It was Awesome!

So much energy fueled the initial leg of our work together at the first ever Williamson County Collective Leadership Summit September 10th.

Many folks worked with us to make the event that hosted over 85 nonprofit and faith community colleagues meaningful. We are grateful to Linda Peek Schacht, Founding Director of the Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership at Lipscomb University, for crystallizing a collective leadership model to frame the work of the Summit, Liz Allen Fey and Rachel Moore-Beard of Strategy and Leadership for their guidance during our planning and their talents in the execution of a fruitful program day, Jason’s Deli, and our hosts and the host site (and possible new affordable day care location) Christ United Methodist Church.

We hoped to answer a need to bring together the passionate forces of those committed to the work of lifting and sustaining the efforts of our neighbors working to establish an independent life for themselves here in Williamson County. Each of you gathered with us to begin those efforts.

We intended to cause conversations that gave voice to our own work while we listened and began to understand the efforts of others. Each of you did the same throughout our time together.

We learned that all of us gathered have much to give each other to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the deployment of our services. This understanding will fuel our efforts as we develop strategies for specific targets of support created in our breakout groups to focus on before we meet again in January.

Moving forward, we must invite others to the conversation including those we aim to serve (please send those contacts to Lindsi Green [email protected] at the Franklin Housing Authority), commit to meeting with members of your breakout session before January to craft an initial strategy for your area of work, and plan to attend our next time together: January 21 (with the 28th as our snow/ice date).

Part of the January program will include a conversation with our leaders in the Williamson County Emergency Medical Services arena. We’ve learned in speaking with them that a coordination of efforts will lead to more significant assistance for our residents if we just know how best to help these men and women trained to keep us safe when challenges strike.

Finally, we are inspired by the spirit or, dare we say, force created at the Summit determined to make Williamson County a place where everyone matters.

Yours in service,

Deb, Susan, and Tina