Mayor Griffin Selected for Leadership Program

McKenzie Mayor Ryan Griffin is one of 16 individuals selected to join the inaugural cohort for PULSE TN: Strengths-Based Leadership Intensive. The cohort selection was announced Wednesday, May 27, by the University of Tennessee’s Institute for Public Service.

Led by the University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS), PULSE TN gathers a selective cohort of municipal leaders, elected officials and community partners from across the state to address challenges including strengthening rural communities, advancing K–12 education and overcoming addiction.

“The vision for PULSE TN is to help local leaders connect their individual strengths to something bigger than themselves,” said MTAS Training and Development Consultant and PULSE TN Program Lead Dr. Matt Hensley. “The Grand Challenges touch every community in Tennessee. PULSE TN is about building a statewide network of local leaders who are leading meaningful change where they live and serve—aligning local action for coordinated statewide impact.”

The program is intentionally collaborative in design and delivery, bringing together expertise and engagement from across all agencies within IPS. In addition, PULSE TN includes collaborative partnerships with campus and statewide leadership organizations, including the Jones Center for Leadership and Service at UT Knoxville and Leadership Tennessee. These collaborations help create a uniquely interdisciplinary leadership experience that connects local leaders with subject matter experts, statewide networks and applied learning opportunities across Tennessee.

Over the course of the multi-month program, selected participants will engage in immersive learning experiences across Tennessee’s three grand divisions, including strengths-based leadership workshops, expert panel discussions, service-learning opportunities and community engagement experiences tied directly to the UT Grand Challenges.

The curriculum is grounded in CliftonStrengths and emphasizes self-awareness, adaptive leadership, collaboration and translating leadership into action. A key component of the program is the development of participant-led “Strengths in Action” projects designed to create tangible local impact after the program concludes.

The inaugural PULSE TN cohort represents communities and organizations from across Tennessee and reflects a diverse mix of leadership backgrounds, professional expertise, and civic engagement experience. Participants were selected through a competitive nomination and application process.

PULSE TN’s inaugural cohort includes Glen Mullins, Chairman, Bartlett Station Commission; Adrienne Batara, Marketing/Public Relations Director, Kingsport; Wendy Maness, Councilwoman, Clinton; Patrick Smith, City Councilman, Union City; Jason Horne, Assistant Director of Greeneville City Schools, Greeneville; Mary Lee Williams, Director of Administration, Bristol; Melanie Rice, Director of HR, Johnson City; Lori Phillip-Jones, Mayor, Oneida; Ryan Griffin, Mayor, McKenzie; Amanda Waddell, Director of Grants and Strategic Initiatives, Greene County Partnership; Ruth Reno Anderson, Alderman, City of Puryear; Kendra Hopson, General Manager, Greene County Partnership; Martin Granum, City Manager, Red Bank; Lynn Broyles, Executive Director, Greene County Anti-Drug Coalition; Rafferty Davis Cleary, Cultural Administrator, Monterey; and Chelsea Sadler, Director of Grants and Opportunities, Chattanooga.