Cookeville Impact Leadership Making A Difference Through Education

Cookeville Impact Leadership develops & encourages civic minded leaders from underrepresented populations in the community.

Executive Director Cindy Schueman said the organization promotes inclusion through education.

“Leaders are aware, knowledgeable, and when you have people groups that are not included that don’t have a seat at the table, you have a lot of discontent,” Schueman said. “It is our hope that we can bring more minorities to the table.”

Schueman said Impact offers a wide range of opportunities and classes. Schueman said diversity awareness, financial training and political pathways are just a few programs offered. Schueman said helping people identify their role in the community is a main goal.

“When you educate someone, the opportunity for them to have a new perspective is certainly available to them, and we try to teach them how to have a world perspective, a local perspective from a different lens of their own,” Schueman.

Schueman has been the executive director for six years. Schueman said during that time, the grassroots moment has grown. Schueman said she has seen Cookeville grow in diversity and most importantly, watched people succeed.

“Even on the streets at community events, the Fourth of July slide, Cooking on the Square, the lighting of the Christmas tree, I’m seeing much more diversity among the faces of people who attend than when I first moved here,” Schueman.

Schueman said starting next year, Cookeville Impact will begin a new campaign called, “Ask Me.” Schueman said organization members will where badges with that question and when asked, tell others about the power of diversity.