Leadership Tennessee, a nonpartisan community leadership organization, has chosen 52 participants from 12 counties in diverse sectors, including business, education, government, healthcare and nonprofit groups, for its Signature Program’s 13th class. Seven hail from Shelby County.

As part of the program, participants engage in open dialogue and immersive learning experiences to examine the state’s most significant and complex challenges during a 10-month period, while building collaborative relationships across the state’s three Grand Divisions, the West, Middle and East regions of Tennessee.

Shelby County will be represented by a group of proven change agents:

  • Adam Christopher, director of government relations for AutoZone
  • Dorcas Young Griffin, Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association’s newly named president and CEO, who currently serves as Shelby County deputy chief administrative officer until next month
  • Deidre Malone, president and CEO of The Carter Malone Group, LLC 
  • Anna McQuiston, executive director of the MidSouth Development District
  • Sally Pace, chief executive officer of Connect Healthcare Collaboration
  • Anasa Troutman, founder and CEO of The Big We
  • J. Lawrence Turner, senior pastor of Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church

Griffin, MIFA’s soon-to-be president and CEO, believes the Shelby County leaders were chosen because of their deep knowledge and hands-on experience in driving positive change in the region, she said. 

“I think it is significant for seven people to represent Memphis and Shelby County,” said Griffin. “Many times, not just in Memphis but across the state, Memphis is talked about because of its challenges. Our participation in Leadership Tennessee will not just highlight the challenges of Memphis, but the people who are the solutions to our challenges.”

And the Shelby County delegation reflects a broad cross-section of leadership and perspectives, said Griffin.

“There are leaders from the arts community, business leaders, people running nonprofits and people who represent the great faith of the community and its hope,” she said. “We have people who will tell the truth about what we are working through and also offer solutions because when Memphis is strong, the state of Tennessee is stronger.”

Leadership Tennessee, founded in 2013 at Lipscomb University, was created to help bridge the cultural and geographic differences that have historically existed between Tennessee’s three Grand Divisions. The university’s public service initiative transitioned eight years later to become an independent nonprofit organization.

The organization’s Signature Program is designed to help leaders better understand issues that transcend geographic boundaries. Five sessions are held in different regions of Tennessee, bringing together participants with subject matter experts to study community-level challenges, encourage dialogue, and find ways to collaborate and identify solutions that can strengthen communities statewide.

Leadership Tennessee President and CEO Dr. Alfred Degrafinreid II said Class XIII members were selected because of their accomplishments and their capacity to inspire progress.

“We take great pride in challenging our cohorts to think deeply, lead courageously and engage meaningfully in shaping Tennessee’s future,” said Degrafinreid. “We are excited to see how this class will leverage those experiences to strengthen their communities and help shape the next chapter of leadership in Tennessee.”

Participants are selected through a competitive process that begins with nominations from business leaders, community organizations and Signature Program alumni across Tennessee. An anonymous committee reviews applications and selects each year’s cohort.

When asked how Black representatives from Memphis and Shelby County can both contribute to the program and gain from the experience, Griffin said the opportunity extends beyond the participants themselves.

“People from across the state will be in the room with different levels of access,” said Griffin. “That creates an opportunity to build authentic relationships and better understand how different levels of access can work more effectively for Black people in Shelby County. Information, insight and access gained through those relationships can be brought back to support communities in Memphis and Shelby County.”

She hopes those connections will create lasting opportunities for future generations, she said.

“I am really praying this experience will manifest into legacy building for Memphis and especially for Black Memphians,” she said.

Hope and safety are the long-term effects Griffin expects this opportunity to create for Shelby County residents.

“Safety is not just about physical safety or public safety. It is also about hope – it’s about creating a place where people feel free and safe to make decisions, because they know they have opportunities,” she said. “I look forward to having conversations focused on creating hope through opportunities. And I am excited.”

The 2026-2027 program for Leadership Tennessee Class XIII commences this summer and will continue through next year, culminating in the formation of a statewide network of leaders positioned to advance collaborative solutions for Tennessee’s future.