The Board of Directors of Leadership Franklin has selected Debbie Henry as this year’s recipient of the Caroline J. Cross Award.
Henry is the Executive Director of Franklin’s Transportation Management Association. She is also the Associate Executive Director for Leadership Franklin. She has served on the boards and advisory committees of organizations including Franklin Tomorrow, the Education Foundation of Williamson County, Williamson Inc., Middle Tennessee Clean Fuels, and the Mid-Cumberland Region Coordinated Public Transit Advisory Committee.
She has been recognized as a Williamson County Hall of Fame Impact Award winner by the Nashville Business Journal, as a Franklin Tomorrow Exemplary Community Volunteer Spirit Award winner, a Woman of Influence in Nonprofit Leadership, and as an Outstanding Chamber Member of the Year, among other honors.
According to Leadership Franklin Board Chair Julian Bibb, “Debbie Henry is such a well-deserving recipient of the Caroline Cross Award. Debbie’s investment in our community has been sustained over many years. She leads with a servant heart and is an inspiration to others in our community because she consistently ‘gives back.’ All of us involved with Leadership Franklin are so happy that Debbie has received this outstanding, well-deserved honor.”
The Caroline J. Cross Award was established to honor Caroline J. Cross, Founding Executive Director of Leadership Franklin, and create an ongoing award that identifies a leader in the community who exemplifies the values and lessons of Leadership Franklin. This award was created as the class project in 2007. Criteria for nomination include leadership that motivates and inspires other individuals along with traits of creativity, character, dedication, and community service.
Past recipients of the award are (LFA: Leadership Franklin Alumnus): Jimmy Gentry; Rogers Anderson (LFA); Julian Bibb III (LFA); Scott Roley (LFA); Janet Keck; Alma McLemore (LFA); Rick Warwick; Emily Magid; Paige Pitts (LFA); Dr. Joseph Willoughby; Mary Mills; Judy Hayes; Brandy Blanton (LFA); and Tom Lawrence (LFA).
Leadership Franklin is a non-profit organization founded in 1996 to develop leadership and community engagement to further a vision for Franklin and Williamson County. For more information about the organization, visit www.leadershipfranklin.org.
