When people talk about leadership programs, it’s easy to picture networking events, conference rooms and a few days away from the office. But for the leaders selected for the Porter Development Initiative Leaders Academy, the assignment is far more ambitious than professional development.
Later this month, 13 leaders from the Clarksville-Fort Campbell region will travel to Vanderbilt University as part of an inaugural statewide class of about 135 executives, elected officials, educators, business leaders and nonprofit professionals selected from across Tennessee and neighboring counties to tackle one of the most pressing questions facing America today: How do communities create prosperity that reaches more people?
What is Porter Development Initiative?
It’s a challenge that sits at the heart of the Porter Development Initiative, a leadership and economic competitiveness program built upon the work of Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter. For decades, Porter’s research on competitive advantage and economic clusters has shaped development strategies for governments, corporations and regions around the world. Now, those same principles are being brought to Tennessee through the Tennessee Leaders Action Platform and the inaugural Porter Development Initiative Leaders Academy.
Selection for the academy is highly competitive. Regional steering committees and university leaders nominate participants based on their ability to drive change, collaborate across sectors and advance economic opportunity in their communities.
For Buck Dellinger, CEO of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Economic Development Council and chair of the Clarksville-Fort Campbell Regional Steering Committee, that broader lens is the academy’s greatest value.
“We are excited to introduce the founding fellows to a regional approach to collaboration, economic development and shared opportunity,” Dellinger said. “This diverse group from our two-state region will bring a broader perspective that extends beyond county and state boundaries.”
At the academy, participants will examine economic and social data, review case studies and work alongside peers from across the state to develop practical initiatives aimed at strengthening competitiveness and expanding opportunity.
Local group taking part in inaugural class
The Clarksville-Fort Campbell delegation includes leaders from local government, banking, economic development, higher education, planning, tourism, agriculture and business. Among those selected are Austin Peay State University College of Business Dean Dr. Mickey Hepner, Montgomery County Chief of Staff Andrew Kester, state Rep. Michael Lankford, Clarksville-Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission Director Jeffrey Tyndall, City of Clarksville Council Member Brian Zacharias and EDC Vice President of Urban Development Janet Wilson, among others.
The group includes delegates from Tennessee and Kentucky communities that share workforce, infrastructure and economic development priorities. Many of the region’s most urgent issues – from workforce readiness and housing affordability to infrastructure and talent attraction – do not stop at county or state lines. Addressing them requires leaders who can connect local decisions to broader regional outcomes.
Sustainable and shared growth for region
Communities across the country are grappling with widening economic divides between those who can access opportunity and those who cannot. The academy’s mission is rooted in finding ways to create growth that is both sustainable and broadly shared.
For Clarksville, that conversation matters.
The region is growing rapidly, attracting investment, new residents and national attention. But growth alone is not the goal. The challenge, and opportunity, is to ensure that prosperity reaches businesses, families and communities throughout the region.
While most people will never sit in a room debating regional competitiveness metrics, they will feel the results in the form of job opportunities, workforce programs, infrastructure investments and the quality of life in their communities.
That is why this moment extends beyond the 13 leaders selected. The real value will be measured by what they bring home: new ideas, stronger partnerships and practical strategies that help Clarksville-Fort Campbell turn growth into opportunity for more people.