Rick Lee, Stephen R. Elliott and Associates

You are a success in your hometown. You are known in business and political circles. What do you do to challenge yourself? If you are Rick Lee of Stephen R. Elliott and Associates, you pack-up and move to Chattanooga. "I needed a change," Lee said. And that is how a prominent architect from Waynesville, North Carolina found his way to the Scenic City.

Lee grew up in the mountains of Western Carolina and followed his father into architecture. In early 2000, he decided he wanted to make a break from his roots. "I utilized the Internet to investigate firms looking for a principal," Lee said. His search pointed him to Charlotte, Atlanta and to Stephen R. Elliott and Associates in Chattanooga.

"I was going to Atlanta. It was a big firm, fast-paced and in a sense I wanted to prove to myself I could do that, " Lee explained. Atlanta would also be a homecoming of sorts for the Georgia Tech graduate.

Something happened on the way to Atlanta, though. "I came here (to Chattanooga as part of his investigation of his options) and started thinking about what would be best for my family," Lee said. "I started thinking about quality of life." Lee said he had never been to Chattanooga before but his first visit, including dinner in the Bluff View Art District. sold him on the community.

"I wanted a city to live in that had a human sense. I wanted a firm that offered a family atmosphere--one that if my son stopped by to visit, they would know him and make him feel welcome," Lee said. Chattanooga and Stephen R. Elliott and Associates fit the bill for Lee. "The people here are friendlier and the real estate is much more attractive" and affordable, he said.

Lee cited the response to civic meetings like the public art brainstorming held recently that attracted some 400 residents. "This city has revitalized itself virtually overnight," he sadi.  "No one is satisfied with the status quo."