Leadership has become a deeply important topic and position for me. I view the healthiest leadership as servant leadership and empowering others to make positive change in the lives of those that you serve.

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This passion for leadership exploded in my role serving as a restaurant marketing director (RMD) for The Pinnacle Chick-fil-A in Bristol, Tennessee. Prior to that, I had been in a leadership position in healthcare as a physical therapist assistant who oversaw aides or technicians, and also at T.J. Maxx as a coordinator overseeing the front end of cashiers and associates on the floor. But until my arrival at Chick-fil-A, I had not matured in my level of understanding of what it meant to be a true leader.

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Two of my best mentors regarding leadership have been Bob Feagins, one of my supervisors at the Kingsport Chamber, and Josh Horner, the operator (franchise owner) at The Pinnacle Chick-fil-A. They seemed to effortlessly blend direction and empowerment. They showed me that leadership is allowing someone room to scoot a chair up at the table and have their voice heard. Their leading styles model treating everyone with honor, dignity and respect.

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Since joining Chick-fil-A, I have completed leadership training at the corporate office in Atlanta, Georgia (known as the Support Center) and attended a marketing leadership conference in Dallas, Texas that was hosted by Chick-fil-A but welcomed guest speakers from companies like Apple, Burberry, Eleven Madison Park restaurant and Savannah Bananas who all deeply understood leadership, vision, empowerment and hospitality.

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I am a graduate of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce's Executive Leadership Institute. The nine-month program brought high-level leaders from around the Tri-Cities region to hear from guest speakers, learn from one another and engage in a cohort legacy project focused on keeping young talent in the area in light of the epidemic of students leaving for college and never returning to the area to work professionally. Topics in the class included conflict resolution, elected office, media relations, business development strategies, economic development, debate, mentoring, DEI, change management, DEI initiatives and more.

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I actively study political leadership and how being in public service and elected office influences communities at a local, state, national and international level. I believe one of the most noble opportunities awaiting someone is the option to run for office—and to do so with integrity, compassion, care, humility, transparency, decency and curiosity.

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All of these professional and personal interests and experiences have yielded a servant leader looking to the horizon to make a better—and kinder, more just and fairer—tomorrow.