The Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce has invited Legal Aid of East Tennessee attorney John Jolley to join the 2019-20 class of Leadership Chattanooga.
Leadership Chattanooga class members connect with the local community while learning about leadership.
Through monthly sessions, education-related projects, police ride-alongs and more, participants graduate with a greater understanding of Chattanooga’s strengths and challenges and how they can be part of solutions, the Chamber says in a recent news release.
“Leadership Chattanooga provides an opportunity to learn about the things that work in Chattanooga as well as the challenges we face,” Jolley says. “I hope to learn more about the issues and perspectives in our community from my peers in the program while also sharing my perspective as an attorney who represents low-income and vulnerable members of our community.
“Working with those I meet through the program, I hope we’ll find ways to better Chattanooga.”
Jolley grew up in Westel, Tennessee, a small community on the eastern edge of Cumberland County. He graduated magna cum laude from Tennessee Technological University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science degree in political science. He received his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2014.
After law school, Jolley entered private practice in Knoxville and served as a magistrate of the Blount County General Sessions Court. Next, he served as a staff attorney with the Johnson City office of LAET before transferring to the firm’s Chattanooga branch.
Since coming to Chattanooga in 2016, Jolley has advised or represented more than 600 victims of domestic violence as part of LAET’s partnership with the Chattanooga Family Justice Center.
On a lighter note, he has won two chili cookoffs and the 2018 CFC Chattahooligan chicken wing cook-off.
“Leadership Chattanooga is a key strategy the Chamber and the community use to engage and retain talent,” says Molly Blankenship, Chamber vice president of talent initiatives.
“Leaders selected for this group play a pivotal role in keeping Chattanooga a great place to live, work and raise a family.”
The program year kicks off in August with an orientation and two-day retreat, with monthly sessions beginning in September and culminating with a graduation in May 2020.