OUR FLAGSHIP PROGRAM

CURRENT CLASS

I would like Knoxville to become a hub for industry employment, the arts and cuisine, all while maintaining its family-friendly southern hometown feel. These things are achievable, but so many cities pursue one of these at the expense of the others. Knoxville has everything it needs to drive achievement in the region, but making sure that the pieces are put in place at the right time will be crucial.

Big Ears Festival. It doesn't seem to be very well-known in Knoxville, even though people travel from all over the world for it. There are some real gems that play at Big Ears, even if all of the music may not be to everyone's taste.

Creating a unified vision for Knoxville among all the different sectors in the city, and making sure that growth occurs as a part of joint effort among all regions.

There's so many. Any of the Summer Nights bluegrass concerts at Yee-Haw Brewing would certainly be up there. Having a cold beverage and listening to music on a lawn with friends is very hard to beat.

"Who Lost Russia?" by Peter Conradi is currently on my nightstand. I am interested in the geo-politics around Russia and Ukraine right now.

An instructor at Marine Corps OCS (I don't even remember his name) told me that I needed to find the leadership style that worked for me rather than trying to mimic someone else. That was profound to me, as I typically only thought leaders behaved one way. It helped me to think of the attributes that I could bring to leadership roles that suited my team.

Don't worry so much.