Impactful, impeccable, and unforgettable. These three words describe the multi-faceted trailblazer we all know as Brenda Cannon. Since childhood, Cannon has been destined for greatness. She was destined to showcase her talent for enriching those around her with words, songs, and knowledge.
A Franklin County native, Cannon grew up looking to pursue a career in the arts.
“I had dreams of singing and acting as a child,” she said. “I left Winchester, and my goal was to be some great actor or actress. I knew I wanted to do something in speech because I loved public speaking. However, when I got to [Tennessee State University], I realized that everybody in that division was good, and I wasn’t half as good as I thought. College puts a different twist on everything for you; it puts everyone on a level playing field.”
But that realization would only make Cannon more determined to find a place where she could showcase her strengths.
“I knew I had those skills and decided to package them and transfer them out of the theater into an area where I could thrive. If you swim upstream with your talents and skills, you can have a successful life and career. I harnessed all those things and shifted to communications, where I thrived. Still to this day, I love it.”
Her journey would take her to Motlow College, where she has worked for over 30 years. Currently serving as the executive director of community relations, Cannon said her job is a dream come true.
“It’s been like a dream because this was always my goal,” said Cannon. “Working in public relations was my professional goal. I love the connections, the people, and the opportunities it provides. I have the opportunity to interface with people on every level.”
She added that she is grateful for support from her peers and the connections she has made with college students.
“It’s amazing the people you see, and they tell you about how you have helped them. Parents have also told me how I have impacted their child’s life. While I may not remember every encounter or instance, knowing that I helped brings me joy. I know I was doing what I was supposed to while doing it.”
She also credits her mother, Mildred Cannon, and grandmother, Mary Blackwell, for who she is today.
“My mother was my role model,” said Cannon. “I grew up in a house of women. I lived with my mother and my grandmother. Those women taught us to be women. They were not formally educated or had college degrees, but they made sure all of us did. They got up every day going to jobs that paid minimum wage so we wouldn’t have to do that. They taught us to love ourselves, our families, and God.”
With the hope to always be impactful to those she encounters, Cannon said service is the price we all pay for the gift of life.
“When I think about the things that have happened in my life and the people who have come into my life, I pray that I have been as kind, influential, and impactful in other people’s lives as some people have been in my life,” she said. “Something that I believe and use often is that service is the rent we pay for the gift of life. We can’t pay for life even if we have billions of dollars. But I get up every day, serving, hoping to earn the blessings I have been given in this life.” GN
