36th UTM WestStar Leadership Program class announced

MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin’s WestStar Leadership Program Class of 2026 has been announced, and the group had a welcome meeting and reception Nov. 10. The class will have seven more learning sessions before the graduation ceremony June 16 hosted by UT Martin.

Sixteen West Tennessee counties are represented in this year’s WestStar class, which has 33 people participating:

• Benton County: Daniel Richardson, owner, Richardson Media Group Inc.
• Carroll County: Mike Cary, president, Carroll Bank and Trust; Ryan White, chief of police, City of McKenzie Police Department.
• Chester County: Mark Barber, director of operations, Quinco Community Mental Health Center.
• Decatur County: Amanda Creasy, director of Extended Learning, Resources and Partnerships, Decatur County Board of Educations.
• Dyer County: Robert Craig, executive director, Reelfoot Rural Ministries.
• Gibson County: Grayson Chandler, power utilization engineer, Tennessee Valley Authority; Tameka Lewis, instructional supervisor, Milan Special School District; Zach Marbrey, critical care paramedic, Gibson County EMS.
• Hardin County: Alan Hooper, captain, criminal investigative division, Savannah Police Department; Josh Tidwell, environmental supervisor, Packaging Corporation of America.
• Haywood County: Norm Bauer, mayor, Town of Stanton; James Farmer, director of workforce development, TCAT Jackson – Brownville Extension Campus.
• Henderson County: Ashley Horn, vice president of marketing and communications, L.I. Smith and Associates; Jayson Keel, state standardization instructor pilot, Department of War, Tennessee Army National Guard; Justin Roach, general manager, Lexington Utilities.
• Henry County: Paula Bell, chief executive officer, West Tennessee Healthcare Henry County; Randy Geiger, mayor, Henry County; Shane Paschall, director of schools, Paris Special School District; Carly Wheat, director, The Exchange Club Carl Perkins Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse, Henry County.
• Lauderdale County: Christie Hudnall, dean, Dyersburg State Community College.
• Madison County: Henry Kilpatrick, chief marketing and communications officer, Jackson State Community College.
• Obion County: Rachael McKinney, community relations director, Obion County Chamber of Commerce; Caroline Partin, executive director, Obion County Tourism Board.
• Shelby County: George Chism, business development manager, Alston Construction; Reggie Crenshaw, vice president, Cigna Healthcare; Bernice Donald, senior judge (retired), U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. 
• Tipton County: Cody Bumpus, human resources director, City of Covington; Mike Gill, executive director, Millington Airport Authority.
• Weakley County: Justin Crice, chief executive officer, Weakley County Chamber and Joint Economic Development Corporation; Sarah Haig, professor, visual arts and theatre, UT Martin; Dr. Michael O’Neill, director of public safety, UT Martin; Brian Smith, chief compliance officer and physical therapist, Dynamix Physical Therapy.

Participants in the UT Martin WestStar Leadership Program will take part in learning sessions throughout the school year, starting with an opening retreat Dec. 11-12. Sessions are held at different locations throughout West Tennessee and include topics like the humanity of leadership, education, community development and tourism.

The final session will be the graduation ceremony, to be held June 16 at UT Martin. This year’s group will be the 36th graduating class from the program. Last year’s graduating class featured the 1,000th person to take part in the program.

Information about WestStar is available by calling the WestStar Leadership Program at 731-881-7298.

For more information about UT Martin, visit www.utm.edu or call 1-800-829-UTM1 (-8861).

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