NEXUS Year in Review
by: Bathsheba Sams, NEXUS Board Chairman & NEXUS Mentor, Class of 2017
On behalf of the NEXUS Board of Directors, congratulations to the Mentors and Protégés of the graduating NEXUS Class of 2017!
NEXUS now has graduated over 800 principle-centered leaders, all with the motivation to be the best leaders and make our city the best. The NEXUS vision is clear and we will continue to stay true to our mission of encouraging and equipping the next generation of leaders for Memphis through proven mentoring, teaching, and service. This year I was a mentor and it reminded me of the time commitment as well as the benefits I receive from engaging with the protégés. This is what makes NEXUS such a unique experience for the mentor and the protégé.
Each year, we recognize across the city, leaders who devote their time to mentoring at our annual Leadership Luncheon by awarding the Memphis Mentoring Awards. This year, the recipients that share our passion for mentoring include: Jen Andrews, Don Riley, the Junior League of Memphis, and Larry Papasan. Larry was the recipient of the newly named Sandy Willson Outstanding NEXUS Mentoring Award. In addition to honoring these recipients, University of Memphis Mike Norvell was the keynote speaker and shared about personal mentoring relationships that impacted him as well as his vision for mentoring football athletes.
NEXUS appreciates the efforts of so many who make this program successful every year. A special thanks to the committed partners that believe in the mission of NEXUS: Baptist Memorial Health Care, eBiz Solutions, FedEx, First Tennessee Foundation, International Paper Foundation, Kemmons Wilson Family Foundation, and The Marston Group.
The NEXUS program continues to represent the make-up of Memphis and we are very proud to impact the leaders in different areas of our community, including business, non-profit, entrepreneurs, education, and religion.