Pictured above L to R: Haywood County Mayor Franklin Smith; Sharon Taylor McKinney, ECD BERO enterprise specialist; Pete Johnson, DRA federal co-chair; Lisa Hankins, executive director of the Lauderdale County Chamber; Rick Meredith, ECD Assistant Commissioner of Community Development and Ken Thorne, planning director for the Northwest Tennessee Development District
On June 16, five representatives from Tennessee graduated from the 2006-2007 class of the Delta Leadership Institute, which is operated by the Delta Regional Authority (DRA). The program is designed to create a corps of leaders with a regional and national perspective.
Each one-year program meets six times for intensive training on helping the region face its challenges and solve complex issues. This year's Tennessee representatives included Haywood County Mayor Franklin Smith; Sharon Taylor McKinney, ECD West Tennessee BERO enterprise specialist; Lisa Hankins, executive director of the Lauderdale County Chamber; Ken Thorne, planning director for the Northwest Tennessee Development District in Weakley County and Dennis Henderson, president of TLM Associates, Inc. in Madison County.