The Turner Center for Rural Vitality works to cultivate thriving rural communities by creating cross-sector collaboration opportunities to build a vibrant rural ecosystem in south-central Tennessee and beyond.
UT Southern Regional Leadership Program
Applications are now open for the 2023-2024 UT Southern Regional Leadership program!
About
The UT Southern Regional Leadership program is a nine-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 and dedicate time to UT Southern’s campus, sharpening their leadership skills. Each county visit will explore an important theme in rural economic and community development, particularly how that county leverages its strengths to address its challenges. See the dates section for a list of themes.
After completing the program, participants will have the obtained following.
- Establish a network of colleagues from throughout South Central Tennessee.
- Master leadership skills to help them in their professions, community, and regional leadership.
- Gain 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 one-day sessions, beginning at 9 am and concluding by 4 pm. County visits will be 1.5 -day sessions, beginning at 1 pm on Thursday and ending by 3 pm on Friday.
Participation in all sessions is required. For county visits, participants are highly encouraged to stay overnight to fully experience the counties and 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 8 (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)
Participants have two options for tuition, both significantly more affordable than many comparable leadership programs.
- $500 for participants who wish to make lodging arrangements during the county visits. Participants who select this option must cover the required lodging for the October session. Additional details will be provided upon acceptance into the program.
- $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 UT Southern Regional Leadership. 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
If you have questions about dates, requirements, tuition, and scholarships, please contact Catherine Cate, Interim Director at the Turner for Rural Vitality (ccate6@utsouthern.edu), or call 865-660-0090.
Social Entrepreneurship
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 – to build upon our assets to find new growth opportunities and unlock the potential in our rural spaces.
Small Business and Workforce Development
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 shift and change, we provide programs to ensure our workforce is ready to face future challenges.
Access to Health Care
Affordable, quality health care is essential to the livelihood of the community. At the Turner Center, we connect our campus resources, like our nursing program, with community partners like our local hospital, faith communities, and civic organizations. By working together, we find innovative ways to lower the cost of health care to providers and patients, building a healthier community for everyone.
Please email us at ccate6@utsouthern.edu to discuss our work or possible partnerships.