Applications are now open for the 2022-2023 UT Southern Regional Leadership program! Click here to apply. Application will close on August 15, 2022.

About:
The UT Southern Regional Leadership program is a 9-month cohort designed to develop leadership capacity in South Central Tennessee. During the program, participants will spend time in all 13 counties of our region, along with dedicated time on UT Southern’s campus, sharpening their leadership skills. Each county visit will explore an important theme in rural economic and community development, paying special attention to how that county leverages their strengths to address their challenges (see dates for a list of themes).

After completing the program, participants will have:

1. Developed a network of colleagues from throughout South Central Tennessee.
2. Learned leadership skills to help them in their own professions, community, and regional leadership.
3. Gained a deeper understanding of the opportunities and challenges within our region, and how they can work to help our region grow.

Dates:
All sessions will begin on the second Thursday of every month (except December). Sessions at UT Southern will be 1-day sessions, beginning at 9am, and concluding by 4pm. County visits will be 1.5 -day sessions, beginning at 1pm on Thursday and concluding by 3pm on Friday.

Participation for all sessions is required. For county visits, participants are highly encouraged stay overnight, in order to fully experience the counties and to gain the most benefit from the program. An overnight stay is required for the October session.

Below is a list of anticipated dates for each session.
• September 8th (Leadership at UT Southern)
• October 13-14 (Tourism) (overnight required)
• November 10-11 (Business)
• January 12-13 (Infrastructure)
• February 9 (Leadership at UT Southern)
• March 9-10 (Workforce)
• April 13-14 (Social Entrepreneurship)
• May 11-12 (Culture)
• June 8 (Leadership at UT Southern/Graduation banquet)

Cost:
Participants have two options for tuition, both significantly more affordable than many comparable leadership programs.

1) $500 for participants who wish to make their own lodging arrangements in the county visits. Participants who select this option will be required to cover the cost of required lodging for the October session. Additional details will be provided upon acceptance into the program.

2) $1,000 for participants who would like the Turner Center for Rural Vitality to coordinate their lodging for the program. Participants who select this option will have lodging during every county visit, and will not be responsible for additional lodging costs.

Participants are highly encouraged to stay overnight for each county session.

Scholarships
Often, businesses and non-profits have continuing education funds to help employees participate in leadership development programs like UTSRL. Participants are encouraged to reach out to their employers for support.
Limited scholarship support may be available through the Turner Center for Rural Vitality, but scholarship support is not guaranteed.

Questions
For questions about dates, requirements, tuition, and scholarships, please reach out to Rebecka Cronin, Program Officer at the Turner for Rural Vitality (cronre39@utsouthern.edu),
or call at 931-424-7347.

Building a vibrant rural community requires everyone to be part of creating innovative solutions. At the Turner Center, we bring leaders from across the community – faith leaders; federal, state and local governments; business leaders; and non-profits – so that we can build upon our assets to find new opportunities for growth and unlock the potential in our rural spaces.

Growing a vibrant rural community requires a strong business community. We strive to offer resources and programs for the small businesses and entrepreneurs at the heart of our community. As rural economies continue to shift and change, we offer programs to ensure our workforce is ready to face the challenges of the future.

Affordable, quality healthcare is essential to the livelihood of the community. At the Turner Center, we connect the resources of our campus, like our nursing program, with partners in the community, like our local hospital, faith communities, and civic organizations. By working together, we find innovative ways to lower the cost of healthcare to providers and patients, building a healthier community for everyone.