LYNCHBURG, Tenn. — Every thriving small town has something in common: people who showed up before they were asked. People who understood how local government actually works, who knew the history behind a zoning decision or a budget line, who could walk into a room full of strangers and find common ground. Those people don’t appear by accident. They get made — through experience, through exposure, through programs exactly like Lynchburg Leadership.
The Lynchburg Leadership Program is accepting applications for its next class, and the deadline is Friday, March 27. If you’ve ever thought about getting more involved in Moore County — in its government, its economy, its future — this is the on-ramp.
What is Lynchburg Leadership?
Lynchburg Leadership began as part of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s Three-Star Program, designed to build civic capacity in communities across the state. The Moore County version launched under former Mayor Peggy Gattis and has a straightforward purpose: develop a diversified group of informed, committed, and qualified individuals who can serve as a source of trained leaders for county organizations — public and private.
Over the course of the program, participants dig into the structures and systems that shape daily life in Moore County. Local and state government. Manufacturing and tourism. Agriculture and education. Leadership skills — public speaking, running a meeting, developing and presenting ideas. It’s not a lecture series. It’s a hands-on curriculum built around the county itself, taught in part by the people actually doing the work.
Each class also takes on a community project — something decided collectively, completed together, and left behind as a tangible contribution to the place they all call home.
Who is the program for?
The program is built for adults who live or work in Metro Moore County and Lynchburg who want to deepen their understanding of and connection to the community. You don’t need a résumé full of civic credentials to apply. You need curiosity, commitment, and a genuine interest in what makes this place tick and how to make it better.
The application asks about your background, your organizational involvement, what you hope to gain from the experience, and — tellingly — what you believe are the three most pressing issues facing Moore County today and what solutions you’d recommend. That last question alone is worth sitting with for a while.
Tuition for the program is $150, with waivers available for hardship or good cause as determined by the board.
Why It Matters Now
Moore County is at an interesting moment. The August general election will bring new faces to the Metro Council. Questions about development, data centers, zoning, and the county’s long-term identity are actively being debated. The community needs people who understand the history well enough to weigh in on the future — people who have sat in the room, read the ordinance, and know the players well enough to ask the right questions.
Lynchburg Leadership doesn’t just produce informed citizens. It produces the kind of neighbors who become indispensable — the ones a first-term council member calls when they need context, the ones who show up at a planning commission meeting prepared, the ones who run for something because they finally feel ready.
Applications are available online by clicking here. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 27. Applications submitted after that date will not be considered for the current class.
If you’ve been waiting for a reason to get more involved in the place you live, this is a good one. The deadline is ten days away.•
About the Lynchburg Times: The Lynchburg Times is Moore County’s locally owned, independent news source. Our reporting is supported by readers, small business partners, and corporate underwriters like our friends at Lee Adcock Construction who believe community journalism matters. If this story was valuable to you, consider becoming a supporter at lynchburgtimes.com.