Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitt and Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden spoke alongside several community leaders to offer students tips on how to deal with crises at Austin Peay State University’s Poli-Talk event on Sept. 9 in the Morgan University Center Ballroom

Other community leaders and speakers in attendance included banker Sammy Stuart, YaiPak Outreach CEO Sherry Nicholson, firefighter and realtor Jimmy Terry Jr., entrepreneur Leo Millan and pastor Anthony Daley.

The event was put together by the President’s Emerging Leaders Program (PELP), allowing students to prepare questions and hear advice from these local leaders.

During this event, these various leaders spoke on how they deal with crises, giving insight to students on how different leaders deal with internal, external and overall crises that occur.

Several speakers stressed the value of communication in times of uncertainty.

“Communication is key,” said Nicholson.

Other speakers emphasized the importance of preparation.

“You have to stick to the plan,” said Terry Jr.

Mayor Pitts reminded students that not every crisis is a true crisis and that the importance of asking the right questions and being informed is the basis of crisis management.

Despite their different backgrounds, panelists agreed that leadership in crisis comes down to taking care of people and staying focused under pressure while being humble and compassionate enough to ask for help from various resources.

Following the panel, the mayors stayed to interact directly with students, shaking the hands of the student speakers who presented the questions to the panelists.

By engaging directly with these community leaders, PELP and fellow students alike were served the opportunity to receive encouragement for their future roles and practical advice for the future.