Knox Housing Partnership (KHP) and NeighborWorks America is proud to announce that Jackie Mayo, executive director of KHP in Knoxville, Tenn., is one of 50 leaders selected for the NeighborWorks^® Achieving Excellence Program, conducted in collaboration with Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

The NeighborWorks^® Achieving Excellence Program is an 18-month educational program for senior leaders in organizations working to benefit their communities.  At the beginning of the program, each participant selects a specific and significant challenge facing their organization for which solutions will not only dramatically change how their organizations do business, but also enable them to make lasting change in their communities.  By the end of the course, each organization can expect to have achieved measurable successes to address that challenge.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to have been chosen to participate in this program,” Mayo said. “The knowledge gained from the Achieving Excellence Program will be beneficial to both KHP and the communities we serve.”

The only comprehensive, intensive training of its kind, Achieving Excellence includes three formal sessions at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, as well as executive coaching, intensive peer learning and guidance from author and consultant Douglas K. Smith.  The first session at Harvard University will take place Oct. 12-16, with additional sessions planned for February and October 2015 with a final session and graduation in February 2016.

“The Achieving Excellence Program equips leaders to increase the community impact of the work they do,” explained Chuck Wehrwein, acting president and chief executive officer of NeighborWorks America. “It goes way beyond the typical training course to focus intensively on systemic, long-term change.”