More than 100 delegates from Tennessee and Georgia will take the stage in Clarksville for the 2025 Miss Tennessee USA and Miss Tennessee Teen USA, Miss Georgia USA and Miss Georgia Teen USA pageants on June 27-28 at Austin Peay State University.
The preliminary show for the Georgia pageant will take place on Friday, June 27 at 3:00 p.m. followed by the Tennessee pageant at 8:00 p.m. On Saturday, June 28, the final Georgia pageant will take place at 2:30 p.m. followed by the Tennessee pageant at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for both the preliminary and final shows must be purchased in advance online at https://misstennesseeusa.com/tickets and https://www.missgeorgia.net/miss-georgia-tickets.
Reigning titleholders, Miss Tennessee USA Christell Foote, Miss Tennessee Teen USA Townsend Blackwell, Miss Georgia USA Ludwidg Louizaire and Miss Georgia Teen USA Carrington Manous will each crown their successors. Both the Miss and Teen winners will represent the State of Tennessee and State of Georgia, respectively, at the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants this fall.
Organized and produced by Greenwood Productions, the Tennessee pageants have been hosted in Clarksville since 1999.
“We are excited to welcome the Miss Tennessee USA pageant back to Clarksville and also thrilled to host the Georgia delegates and their families this year,” said Charlie Koon, Chairman of the Visit Clarksville Board of Directors. “This event is a wonderful opportunity to showcase both Clarksville and Austin Peay State University to visitors from the region. We truly value our long-standing partnership with Mrs. Greenwood and the Miss Tennessee USA program.”
The events will take place in the George and Sharon Mabry Concert Hall at Austin Peay State University’s Music/Mass Communication Building, at 8th and Marion Streets in Clarksville.
Each contestant will compete in three equal phases of preliminary competition: active wear/swimsuit, evening gown, and interview. Once the semifinalists are announced during the final shows, they will again compete in swimsuit/active wear and evening gown.
Miss USA 2020 Asya Branch, the first Black woman to be crowned Miss Mississippi USA in 2018, will serve as an emcee for the pageants in Clarksville.
Miss Tennessee USA, Miss Tennessee Teen USA Miss Georgia USA and Miss Georgia Teen USA pageants are part of the Miss Universe Organization. Since its founding in 1952, thousands of young women have been involved in the organization. For more information on the pageant and to see the delegates, visit misstennesseeusa.com or missgerogia.net
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ABOUT VISIT CLARKSVILLE
The Clarksville-Montgomery County Tourism Commission was established by the State of Tennessee in 1979 to positively influence tourism in Clarksville-Montgomery County. In 2015, the organization adopted the Visit Clarksville brand. Visit Clarksville is governed by a nine-member board of directors and is funded by a portion of the local hotel-motel tax. In 2023, tourism spending in Clarksville-Montgomery County contributed $385.6 million to the local economy.
ABOUT MISS TENNESSEE USA CHRISTELL FOOTE
Not your average woman, Christell Foote stands above a crowd – quite literally. At 6’4” this beauty is an accomplished ballet dancer, model, career woman and advocate for opportunity.
She graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Business Administration and is currently a District Sales Manager in the Gallo Sales Leadership Development Program, where she utilizes her skills in sales and marketing to connect consumers to internationally recognized brands.
A dedicated community servant, Christell has continued her partnership with Tennessee DECA, a student organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for their futures. Christell served this organization for two state officer terms. Serving the state as state secretary and Tennessee DECA state president. Christell is an advocate for the HOPE scholarship, which is funded by the Tennessee Lottery, providing tuition for any 2 or 4-year degree program or vocational tract for qualifying students. As a recipient of the HOPE Scholarship herself, she encourages students across the state to seek out scholarship opportunities to pursue their higher education.
Christell grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee where she attended West High School. Her family now resides in Murfreesboro, Tennessee where Christell’s favorite local activity is attending the farmers market in the town square.
ABOUT MISS TENNESSEE TEEN USA TOWNSEND BLACKWELL
Townsend Blackwell is a lifelong Tennessean and a native of Lakeland, Tennessee. She is a 16-year-old dual enrolled honors student and a junior at Tipton-Rosemark Academy where she is a member of the varsity tennis team. Townsend has held several leadership positions, serves as a peer mentor, and is a member of several national honor societies. Townsend is very excited to enter her senior year of high school and will pursue a Business Degree with plans to work in cardiac devices.
Townsend is a heart health advocate with a focus on nutrition and has always encouraged those around her to be active for at least 60 minutes a day and to take a break from technology. She is also a volunteer in the truest sense of the word, having received multiple Presidential Volunteer Service Awards. Townsend is a founder of Volunteer for Lakeland, a teen service organization in her hometown. She is a third-year member of the St Jude Leadership Society and loves her involvement with Best Buddies of Tennessee where she helped raise over $85,000 for homeless veterans across the country.
Townsend co-owns an online clothing boutique and loves modeling and fashion. She is also no stranger to performing as she sings, dances, and is signed to a management firm in Los Angeles for acting. She has served as the executive producer of a teen-focused streaming channel on Amazon Fire TV and Roku and used her love for writing to help produce scripts for the episodes. Her other hobbies include traveling, boating, wakeboarding, playing tennis, staying active, paddle boarding, and working out. Townsend has a passion for serving others and encouraging others to be the best version of themselves.
ABOUT MISS GEORGIA USA LUDWIDG (LULU) LOUIZAIRE
Ludwidg (LuLu) Louizaire resides in Atlanta, Georgia, where she is employed as a marketing coordinator for the Pronghorn Company. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in 2019
from Virginia’s Hampton University, graduating with a degree from the Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications. Lulu aspires to earn her MBA and become a Chief Marketing Officer.
She is the founder of “Roads to the Classroom” backpack and school supply drive, benefiting 300 students. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®. A recipient of the
Changemaker Award, she is a Board member for The Scholarship Plug foundation.
A first-generation college graduate, Ludwidg is bilingual. Her community service initiative is entitled “Education for Every Student.” Her initiative ensures that students’ educational
opportunities and life trajectories are not defined by their zip codes. She accomplishes this through providing direct student benefits, building strategic partnerships, and advocating for
legislative changes.
ABOUT MISS GEORGIA TEEN USA CARRINGTON MANOUS
Carrington Manous is from Atlanta, Georgia, and attends Woodward Academy. Her Community Service Initiative is Carrington Cares: #DecodeDyslexia. Her career ambition is to earn her Juris doctorate and become an attorney, all the while continuing to advocate for individuals with dyslexia.
At the time of her crowning, Carrington had raised over $90,000 for dyslexia awareness/support in 9 countries. Carrington’s initiative is personal. She states, “After my dyslexia diagnosis, I faced confusion and shame. However, with the help of others, I have been able to reshape how I feel about myself and redefine how I choose to lead my life as a person with a learning difference.
Through my struggles, I have gained a passion for advocating for individuals like myself and creating spaces that foster inclusion and confidence. I aim to share learning and achievement tools with people who have dyslexia to help them overcome their challenges.”
When asked about her health initiatives, specifically how they relate to #MissAmericaFit, Carrington explains that her guiding principle is, “Nurture your body, and it will nurture you.” From bike rides to curated dance routines and nourishing meals, she prioritizes a vibrant, balanced, healthy lifestyle daily.
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