Leadership Knoxville Inc

TO BUILD A STRONGER KNOXVILLE BY DEVELOPING PEOPLE AND GROUPS, LEADING TO A GREATER COMMUNITY.

LEADERSHIP KNOXVILLE WAS INCORPORATED AS A 501(3) ORGANIZATION IN 1984 AND STARTED ITS FIRST CLASS IN 1985. SINCE THEN, MORE THAN 1,700 LEADERS FROM ALL SEGMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THE ANNUAL 10-MONTH FLAGSHIP PROGRAM, AND HAVE COMMITTED TO LEADERSHIP KNOXVILLE'S GOAL OF SERVING AS "CATALYSTS FOR POSITIVE CHANGE" IN THE GREAT KNOXVILLE AREA.LEADERSHIP KNOXVILLE'S FLAGSHIP PROGRAM PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE IN A COMBINATION OF MONTHLY SESSIONS (AUGUST THROUGH MAY) AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES. THE CURRICULUM IS BASED ON THE SEVEN PILLARS OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP TO FULFILL OUR VISION - EVERY LEADER IS A SERVANT LEADER. CURRICULUM IS STRATEGICALLY PLANNED FOR THE YEAR TO HANDLE INTERPERSONAL AND GROUP DYNAMICS, ABILITY TO CREATE A COMMON VISION, AND COLLABORATIVE APPROACHES TO DECISION MAKING. REAL COMMUNITY ISSUES ARE USED THROUGHOUT THE CURRICULUM TO ENHANCE PARTICIPANTS' UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR COMMUNITY AS WELL AS TO REINFORCE THE IMPORTANCE OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP. SESSIONS ARE HELD AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS IN AND AROUND THE CITY TO PROVIDE PARTICIPANTS WITH A BROAD GEOGRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE. THE CURRICULUM INCLUDES A MANDATORY OVERNIGHT OPENING RETREAT AND A TWO-DAY VISIT TO THE STATE CAPITAL FOR AN IN-DEPTH VIEW OF STATE GOVERNMENT AND ITS IMPACT ON LOCAL COMMUNITIES. UPON COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM, GRADUATES BECOME PART OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION TO FURTHER CONTINUE THEIR MENTORING AND LIFELONG LEARNING IN THE COMMUNITY. NUMEROUS PROGRAMS, INCLUDING FORUMS AND WORKSHOPS, ARE PROVIDED AS CONTINUING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. ALUMNI ALSO KEEP ABREAST OF COMMUNITY ISSUES AND ALUMNI ACTIVITIES. LEADERSHIP KNOXVILLE, INC., IS GOVERNED BY A BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND RUN BY A SIX-MEMBER STAFF. IT WAS FOUNDED BY THE UNITED WAY OF GREATER KNOXVILLE, THE KNOXVILLE CHAMBER, AND THE JUNIOR LEAGUE OF KNOXVILLE. IN 1993, A SECOND PROGRAM FOR NEW EXECUTIVES AND PROFESSIONALS IN THE COMMUNITY WAS ADDED. INTRODUCTION KNOXVILLE PROVIDES A SIX WEEK CONDENSED OVERVIEW OF COMMUNITY HISTORY, CURRENT EVENTS, AND KEY PLAYERS. IT RUNS THREE TIMES A YEAR. MORE THAN 2,000 LEADERS HAVE PARTICIPATED SINCE IT BEGAN. IN 2013, A THIRD PROGRAM WAS ADDED TO HELP RETAIN THE BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST COLLEGE GRADUATES IN OUR REGION UPON GRADUATING FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE. THE LEADERSHIP KNOXVILLE SCHOLARS IS A TWO YEAR COHORT IN CONNECTION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE. APPROXIMATELY 50 STUDENTS PARTICIPATE DURING THEIR JUNIOR AND SENIOR YEAR. IN 2014, A FOURTH PROGRAM WAS ADDED TO BUILD LEADERSHIP IN THE KNOXVILLE AREA FROM YOUTH TO SENIORS. THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP KNOXVILLE PROGRAM INCLUDES APPROXIMATELY 54 AREA HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS REPRESENTING BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTY. MORE THAN 400 YOUTH HAVE PARTICIPATED SINCE IT BEGAN. IN 2017, THE CONNECT KNOX PROGRAM WAS ADDED. IT IS A COMMUNITY-CENTERED INITIATIVE CONNECTING CROSS SECTORAL, CROSS GENERATIONAL AND CROSS GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATIONS TO INVEST IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH OTHERS WHO ARE EQUALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING BIG, NEW IDEAS HAPPEN. THERE ARE TWO COMPONENTS TO THE WORK OF THIS INITIATIVE. THE PLUG IN SERIES EVENTS WILL FOCUS ON CREATING CONVERSATIONS AND CONNECTING PEOPLE. IN ORDER TO CONNECT COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH ACTIONS, THE POWER OF COMPONENT GATHERS INFORMATION USING A VARIETY OF TOOLS TO COLLECTIVELY DETERMINE A SMALL SET OF COMMUNITY PRIORITIES EACH YEAR. ONCE PRIORITIES ARE DEFINED, CONNECT KNOX WILL CONNECT COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO CREATE ACTION PLANS TO ADDRESS THOSE PRIORITIES. OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE ARE OPEN TO ALL CITIZENS FOR PARTICIPATION. LEADERSHIP KNOXVILLE ALSO SPONSORS COMMUNITY-WIDE WORKSHOPS ON TOPICS OF INTEREST, AND PROVIDES SPECIALLY-TRAINED FACILITATORS TO ASSIST COMMUNITY GROUPS IN REACHING THEIR OPTIMUM PERFORMING LEVEL.