city of Gatlinburg, and Sevier County, was only closed for 10-12 days before reopening. Though 2,500 structures burned to the ground during the fire, the city was rebuilt.
“We all made a commitment to each other to stay focused on the city,” Ogle said.
While Ogle humbly attributes the city’s re-emergence to the work of “many, many people,” the example that she set played an important role in overcoming the crisis.
Gatlinburg’s economy is built, in part, on tourism – being a go-to destination for those who enjoy mountain vacationing. And even with the area being the launching point for epic hiking, freshwater fishing, whitewater rafting adventures, and a variety of fun activities for over 12 million annual visitors, city leaders looked for new ways to attract people. In 2012, Ogle and others found it in the emerging youth sports tourism movement. “We’ve never been afraid to think outside of the box when it comes to economic development projects because we have to,” said Ogle.
Gatlinburg is surrounded on three sides by Great Smoky Mountain National Park. According to Ogle, this natural boundary often prevents them from expanding outward and seeking new developments. It also causes them to look at their current resources and property for development opportunities.
Conversations between local government leaders at the city and county level led to the idea of developing a sports complex on land adjacent to a local high school. It also led to an important assessment of their resources. “We could put together the physical aspects of the project, but the operations of it, the marketing of it, was out of our skill set,” said Ogle.
Considering what Ogle and other leaders felt was needed for the sports complex project to succeed, they engaged with The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC), a firm that partners with municipalities to plan, develop, and operate sports and recreation complexes, to assess the project’s feasibility. The city also worked with SFC to adjust the original plan in a way that best supported their desired outcomes. Gatlinburg later decided to engage SFC to operate the complex, which they’ve done since 2014.
Rocky Top Sports World is an 80-acre sports campus with seven outdoor fields and an 86,000-square-foot indoor facility with six basketball courts. The sports complex drove $76.3 million in economic impact in 2023 and has driven over $50 million of economic impact each of the last two years. The complex has become the benchmark for a wave of youth sports tourism complexes that have come along after it. “Every weekend – except maybe one or two – the place is packed,” Ogle said.
While Ogle and other leaders sought an outside partner to strike it big with Rocky Top Sports World, it tapped its business community and others when it came to bringing Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies, another key tourism asset, to Gatlinburg’s downtown. “We pulled out all the stops with getting the aquarium to come here. We bought the property and have a lease arrangement between the city and Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies for the footprint upon which they built the aquarium,” said Ogle.
The aquarium was an $18 million investment for the city of Gatlinburg, which was combined with a $48 million investment by Ripley’s Entertainment. Now in its 24th year of operation, the venue draws over one million visitors to the downtown area annually.
Image source: Adobe Stock
The successes of Rocky Top Sports World and Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies are key drivers of the incredible revenue growth that Gatlinburg has experienced during Ogle’s tenure. When asked about the keys to Gatlinburg’s growth, Ogle quickly points out, “If you’re managing a town that has one industry and you know what that industry is, you can be laser-focused on the things that you need to do for the people and growth of the community.”
Beyond her laser focus, Ogle has been an ardent driver of efficient government operations. She’s implemented environmentally friendly initiatives to help make Gatlinburg greener and streamline operating costs. During her tenure, Sevier Solid Waste was developed in a cooperative effort between Sevier County, Sevierville, Pigeon Forge, and Gatlinburg. The facility converts 60 percent of trash and recyclables to composted soil that residents can use. Trash and recyclable materials are processed together in a procedure that not only produces a useful product for residents but saves the time and money of processing them separately.
When looking at Ogle’s tenure as city manager on paper, several initiatives and accomplishments stand out. From Rocky Top Sports World and the Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies to the development of a convention center, Ogle has played a vital role in building the Gatlinburg that residents and visitors enjoy today. But when you talk to Ogle, you’re immediately struck by her unwavering faith and unflinching commitment to her community. For all the successes over nearly 50 years of service, there were also many challenges. However, Ogle stayed the course and has made an impact on the city that can be seen when people walk its streets.
“I think that God intended for me to stay in Gatlinburg and to ultimately do what I have been blessed to do all these years,” Ogle said.
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