Frank Harrison will speak at the Chattanooga Area Leadership Prayer Breakfast on May 3
The 38th Annual Chattanooga Area Leadership Prayer Breakfast is scheduled for Tuesday, May 3, at the Chattanooga Convention Center, Exhibit Hall A and B. Doors open at 6:45 a.m. and the buffet begins at 7 a.m. The program will be from 7:20-8:30 a.m.
The speaker will be J. Frank Harrison, III, president and CEO of Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated.
The purpose of the Chattanooga Area Leadership Prayer Breakfast is to encourage morality and ethics in the lives of all people in positions of leadership in business, government, and in the professions.
Approximately 39 years ago, John Stophel (attorney with, what was then, Stophel, Caldwell & Heggie, PC); John Wright (president, American National Bank); John Steffner (owner and president, Chattanooga Armature Works); and Ted DeMoss (president, CBMC, Inc.) met with Mayor Pat Rose to share their vision about having an event to encourage morality and ethics in the lives of all people in positions of leadership in business, government and in professions. Originally called the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast, the name was changed to the Chattanooga Area Leadership Prayer Breakfast in the early 1990's. The event has grown from an attendance of several hundred the first year in 1978 at the Chattanooga Choo Choo, with Chuck Colson as the speaker to last year's attendance of approximately 1,700 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. It is the largest community-wide seated event in the Chattanooga area.
Mr. Harrison officially began his career with Coca-Cola Consolidated in 1977, but his roots in the Coca-Cola system date back to 1902, when his great-grandfather, J.B. Harrison first introduced Coca-Cola to the Carolinas. Early in his career Mr. Harrison worked in a number of entry level positions including running routes and operating bottling lines.
He graduated from the University of North Carolina with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, and in 1983 he obtained an MBA from Duke University. Since 1977, Mr. Harrison has served in a variety of operational and leadership roles throughout the company until becoming chairman and CEO in 1996.
As the fourth generation family leader of what has become the nation’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottler, Mr. Harrison is focused on creating a culture of servant leaders whose values and actions honor God. Even though Coca-Cola Consolidated is a public company, Mr. Harrison believes that God owns it all. He sees himself as the “chief steward,” accountable to the Owner for using the resources he has been entrusted with to make a positive difference in the lives of over 12,000 employees and their communities.
In 2008, Mr. Harrison and his late son James Franklin Harrison, IV co-founded With Open Eyes, a public, non-profit ministry dedicated to equipping leaders throughout the world who serve those in need, share the message of Jesus Christ and disciple believers. Mr. Harrison has personally led multiple teams to the war torn country of Sudan, just one of the countries where With Open Eyes is currently focusing its efforts.
Some of Mr. Harrison’s directorial affiliations include several well known organizations:
Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, Chairman/CEO
The Coca-Cola Bottlers’ Association, Board of Governors
American Beverage Association, past Chairman,
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Board of Directors
With Open Eyes, Co-Founder/Board Chairman
YMCA of Greater Charlotte, Board of Trustees, past Chairman
Youth Commission International, Board of Trustees, past Chairman
Mr. Harrison lives in Charlotte, N.C. but also enjoys spending time on his farm outside of Charlotte with his wife Jan of 38 years, their three married daughters, and three grandchildren.
Tickets are $20 per person or $160 for a table of eight. Make reservation checks to Prayer Breakfast and send to c/o Jackson Wingfield, 2205 Holtzclaw Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37404. Tickets may also be make online at
www.ChattanoogaPrayerBreakfast.org and pay using PayPal.
For more information call Carol at Wingfield Scale at 698-0100 or e-mail at cbrown@wingfieldscale.com.
Sponsorship is by A Citizen’s Committee, T.W. Francescon, Jr., chairman. The Executive Committee includes V. Chairman (Special Guests) Judge Clarence Shattuck, V. Chairman (Ticket Sales) Jackson Wingfield, V. Chairman (Publicity) Tom Francescon, V. Chairman (Arrangements) Lee Atchley, Secretary – Henry Henegar and Treasurer – Jim Ruane.
Past speakers include 1978 -- Chuck Colson, 1980 -- Senator William Armstrong, 1988 -- Adolph Coors, IV, 1995 -- Cal Thomas, 2000 -- Bobby Richardson, 2003 -- Maj. Gen. Robert L. Van Antwerp, 2004 -- William L. Armstrong, 2005 -- Ron Blue, 2008 -- Russell O’Quinn, 2010 -- David Barton, 2011 -- Jeff Kemp, 2013 -- Dr. Mark Whitacre, 2014 -- Robert C. Doll, Jr. and 2015 -- Brig Sorber.
Free parking will be at the Finley Stadium lots, with free shuttle bus service from Finley to Chattanooga Convention Center every five minutes, beginning at 6:15 a.m.