The Pellissippi Strong Luncheon, sponsored by FirstBank will take place on April 21, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hilton Knoxville Airport, located at 2001 Alcoa Highway. The annual event will feature an array of speakers, a door prize, and alumni awards. All proceeds from the luncheon will directly support students on their academic and career journeys at Pellissippi State.

“The Pellissippi Strong Luncheon is a direct reflection of what can happen when a community comes together with a shared commitment to student success,” said Hayley Bisacre, director of Annual Giving and Donor Engagement at the Pellissippi State Foundation. “Each person in the room plays a role in opening doors for our students, and we are deeply grateful for a community that continues to show up, give back and believe in the transformative power of education.”

WATE-TV anchor Tearsa Smith will emcee the luncheon, scholarship recipient Melissa Whitney will give a student address and Pellissippi State Foundation Board Member Vallie Collins will give the keynote speech.

Collins was a passenger on US Airways Flight 1549, which in 2009 famously landed in New York’s Hudson River after experiencing engine failure because of an encounter with a flock of birds. All of the 150 people aboard the aircraft survived the so-called “Miracle on the Hudson.”

The luncheon will also honor the following annual Alumni Award winners:

  • Carrie Poteat, class of 2013, realtor with Realty Executives Associates and recipient of the 2026 Peggy Wilson Volunteer Alumni Award
  • Angel Wright-Lanier, assistant city manager for the City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award

Individual tickets for the Pellissippi Strong Luncheon begin at $75, and a reserved table for 10 starts at $1,000. More pricing and sponsorship options are available.

Register for the Pellissippi Strong Luncheon.

Pellissippi State Community College is a public community college based in Knox and Blount counties in Tennessee and operated by the Tennessee Board of Regents. The college operates four campuses: Hardin Valley, Blount County, Strawberry Plains and Magnolia Avenue.

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