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SERVICE AT EVERY ALTITUDE \u201cI\u2019ve always believed that if you take care of people in a business environment, the business will take care of itself,\u201d he said. \u201cRelationships matter more than transactions. And trust is something you build over time and protect every day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That consistency earned Henley leadership roles in nearly every arena he entered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SKY-HIGH DREAMS For a while, it seemed that the dream might lead through the Air Force. But in college, he learned he was colorblind \u2014 a trait passed down from his grandfather \u2014 which kept him from flying in the military. It was a hard turn, but it didn\u2019t take the dream away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n CHANGING COURSE This eventually led him back to aviation. He pursued instructor certifications. Though they were more challenging than expected, he eventually earned private pilot, instrument, commercial, and multi-engine certifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Since then, he\u2019s taught 28 people how to fly, including his daughter, son, and his first student \u2014 his younger sister. Not long ago, he reached another milestone \u2014 earning his Airline Transport Pilot certification, the highest level a pilot can achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m probably more proud of that than anything I\u2019ve accomplished in my life in aviation. It took a lot of time and effort to do that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFlying takes a level of discipline, preparation, and situational awareness that is beyond anything I\u2019ve ever tried to learn before.\u201d It is a great tool to prepare for the daily challenges life hands out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n GROUNDED IN SERVICE Throughout his tenure, one issue remained close to his heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne area that stood out to me was bullying,\u201d he said, recalling an incident involving a student his son\u2019s age. \u201cEvery student deserves to feel safe, supported, and respected.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Henley worked to strengthen policies and awareness around student well-being, emphasizing that education isn\u2019t just about systems, but about people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One initiative he helped implement was the student ambassador program, giving students a voice that might otherwise go unheard in board discussions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IMPACT OVER ACCOLADES He and his wife, Martha, have built their lives in Coffee County, where their family gathers, and their grandsons spend hours outdoors, throwing rocks in the creek and simply being kids. Those moments, he said, bring everything into focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the end of the day, what matters most to Henley isn\u2019t titles or accolades. It is making a difference in the lives of those around him. \u201cIf I\u2019ve helped to make things better for my family, my community, and the people around me, then I\u2019ve considered the life I\u2019ve had a life well-lived.\u201d GN<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" AT 14, Brett Henley came home from school expecting a normal afternoon. Instead, his father greeted him with a surprise. \u201cYou\u2019ve got a job,\u201d he said. Fifteen minutes later, Henley walked into the 41 Drive-In and dove straight into taking orders, mopping floors, wiping counters \u2014 doing whatever needed to be done. One year later, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":25187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories","category-tullahoma"],"yoast_head":"\n
<\/strong>Today, Henley is a businessman and co-owner of Henley Propane Inc., a pilot, flight instructor, and community leader. But titles don\u2019t capture the essence of his life. At every altitude, whether in the cockpit or in the community, his focus remains the same \u2014 showing up, doing the work, and taking care of people with his son-in-law and Henley Propane Inc. co-owner Garrett Sager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>Henley knew he wanted to fly from an early age. The interest started on a flight with his grandmother. A flight attendant noticed his curiosity and asked if he wanted to see the cockpit. Soon, he was sitting up front, hands on the controls, gently turning the plane under the pilot\u2019s watch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/4-2-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/strong>Years later, with a family to support, Henley found another way. He began building spec houses, learning as he went, taking risks, and slowly saving for aviation training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/strong>Aviation shaped him, but Henley\u2019s impact on the ground proves just as meaningful. In 2009, he ran for the Coffee County School Board, believing he could make a difference. He served more than 12 years, first as chairman of the local board, and then as president of the Tennessee School Boards Association in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/06\/3-1-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/strong>Henley resists recognition as a goal. He measures success by the impact he makes, the relationships he nurtures, and the legacy he\u2019s building at home and in the community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n