The Thomas “Tank” Strickland Leadership Awards Luncheon honors businesses and people who have made a difference in the community. The luncheon is part of the 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Commission of Greater Knoxville celebration, the largest consortium of MLK events in East Tennessee. The 2025 theme is “Beyond the Dream: Empowering the Beloved Communities,” and the keynote speaker will be Nzinga “Zing” Shaw, a global authority on inclusive leadership and CEO of Attack the Glass LLC., who is known for transforming DEI initiatives in organizations like Starbucks and the Atlanta Hawks. Shaw also is an adjunct lecturer for the University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business. The event will be held in the Pilot Ballroom of the UT Student Union. Tickets are available HERE.