Tennessee

Leadership Tennessee announces 2024-2025 Signature Program participants

Published

2 years ago

June 18, 2024

Leadership Tennessee announces 2024-2025 Signature Program participants

Leadership Tennessee announced the participants in the 11th class of its yearly program, which brings together leaders from around the state to address concerns Tennessee faces.

Leadership Tennessee is a nonprofit organization dedicated to rallying leaders from throughout the state to address critical issues and in a constructive and nonpartisan way. The 2024-2025 Signature Program Class XI consists of 48 people from 14 different counties across Tennessee, each representing distinct organizations and professional experiences.

The cohort will spend 10 months traveling the state to study the challenges Tennessee faces and work together to identify the best solutions and opportunities to improve.

“We are proud to challenge our cohorts to think critically about advancing our state in a variety of areas,” Alfred Degrafinreid II, president and CEO of Leadership Tennessee, said in a news release. “This class in particular will experience the program at the height of this year’s election. This will no doubt lead to even deeper and more thoughtful dialogue as state and federal discourse will be spiking in this moment.”

Leadership Tennessee’s 2024-2025 Signature Program Class XI participants

The following are listed alphabetically by county.

Davidson County

Jill Ayers, Judge, Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals
Monty Burks, Deputy Director of Governors Faith Based and Community Initiative, Office of the Governor
Clay Bright, CEO, Megasite Authority of West Tennessee
Nikki Burdine, News Anchor, WKRN
Brooxie Carlton, Assistant Commissioner, Community and Rural Development, Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
Joe Carrico, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation
Kate Chinn, Partner, MP&F
Natalie Cooper, President and CEO, Wellpoint TN
Steven Gentile, Executive Director, Tennessee Higher Education Commission
Erin Hafkenschiel, President, ThinkTennessee
Johari Matthews, Vice President and Executive Director, ONE Community and Titans Foundation, Tennessee Titans
Bert McCarter, Attorney, McCarter East PLLC
Martesha Johnson Moore, Chief Public Defender, Metropolitan Nashville Public Defender’s Office
Karl Sprules, Chief Operating Officer, AllianceBernstein
Carey Whitworth, Vice President of Government Relations and Advocacy, University of Tennessee System
Russell Ziecker, Executive Vice President, Head of Global TV Music, LIONSGATE and STARZ

Gibson County

Tina Prescott, Chief Operating Officer, West Tennessee Healthcare

Hamilton County

Casey Dungan, President and CEO, BlueCare Tennessee
Evann Freeman, Vice President, Government and Community Relations, EPB Chattanooga
Ian Leavy, Assistant General Counsel, Volkswagen Group of America, Inc.
Joe Riley, Founder/Owner, Patriot Family Homes and Quail Run Farm
Mina Sartipi, Professor, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Knox County

Ben Bentley, CEO, Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation
Jan Brown, VP, Talent and Culture, Tennessee Valley Authority
Clarice Phelps, Engineer, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Grant Rosenberg, Chief Operating Officer, City of Knoxville
Tammy White, President/CEO, Leadership Knoxville

Madison County

Monte Cooper, President and CEO, Jackson Energy Authority
Carol Rothstein, President, Jackson State Community College

Montgomery County

Lee Harrell, Chief of Staff, Montgomery County
Kimberly Wiggins, County Trustee, Montgomery County Government

Roane County

Bob Eby, Chairman, Tennessee State Board of Education

Robertson County

Zane Seals, Chief Financial Officer, Division of TennCare

Rutherford County

Dawn White, District 13 State Senator, Tennessee General Assembly

Shelby County

Kemp Conrad, Principal, Cushman & Wakefield Commercial Advisors, LLC
Michalyn Easter-Thomas, Memphis City Councilwoman, City of Memphis
Michael Fulton, Director of Government Affairs and Business Diversity Development, Memphis Shelby County Airport Authority
Tiffany Legington Graham, Chief Marketing and Development Officer, National Civil Rights Museum
Phillip May, President (Memphis), Pinnacle Financial Partners
Johnny Moore, Jr., Tennessee Regional President, Truist Financial
Chandell Ryan, President and CEO, Downtown Memphis Commission
Paul Young, Mayor, City of Memphis

Smith County

Bryan Wright, Executive Vice President, Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation

Sullivan County

Carla Karst, Principal and Founder, Landstar and Workforce Homes Foundation
Frank Lett, President and Chief Tourism Officer, Visit Kingsport

Sumner County

Chassen Haynes, Regional Manager, U.S. State and Local Government Affairs, Ford Motor Company

Williamson County

Matt Largen, President and CEO, Williamson, Inc.
Mia McNeil, State Director, AARP Tennessee

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Tennessee

Memphis voters file federal lawsuit against new congressional map, claiming discrimination: ‘White control over Tennessee politics’

Published

11 hours ago

May 12, 2026

Press Room

Memphis voters file federal lawsuit against new congressional map, claiming discrimination: ‘White control over Tennessee politics’

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WSMV) – Three Memphis voters, through the American Civil Liberties Union, have filed a federal lawsuit against Tennessee leaders, claiming the state’s new congressional maps are discriminating against Black voters.

The ACLU announced the lawsuit on Monday, saying that three organizations — the Black Clergy Collaborative of Memphis, the Memphis A. Philip Randolph Institute and the Equity Alliance, are also part of the lawsuit that was filed against Sec. of State Tre Hargett, Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins and several others.

“In May 2026, over the course of mere days, a White-dominated supermajority of the Tennessee General Assembly redrew Tennessee’s congressional map to crack the predominantly Black city of Memphis into three pieces and destroy the only district in which Black voters are able to elect representatives of their choice, shutting Black voters completely out of power in federal elections in Tennessee,” the filing states.

The ACLU and the other plaintiffs echo arguments made by Democrats while the maps were being debated during last week’s special session: “The cracking of Memphis unlawfully targeted Black voters.”

“The new plan carves through the center of Tennessee’s second largest city, dividing neighborhoods that have voted together for decades, splitting numerous counties and precincts, and cutting the Black population into thirds with suspect precision,” the lawsuit says. “The districts then run hundreds of miles east towards the Nashville suburbs, snaking through predominantly White and rural counties to dilute the voting power of now-divided Black Memphians.”

Gov. Bill Lee signed the new congressional map into law last week. The new map splits Shelby County, home of Memphis, into three districts.

Republicans have said the map modernizes the districting process and removes “racial data from the mapmaking process entirely.” Democrats, on the other hand, say that the move is meant to dismantle the Black-majority district.

Tennessee Speaker of the House Cameron Sexton (R) told WSMV that Republicans “have been very clear” on their intention to secure a ninth Republican seat in the state. He has said the map would help “ensure the state’s representation in Washington reflects its conservative values.”

The lawsuit draws significant attention to the racial makeup of Tennessee lawmakers, describing, “White control over Tennessee politics.” Plaintiffs allege that a white majority “faction” of state leaders “gave bizarre, robotic answers to the most basic questions about the map they were sponsoring.”

“None of the sponsors of the plan would admit who actually drew it, and the lead Senate sponsor—a White legislator with over a decade of service in the Tennessee General Assembly who had attended law school in Memphis — would not say whether Memphis was predominantly Black and claimed not to know that Congressional District 9 was a majority- Black district,” the filing says.

They seem to be referencing Sen. John Stevens (R-Huntingdon), who was asked during the special session if he was aware that the majority of the residents in the ninth district are Black.

“I’m not aware,” he responded. “I know how the map is divided, but I don’t know the racial makeup of the map.”

Stevens got his juris doctorate from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.

The three Memphis residents who took part in the lawsuit are Amber Sherman, a lifelong resident of Memphis and the lead Tennessee regional organizer for Black Voters Matter Fund, Rachael Spriggs, a Memphis resident for more than 20 years who is the director of Power Building for the Equity Alliance, and Kermit Moore, a nearly lifelong resident of Memphis who is the president of the Memphis A. Philip Randolph Institute.

The lawsuit claims intentional discrimination in violation of the 14th and 15th Amendments, as well as retaliation for protected expression and association in violation of the First Amendment.

Plaintiffs are asking the court to declare that the newly drawn map is unconstitutional and restore district lines before primary elections proceed.

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Tennessee

New Tennessee law allows K9 officers to be transported by helicopter, ambulance to vet

Published

23 hours ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

New Tennessee law allows K9 officers to be transported by helicopter, ambulance to vet

Tennessee State Senators Michele Reneau of Signal Mountain and Bo Watson of Hixson spoke today about the new law supporting police K-9’s.

The act allows injured dogs to get stabilization services on-site and then be transported via ambulance or helicopter to a vet hospital.

“In the past, officers were basically putting the k9 in their car and transporting them in their in their own vehicle, they didn’t have an ambulance or an air ambulance,” said Senator Watson. “This allows for an air ambulance. It also allows for a educational program for those in EMS, who will be taught how to manage canines emergency medical condition, which is different than a human’s.”

In April, Erlanger flew a K9 officer from Clay County, to North Carolina.

It was the first time the program was used for a live transport after several training runs.

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Tennessee

What You Need to Know About Tennessee Softball’s Path to Another WCWS | Rocky Top Insider

Published

1 day ago

May 11, 2026

Press Room

What You Need to Know About Tennessee Softball’s Path to Another WCWS | Rocky Top Insider

Tennessee softball’s path back to the Women’s College World Series is set. On Sunday night, the Lady Vols were named the No. 7 overall seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and will host the regional stage in Knoxville as it looks to return to the WCWS in back-to-back seasons.

The Lady Vols are matched up with Virginia, Indiana and Northern Kentucky in the regionals. It would play Georgia, Clemson, UNC Greensboro or Charleston in the super regionals.

Ahead of the tournament, here’s a look at each team in the Knoxville Regional and potential matchups for the ensuing best-of-three super regional if Tennessee advances.