Meet Our New Director of Leadership Development

We are thrilled to announce Blake Shearer as our Council's new Director of Leadership Development! In this role, Blake will lead Partners in Policymaking, the Leadership Academy of Excellence in Disability Services, and other Council leadership development programs. Blake comes to us with long experience in education and employment supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. We are thrilled to have someone with his background and expertise stepping into this leadership role. But rather than tell you more about him, we’ll let him introduce himself in his own words.


Blake Shearer

Hello! My name is Blake Shearer, and I have been proud to make Cookeville, TN my home for the past 25 years. I live there with my wife and two children. I’m excited to join the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities as the new Director of Leadership Development! I come to the Council after five years as the Transition Director for Tennessee’s Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) program.

My team and I oversaw:

  • Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS),
  • Transition School to Work programs, and
  • Tennessee’s 18 Project SEARCH programs.

Before joining VR, I served as the Director of Support Services for Student Readiness at the Tennessee Department of Education. I worked together with school districts, state agencies, and community members to improve post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. My career began in the Putnam County School System, where I spent 10 formative years as a paraprofessional, special education teacher, and consulting teacher. I attended Tennessee Technological University, earning a bachelor’s in child development and family relations, a master’s in special education, and an educational specialist degree in instructional leadership.

I want to be known for my commitment to collaboration and capacity-building. Each day, I aim to build community through shared connections, foster inclusivity in all aspects of life, and elevate the people I encounter.