The Honorable Sharon M. Green
Judge Sharon M. Green includes her Brownie pin as one of those treasures that she has kept in a special place since she was seven years old. She has carried the values she learned and the memories she made as a Brownie and Junior Girl Scout with her throughout her life. After graduation from the University of Tennessee College of Law, she began a private practice of law in Johnson City and focused primarily on the representation of children and families. Since 2002, she has presided over the Johnson City Juvenile Court which conducts judicial proceedings involving children and families with the focus on the best interest of each child. She serves by appointment of the Governor on the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, a nonpartisan agency established by the Tennessee General Assembly, to ensure that the policies of the state promote and protect the health, well-being, and development of children and youth.
The Honorable Sharon G. Lee
Justice Sharon G. Lee earned many badges as a member of her Brownie and Junior Girl Scout troops in her hometown of Madisonville, Tennessee. She graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Business and College of Law with honors. Justice Lee practiced law for 26 years in Madisonville. A trailblazer, she was the first woman to serve as Attorney for Monroe County, the City of Madisonville, the City of Vonore, and as Madisonville City Judge. When Justice Lee was appointed to the Court of Appeals, she became the first woman to serve on the Eastern Section of the Court in its 79-year history. Four years later, she was appointed to serve on the Tennessee Supreme Court. She served as Chief Justice of the Court from 2014-1016, being only the third woman to serve as Chief Justice in the state’s history. When Justice Lee retired in 2023 after 19 years of judicial service, her portrait was hung in the Supreme Court—the first portrait of a woman to be displayed in the courtroom. She won statewide retention elections in 2008, 2010, 2014, and 2022. Justice Lee has received numerous honors and recognitions including the Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians’ Woman of Achievement Award, UT Centennial Alumnus, UT Distinguished Alumni Award, the Webb School of Knoxville Distinguished Alumni Award, the YWCA Woman of Achievement Award, and judicial service awards from the Tennessee and Knoxville Bar Associations. Justice Lee is actively involved in the community, having served as a Board member of the Knoxville Area YWCA, the YWCA Foundation, and the East Tennessee Historical Society.
Dr. Rebecca Ashford
Dr. Rebecca Ashford is the President of Chattanooga State Community College and has served in this role since 2017. A community college graduate, Dr. Ashford is committed to the mission of the community college and its important role in providing students with pathways that lead to prosperity and to educating the workforce to meet the needs of local employers. Dr. Ashford is a member of the Chattanooga Area Chamber Board of Directors and the Executive Committee. She serves on a number of other boards including Enterprise Center, the McNabb Center Board of Directors and Executive Committee, the River City Company, Chattanooga Tourism Co., the Southeast Tennessee Development District, the Blood Assurance Board of Directors, the Austin Hatcher Foundation, and the Rotary Club of Chattanooga. In 2022, she was named a Greater Chattanooga Woman of Distinction. She is a graduate of Leadership Tennessee Class VII and completed the Aspen New President’s Fellowship in 2022.