Allicia Austin Joins Weakley County Prevention Coalition

MARTIN, TN --- Martin Housing Authority (MHA) serves as the fiscal agent for Weakley County Prevention Coalition and is pleased to announce Allicia Austin has been promoted to Assistant Director of the Weakley County Prevention Coalition. In this role, Austin will assist Director Courtney Echols in planning events and other tasks.  

Austin holds a BS in Exercise Science from the University of Tennessee at Martin and a Masters in Business from Liberty University.

With over 4 years of experience, Austin brings her Leadership expertise to our community. Prior to Joining Weakley County Prevention Coalition, Austin served as the Assistant Director of Workforce Development for the Rural Health Association of Tennessee. In this role, Austin directed, managed, and coordinated multiple locations to meet strategic, operational, and meet Department of Labor and Workforce guidelines. Austin also previously served as the Multi-Program Director for The Milan Family YMCA. In this role, Austin assured compliance with federal, state, and local regulations while maintaining facility and equipment that supports safety,

Austin received additional training in Executive Leadership from the DLI Executive Academy. Austin has continued their education through a fellowship with DLI. The Academy empowers fellows with the network needed to address local and regional challenges. Sessions led by local, regional, and national experts cover policy areas such as infrastructure and transportation, small business and entrepreneurship, workforce development, public health, and other sectors necessary to facilitate economic growth in the region.

"Allicia Austin is a valuable addition to the Weakley County Prevention Coalition staff. They bring applicable knowledge in leadership to the position and will be an asset to the agency. We are excited to welcome Allicia to the Weakley County Prevention Coalition team." stated Courtney Echols, Director of the WCPC.  

The Weakley County Prevention Coalition is one of only a very few original community-based prevention organizations in Tennessee, which began in the late 1980s with the vision of the late Governor Ned Ray McWherter. The Coalition was formed in response to the alarming consequences individual communities encountered due to underage tobacco and alcohol use and the disturbing trends in marijuana and cocaine use and abuse by youth and adults. McWherter understood that by joining together, community representatives were more knowledgeable as to the risk and protective factors impacting substance use issues. He also knew the state would be best served by recognizing successful efforts to reduce and/or eliminate the negative behaviors and consequences of tobacco, alcohol, and substance abuse.

The mission of the Weakley County Prevention Coalition is to plan and implement strategies to prevent and reduce substance abuse and its consequences, thereby enhancing the lives of youth and adults across Weakley County, Tennessee.

For more information on the Weakley County Prevention Coalition, please visit their website, WeakleyCountyPrevention.com/.