A Decade of Informing
Tennessee’s Big Decisions
OUR HISTORY
A Timeline of Sycamore’s First Ten Years
Over the past 10 years, our work has helped bring clarity to some of the most complex policy questions facing Tennessee. From producing trusted research to convening leaders across the state’s Grand Divisions, we’ve focused on elevating data, context, and practical insights to support better decision-making.
Explore the timeline below to see key milestones, turning points, and moments that have shaped our first decade—and add your milestone too!
Sycamore Content
User Content
The Baptist Healing Trust (now the Healing Trust) convened over 50 community members at a 3-day DesignShop to create an organization tentatively called I.R.I.S. (Integrated Research of Innovative Solutions for Health in Tennessee).
Baptist Healing Trust tapped Laura Berlind to serve as Sycamore’s founding executive director.
Mandy Spears and Courtnee Melton, PhD were hired as Sycamore’s founding policy director and policy analyst, respectively.
The Sycamore Institute published its first research and analysis: “Tennessee State Budget Primer: A Foundation for Understanding Our State’s Public Policies.”
Brian Straessle started as Sycamore’s founding communications director, rounding out Sycamore’s founding staff team.
Sycamore got its first significant media mention—an op-ed in The Tennessean by Laura Berlind and Board President Jim Bryson.
Sycamore’s work got its first known legislative mention — by Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, who referenced the Budget Primer in the context of the General Assembly’s debate over Gov. Haslam’s proposed IMPROVE Act.
Sycamore hosted its first major event – a lunchtime learning session on the state budget at Belmont University.
Sycamore tracked its 100th media citation, accumulated more than 1,000 active email subscribers, and added its first board member from outside of Nashville (Ed Roberson of Memphis).
Sycamore published its 100th research project: Medical Debt in Tennessee: Who Has It and Why It Matters.
Sycamore tracked several tangible and potential contributions to policy changes—including the General Assembly’s establishment of a Chronic Disease Task Force, the creation of a medical debt online dispute resolution pilot in Hamilton Co. General Sessions court, and changes in hospital lawsuit practices.
Sycamore staff began a 15.5 month-long stint of working from home in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff pivoted research work to respond to the pandemic and related policy/economic challenges.
Mandy Spears delivered the Sycamore Institute’s first legislative testimony to the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee on the impact of a proposed new school funding formula on local funding requirements.
Brian Straessle was named as Sycamore’s new Executive Director and Mandy Spears as Deputy Director.
The Sycamore Institute received two awards at the national Governmental Research Association’s (GRA) annual conference—including Best Short-Form Writing for an op-ed on criminal fees and fines and Most Effective Education on a Regional/Multi-Jurisdictional Issue for Sycamore’s 2022 work on K-12 education funding in Tennessee.
The Sycamore Institute made significant contributions to the General Assembly’s analysis of the implications of rejecting federal K-12 funding—including testifying to the Joint Working Group.
Sycamore held its inaugural meeting of the Community Council—a new advisory group designed to provide a forum for members to share insights, perspectives, and feedback on our work.
Sycamore hosts its first annual forum in Nashville, raising more than $80,000. Colin Woodard was the keynote followed by a panel with Speaker Beth Harwell, Mayor A C Wharton, and Colin Woodard, moderated by Ed Cromer.
Sycamore launched a redesigned website with a new, shorter domain: SycamoreTN.org
I [Jennie Roles-Walter] incorporated data from your reports into our first annual community report to help educate residents about key issues affecting our rural community in a bipartisan and fact-based manner. Your work provides valuable insights that enable me, as a rural county leader, to research, understand, and share important information on matters that impact our local communities. It also helps me engage more effectively with state leaders by providing credible data and analysis that can be shared in reports, discussions, and legislative advocacy efforts to help inform policy decisions and influence meaningful action.
The Sycamore Institute’s 2023-2024 work on children’s mental health culminated in the passage of legislation to better coordinate the state’s activities and recognition with the NAMI-TN’s 2025 Mental Health Leadership award.
Sycamore held a sold-out Housing Policy Summit as its first revenue-generating annual policy event.
Sycamore hosted its 3rd Annual Forum in Nashville, celebrating 10 years of the Sycamore Institute with keynote speaker Dale Anglin.
Mandy Spears presented on healthcare affordability in Tennessee at TJC’s East Tennessee Healthcare Advocacy Summit.
Add Your Milestone
Our story isn’t just shaped by what we’ve published or hosted — it’s also defined by how Tennesseans have used this work in their own communities and decisions.
Share a milestone, moment, or place where our research informed your work, sparked a conversation, or showed up in a meaningful way. Your experience is part of this timeline, too.