The University of Tennessee - Martin

2009 Tennessee State Leadership Conference was held in

Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on October 7-9, 2009
               2010 Tennessee State Leadership Conference is scheduled for October 21-22, 2010

in WEST Tennessee (Ripley, Lauderdale County)
                More information will be made available soon on conference
                For information on TACL, please go to www.leadershiptennessee.com

12th Annual Working Women’s Conference
Friday, February 12, 2010, UT Martin, Ballroom

12th Annual African American Leadership Conference
Tuesday, April 6, 2010

West Tennessee Center for Agricultural Research, Jackson

Women Business Owners' Opportunities Conference (WBOOC)

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

West Tennessee Center for Agricultural Research, Jackson

Sponsored by WestStar, Tenn. Dept. of ECD, and the Tennessee Economic Council on Women

WestStar News

For Immediate Release: Oct. 22, 2009
Contact: Rita Mitchell, University Editor
OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP EDUCATION AWARD RECENTLY PRESENTED
MARTIN, Tenn. – The 2009 Robert M. Smith Outstanding Leadership Education Award recently was presented to Deann Bradford at the State Leadership Conference in Pigeon Forge.

This award is to recognize an individual who has made significant contributions to the advancement of leadership education either by virtue of a major achievement within the past year or over a number of years through his or her dedication and service to leadership development within Tennessee.

Bradford is Leadership Donelson-Hermitage executive director. Through Leadership Donelson- Hermitage, she promotes community involvement to the more than 240 alumni, 26 class members and the community as a whole.  

Originally from Roswell, N.M., Bradford has been in Tennessee since 1976 and attended Volunteer State Community College.  She is retired from the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority where she was the community relations manager. Courtesy First, a customer service training program she co-designed, received national recognition within the aviation and transportation community.  

She is a 1999 graduate of Leadership Donelson-Hermitage, received the Betty Cannon Leadership Spirit award in 2004, the President’s Special Award from the Donelson Hermitage Chamber in 2005 and the 2009 Star Spangled Salute John M. Stone Community Spirit Award.  

WestStar Leadership, a regional program that covers 21 counties, has presented the award for the past 13 years. The award was named in honor of Robert M. Smith, co-founder of WestStar and Tennessee Association of Community Leadership. Smith currently serves as president of Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania.

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Deann Bradford, right, recently received the Robert M. Smith Outstanding Leadership Educator Award at the State Leadership Conference. Making the presentation was Virginia Grimes, left, coordinator, WestStar Leadership, the University of Tennessee at Martin.
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Legacy of WestStar: 20 years of developing the region’s leaders MARTIN, Tenn

In a 20-year history, the WestStar leadership program at the University of Tennessee at Martin, has spurred many of its 500-plus graduates to take responsibility for the growth and development of their state, communities and counties.
 
Graduates have gained elected office, been driving forces in countless local and regional initiatives and have taken volunteerism to new heights. Still others have made it a priority to see that the networks and collaborations formed by class members during the program thrive and that WestStar continues to prepare participants to assume future leadership roles.
 
WestStar, serving 21 counties of West Tennessee, is the state’s oldest and largest regional leadership program.
 
“WestStar was a dream that a regional approach to leadership development would help identify and inspire civic-minded people to become more involved in the economic and social growth of the entire region,” said Dr. Bob Smith, WestStar co-founder, who also helped create numerous individual community leadership programs. Smith, now president of Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania, and still a WestStar supporter, added. that problems and opportunities do not know political boundaries. The vision was that “a new generation of leaders would see a compelling agenda for positive change through collaboration and regional thinking than competing within small fiefdoms.”
 
Dr. Nick Dunagan, UT Martin chancellor emeritus, also a co-founder, served as executive director for six years. David Belote is the current executive director, with Charley Deal serving as the assistant director. Virginia Grimes has served as WestStar coordinator for 19 years, organizing seminars, conferences and other WestStar projects and programs.
 
“WestStar is an important part of UT Martin’s economic development and outreach missions,” said Dunagan. “What could be more valuable than helping sharpen the leadership skills of the region’s business and governmental leaders?”
 
“I’ve seen the WestStar experience inspire individuals to take on significant leadership roles,” said Grimes. “They see the importance of being involved and making a difference in local communities and in the region.”
 

WestStar was created in 1989 at UT Martin to serve the multi-county area by providing leadership development and training for selected participants. Class members typically have a diverse range of professions and volunteer leadership experiences. There are chamber of commerce and economic development professionals, bankers, government personnel, educators and business executives. What they have in common is a strong devotion to their civic responsibility.
 
The program consists of seven specially designed seminar programs addressing contemporary issues important to the future of West Tennessee. Each seminar takes place over a two-day period from January through May in various locations throughout Middle and West Tennessee. Topics vary, year to year, depending on changing events in the region.
 
Focusing on the challenges and potentials in West Tennessee, WestStar stresses the importance of regional and civic responsibility for progress and prosperity. From sessions about economic development and government to education and tourism, presenters are some of the most knowledgeable people in their fields.
 
“T.A.C.L. (Tennessee Association of Community Leadership), a volunteer-driven association created to assist and foster the development of leadership programs across the state, turns to WestStar frequently in the sharing of ideas, programs and insights, as the premier regional leadership program,” said Judy Renshaw, TACL historian and director of Leadership Jackson.  “WestStar is an integral part of the development of leadership not only in West Tennessee, but across the state. We have every reason to be proud of that heritage of developing future leaders for our communities and for Tennessee.”
 
Recognizing the benefits of WestStar, sponsors assist with the development program each year. Sponsors include First Bank, First State Bank, Haywood County/City of Brownsville, Gibson County Utility District, Tennessee Valley Authority, The TENNERGY Corp., TLM Associates, Inc., USDA Rural Development, West Tennessee Healthcare and West Tennessee Industrial Association.
     
Seeking to make changes via government, some WestStar graduates have sought and been elected to local and state public offices after completing the program.
 
“For me, WestStar was the North Star, a guiding light for my future. WestStar brought to light the possibility of my serving the people of Tennessee in public office,” said Dolores Gresham, 2000 class member, former three-term 94th district state representative, who recently was elected to the 26th state senate seat.
 
Dr. David Gordon, Covington mayor, had a similar experience as a member of the 2002 class. “WestStar showed me many available opportunities through which a positive impact could be made on West Tennessee and my home community. It also gave me a push toward public service,” said Gordon.
 
WestStar not only develops class members each year, but also has offered a number of leadership opportunities to the public. Among those are the annual African-American Leadership Conference, the Working Women’s Conference and the Economic Development Conference, in addition to assisting with youth leadership development. The organization maintains a Web site and speakers bureau and has published and offered online versions of regional festival and dining guides.
 
Another aspect of WestStar is an alumni base whose goal it is to maintain and expand the network and collaboration of leaders after each class graduates.
 
“The WestStar program has created a great networking opportunity over the past 20 years and has made West Tennessee a better place to live, work, play and raise a family,” said Dennis Henderson, president of TLM Associates, Inc., in Jackson, a member of the 2001 class, Board of Trustee member and current WestStar Alumni Council president. “The old saying ‘two heads are better than one’ can be rewritten to say ‘over 550 WestStar alumni are better than one’ meaning those alumni are a ‘community’ of individuals making a difference. The continuation of WestStar is critical to the leadership development in West Tennessee.”

The University of Tennessee

MARTIN, Tenn. – June 18, 2009 – WESTSTAR LEADERSHIP PROGRAM C.P. BOYD AWARD PRESENTED – Keith Carver, center, of Weakley County, receives the C.P. Boyd Leadership Award at the recent graduation of the WestStar Leadership Class of 2009 in Jackson. Making the presentation are Vicki Lake, left, 2008 award recipient, and David Belote, executive director of WestStar. Class members selected Carver for his leadership in the Class of 2009. Carver is assistant vice chancellor of development at the University of Tennessee at Martin. Currently, he is the treasurer and board member of the Martin Soccer Association. He has served as past chairman of the board, treasurer, and board member of the Children’s Center of Knoxville; served as a task force member and served on the fund-raising committee of the Secret Safe Place of Knoxville. He is a graduate of Leadership Weakley County. UT Martin sponsors WestStar. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, WestStar is the state’s oldest and largest regional leadership program.

MARTIN, Tenn., June 18, 2009 – MAKE-A-DIFFERENCE AWARD – Ruth Tackett, left, of Franklin, who recently retired as Tennessee State Director for USDA Rural Development, received the ninth Jimmy Daniel Make-A-Difference WestStar Leadership Alumni Award at the recent WestStar Leadership Graduation Banquet. The award is presented each year to a WestStar alumnus in memory of Daniel, WestStar Class of 1990, who served as West Tennessee field representative for Gov. Don Sundquist. Making the presentation is David Belote, WestStar director, and Peggy Daniel, Daniel’s widow. The award recipient has made a positive impact in his or her city or county; has a strong record of leadership during the past five years in West Tennessee; has been an active participant in WestStar, alumni, seminar and regular leadership programs; and embraces the importance of and provides effective leadership to the concept and practice of regionalism in West Tennessee. Tackett, a native of Bolivar who retired from the post Jan. 3, was appointed in 2001 by President George Bush. She managed Rural Development programs and administration for 141 staff working in the state office and nine area offices. In 2007, RD staff assisted more than 600,000 people in rural Tennessee. Through home loans and economic infrastructure, RD helped nearly 900 rural businesses create or retain more than 2,600 jobs. The nearly $309 million invested by RD in 2007 will continue to impact the lives, health, safety, education, home and livelihoods of families and individuals in the future.  With 40 years experience at Rural Development (formerly Farmers Home Administration), Tackett was appointed by Under Secretary for Rural Development Tom Dorr and served until her retirement as chair of the agency’s National Marketing Committee. She has completed numerous leadership and community development programs and earned an American Management Association Degree. The University of Tennessee at Martin sponsors WestStar. Celebrating its 20th anniversary, WestStar is the state’s oldest and largest regional leadership program.

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MARTIN, Tenn., April 13, 2009 – OUTSTANDING LEADER AWARD ­– The WestStar African-American Leadership Conference Outstanding Leader Award (40+ years of age) recently was presented at this year’s conference to Willie Spencer, left, Hardeman County mayor. The award criteria notes that the nominee has made a positive impact in his or her city/county during the past year, has a strong record of leadership during the past five years in West Tennessee, has been an active participant in the African-American leadership conferences and embraces the importance of and provides effective leadership to the concept and practice of regionalism in West Tennessee. Pictured with Spencer, is Evelyn Robertson, Whiteville, past conference chair, a member of the WestStar Class of 1977 and former director of the Southwest Tennessee Development District.                     
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WestStar Leadership Book sponsor recognized - Dr. David Gordon, Covington mayor, WestStar Board of trustees member, 2002 class member and a University of Tennessee at Martin graduate. Gordon Veterinary Clinic is sponsoring the 2010 program's book, "The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader," by John Maxwell. At scheduled points during each WestStar session, selected class members will present one of the leadership qualities to the class. The purpose of this exercise is for presenters to share their insights on the assigned leadership quality using their own personal study and experience. The ultimate goal of the exercise is to present the leadership quality in real life terms. One of the goals of the WestStar experience is to learn from one another. In its 21st year, UT Martin's WestStar program provides leadership development and training for selected participants. The program identifies and educates people to assume leadership responsibilities in the economic and social development of West Tennessee . Class members participate in a series of seminars designed to provide information about major issues facing West Tennessee . Seminars feature different speakers who focus on subjects that go hand-in-hand with leadership and community progress issues such as education, health care, community and resource development and leadership skills. WestStar graduates already hold key leadership positions throughout the state in every West Tennessee county. 

WESTSTAR GRADUATES' KNOWLEDGE, EXPERTISE EXTENDED VIA SPEAKERS' BUREAU MARTIN, Tenn. -  Capitalizing on the knowledge, expertise and leadership skills of WestStar Leadership Program graduates, a speakers' bureau has been established to share that knowledge. Speakers on a variety of topics, ranging from health care, economic development, leadership strategies and public and private partnerships, will provide programs for civic, church and educational organizations. They also are available for a host of other venues.

The project was developed by the WestStar Alumni Council Continuing Education Committee. Speakers will be available at no charge.

"One of the priorities of the WestStar Alumni Council has been to develop a speakers' bureau that would facilitate access to the wealth of leadership skills and knowledge of WestStar graduates," said Nick Dunagan, University of Tennessee at Martin chancellor and WestStar director. "WestStar is equipping graduates to take on the challenges of applied leadership."

Currently, there are 58 graduates available to fill speaker requests throughout West Tennessee. The WestStar Web site is the clearinghouse for speakers' bureau activities. There is information regarding the purpose, policies and procedures for using the service and reserving speakers.

Included on the Web site is a listing of speakers and their topics with contact information. The Web site address is: http://www.utm.edu/weststar.

For more information, contact Virginia Grimes at 731-881-7298 or vgrimes@utm.edu.