News & Updates

Stay up-to-date with Young Leaders Council news & updates!

A Word from YLC’s Board Chair

A Word from YLC’s Board Chair

Our team at HCA Healthcare was recently joined by Shawn Achor, a Harvard researcher on happiness & positivity, to help us explore best practices to increase joy, fulfillment, and resilience using his evidence based best practices. In his book “The Happiness Advantage” he provides fascinating insight into the strategies individuals can use to become more resilient and engaged.

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Alumni Spotlight: Jonny Woo

Alumni Spotlight: Jonny Woo

Jonny Woo is a 2020 graduate of the Young Leaders Council Belmont - Massey Cohort and currently serves as a Human Resources Business Partner for Change Healthcare here in Nashville. Jonny currently serves on the Board of Directors for Matthew Walker Comprehensive...

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Young Leaders Spotlight: Christopher Haigler

Young Leaders Spotlight: Christopher Haigler

Christopher Haigler is a graduate of the Young Leaders Council Nashville Class 77 Cohort and serves as Trust Officer at Southeastern Trust Company. As a recent graduate of the program, Christopher shared his experience with the program this semester and how the...

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Nashville Ledger: Young Leaders Council names annual honorees

Nashville Ledger: Young Leaders Council names annual honorees

As published by tnledger.com 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...

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Young Leaders Council Announces Fall 2021 Participants

Young Leaders Council Announces Fall 2021 Participants

  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...

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Reflections: A Conversation with Diane Hayes

Reflections: A Conversation with Diane Hayes

Kim James, Executive Director of the Young Leaders Council, sat down for lunch with Diane Hayes, the beloved former Young Leaders Council Executive Director for more than 25 years. Their conversation covered numerous topics, including Diane’s legacy at YLC, challenges faced as a nonprofit leader, opportunities to advance YLC’s mission for the future, the many perks of retirement life, and what’s next on Diane’s to do list.

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Alumni Spotlight: Catching up with Abby Bass

Alumni Spotlight: Catching up with Abby Bass

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.

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2021 Nonprofit Appreciation Luncheon

2021 Nonprofit Appreciation Luncheon

On Thursday, July 15, 2021, Young Leaders Council hosted its annual Appreciation Luncheon, which honors nonprofit partners and donors that have helped support YLC’s mission over the years.  The Luncheon was generously sponsored...

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Young Leader Spotlight: Erica Rivero

Young Leader Spotlight: Erica Rivero

Erica Rivero, Director of Inventory and Systems Management at Thistle Farms, is a member of the Young Leaders Council Nashville Class 76. In a recent discussion, Erica shares how participating in the YLC program, where she received training on how to be an impactful...

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Young Leaders Council Announces Spring 2021 Participants

Young Leaders Council Announces Spring 2021 Participants

More than 90 diverse, young professionals participate in YLC’s Spring Nashville, Junior League, and Belmont Massey Cohorts Young Leaders Council (YLC) is proud to announce the Spring 2021 participants in the Nashville Class 76, Junior League of Nashville, and Belmont...

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Welcome new Executive Director, Kim James!

Welcome new Executive Director, Kim James!

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...

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Alumni News

Below are approved posts submitted by alumni within the last 90 days.

  • Kimberly Cooney, ProjX LLC
    Nashville Class 36
    The Nashville Business Journal | Kimberly Cooney was recently honored to be included in the Nashville Business Journal's 2025 Women of Influence award winners in the category of "Entrepreneur".