Tonya Hinch to lead internationally-recognized Fellowship program in D.C.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following interview was conducted by freelance journalist Kevin Donaldson, who has been a colleague of mine since the mid 1970’s. Kevin has been the Editor of more than one of my publications over the years including Crossville Life, and nobody knows his way around a news story like he does. He has agreed to write on occasion for Crossville Life. His first assignment was to “catch up” with local resident businessperson Tonya Hinch. His outstanding interview about her new job, DCI, and her plans for the future, begins below.   — Don Napier, Publisher

By Kevin Donaldson

Tonya Hinch was scheduled to begin what she says is the “job of her dreams” with the prestigious Aspen Institute on March 31.

Hinch, a Crossville native, will head the internationally-recognized Henry Crown Fellowship Program as Managing Director. She is a former Fellow in the program, and has been involved with the selection process of the 2014 class of Fellows since late last year.
Notable Crown Fellows are a Who’s Who of the political and business worlds.

“I’ve been so impressed with the goals of The Aspen Institute to truly generate and encourage enlightened dialogue about difficult and thorny issues facing the world,” Hinch said recently. “I hope to play a part in making a difference at the international level.”

Hinch’s family has deep roots in Cumberland County, and she has been one of the driving forces behind Downtown Crossville, Inc. since returning here several years ago.

Q: What did you do professionally before moving back to Crossville?

HINCH: I spent most of my career in corporate America, starting or fixing businesses. I was fortunate to work for some world-class entrepreneurs, such as Chris Whittle at Edison Schools and Lloyd Cotsen at Neutrogena. After obtaining a degree in marketing at the University of Tennessee and growing up working in a small family business, I started my professional career at Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Q: What was the driving force behind your decision to come back home?

HINCH: My Father, Don Hinch, had bypass surgery in September, 2004. I had retired from work, so I was able to come back to Tennessee to help with his recuperation. During this time, he was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, so I made the decision to stay here until he passed in July, 2005.

Q: Tell us about your involvement with DCI over the past decade.

HINCH: It has truly been a delight to work with a group of dedicated volunteers who want to make something better. I was fortunate to meet Corey Legare and Carolyn Jozwiak through the Chamber of Commerce. We shared a love of our historic downtown and did not want to end up like many of the old downtowns around us with boarded up windows and broken awnings.
In the past decade, I’ve learned so much about my community and the people who care about our community. My great-grandfather was the Sheriff and my grandfather was the County Clerk. In many ways, I grew up on Main Street. Getting to work with people my own age who have their own history with Main Street was rewarding, including the Shanks kids, Mitchell kids, Mayberry kids, and French kids just to name a few.

Q: What has been the biggest challenge for DCI during that time, and what do you see for its future?

HINCH: Most downtown organizations throw a few festivals and decorate during the holidays. Our biggest challenge was always trying to do too much. We were never happy unless there was something going on all the time – from the waterfall on top of the hill, to holiday decorations, saving old buildings and attempting to enhance the historic value of downtown.
I hope DCI will continue to do what it does best – make people come to downtown Crossville through events, tours, and activities. We are incredibly proud of our 4th-grade walking tours as a way to pass down some of our local history to our young people. Also, Taste of Crossville is a great way to support our local restaurants, wineries, and eateries.

Q: What has been the most fulfilling part of being involved with DCI?

HINCH: Most definitely the relationships we have made with the downtown community and those who love our downtown community. Taking nothing away from new developments, there is something special about the history of our downtown and the entrepreneurs who made the area so special.
People like Tommy French, Martha Hill, Shirley Hughes, William Mayberry, Bob Patton, and Bob Mitchell should be celebrated for what they have given to this community over the decades. The opportunity to work with a leadership team at DCI that had nothing to gain personally, but wanted to give back to their community with special talents and abilities, has been priceless.

Q: What do you see as being Crossville/Cumberland County’s biggest asset?

HINCH: I believe our location is our biggest asset. Being centrally located for the State and Region makes us an ideal location for events and meetings. I hope the leadership of the County, City and Chamber of Commerce can work together to capitalize on this asset.

Q: What do you see as the biggest challenge facing Crossville/Cumberland County in the coming years?

HINCH: Many years ago, our community leadership was on the forefront of retirement as an emerging industry. The recent economic downturn slowed this effort. We need to not only catch up, but get ahead of the other active retirement communities.
Our economy lives on retirees moving in. Unfortunately we have turnover due to age, so we have to get that engine cranked up in a significant manner.

Q: How do you think the challenge can be met?

HINCH: It’s been said before, but our leadership has to work together. Everyone needs to put aside the past and present grudges, unhappiness, and problems – it’s all about the future. My significant other has a great saying about business: “If you are not growing, you are dying.”

Q: You’ve described your new position at the Aspen Institute as a “dream job.” Tell us more about what the Institute does.

HINCH: The purpose of the Henry Crown Fellowship Program is to develop the next generation of community-spirited leaders. Using the time-tested Aspen Institute method of text-based dialogue, the program aims to provide the tools and perspectives necessary for effective, enlightened leadership. These dialogues stress, by example, the standards of ethical business leadership and civic responsibility that defined the life of Chicago industrialist Henry Crown.

Q: What is the scope of the issues the Aspen Institute deals with?

HINCH: The Institute purposefully focuses the Henry Crown Fellowship on a global level, by choosing Fellows from all over the world. Each year a class of 20 Henry Crown Fellows is chosen from a wide pool of accomplished entrepreneurial leaders.
These Fellows have already achieved considerable success in the private or public sector and are at an inflection point in their lives or careers – looking toward the broader role they might take on in their communities or globally. The Fellowship challenges each individual to learn and to teach, and to stretch themselves further than they ever thought possible.

Q: You’re a former Henry Crown Fellow yourself. How did that influence you to become the Managing Director?

HINCH: Back in 2007, I was fortunate enough to be chosen as a Henry Crown Fellow. I was nominated by Richard Danzig, the former Secretary of the Navy under President Bill Clinton. My Father had just passed and I was running a family business in a rural community in Tennessee after living in New York City for 20 years. I was truly at an inflection point.
I found the program personally transformative and have stayed involved over the years, attending reunions, additional events, even a trip to China. The original donors who endowed the program, the Henry Crown family out of Chicago, wanted to give additional funding to help take the program to a new level of success.
The Aspen Institute created a new full time Managing Director position and pursued me to fill the position. Not only had I been a Henry Crown Fellow, but I had the entrepreneurial business skill set and love of family legacy the Crown Family wanted.

Q: How will those experiences help you in this position?

HINCH: No one loved this community more than my father, who was known to stop people at the rest stop to convince them to come into Crossville. My mom, as a retired nurse, has doctored and nursed her neighborhood since moving in back in 1966.
I grew up believing that being involved with the community was a responsibility, not a choice. Although I struggled with this decision given my commitment to my community work, it really was destiny.
This position, along with my work and community experience, will give me a chance to impact a large number of people and, I believe, give me the ability to really give back to make a difference in the world.

Q: What will be your specific job duties as Managing Director of the Henry Crown Fellows?

HINCH: We just announced our 17th class of Fellows, and they are truly an amazing group of individuals. Our program is phenomenal, so I am not looking for a revolutionary change. My immediate goal is to manage and support the 2014 Henry Crown Fellows as they attend their initial seminars.
I will catch up with the 2013 and 2012 Classes of Henry Crown Fellows, as they are at different points in their commitment. We ask each Henry Crown Fellow to undertake a leadership project which will make a positive impact on their community or globally. I will provide support and guidance for the Fellows during this process.
I’m excited to develop programs and activities to connect Henry Crown Fellows around the world to continue and enhance their work. Although not immediate, one of my goals is to expand the pool of qualified candidates, particularly in terms of women and diversity. No day will be the same, so I can’t wait for the challenge.

Q: What will be the length of your term as Managing Director?

HINCH: This was not created as a short term assignment, but one that still needs definition. The Crown Family is dedicated to this program, so I hope this is a long-term assignment. The Aspen Institute has tons of opportunities for continued personal growth, travel, and adult education.

Q: What plans do you have following the end of your term?

HINCH: Given my poor track record for retirement, I think I have to realize that retirement is not in the cards for me.
I’m fortunate that I will still be able to stay involved in my family business, Hinch & Associates. Although we are relocating to the Arlington, Virginia area, we are keeping our home in Downtown Crossville. We moved Hinch & Associates to the ground floor while we live upstairs.
Melissa Kerley, my long-time business partner, will become the Managing Partner, stepping up into a bigger role. Melissa worked for my father for four years prior to me coming home, so she has a ton of experience. We hired Jeanne Geib as the Client Support Coordinator. My mom will continue as the Agency Mom and Butler will continue to snore on the landing as the Agency Dog.

Q: How much of your time will be spent in Washington, as opposed to other Institute branches/locations? How much time will you spend in Washington as opposed to being able to “come home”?

HINCH: The Aspen Institute has been incredibly flexible and generous when it comes to travel. We have a large office in New York City, so I will be able to work from my apartment when in that city. Most of the seminars are held in Aspen, Colorado, but some are worldwide.
I’ll have the opportunity to attend seminars with other Leadership Initiatives, in places like Central America, the Middle East, South Africa, and China.
My plan is to be in Crossville every five to six weeks for business and personal reasons. I am leaving a mom, grandmother, English Bulldog, pocketknife collection, and home — I will be back often!

Q: You have plans to remain a consulting partner with the family business and to main your residence here. Do you see yourself coming back to Crossville to work and live full-time again?

HINCH: I was a kid who grew up in Crossville and swore I would never be back – couldn’t wait to hit the big city life. You can see how that worked out for me. I truly can’t imagine a time that Crossville is not a big part of my life.
Although my father never used a computer, had an answering machine, and very rarely locked his office door, it has been amazing to learn what you can do with e-mail and a cell phone. We believe clients will not only not see a drop in service, but will actually see an increase with the addition of Jeanne in our office.

Q: How did Butler get to be such an integral part of Hinch & Associates?

HINCH: During my travels with Edison Schools, I saw first-hand how a pet could make a difference in a small office environment. We adopted Butler as a puppy and he grew up in the office.
With such a great aura and attitude, Butler simply makes people smile. You can’t have a bad day with Butler in the office. Well, one correction. You can have a bad smelling day with Butler in the office – he can be a bit gassy while snoring!