Four civic leaders from West Tennessee have been chosen as Fellows of the Delta Regional Authority’s Delta Leadership Institute. They include two from our local area: Paris City Manager Kim Foster and Benton County Mayor Brett Lashlee.
Foster told WENK/WTPR: “I am very humbled to have been chosen, and extremely excited to be a part of this prestigious program. We just finished our first session in Natchez, Mississippi. It was jam-packed with tons of information and resources. I am always excited to learn from other professionals in my region and work with them to come up with new and innovative ideas about how we can work together to improve our communities.”
The four will join fellows from the seven other Delta states to participate in the 10-month Delta Leadership Executive Academy to help further their skills in community leadership, policy development, and regional collaboration to drive economic growth across the Mississippi River Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions.
“The Delta Leadership Institute is a critical resource for local leaders to create partnerships that strengthen the region,” said Tennessee Governor Bill Lee. “I commend the public servants who are participating in the program and further serving their communities.”
The Fellows will participate in an intensive ten-month executive leadership training program focused on developing competencies through site visits, best practice case studies, executive coaching and mentoring, and regional project development. The program consists of six multi-day seminars throughout the Delta region culminating with a graduation in Memphis, TN.
The Program brings together representatives from the public, private, and non-profit sectors from across the eight-state Delta region. Tennessee’s 2019 – 2020 Delta Leadership Institute Fellows include:
- Kim Foster, Paris | City Manager, City of Paris
- Joel Hassell, Brownsville | Superintendent of Schools, Haywood County Schools
- Cody Woods, Lexington | Chief Financial Officer, City of Lexington
- Brett Lashlee, Camden | County Mayor, Benton County
Upon graduation, Delta Leadership Institute Fellows will become members of the Delta Leadership Network, a peer-driven working group foster regional collaboration, resource sharing, and continued education to support addressing the Delta’s most pressing issues.
Since 2005, DLI’s Executive Academy has enhanced the leadership skills, policy knowledge and networks of community members in the Delta region. After graduation, DLI graduates become members of the Delta Leadership Network, which includes more than 500 community leaders who understand the importance of regional collaboration, resource sharing and innovative thinking. DLI is a program of DRA in partnership with three institutions of higher education in the Delta region: The University of Alabama, The University of Arkansas, Arkansas State University-Jonesboro and the University of Louisiana-Monroe.
Photo: From left are: Cody Woods, Lori Nolen, Joey Hassel, Kim Foster and Brett Lashlee. Lori Nolen is one of two from Tennessee serving on the Regional Advisory Council for the Delta Leadership Network (alumni of Delta Leadership Institute). Delta Leadership photo.