NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – This week Leadership Tennessee announced its 45 Class VI members, leaders from rural and urban communities across Tennessee who will spend the next year engaging in collaborative, non-partisan dialogue on issues of statewide importance.

The 45 new class members represent each geographic region of the state, including the communities of Memphis, Martin, Jackson, Nashville, Clarksville, Murfreesboro, Knoxville, Kingsport, Johnson City and Chattanooga. Professional sectors represented include healthcare, education, economic development, government, tourism and agriculture.

Charlie Koon, VP Corporate & Military Business Development, F&M Bank was chosen to represent Clarksville.

“Each Leadership Tennessee class brings its own experience and insight to the table, and we’re especially excited about Class VI and what they bring to the conversation around critical issues in Tennessee,” Leadership Tennessee Executive Director Cathy Cate said in a press release. “Each class grows together over the course of the year as they challenge their perspectives on issues in their communities. We’re looking forward to the conversations Class VI will have over the next year as they develop the program around focus areas they highlight as critical to state success.”

Entering its sixth year, Leadership Tennessee selects a new class of leaders annually to visit different regions and communities of Tennessee, learning best practices and analyzing important issues faced by Tennesseans. To date, Leadership Tennessee has built a network of 175 leaders across the state.

“Leadership Tennessee helps you build relationships across multiple industries and sectors, public and private, but more importantly it builds opportunities for partnerships,” recent Class V graduate and Tennessee Charter Schools Center CEO Maya Bugg said.

In conjunction with its fifth-year celebration, Leadership Tennessee brought Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas Friedman to tour the state and hosted its first gubernatorial forum at Lipscomb University in May. It also launched its Volunteer State of Mind initiative to spotlight Tennesseans’ propensity to selflessly serve and volunteer.

Earlier this year, Leadership Tennessee cohosted panels focused on the relationship between of health, economic development, and education in building healthier communities, and it held a summit on childhood poverty in Northeast Tennessee in April.

Leadership Tennessee, an initiative of the College of Leadership & Public Service at Lipscomb University, fosters collaborative, non-partisan dialogue on issues of state importance, connecting a network of diverse leaders and engaged citizens.

View the full list of Class VI members here.