The newly formed Leadership Cleveland Alumni Association, a program of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce, will host its inaugural scholarship luncheon on Thursday, June 2, at noon at the Cleveland Country Club.
The scholarship luncheon will serve as a fundraiser for the Melissa Jones Memorial Scholarship, which will enable a nonprofit professional to participate in the Leadership Cleveland program.
Melissa Jones, a 2011 graduate of Leadership Cleveland, had worked for First Tennessee Bank for about 10 years, managing the 25th street financial center since 2004. In the spring of 2013, the bank asked her to manage their first out-of-state branch in Raleigh, N.C., near where her family lives. Two weeks after her move, she was found murdered in her apartment.
Teri Boyd, who chairs the LCAA steering committee, noted, “Melissa was an active member of the Leadership Cleveland program and was involved with many nonprofit groups in our community. We wanted to preserve her memory locally and provide funding for a deserving nonprofit executive to participate in this leadership development program.”
The luncheon will also serve as the graduation ceremony for the Leadership Cleveland class of 2015-2016.
The Leadership Cleveland Alumni Association, launched in late 2015 with a reception attended by more than 45 graduates of the program, has as its mission contribution to the betterment of Cleveland and Bradley County through its group of civic leaders. The association will achieve this by connecting graduates of the program, assisting with the development of future leadership programs and expanding training opportunities with Leadership Cleveland scholarships.
Julie Baumgardner, president and CEO of First Things First, an award-winning grassroots organization dedicated to strengthening families in Chattanooga, will present the keynote address for the luncheon.
The success of the FTF initiative has sparked interest in duplicating the FTF model in cities across the country and internationally. Ms. Baumgartner, along with the First Things First team, has provided technical assistance to hundreds of communities across the country and internationally.
As a passionate advocate for healthy marriage and family, Ms. Baumgardner frequently speaks on these issues both locally and nationally. In addition to her weekly column on family issues in the Chattanooga Times-Free Press that reaches 100,000 households, she also hosts a weekly talk show on public television, First Things First With Julie Baumgardner, discussing topics relevant to marriage and family.
She currently serves on the Hamilton County Juvenile Court Commission, the Downtown Rotary board and the Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute board, in addition to chairing the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Chattanooga curriculum committee. Nationally, she is the board chair for the National Association for Relationship and Marriage Education and serves on the board of the Screamfree Institute.
Ms. Baumgardner has been honored with the Smart Marriages Impact Award, the Frist Humanitarian Award, the Liberty Bell award from the Chattanooga Bar Association, the National Association for Relationship and Marriage Education Vision and Leadership award, and the Forty Under Forty Community Service Award. She is also recognized as a Woman of Distinction by the American Lung Association and honored as Best Chattanoogan in the Chattanooga Times Free Press People’s Choice Awards.
Individual tickets for the luncheon are $40, and corporate tables of eight are $350. To purchase tickets, visit the Chamber’s events calendar at www.clevelandchamber.com or call the office at 472-6587 by May 27.