Twenty-eight women from across the state—three from Chattanooga-- have been selected as members of Emerge Tennessee’s 2018 Spring cohort, its second training class. Emerge Tennessee is considered an essential step for Democratic women who want to run for public office in the state. It is the only in-depth, six-month training program that provides Democratic women with 70 hours of comprehensive knowledge they need to achieve their political aspirations. Emerge Tennessee training sessions are held one weekend a month in an alternating Tennessee city.
The upcoming class will begin on Nov. 18, in Chattanooga and graduate on April 8, 2018 in Nashville.
“Emerge Tennessee traveled from Mountain City to Memphis this summer speaking to women about running for office and having their voice represented in local, state and federal government,” said Kristal Knight, executive director of Emerge Tennessee. “This new class shows there are a lot of Democratic women, from all across Tennessee, in rural and urban communities that are interested in running for office but want to learn more about the process and hone their skills. We are excited about our next class and look forward to seeing their names on ballots across the state.”
Emerge Tennessee, founded in 2016 as the 22nd state affiliate of Emerge America, graduated twenty-four women from their inaugural class July 8, 2017. Nationally, the Emerge America network had a 70% win rate in 2016 and has won 80% of races across the county where alumna have been on the ballot in 2017.
Hallie McFadden, a Signal Mountain resident and attorney with the federal government graduated from the inaugural class of Emerge Tennessee. She and other women across this state, like Evetty Satterfied, a Knox County School Board Candidate for District 1 and Emerge Tennessee graduate, emphasizes the program’s role in the preparation for her upcoming election. According to Ms. Satterfield, “Emerge Tennessee has provided me with the knowledge and skills needed for a run for public office. The sisterhood that Emerge Tennessee created is remarkable and I am forever connected to dynamic women, not only in Tennessee but around the nation.”
In the upcoming class, there were three Chattanooga area women selected: Rosabelle Gorman, of Chattanooga (Hixson), a real estate agent and former wine bar owner; Melinda Bone, of Chattanooga,(Harrison), is a small business owner; Kyra Howell, of Chattanooga (Signal Mountain), an attorney with Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C.
Ms. Satterfield isn’t the only woman running for office from the inaugural class. Across the state Emerge Tennessee has four alumna currently running for office. Two alumna have been appointed to local boards in their respective cities and one alumna was elected to the Shelby County Executive Committee.
Below is more information about the Knoxville class members.
Melinda Bone, Chattanooga: A physical therapist professional, Ms. Bone is the current manager of BFS Facility Services, LLC. She is active with youth activities in the Chattanooga area, where she is a Girl Scout Cadette troop leader and a mentor at Woodmore Elementary School. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Kyra Howell, Signal Mountain: Attorney with Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, P.C., Ms. Howell is a former U.S. Senate legislative assistant. She is the vice chair of the Signal Mountain Centennial Committee, an adult volunteer with Girl Scouts USA and a member of the Signal Mountain Lions Club. She received her Juris Doctorate from the Fordham University School of Law and is a graduate of Manhattanville College.
Rosabelle Gorman, Chattanooga: A Chattanooga area realtor, Ms. Gorman has also been a business owner of a local wine bar. She is a former board member of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce, North Shore Council and has volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Humane Educational Society. As someone who cares about her county, Gorman has been active with the Hamilton County Democratic Party. She is a graduate of Bryan College.
Officials said, "Emerge Tennessee, founded in 2016, is the premier campaign-training program for Democratic women in the state. The Emerge program inspires women to run, and hones their skills to win. Our goal is clear: to increase the number of Democratic women in all levels of public office." Emerge Tennessee is an affiliate of Emerge America, a national organization operating in 17 states. To learn more, visit: https://emerge.ngpvanhost.com/tennessee
The 27 women of the Spring 2018 class:
Margaret Abernathy, Nashville
Amy Alford, Seymour
Melinda Bone, Harrison
Jenny Charles, Nashville
Lori Clemons, Thompson Station
Tosha Downey, Memphis
Jackie Dubose, Knoxville
Leah Dupree, Nashville
Ashley Forjet, Oakland
Ellen Forrester, Nashville
Sheronda Green, Brownsville
Rosabelle Gorman, Chattanooga
Deborah Harley-McClaskey, Johnson City
Linda Nettles Harris, Memphis
Deborah Holbrook, Pleasant Hill
Kyra Howell, Chattanooga
Amber Huett-Garcia, Memphis
Heather Johnson, Kingsport
Indya Kincannon, Knoxville
Gicola Lane, Nashville
Civil Miller-Watkins, Rossville
Anne Ferrell Quillen, Crossville
Katrina Robinson Lee, Memphis
Rebecca Saldivar, Knoxville
Tami Sawyer, Memphis
Danielle Schonbaum, Memphis
Jolie Grace Wareham, Nashville
Grace Weil, Memphis