For Nacogdoches County, the new school year brings around 30 eighth-grade students together to experience one of The Chamber’s most unique and highly impactful programs – Leaders of Tomorrow, also known as the LOT Crew.

LOT Crew is based on the concept of The Chamber’s Leadership Nacogdoches program but geared toward middle-school students. The group takes a day each month to gather and explore our community with field trips, presentations, tours, and group exercises. These young leaders in training will get the “behind the scenes” look at local government, healthcare systems, higher education, fine arts, economic development, manufacturing, entrepreneurship models, agriculture and natural resources management, STEM, and a variety of leadership and career opportunities.

LOT Crew is housed in The Chamber’s Community Services Division under Vice Chair Dr. Jason Reese and organized by Education Committee Chair Erin Windham. The 2025-2026 program co-chairs are Denise Thompson, Etech, and Terrence Reeves, Concerned Black Men of Nacogdoches. It is a true collaboration of business leaders and volunteers!

Through the years, I have watched the program evolve to include home-school and private school students, and not long ago, students from Mt. Enterprise were invited to participate. Although resources are limited, volunteers and sponsors show amazing support for these students, enhancing their opportunities for personal development. They are molding our future leaders by expanding their vision, improving their understanding of the world around them, teaching them valuable life skills, and inspiring each student’s aspirations.

The Chamber applauds the following businesses for investing in and sustaining the LOT Crew program, and the businesses’ logos and names will be on the official LOT Crew t-shirt worn by every student.

2025-2026 LOT Crew sponsors are:

• Presenting sponsor Etech;
• Gold sponsors Nacogdoches ISD and Oncor Electric Delivery;
• Silver sponsors Aypa Power and Spirit Outfitters;
• Bronze sponsors Speaker Orthodontics and Strickland Plumbing, HVAC & Electric.

We enjoy hearing from adults, now working in Nacogdoches who will enthusiastically state, with a big smile, “I was in LOT Crew!” How I wish we could look into the future and see the current LOT Crew class as adults, moving through Nacogdoches as community and business leaders, serving on boards, giving back to youth-focused activities and non-profit programs.

I am confident that because of the LOT Crew program, more good actions are taken and words are spoken in our community and beyond.