Miss TN USA Pageants Return to Clarksville in March

The preliminary show will take place on Friday, March 10 at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, March 11, the final event will take place at 4:00 p.m., where reigning Miss Tennessee USA Emily Suttle and Miss Tennessee Teen USA McKinley Farese will crown their successors. Both the Miss and Teen winners will represent the State of Tennessee at the Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants in 2023.

“We are thrilled and honored to welcome the Miss Tennessee USA pageant back to Clarksville for the 22^nd year,” said Visit Clarksville Chairman Kyle Luther. “The long-term dedication of this event to our city is a testament to the community’s hospitality and Visit Clarksville’s exceptional customer service. It’s a wonderful way to showcase Clarksville and Austin Peay to visitors from all over the state.”

The 2023 season is Greenwood Productions’ thirtieth year producing the pageant. All former titleholders have been invited back to participate in the show.

The pageants will take place in the George & Sharon Mabry Concert Hall at Austin Peay’s  Mass Communications Building, at 8^th and Marion Streets in Clarksville.

Tickets for both the preliminary and final shows must be purchased in advance online at Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.com/d/tn--clarksville/miss-tennessee/.

All tickets are reserved seating and vary from $55-$100 not including taxes and fees.

Miss Tennessee USA and Miss Tennessee Teen USA pageants are part of the Miss Universe Organization and have been hosted in Clarksville since 1999.  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 www.misstennesseeusa.com.

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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 the Clarksville-Montgomery County area by promoting tourist attractions, hosting conventions and group tours, and engaging in large-scale marketing efforts. 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 2021, tourism spending in Montgomery County totaled $340.5 million.

ABOUT MISS TENNESSEE USA EMILY SUTTLE

Currently living in Nashville, Tennessee, 26-year-old Emily Suttle attended the University of Tennessee and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in nutrition in 2018. She then moved to Texas to complete her dietetic internship with Texas A&M University and became a Registered Dietitian in June 2019.

With roots firmly based in Franklin, Tennessee, Emily felt strongly about returning to her home state to begin her successful career as a dietitian. She is currently the campus Registered Dietitian for Vanderbilt University where she provides students with nutrition counseling, hosts nutrition education events, provides staff training, and works with chefs to provide balanced menus. Emily is incredibly enthusiastic about sharing nutrition education and promoting body acceptance to young women while demonstrating to people of all ages the various ways they can positively affect their personal health by having a balanced relationship with food.

After dealing with a close family member's struggle with addiction, Emily is also passionate about being open about mental health issues and is looking forward to promoting this during her year as Miss Tennessee USA. She believes that understanding can be reached through vulnerable dialog and caring confrontation and is excited to travel the state in an effort to increase awareness of this important issue.

ABOUT MISS TENNESSEE TEEN USA MCKINLEY FARESE

McKinley Farese, a born and raised Tennessean residing in Germantown, Tennessee, is currently a high school senior and honors student at St. George’s Independent School. Throughout her school career, McKinley held several leadership positions, including being a peer mentor for her fellow students, and was a member of the varsity lacrosse team and cheerleading squad. She is also an avid animal lover with two rescue cats and a very spoiled King Charles Spaniel! Upon her high school graduation, eighteen-year-old McKinley will be attending the University of Mississippi with an academic scholarship and majoring in Integrated Marketing and Communications.

McKinley is heavily involved with several organizations and is deeply passionate about empowering today’s youth. Through encouraging teen volunteerism, mentoring young girls, and working to promote peer-to-peer advocacy for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, she understands the value of an encouraging word and a genuine connection. In an effort to grow in those connections, McKinley founded “Teens Serve the City”, an organization that promotes teen volunteerism and service within her community. She is proud to say that this program has uplifted over 40 different non-profit organizations! She is a longtime advocate for the Best Buddies Organization and her passion to cultivate kindness, inclusion and opportunities for individuals with disabilities is a substantial part of her initiative. McKinley has spoken to over 4,500 school-aged children throughout the state of Tennessee about the importance of kindness and inclusion. She is excited about the opportunity to increase that number during her year as Miss Tennessee Teen USA.

McKinley is a goal chaser who sincerely believes that kindness and inclusion are essential values to harness on a daily basis. McKinley plans to embark on a year of intentionality, compassion, and leadership and will be a source of positivity and kindness throughout her reign.

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