Leadership Overton
Adult
Over the last three decades, Leadership Overton has been where Overton County's leaders are made. The program brings together a select class of emerging and established leaders each year for an immersive, eleven-month experience designed to deepen their understanding of the community, sharpen their leadership skills, and connect them to the people and institutions that shape life in Overton County. Graduates have gone on to serve in elected office, lead nonprofits, own and grow businesses, and launch the community initiatives that move our county forward, and the network of alumni now reaches into nearly every corner of local life.
How the Program Works
Leadership Overton runs from January through November, with the class meeting on the second Wednesday of each month for a full program day. Each session is built around a different facet of the community and combines classroom learning with site visits, panel discussions, and candid conversations with the people doing the work. Over the course of the year, participants spend time inside our schools, our hospital and healthcare providers, our manufacturers, our farms, our courtrooms, and the offices of city, county, and state government, gaining a firsthand view that most residents never get.
Program days cover economic development, education, healthcare, public safety, agriculture, city and county government, state government, and community organizations and civic life, and they change from year to year as the community does. Alongside the monthly sessions, participants complete individual assignments and work together on a class project that leaves a lasting mark on the county. The year concludes with an evening graduation ceremony that celebrates the class and welcomes them into the Leadership Overton alumni family.
Who Should Apply
Leadership Overton is for people who care about Overton County and want to do something about it. Classes are intentionally diverse, drawing from business, industry, education, healthcare, agriculture, government, nonprofits, and faith communities, and from every part of the county. Applicants may nominate themselves or be nominated by an employer, a colleague, or a community member, and the Selection Committee looks for a demonstrated commitment to the community, a willingness to engage, and the capacity to put what is learned to work.
Participants are expected to attend every session, and employers are asked to support that commitment, because the value of the program comes from the full year of shared experience.
Class of 2027 Application Timeline
Applications for the Class of 2027 opened on August 3, 2026, and are due by October 30, 2026. Applicants will be notified of the Selection Committee's decisions by November 16, 2026, and the class will begin in January 2027. Incomplete or late applications cannot be considered. Ready to apply? Click here.
Youth
The best time to build a leader is before they leave. Youth Leadership Overton brings the Leadership Overton experience to high school students, and it is offered in partnership with UT Extension Overton County, whose 4-H youth development program has been building young leaders in this county for generations. The partnership pairs the Chamber's connections across business, government, and community life with Extension's deep expertise in youth leadership, citizenship, and hands-on learning.
Students in the program meet September through March to explore how Overton County works, from local government and public safety to industry, healthcare, and entrepreneurship, and to develop the communication, teamwork, and civic skills that carry into college, careers, and community service. Along the way they meet the leaders who run the county, take on a service project of their own, and begin to see a future for themselves here at home.
Youth Leadership Overton is open to sophomores attending Livingston Academy.
Alumni
Leadership Overton graduates are part of a network that stretches across three decades and into every sector of the county. Alumni are invited to stay connected through Chamber events and program activities, to nominate the next generation of leaders, and to serve as speakers, hosts, and mentors for future classes. If you are a Leadership Overton graduate and would like to get involved, we would love to hear from you.
Questions?
For questions about Leadership Overton, the application process, or the alumni association, contact Charlotte Clark at the Livingston/Overton County Chamber of Commerce at (931) 823-6421 or charlotte@overtonco.com.