JOHNSON CITY – (Dec. 16, 2020) Dr. Adam S. Green, chief of staff at East Tennessee State University and secretary of the Board of Trustees, has been named to the third class of Leadership Tennessee NEXT, a program designed to offer personal and professional career development for Tennessee’s best and brightest early and mid-career professionals.
The third class of Leadership Tennessee NEXT is welcoming 29 rising professionals
from every region of the state, representing a host of professional sectors and industries.
Over the course of the program, participants will have opportunities to grow their
professional skills and connect to a cross-generation network of state leaders while
participating in collaborative, non-partisan dialogues on issues of state importance. 
A full list of Leadership Tennessee NEXT Class III members is available here.
“I hope my involvement with LT NEXT Class III will provide me with a deeper insight into how education, business, policymaking, and philanthropy all intersect and interact to move the Volunteer State forward,” Green said. “Too often, we find ourselves siloed within our own professions and in our local communities. LT NEXT presents the ideal venue to explore regional and statewide leadership perspectives and opportunities.”
Green joined the ETSU administration in Aug. 2019, bringing nearly 15 years of college access and success accomplishments to the university. Throughout his career, he has secured more than $47 million in external funding focused on increasing college attainment rates of low-income, underrepresented and first-generation students.
Prior to working at ETSU, Green lived in West Virginia, where he spent 12 years working for the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. His tenure with the commission included more than four years as vice chancellor for Student Affairs and an additional four years as senior director of the Division of Student Success and P-20 Initiatives.
Green has also advanced higher education throughout his career, serving in various student support offices, and later completing scholarly research aimed at improving access to postsecondary education and training among rural populations.
He earned both his bachelor’s degree in journalism and his master’s degree in educational leadership studies at West Virginia University. Green also holds a post-graduate certificate in education awarded by the Manchester Metropolitan University in Manchester, England. He completed his doctoral degree in educational leadership studies at West Virginia University.
“One thing is evident, the future of the state is bright, with these upcoming leaders,” commented Cathy Cate, Leadership Tennessee executive director. “Leadership Tennessee has always been focused on building a network of problem solvers who are rooted across all regions of the state and who come together to build a stronger, better Tennessee; Leadership Tennessee NEXT adds a necessary layer to that network. By investing in these upcoming leaders now, Tennessee will be well prepared for the future.”
In its eighth year, Leadership Tennessee has developed a network of over 300 members, which includes 55 Leadership Tennessee NEXT members. During the pandemic, the organization postponed in-person gatherings and quickly turned to a virtual setting, conducting more than 30 discussions on topics that included crisis leadership, racial inequality, mental health awareness, and industry-focused updates, along with sessions with special guests, such as former Governors Phil Bredesen and Bill Haslam and Jon Meacham.
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Leadership Tennessee, an initiative of the College of Leadership and Public Service at Lipscomb University, is an organization committed to collaborative, non-partisan dialogue on issues of statewide importance by crossing geographic and professional boundaries and connecting a diverse network of problem solvers and engaged citizens. A new class of leaders is selected annually to take part in a leadership study course while visiting different areas of Tennessee, learning best practices and analyzing important issues faced by Tennesseans. To date, 267 leaders have gone through the program.