Andrea Farr, Author at Young Leaders Council

Nashville Ledger: Young Leaders Council names annual honorees

Nov 26, 2021 | YLC News

Young Leaders Council has named Maria Amado as its 2021 Young Leader of the Year Award recipient for her commitment to making a difference in the nonprofit community.

The award is presented annually to one YLC alumnus who has used the skills developed through the program to positively impact the Middle Tennessee nonprofit community while staying engaged with YLC.

Amado serves as a partner at A&G Financial Management and as board president of the Community Resource Center. She is a graduate of Nashville Class 37.

YLC also recognized Joshua Livingston, relationship executive, Healthcare Services at J.P. Morgan, with the Legacy of Leadership Award, given to an outstanding alumnus for demonstrated excellence and commitment, leadership and excellence to Young Leader Council and the nonprofit community.

It also recognizes his commitment to the long-term success of the organization.

He is a graduate of YLC class 60 and the organization’s immediate past board chair. Livingston serves as board chair for the governing board of Make-A-Wish of Middle Tennessee and on the board and executive committee of Leadership Health Care.

Young Leaders Council Announces Fall 2021 Participants

Sep 17, 2021 | All Alumni, News

Young Leaders Council is proud to announce the fall participants in the Nashville Class 77 and Williamson County Cohorts, two of five cohorts hosted this year. YLC also facilitates board leadership training in the spring through the Nashville, Junior League of Nashville, and the Jack C. Massey College of Business at Belmont University Cohorts. Seventy-nine young professionals from diverse professional and ethnic backgrounds are represented in the program this fall, which kicked-off officially on September 8 with a celebratory opening session and inspirational keynote address from Derek Young, YLC alumnus and president/CEO of Young Motivation Group.

Meet The

2021 Fall Cohorts

Nashville Class 77

Williamson County Cohort

Alumni Spotlight: Catching up with Abby Bass

Aug 19, 2021 | All Alumni, Williamson Chamber Alumni

Abby-Bass-Headshot Young Leaders Council is honored to have trained over 2700 dynamic community leaders since 1985. Our remarkable alumni have taken the knowledge gained through the program and used their skills to make a lasting impact for the Middle Tennessee community. This month we are spotlighting Abby Bass, graduate of the YLC 2016 Williamson County Cohort. We recently caught up with Abby and asked her to share what she’s currently up to and reflect on her YLC experience.

What is your current role with Williamson, Inc. and what do you enjoy most about your work?

As Vice President of Events and Communications, I love creating meaningful events for the business community and finding business professionals with incredible leadership lessons to share. I am most energized when I get to create and collaborate on brand-new events like developing Williamson Forward, Leadership YP, Outlook Williamson and coming soon Leadership DEI to name a few.

As a 2016 graduate of the YLC Williamson County Cohort, how have you used the knowledge and connections gained through that experience to further your community leadership goals?

I understand and appreciate the important role that non-profits and volunteerism has in the community. I continue to serve Williamson County, outside of work, through Friends of Franklin Parks, 100 Women Who Care, Center Stage Society of TPAC, and PTO at Winstead Elementary.

What did you enjoy most about your time in the YLC program?

I thoroughly enjoyed my internship on the board of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC). As a board intern, I was able to see the inner workings of a large operation non-profit that serves the entire region through the visual arts. The experience was priceless! TPAC is a community asset that will have my continued support for all they do for middle Tennessee. Also, I attended the TPAC Gala 2018 as their silent auction chair, and that event is 10 out of 10 if you ever have a chance to attend. I highly recommend it!

What advice would you share with young professionals interested in participating in the YLC training program?

Be sure to select a non-profit that you are passionate about. That passion will allow you to leave board meetings energized. Also, get to know your classmates. Several of my classmates and I stay connected even now – five years later! It is an experience you won’t regret.

YLC and Williamson, Inc. have partnered since 2013 to host the Williamson County Cohort. Through this partnership, YLC has effectively trained over 180 young professionals that reside or work in the Williamson County area since its inception. Matt Largen (President & CEO) and Cortni Beardsley (Communications & Events Manager) of Williamson, Inc. are also YLC alumni. Click here to learn more about the YLC training program or to apply for the Fall Williamson County Cohort.

Welcome new Executive Director, Kim James!

Oct 28, 2020 | News, Nonprofit News, YLC News

We are excited to share that we have selected Kim James as our new Executive Director. She brings more than 15 years of experience to the role and has held leadership roles across the nonprofit, corporate, and higher education sectors.

Kim formerly served as the Grant Partnerships Manager at Tennessee SCORE and is a graduate of YLC Class 49. She is a thoughtful, seasoned leader whose vision and energy make her the right leader for the organization as we celebrate our 35th year and look to the future. As a graduate of the program, she is deeply familiar with our mission and knows the impact our work has across the community and beyond.

James has extensive community relations, program management, and communications experience. She is a graduate of Fisk University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in financial economics before obtaining a master’s degree in business administration from Tennessee State University in 2003.

In 2018, James received the Women in Leadership of Central Illinois’ Woman Leader of the Year Award. She is also a 2018 graduate of the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce Community Leadership School.

“After conducting an extensive search, we are pleased to welcome Kim as our new executive director,” Joshua Livingston, Young Leaders Council board chair, said in the release. “Kim is a thoughtful, seasoned leader whose vision and energy make her the right leader for our organization. As a graduate of the program, she is deeply familiar with our mission and knows the impact our work has across our community and beyond.”

The board also thanks Robinson Regen, our interim executive director, for her leadership over the past few months as we conducted a thorough search process. Robinson has kept the organization running smoothly, launched our virtual fall classes and been instrumental in preparing for next month’s Leadership Luncheon. She will also help transition Kim into her role over the coming weeks.

Please join us in welcoming Kim and kicking off this exciting new chapter for Young Leaders Council.

Welcome our New Executive Director, Lisa Shacklett

Mar 28, 2019 | News

Young Leaders Council is thrilled to welcome Lisa Clark Shacklett as our new executive director, replacing Diane L Hayes who stepped down earlier this year after close to 24 years leading YLC through substantial growth. A native Nashvillian, Lisa was previously a senior consultant with Hayde & Co. and will continue operating The Wedding Plate, a vintage china and glassware rental boutique serving the wedding and events industry in Middle Tennessee and beyond. Lisa spent 11 years in various roles at Lipscomb University. During her tenure as assistant dean in the College of Business, she was responsible for a 420 percent graduate business enrollment increase and became an avid Young Leaders Council supporter. Active in Tennessee Wedding and Event Specialists Association, National Association of Catering Executives, Cable, and Best Buddies Tennessee, she was an inaugural board member of the National Association of Women MBA’s Tennessee chapter and recognized as a 2014 Nashville Business Journal Woman of Influence. Lisa earned a BS and MBA from Lipscomb University and is certified as a Predictive Index practitioner.