T.A.C.L. ANNOUNCES LEADERSHIP FOR 2026
The Tennessee Association of Community Leadership (TACL) recently elected their Officers and Board members for 2026 at their Annual Conference & Membership Meeting in Monroe County. TACL serves as a resource to help build, support, and enhance community leadership development in counties across the state.
Elected to serve as our 2026 Officers are: Chair: Deann Bradford, L’Evate Leadership (Middle TN); Secretary: Vice Chair: Lauren Saliba, Leadership Jackson (West TN); Kara Williams, Leadership Maury County (Middle TN); Treasurer: Virginia Grimes, Retired -WestStar Leadership (West TN); and Immediate Past Chair: Kathy Parks, Youth Leadership Roane County (East TN); and Judy Renshaw, TACL Executive Director.
“We are super excited about the wonderful talent we have on the 2026 Board of Directors! said Deann Bradford, 2026 Board Chair. “They all bring unique experience and knowledge to TACL.”
Working with our officers are the returning Board Members: Kristina Anderson, Leadership Henderson County (West TN); Trish Bouldin, Youth Leadership Lincoln (Middle TN); Katy Riddle, Coffee County Leadership (Middle TN); Lynn Tucker, Leadership Brentwood (Middle TN) filling an unexpired term; and Jennifer Smiley, WestStar Leadership (West TN).
New Board members include: Lisa Fain, Leadership Cleveland (East TN); Tasha Holmes, Leadership Collierville (West TN); Pat Lawson, Leadership Middle TN (Middle TN); Summer Ritz, Leadership Cocke County (East TN); Tammy White, Leadership Knoxville, Inc. (East TN).
Serving in an Ex-Officio position are: Susan Carlisle, MMAS, CPA (Middle TN) – Newsletter Design – (Middle TN); Martin Jelinek, Leadership Jackson & WestStar Alumnus (West TN) – Webmaster; Jack Matthis, Board Member of Leadership Jackson / WestStar (West TN) – Accountant/Auditor; Robert (Bob) Smith, WestStar (Middle TN) – Advisor; and Cary Vaughn, Board Member of Leadership Millington & WestStar (West TN) – Fundraising.
A total of 112 leadership programs and 21 individuals across the state make up the membership for the association. These members include adult, youth, and senior community leadership programs, as well as alumni and alumni associations, businesses, and universities representing communities across the state of Tennessee. Our future goal is to have every community leadership program working with us, as members, to advance leadership development across the state. We appreciate our corporate sponsors as well, Amplify Cell Technologies, Alston Construction, Inc. and ATA, CPA’s who allow us to expand program funding and conference scholarships for leadership programs. We also appreciate our business members: Burckhard Financial Group LLC/New York Life; Love Worth Finding Ministries, and Foreman Leadership.
“Our mission is to be a resource for the growth and development of existing, as well as new community leadership programs across the state,” said Judy Renshaw, Executive Director. “We are excited that our fall 2026 Annual Leadership Conference will be in Obion County, Tennessee October 14-16. The Conference is just one of the great opportunities we provide for networking, growth, sharing of ideas, and recognition of the great job being done in each of our counties across the state by leadership development programs…..creating leaders to lead our communities and our state now and in the future.”
TACL also wants to recognize the contribution of Board members retiring at the end of 2025: Michelle Adkisson, Leadership Morgan (East TN); Stephanie Brackman, Leadership Rutherford (Middle TN), Karyn Clark, Leadership Claiborne (East TN); Brandy Gentry, Leadership Monroe County (East TN); Mark Hutchins, IMPACT Leadership Board (Middle TN); and Courtney Hutcheson, Youth Leadership Knoxville (East TN).
If you are not a member and want more information about benefits and how to get involved, contact Judy Renshaw, Executive Director, TACLResources@gmail.com or visit our website, www.leadershiptennessee.com.