President Lowry announced the newly established Nelson and Sue Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership at the quarterly Nashville Business Breakfast today. Several distinguish guests were in attendance including Governor Bredesen and Nashville Mayor Karl Dean.
Bearing the names of influential community leaders Nelson and Sue Andrews, who significantly shaped Nashville and the Middle Tennessee community throughout their lives, the institute will continue to promote the Andrews’ legacy of civic leadership through academic programs, community engagement and a leadership council.
Former corporate executive and White House veteran Linda Peek Schacht will serve as the institute’s executive director. Since arriving at Lipscomb in 2008, Schacht has taught as associate professor within the departments of history, politics and philosophy and communication.
The new institute will focus on establishing a master’s degree in civic leadership in fall 2011. Also, a website (leadingvoices.lipscomb.edu) devoted to civic entrepreneurship will serve as a national interactive link among community leaders, including working papers, regular blogs and results of research.
“Nelson Andrews was the model of a successful civic leader, with Sue at his side as partner and friend,” said Lowry. “Over the past couple of years, Mr. Andrews and I discussed the importance of leadership education and training”.
The morning’s breakfast concluded with Governor Bredesen speaking on Tennessee’s economic development over the past eight years. Several executives and vice presidents stood behind him as evidence: Hemlock Semiconductor Group’s Rick Doornbus, Volkswagen Group of America’s David Geanacopoulos and Assurion’s Bryon Smith.
“I hold a debt to repay Nelson Andrews”, says Governor Bredesen. “He played a huge role in mentoring and preparing me for leadership in government”.
The late Nelson Andrews was a real estate investor by trade but much more than a businessman as his leadership spanned health care, religion and government. He believed that successful business, nonprofit and government leaders must also be strong civic leaders in order for a community to survive.
He served on the Tennessee State Board of Education and established the Nashville Alliance for Public Education. Andrews’ signature contribution was the creation of Leadership Nashville, a program providing community leaders a three-dimensional view of the city. Also, the family was instrumental in the creation of Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital and the Tennessee Health Care Network.
To learn more about the Nelson and Sue Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership, visit leadingvoices.lipscomb.edu