Signature Required

Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner Will Reid breaks down what TDOT actually does beyond paving roads, from operating ferries to inspecting 20,000 bridges to being the state's largest real estate buyer. Reid, the first employee to become commissioner in TDOT's history, explains how his department delivers projects at twice the national average and why people judge their government by the quality of their c...

 Lance Villio, Executive Director of the Governor’s Faith-Based and Community Initiative, joins Signature Required to discuss how government, churches, and nonprofits can work together to serve Tennessee’s most vulnerable. Appointed by Governor Bill Lee, Lance leads an office positioned between the state’s 23 departments and local communities, addressing complex challenges through three key efforts: Every Child Tennessee, the Volun...

This week, we sit down with Dr. Candice McQueen, President of Lipscomb University, to explore the evolving role of higher education in Tennessee. We discuss how Lipscomb is balancing academic rigor with a Christ-centered mission, the importance of preparing students for both career and purpose, and how universities can stay grounded in their identity during times of cultural and institutional change. Dr. McQueen also shares insight...

Tiffany Kerns, Executive Director of the CMA Foundation, joins Signature Required for a grounded and expansive conversation about music education, leadership, and the power of community partnership. While many know the Country Music Association for CMA Fest and the CMA Awards, Tiffany explains the broader purpose behind the organization and how country music chose to invest deeply in one simple cause: ensuring students have access ...

At the Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga, learning looks a lot like play, and play is serious work. From the center of the museum’s atrium, Mackenzie Steele, Director of Marketing and Communications, shares how one of Tennessee’s most beloved children’s museums has spent 30 years helping families learn together through hands-on experiences, creativity, and curiosity. The conversation explores what makes Creative Discovery Mu...

 Randy Boyd, President of the University of Tennessee, joins Signature Required for a conversation about entrepreneurship, public service, and the role higher education plays in shaping the future of Tennessee. From starting businesses in his early twenties to serving in state government and now leading one of the state’s most important institutions, Randy reflects on the through line that has connected each chapter of his career: ...

Signature Required sits down with Vernon Shaw, Manager of Donor Relationships for Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, for a conversation about food insecurity, community care, and the complexity behind feeding thousands of families across the region. What many people think of as simply “passing out food” is actually a massive operation involving logistics, nutrition, volunteers, partner agencies, and strategic support acr...

Signature Required sits down with Scott Peck, Executive Chef of Loveless Cafe, for a conversation about Southern cooking, culinary leadership, and what it takes to steward one of Tennessee’s most iconic restaurants. From biscuits and fried chicken to cast iron, kitchen culture, and the tension between tradition and innovation, Scott shares his journey from a nervous first interview to leading a Nashville institution. As Loveless ce...

Jack Daniel’s is one of the most recognizable brands in the world, but its story is deeply rooted in a small Tennessee town, generations of family legacy, and an uncompromising commitment to doing things the right way. From the Bethel House at the entrance of the Lynchburg distillery, Chris Fletcher, Vice President, Master Distiller, and Director of Distillery Operations, shares what it really means to steward a brand that produces...

Weather becomes personal when it’s happening over your neighborhood, at night, with kids asleep down the hall. Andrew Leeper, Director of Broadcasting for Nashville Severe Weather, explains why hyperlocal, calm, two-way communication matters more than hype when storms hit Middle Tennessee. He shares how a volunteer, donation-supported team built trust by serving first, why tone and clarity save lives during tornado warnings, and wh...

Public safety looks very different when you move past TV stereotypes and into real communities. Mark Davidson, District Attorney General for Tennessee’s 25th Judicial District, offers a candid look at what the justice system actually does and what it quietly carries. He explains why most of his work is not about locking people up, but about protecting communities, supporting victims, navigating limited resources, and making judgmen...

Patrick Sheehan, Director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, is one of the people most Tennesseans never see but rely on constantly. Drawing on decades of experience responding to disasters ranging from floods and tornadoes to pandemics and infrastructure failures, Patrick explains what emergency management actually looks like day to day, why preparation is mostly unglamorous and relational long before anything goes wron...

Chief John Drake, Metro Nashville’s Chief of Police, joins us for a wide ranging conversation on leadership, trust, and what it actually means to serve a city that has changed dramatically over the last few decades. With nearly four decades in law enforcement and deep roots in Nashville, Drake shares how his early experiences shaped his view of policing, why community engagement is not a side project but a core pillar of public saf...

Screens are shaping childhood in ways most parents never connect until something feels off. Dr. Nidhi Gupta joins us for a clear, clinical conversation about screen safety, child development, and what she sees showing up in kids long before families realize technology may be playing a role. She explains why screens are often a symptom rather than the root issue, how device use affects sleep, hormones, behavior, and emotional regula...