UTM celebrates most recent graduates from WestStar Leadership Program

JACKSON, Tenn. — One program is helping to educate, engage and empower with its latest round of graduates.

Tuesday, the University of Tennessee at Martin’s WestStar Leadership Program graduated its 2025 class. It took place at the Jackson Country Club.

WestStar is a community leadership program for leaders across West Tennessee. Tuesday night, 34 individuals graduated from nearly all of the 21 counties.

Individuals were able to experience many leadership opportunities in West Tennessee over the last six months.

“We’ve got people in health care industry, education, higher education, private sector; so managers at factories, and then government officials, so mayors, councilman, county commissioners and kind of anybody in between,” said Jake Bynum, executive director of WestStar.

The program was established in 1989 and has seen 1,009 graduates following the graduation of this year’s 35th class.

The Honorable Judge Mark Norris, US District Court for the Western District of Tennessee and a 1999 WestStar graduate, was the featured speaker.

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