Middle Tennessee community leaders, including Benchmark’s Midtown Managing Broker Mike Nichols, will be meeting over the next two months to learn about regional transit needs and options as the Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee and Lipscomb University’s Nelson and Sue Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership launch the fifth Transit Citizen Leadership Academy (TCLA). Benchmark's Mike Nichols selected for mid-state Transit Citizen Leadership Academy. Nichols said he’s honored to be a part of the process of addressing critical community issues. “Participating in the Transit Citizen Leadership Academy provides a unique opportunity for diverse professionals to come together to weigh in on critical mass transportation issues in the Middle Tennessee area.  Additionally, it allows us an opportunity to educate and influence other middle Tennessee residents about the future needs of our region,” Nichols said. Nashville Mayor Karl Dean opened the new session of the TCLA Feb. 5, stressing the importance of a regional discussion of transportation issues as well as the need for long-range planning due to projected population growth in Nashville in the next two decades. “One of the key items that we need to discuss as a city and a region is transportation,” said Mayor Karl Dean. “It is a regional discussion [...]