Waverly Ann Harris grew up in Lewisburg, Tennessee, where generations of her family emphasized the importance of community, from being members and leaders in Rotary Clubs to picking up litter on the side of the road. Harris has always been drawn to the idea of a unified mission bringing people together. Now, she’s the CEO of Nashville nonprofit Friends Life Community, where she was first hired as program director in 2011.
What did your parents do?
My dad sold insurance, and my mom worked with adults with disabilities. … I would ride the bus to her office and would spend summers at her work. Back then it was called Impact Centers, and it’s back when they had work contracts and the adults would pack sponges or count pencils and do work for different companies as a contract. … I would always refer to the people there as her friends that don’t drive, because to me the only difference between those adults were they just didn’t drive. I think that’s partly what shaped my perspective of working with this population as kind of a social justice issue of making sure all people have access to the same opportunities…