Tammy White gets state leadership award

Tammy White

Tammy White, president & CEO of Leadership Knoxville Inc., has won the 2025 TACL Robert M. Smith Outstanding Tennessee Leadership Educator award. The award is sponsored by the University of Tennessee at Martin’s WestStar leadership program.

White’s predecessor at Leadership Knoxville, Jeannie Dulaney, won the award in 1998. Tennessee Association of Community Leadership was formed to promote leadership throughout the state and to network leaders.

“Tammy is described as one of the most influential and impactful leaders in her community. Her love for both her city and state is both evident and obvious to all who know her. She has been the conduit of so many major successes in her community and has served sacrificially for many years.

“Tammy has been a constant vessel of transformation and change in our city; her humility always gives the credit to someone else. I truly believe our city and the people in it are the better because of her servant leadership.”

Rick Barnes, Texas and Tennessee

Rick Barnes

And sometimes you get less than you ask for:

Coach Rick Barnes was at Texas from 1998-2015 with 402 wins and 180 losses. Not enough, said Texas.

Barnes was hired 2015 at Tennessee where he has compiled a 234-109 record.

Texas, since Barnes, has been coached by Shaka Smart (90-78), Chris Beard (29-13) and Rodney Terry (63-38). The cumulative record: 182-129.

[And for the nerds among us, during Barnes’s tenure at Texas, Tennessee had coaches Jerry Green (69-27), Buzz Peterson (61-59), Bruce Pearl (145-61), Cuonzo Martin (63-41) and Donnie Tyndall 16-16). That equals 354-204.]

Future Leaders Day for middle school youth

Albert Liu, who serves as the student representative on the KCS Board of Education, is working with others from Farragut High School to host Future Leaders Day.

It is a one-day event that introduces middle school students around Knox County to civics, the legal system, business and international politics through interactive sessions and hands-on activities. “Student leadership representing Youth in Government, DECA, Model UN and Mock Trial are working to give students a unique chance to explore leadership in action. Delegates will have the chance to pass their own bill through a mock Congress, simulate a world crisis, participate in a mock court case and learn about business,” Liu said.

It’s at Farragut High School on Saturday, December 6, 2025, from (drum roll for youth-sensitive time) 12:30-4:30 p.m. See attached graphic for registration info.

Here’s the current Knox County school board: (seated) Travis Wright, District 8, vice chair; Kristi Kristy, District 9, chair; Superintendent Dr. Jon Rysewyk; (standing) Albert Liu, non-voting student board member; Patricia Fontenot-Ridley, District 3; Lauren Morgan, District 5; John Butler, District 1; Steve Triplett, District 7; Katherine Bike, District 4; Anne Templeton, District 2; Betsy Henderson, District 6.

In memoriam: Polly, Tommy Graham owned Graham’s Studio

Polly Graham

East Tennesseans of a certain age most surely had a school picture from the Graham’s Studio. Thomas Sr. and later Thomas Jr. were photographers who created treasured memories of kids for generations.

Virginia E. “Polly” Graham, 93, of South Knoxville, Tennessee, passed away on November 5, 2025. A member of Valley Grove Baptist Church, Polly lived a life marked by faith, family and service to her community. The full obituary is here.

Family and friends gathered to celebrate Polly’s life at Berry Funeral Home, 3704 Chapman Highway, on November 10.

Notes & Quotes

Round Up for Veterans: Now through December 1, guests at participating Pilot travel centers can round up their purchase or donate $1, $3 or $5 to support the Call of Duty Endowment, which helps veterans transition into high-quality civilian careers. Pilot is also contributing $250,000 to the cause. Since 2019, Pilot and its guests have donated more than $5.2 million, funding over 8,000 veteran job placements.

Halls Business & Professional Association will meet Tuesday, Nov. 18, at noon at Sacred Ground Hospice House, 1120 Dry Gap Pike. The guest speaker will be Andy Padgett from TDOT. The club’s Christmas Gala will be Friday, December 5, at 6:30 p.m. at Beaver Brook Country Club. Tickets are $100 with discounts for purchasing tables of 8 or 10. Contact Judy McMahan at JMcmahan@hpud.org to reserve your spot. Halls Christmas Parade will step off at 6 p.m. Saturday, December 13. Lineup starts at 4 p.m. at Halls High Schools. Info: Travis.Woody@foodcity.com

Quote: “My name is Jack Schlossberg and I’m running for Congress to represent my home, New York’s 12th Congressional District, where I was born and raised, where I took the bus to school every day. … I’m not running because I have all the answers to our problems; I’m running because the people of New York 12 do. I want to listen to your struggles, hear your stories, amplify your voice, go to Washington and execute on your behalf.” – Jack Schlossberg, 32, grandson of President John F. Kennedy, graduate of Yale University and Harvard Law School, who has amassed 728,000 followers on Instagram and roughly 173,000 followers on X.

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