Fostering Collaboration and Growth: Leadership Nashville Announces 2025-2026 Diverse Cohort of Top Executives

Leadership Nashville has announced the 49th cohort of executives who will embark on its esteemed leadership development program. The influential program aims to unite top executives from across Nashville through a series of classes that offer an unbiased perspective on the city while fostering relationships between organizations. This year's cohort includes 46 top Nashville executives, selected from a pool of 250 applicants after a rigorous nomination process by alumni and the public. "Selection for each carefully curated cohort is challenging due to the large number of highly qualified applicants," said Leadership Nashville Executive Director Evette White. "Our participants are so diverse that they wouldn't agree with each other - by design. Instead, we expose them to various viewpoints on each issue, believing that Nashville will be stronger because the decisions these leaders make in the future will come from a broadened, enlightened perspective." Over the course of nine months, the program will cover issues surrounding government and media, diversity, business, education, quality of life, health, arts and entertainment, and public safety. The 2025-2026 cohort members include:

• Andrew Batey, Founder and Co-CEO of Beatdapp Software Inc.
• Rickey Bearden, Commander of the Metro Nashville Police Department
• Jennifer Sarah (JS) Bolton, Sr. Director of Manufacturing at Nissan North America and President-Elect of the Junior League of Nashville
• Herbert Brown, Community and Citizenship Director at Turner Construction Company
• Crystal Churchwell Evans, Vice President of Development and Alumni Affairs at Fisk University
• Olivia Cloud, Managing Editor at R.H. Boyd
• Eric Cook, Director of So+Co Community Initiatives
• Sara Correa, Chief Marketing Officer at Bridgestone West
• Justin Crosslin, Co-CEO of Crosslin
• William Daughtrey, Head of School at Montgomery Bell Academy
• Alfred Degrafinreid, President & CEO of Leadership Tennessee
• Ben Farrer, Managing Director and Nashville Market Leader at The Fallon Company
• Evan Holladay, Founder and CEO of Holladay Ventures
• Julie Honey, Dean of Nursing at Belmont University
• Brittany Irby, Senior Director of Civic & Community Engagement at the Office of Mayor Freddie O'Connell
• Sam Jackson, President & CEO of The Healing Trust
• Kim James, Executive Director of Young Leaders Council