Our History

The Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute (CWLI) is instilled with its seven founders' belief that women bring a broad range of talents and perspectives to our community, which will contribute to its growth and stability. Since 1998, CWLI has instituted a wide range of outreach programs for women in all walks of life, in order to cultivate fertile ground for:

• Identifying women leaders who would assist in the development of other potential leaders
• Providing women with skills and appropriate opportunities to assume leadership roles
• Increasing the number of women in leadership roles within the community

CWLI has grown into a non-profit, non-partisan 501 (c) (3) membership organization actively pursuing quality programs, educational opportunities and leadership development in areas of politics, community service, business, entrepreneurship and the arts. Now, more than ever, CWLI can attest to the value of developing strategies to position capable women to assume positions of leadership where they contribute fully to shaping Chattanooga's future.

Mission and Goals

• to provide women with skills development to prepare them to assume leadership roles;
• to promote women in leadership positions by providing networking opportunities whereby women can get to know other women leaders in the community.

Board of Directors

Cara Alday - Partner, Patrick, Beard, Schulman and Jacoway

Jeannine Alday - Chief of Staff, Hamilton County Mayor Coppinger

Becky Barnes - Administrator, Chattanooga Hamilton Co. Health Department

Sheila Boyington - Vice-President, ACT Inc., Workforce Curriculum Division

Julie Brandao - Vice-President, BB&T Insurance Services

Nicole Brown - Associate, Office of Equity and Diversity & Adjunct Faculty, Communications Department, UTC

Eva Dillard - President/CEO, United Way of Greater Chattanooga

Patti Frierson - Board Chair, Allied Arts of Greater Chattanooga

Marj Flemming - CEO/President, Launchpoint Leadership

Sharon Gilley - Owner, WellWorthIt & Contributing Author of Success Simplified

Terri Holley - Owner, Embellish & Carlisle Master Consultant

Shawn Kurrelmeier-Lee - Chief Reading Officer, Hamilton Co. Read 20 Program

Christa Mannarino - Director of Development, UTC College of Engineering & Computer Science

Ladell McCullough - Partner, Henderson, Hutcherson & McCullough

Mary Sullivan Moore - Owner, Mary Sullivan Moore, Attorney at Law, PLLP

Carol Newton - Chief Financial Officer, Memorial Healthcare System

Jennifer Nicely - Chief Development Officer, Memorial Healthcare System

Rickie Pierce - Retired, Girls Preparatory School Associate Head

Honorable Christie Sell - Hamilton County General Sessions Court

Virginia Anne Sharber - Of Counsel, Miller and Martin PLLC

Edna Varner - Director of School & System Supports, Cornerstone Literacy, Inc