Governor Bill Haslam on Thursday announced the Tennessee Governor’s Management Fellowship program for exceptional applicants who wish to serve and learn under Tennessee state government’s top leaders.
The nonpartisan program offers a competitive salary and is open to recent graduates demonstrating outstanding academic achievement, a passion for serving their communities and outstanding character and leadership abilities.
“This is a chance to identify and nurture some of our finest recent graduates and team them with executive leadership in state government,” Governor Haslam said. “We have many talented potential leaders, and this will help them gain valuable experience that will create many long-term benefits.”
Five fellows will be chosen by an executive committee of some of the state’s foremost leaders. Fellows will be given the opportunity to spend two years working full-time for senior and top-ranking government officials beginning Aug. 11, 2014. After spending six months on statewide projects, fellows will be assigned to one of state government’s 22 departments. They will then serve directly under the commissioner of that department.
Fellows will participate in an 18-month leadership development program, attend events with the state’s top public and private sector leaders and assume responsibility on important statewide and departmental initiatives.
Applicants must have graduated from an undergraduate institution or graduate program between December 2011 and August 2014. They must prove excellence in academics, exhibit leadership ability and show involvement in extracurricular, community and/or civic activities.
Members of the program’s executive committee are:
- Mintha Roach, president and CEO of the Knoxville Utilities Board
- Gary R. Wade, chief justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court
- Bill Purcell, attorney and former Nashville mayor and Tennessee state legislator
- Mark Emkes, former commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration and retired chief executive officer of Bridgestone Americas
- Alberto Gonzales, Doyle Rogers Distinguished Chair of Law at Belmont University and former United States attorney general
- Bryan Jordan, chairman, president and CEO of First Horizon National Corporation
- Gary Shorb, president and CEO of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare
- Mark Cate, chief of staff for Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam
- Larry Martin, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration
- Bill Hagerty, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development
- Rebecca Hunter, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Human Resources
- Herbert Slatery, legal counsel to Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam
The fellowship application can be completed through the website www.tn.gov/governor/fellowship. Applications will be open until Wednesday, Oct. 30.