Leadership Development Academy

The Richard Williams Jr. Leadership Development Academy is a Blount County based non-profit organization established to help address the needs of middle school-aged children. 

The academy partners with Alcoa/Blount County Schools, Maryville City Schools, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, and Knox County Schools, to identify and select the participants. 

Participants are not required to be affiliated with any religious organization or church. The participants in the Leadership component are enrolled in a 20-week course.

During the course, incentives are offered to reach a goal of perfect school attendance and honor roll status.

Through an initiative supported by the Church of God in Christ, and 

administered by the Blount County Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the 

academy partners with area community groups and schools to identify and 

select the participants, known as Leadership Cadets. The Leadership Cadets 

are not required to be affiliated with any religious organization or church. 


One Hundred percent of the young people completing  high school years as 

Leadership Cadets entered college. The Cadets who graduated in 2010 

received approximately $500,000 in scholarships and grants. The Academy 

expanded in 2011 to meet the increasing need to address changing societal 

challenges facing young people by working to provide the same level of 

impact in the lives of youth up to 21 years of age,  by creating

The Fred  Forster Institute.