Leadership Tennessee announces third class
Kim Chaudoin | 615.966.6494 |
Lipscomb University’s Nelson and Sue Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership today announced the 2015-16 class for Leadership Tennessee, a leadership education program designed to cultivate a network of business, nonprofit, education and government leaders who are committed to addressing the state’s challenges and opportunities.
The class includes 34 business, government, education and nonprofit leaders from across Tennessee.
“Leadership Tennessee is designed for top leaders across the state to learn from different perspectives, but also to understand the collaborative nature of conversation and action that will continue to move our state ahead,” said Cathy Cate, executive director of Leadership Tennessee and director of community leadership programs for the Andrews Institute. “In the first two years of the program we have seen how relationships developed and strengthened among our participants and have led to collaborations and more informed decision making that benefits all Tennesseans.”
Leadership Tennessee is a 10-month program that provides collaborative learning and dialogue spanning the state’s three grand divisions, issue-specific education for demonstrated leaders, a diverse representation of participants and opportunities to affect change. It will meet several times as a group in addition to participating in other activities, research and projects throughout the year.
The program was launched in August 2013. Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam said he believes the program is beneficial to the state.
“I strongly believe that this experience will help the participants personally and will help make our state stronger,” he said. “When we learn more about other parts of the state, we understand issues more fully and can make more collaborative, informed decisions. I also appreciate the thought leadership of this group. This is a great program for Tennessee.”
Past classes have focused on key issues impacting the state including education, government efficiency and health and wellness. During the course of the program, each class participates in learning and conversation designed to give them a greater understanding of the complex issues affecting the success of the state. The 2015-16 Leadership Tennessee class will commence with a retreat in August.
Program participants said they have gained new perspective through Leadership Tennessee.
“This initiative has given me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to develop lifelong professional and personal friendships with leaders across our great state,” said Jamie Woodson, president and CEO of the Tennessee State Collaborative on Reforming Education in Nashville, and member of the program’s inaugural class.
“While I have lived in West, Middle and East Tennessee, this experience provides a deeper understanding of the unique and diverse communities throughout our state in interactive, meaningful, and fun ways,” she continued. “As Tennesseans, we have an audacious goal for our state to be the best state in the nation to live, work and play. Initiatives like Leadership Tennessee that help build strong and productive relationships between leaders across the state will help us achieve that goal.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed the program,” said Michael Ugwueke, president and chief operating officer of Methodist Lebonhuer in Memphis, and 2014-15 participant. “It was informative and thought provoking. I believe the networking and friendships developed as a result of interactions with class members is invaluable and critical in helping leaders to work together to make our state better.”
Inaugural Leadership Tennessee class member Raja Jubran said, “The experience helped us learn more about other parts of Tennessee, which led to a better understanding of the issues facing our great state.
“It also gave the class members the opportunity to get to know each other better and discuss issues of mutual concern facing our various regions, which has led to more collaborative communication and will lead to continued meaningful dialogue for the long term,” said Jubran, CEO of Denark Construction Inc. “The experience opened our eyes that our state is one huge beautiful area and not three separate divisions.”
Claude Pressnell, president of the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association, said the program gave him a “sharper perspective on the challenges facing Tennessee” while he experienced a deep sense of collegiality among the class members.”
“Even more beneficial, however, is how the network of classmates continues to enrich my daily work months after graduating from the program,” said Pressnell, a member of the inaugural class. “I anticipate that there are still yet untold benefits in the future as result of being in the inaugural class of Leadership Tennessee.”
“I have appreciated the opportunities this program creates to safely engage in conversations with my peers, and to hear other perspectives on the various issues we studied during the year,” said José Gonzalez, co-founder of Conexion Americas in Nashville, and member of the 2014-15 class. “Hearing about both the commonalities and differences across the major cities in Tennessee has given me a window into some of the great work happening across the region. There is no other space in which I would have been able to meet and get to know some of my very accomplished classmates. Learning from them, hearing their own perspectives has been priceless. My friendship with several of them is a real gift that I take away, and one that I’m most appreciative.”
The Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership offers a Master of Arts in Civic Leadership, one of only two in the nation. Its signature community programs, produced with local, regional and statewide partners, include citizen leadership academies on critical issues, community leadership programs, customized leadership development and online resources.
For more information about Leadership Tennessee visit www.leadershiptennessee.org or contact Cate at 615.966.5180 catherine.cate [at] lipscomb.edu.
Members of the 2015-16 Leadership Tennessee class
Bristol: Logan McCabe, vice president, consumer group, Bristol Motor Speedway
Chattanooga: Charlie Brock, CEO, Launch Tennessee; Dan Challener, president, Public Education Foundation; Bill Kilbride, president and CEO, Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce; Rep. Gerald McCormick, majority leader, Tennessee House of Representatives
Collierville: Mary Hayes McDaniel, chairperson, Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission
Hendersonville: Susan Lanigan, chair, Tennessee Education Lottery Commission
Jefferson City: Randall O’Brien, president, Carson Newman University
Johnson City: Brian Noland, president, East Tennessee State University
Kingsport: David Golden, senior vice president, chief legal officer, corporate secretary; Eastman Chemical Company
Knoxville: Janet Brewer, vice president of communications, Tennessee Valley Authority; Scott Broyles, president and CEO, National Safe Skies Alliance; Jimmy G. Cheek, chancellor, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Eddie Mannis, owner and president, Prestige Cleaners; Sen. Becky Duncan Massey, Tennessee General Assembly; Harvey White, Knoxville Regional Executive, Pinnacle Financial Partners
Memphis: Mauricio Calvo, executive director, Latino Memphis Inc.; Jason Little, president and CEO, Baptist Memorial Healthcare
Nashville: Kasar Abdulla, director of community relations, Valor Collegiate Academy; Will Alexander, co-founder and CEO, Versed Inc.; Samar Ali, director/attorney, Lodestone Advisory Group/Bone McAlester Norton; Mario Avila, CEO, Emerge Financial Wellness; Theresa Carl, president, Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation; Agenia Clark, president and CEO, Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee; Lucia Folk, vice president for public affairs, CMT; Beth Fortune, vice chancellor for public affairs, Vanderbilt University; Crissy Haslam, first lady, state of Tennessee; Kristine LaLonde, co-chief innovation officer, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County; Stuart McWhorter, CEO, Nashville Entrepreneur Center; Brant Phillips, partner, executive committee member, Bass Berry & Sims PLC; Ron Samuels, chairman, CEO and founder, Avenue Bank; Herbert H. Slatery III, attorney general and reporter, State of Tennessee; Evette White, CEO and partner, Sullivan Branding
Oak Ridge: Thomas Zacharia, deputy director for science and technology, ORNL