Meet Jan Brown and Tammy White. Brown is Chair of the Board of Leadership Knoxville, and White serves as President and CEO of the same organization. The women met when Brown joined the 2009 class of Introduction Knoxville and were reintroduced when she became a member of the 2014 class of Leadership Knoxville. The two are current members of the 11th class of Leadership Tennessee, a program that fosters collaborative, non-partisan dialogue on issue of state importance by connecting and deploying a network of diverse leaders and engaged citizens. The cohort is comprised of 40 leaders across the state of Tennessee.

Clearly, these women prioritize honing their leadership capabilities.

Brown is a Memphis native, and White hails from Walhalla, South Carolina. Brown found her way to Knoxville via graduate school at UT studying math. White got her first job in town straight out of college, and both have never looked back. They agree that life in Knoxville afforded them some really great friends and really great times. And a community like that deserves to be invested in it. 

“I believe if we are blessed, we need to be a blessing,” says White. Brown concurs, adding a quote from Muhammad Ali, “service is the rent you pay to be here.” At the end of the day, both women agree that individuals have a moral and ethical responsibility to give back to their community. And Knoxville is certainly a city worth giving back to. “People want to serve. They are just looking for the opportunities.”

Family is also a motivator for Brown, who thinks of her son when it comes to the future of the area. “Getting engaged to make Knoxville a great city is setting him up for the future,” she says. “There really is a spirit here of kindness and giving.” White attributes the openness of the area as incentive to invest in Knoxville. “Virtually anyone can get an audience of anyone here,” she says, “Knoxville has a big city/small town feel. You don’t have to get lost in Knoxville; you can get connected to what you’re interested in.”

Brown also credits her work as Vice President of People and Culture at TVA and the institution’s commitment to service in East Tennessee as motivation as well and says, “bringing jobs to the area is part of who we are.” White confirms in addition, that TVA is also a great partner with Leadership Knoxville by adding, “We have that combined purpose.”

Both women are excited about the Art of Neighboring movement Leadership Knoxville is working on in recognition of the 40th anniversary of the organization. This is an initiative to encourage everyone in the community to build genuine relationships where they live. LK is hosting a dinner themed the Big Table to meet new people, share lived experiences and actively listen to understand the crucial steps toward building a kind, connected community where everyone has a seat at the table.