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WARREN WELLS worked in a booth with his fellow teammates. They were usually wearing matching jerseys, dribbling a ball up and down the court—but this time, they were scooping popcorn into red and white striped bags for fans of the horse show. Those are some of Warren’s best memories at the Celebration. Little did he know, he would one day be the CEO of the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration.
Warren grew up right here in Bedford County. Going to the Celebration was something to look forward to every year. At the age of 17, he joined the National Guard. Under President George W. Bush, he flew overseas to Iraq where he served from November 2005 to November 2006. Roughly 4,000 miles east, a friend from high school, Jessica Stinson, was doing mission work in Cambodia. By fate, they both had ended up in Asia. Thanks to the birth of social media, when both Jessica and Warren were back in the United States, they went on a casual date to catch up. Jessica soon took Warren’s last name, and the couple now has two kids, Walker and Wright.
As the board for the TWHNC was looking for a new CEO, Warren stood out. They gave him a call. Around the same time, Jessica had exciting news of her own. Their second child, Wright, was on the way. He was born on June 1. Just six days later, Warren started his new job as the CEO on June 7. They moved into their new rental home on June 15. In the middle of welcoming their newborn son, Warren was finding his footing as a leader, and then packing boxes for a move. When the dust settled, Warren and his family were able to call Shelbyville home with plans to make the Celebration the best it has ever been.
“I want to get in here and make it the best show it can be,” Warren began. “But it will not be a totally different show because it’s a new CEO in any way.” The show can be built upon and made better without fundamentally changing the show now that a new person is the captain of the ship.
His day-to-day duties include meeting other leaders in the horse show community, working to market the horse show for the next generation, speaking at meetings, communicating with corporate sponsors, and creating an environment of opportunity and growth for every trainer, vendor, spectator, and worker for the Celebration. Warren is focused on marketing the 104- acre property as one of the best facilities in the country to have an event. “I want to recruit more fun and exciting events that can have a positive impact on our community,” he said.
From serving in Iraq to starting a family and moving, Warren has the experience of a well-rounded man. He has also worked in a Governor’s office and was an officer for a Fortune 500 company. The Celebration is in good hands. Warren encourages visitors to enjoy a famous Optimist Club donut with your family. Then, visit a vendor to get some popcorn—you could be meeting the next generation of leaders for the Celebration. -GN
