Youth Leadership Rutherford

03/25/2026

What a way to wrap up the 2026 Youth Leadership Rutherford class! 🎉

Our final program day was packed with insight, reflection, and celebration. We kicked things off with a conversation on leadership in college sports featuring Lee DeLeon, Deputy Athletic Director at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), Roman Gagliano, Blue Raider Football QB, and Alec Oglesby, Men’s Basketball senior leader. The group loved the discussion format and walked away with many thoughts on leadership, teamwork, and accountability.

We also had a presentation from Allyn Walker with Dale Carnegie, giving students even more tools to carry forward as they step into their next chapter.

After taking time to look back on their YLR journey this year, we celebrated these incredible students at their graduation ceremony, joined by more than 100 proud parents, family members, friends, and teachers. It was a special moment to recognize the class!

Thank you to our program day sponsors, TwelveStone Health Partners, Center Hill Marina, and Bank of Tennessee, and to United Communications, our graduation sponsor.

So what’s next for the Class of 2026?

🎓 8 heading to the University of Tennessee
🎓 2 attending MTSU
🎓 2 attending HBCUs
🎓 14 attending other universities
🔧 2 pursuing vocational schools
🏡 1 entering the real estate field

Career interests are already taking shape as well:
🩺 7 plan to pursue the medical field
💼 4 will study business
📚 Others are exploring a wide range of paths

While some are still deciding, one thing is certain - this group is full of future leaders, and we can’t wait to see the impact they’ll make.

Congratulations, YLR Class of 2026 - you’ve made us proud! 👏

02/25/2026

⏰ DEADLINE ALERT!
Rising seniors—don’t miss your chance to be part of Youth Leadership Rutherford’s next class! Applications are due Friday, February 27th at 4:30 PM sharp!
If you're looking for a program that challenges your leadership skills, engages you in the community, and helps you grow as a future leader, this is it! 🙌
Apply now before time runs out! Leadership Rutherford
🔗

Applications close Friday, February 27, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. for ​Youth Leadership Rutherford Class of 2026/2027

02/10/2026

🎓 Rising Seniors—Step Into Your Leadership Era!
Youth Leadership Rutherford is more than a program—it’s where future leaders are made. 🚀 Dive into real-world issues, sharpen your leadership skills, and make a meaningful impact in our community. 🌟

✨ Build confidence
✨ Learn civic leadership
✨ Get involved locally

📅 Applications open February 2 and close February 27 at 4:30 PM
👉 Apply here: https://bit.ly/YLRApps26

Know a rising senior ready to lead? Tag them below! 👇

Applications close Friday, February 27, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. for ​Youth Leadership Rutherford Class of 2026/2027

02/03/2026

📣 Attention Rising Seniors!
Do you know a soon-to-be high school senior ready to make an impact? 🌟 Youth Leadership Rutherford (YLR) is now accepting applications for its next class!
YLR offers personal development, civic education, and hands-on community engagement, preparing students to be visionary leaders in Rutherford County and beyond. 💼🌍
📅 Applications open Monday, February 2nd, and close at 4:30 PM on Friday, February 27th. Don't miss out on this opportunity!
🔗

Applications close Friday, February 27, 2026 at 4:30 p.m. for ​Youth Leadership Rutherford Class of 2026/2027

01/21/2026

📅 January Youth Leadership Rutherford Day Recap

What a fantastic day for our Youth Leadership Rutherford class! We kicked things off with an insightful presentation from Mai Ferrell on the importance of mental health, followed by the Game of Life with Nancy Gastelum of Redstone Federal Credit Union.

We then headed to Ascension Saint Thomas for lunch and an incredible afternoon of learning. Clay Dyer shared information about the wide range of rehabilitation services offered, and the class enjoyed a tour of radiology and a hard hat tour of the new labor and delivery wing.

A huge thank you to Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford and Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford Foundation for hosting us and for investing in the next generation of leaders. We truly appreciate your hospitality and support! 💙

12/02/2025

Youth Leadership Rutherford had another exciting program day today! 🎉

We kicked things off with a session from Shan Foster Fostering Healthy Solutions, who helped us break down the results of our DISC assessments and explore how our different leadership styles can work together for greater impact.

Next, we were inspired by a thoughtful panel discussion on servant leadership featuring Kelli Beam and Jason Surratt. Their perspectives reminded us what it truly means to lead with purpose and heart.

To wrap up the day, we delivered our food donations to Nourish Food Bank and spent time working in the warehouse - definitely a hands-on way to serve our community. ❤️

A huge thank you to our sponsors for the day: Middle Tennessee Electric and First National Bank of Middle Tennessee. Your support makes experiences like this possible! 🙌

11/19/2025

For our November Program Day, we kicked off the morning with an introduction to tennis at the Adams Tennis Complex, Murfreesboro, then headed over to the Smyrna Outdoor Adventure Center where we learned all about Parks & Rec in our community, and even got in some indoor climbing! 🧗‍♂️

After returning to the Chamber, the class participated in a “Shark Tank” competition led by Amelia Bozeman with the Jones College of Business, MTSU. Huge congrats to the winning team, whose innovative product was custom dog treats! 🐶✨

We wrapped up the day with Senator Shane Reeves, who shared three powerful stories and the lessons they’ve taught him throughout his life.

A big thank-you to our meal sponsors, SEC and Old National Bank, for fueling a fantastic day! 🙌

09/23/2025

🚀 Youth Leadership Rutherford had an action-packed day exploring business and economic development in Rutherford County!

👉 Our first stop was in Smyrna at the Nissan manufacturing facility, where they were welcomed by Vice President of Manufacturing, Brian Crockett, and took a tour and saw the plant in production. That was followed by a visit to Hollingshead Aviation at the Smyrna/Rutherford County Airport Authority. Students experienced the flight simulator, toured a private jet, and learned about day-to-day operations.

✈️ Thank you to Evan Lester and Salil Rai with the Airport Authority for sharing insights on the airport’s impressive growth — now the 4th busiest airport in Tennessee!

🍽️ After lunch, the class heard from Jon Harrell with SRM Concrete, who shared about concrete production and even led a fun hands-on concrete activity.

A huge THANK YOU to Nissan and SRM for hosting us and making today an unforgettable learning experience! 🙌

08/19/2025

✨ It was a big day for Youth Leadership Rutherford! ✨

Today we kicked off Orientation for the 2025 - 2026 class - our 30th class of YLR 🎉. We had a great time getting to know each other with fun games and started building connections that will last all year.

A huge thank you to Tyler Clem of One Church Calvary for leading a motivating presentation on leadership. 🙌

We are also grateful to our generous sponsors:
🍳 Volunteer Bank for providing breakfast
🥗 Dow Smith for sponsoring lunch

We’re looking forward to an incredible year with this outstanding group of young leaders! 💡💪

03/27/2025

🎉 Congratulations to the Youth Leadership Rutherford Class of 2025! 🎓👏

On Tuesday, they wrapped up their final program day with a visit to the Murfreesboro TN Police Department, where they learned about law enforcement operations and heard from the Chief of Police, Mike Bowen, and the Public Information Officer, Larry Flowers. Local attorney Brock East from McCarter East PLLC, also shared valuable information on common legal issues for young adults.

The day concluded with a special graduation ceremony, surrounded by proud parents and Leadership Rutherford alumni. A huge thank you to Dow Smith for sponsoring breakfast and Law Office of W. Scott Kimberly for sponsoring lunch!

Best wishes to these future leaders! 🌟

02/25/2025

⏰ DEADLINE ALERT!

Rising seniors—don’t miss your chance to be part of Youth Leadership Rutherford’s next class! Applications are due Friday, February 28th at 4:30 PM sharp!

If you're looking for a program that challenges your leadership skills, engages you in the community, and helps you grow as a future leader, this is it! 🙌

Apply now before time runs out!
🔗 https://bit.ly/YLRApps26

Applications close Friday, February 28, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. for ​Youth Leadership Rutherford Class of 2025/2026

02/18/2025

🚀 What an incredible program day for Youth Leadership Rutherford! 🌟

We heard from Adam Nuse, Chief Revenue Officer of the Tennessee Titans, who shared valuable insights about business and the sports industry 🏈. Next, we heard from Patrick Cammack, Sr. Vice President of Economic Development at the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, about the exciting developments happening right here in our community. 🌱

Our day also included a time management activity with Cedric Dukes from Huntington Learning Center ⏰. We then visited SRM Concrete where we got an inside look at how SRM got its start and its impact both locally and nationwide 🌍. They loved the concrete demonstration and activity! 🏗️

A huge THANK YOU to our generous sponsors, First National Bank of Middle Tennesseee and SRM Concrete, for making today possible! 🙌