Nebu Kolenchery joins an accomplished network of leaders making a difference in our nation; will learn from the presidential leadership of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson
Nebu Kolenchery, Chief Revenue Officer of Flourish and Thrive Labs (https://www.fandtlabs.com) has been named one of 60 Scholars who will form the Presidential Leadership Scholars’ (PLS) 11th annual class. Over the past decade, PLS has brought together nearly 600 established, purpose-driven leaders to collaborate and make a difference in the world as they learn about leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson.
The class was selected after a rigorous application and review process. Scholars were chosen based on their leadership growth potential and the strength of their personal leadership projects aimed at addressing a critical challenge or need in a community, profession, or organization.
Nebu is the Chief Revenue Officer for a consulting firm that supports data modernization projects in state and local public health departments. In this role, he leads business development and partnership strategy, working with health departments to build sustainable systems that use data to understand and respond to public health threats. Prior to that, he was the Director for Communicable Disease Response at the Saint Louis County Department of Public Health, where he oversaw the responses to emerging infectious disease outbreaks including COVID-19 and mpox, as well as the Department’s sexual health clinic, tuberculosis clinic, and hepatitis program. He has also consulted for federal healthcare and public health clients including the CDC. He was recognized by the de Beaumont Foundation as one of the nation’s 40 under 40 in Public Health and serves on the Board of Health for the City of St. Louis. Kolenchery lives in St. Louis and graduated from Saint Louis University with graduate and undergraduate degrees in public health.
“I’m honored to be selected for the Presidential Leadership Scholars program,” said Kolenchery. “I believe that a well-functioning public health department is the best example of a representative democracy. I look forward to learning from extraordinary leaders and my fellow Scholars, and applying these lessons to strengthen public health departments across the country.”
During the six-month program, Nebu will develop his initiative focused on building a leadership curriculum for public health professionals. He hopes to create training resources that will help health departments across the country build capacity to lead change and strengthen their communities’ public health infrastructure.
“Congratulations to Nebu on this well-deserved achievement,” said Jefferson McMillan-Wilhoit, CEO of Flourish and Thrive Labs. “His commitment to building leadership capacity in our field is exactly what this moment demands. We’re excited to support him through this program and eager to see the impact of his work with health departments nationwide.”
Over the course of the program, Scholars will travel to each participating presidential center to learn from former presidents, key former administration officials, business and civic leaders, and leading academics. They will study and put into practice varying approaches to leadership and exchange ideas to help strengthen their impact.
Scholars have consistently reported remarkable growth in skills, responsibilities, and opportunities for impact since the program began in 2015. For example, 93% of Scholars state they have a strong sense of purpose as a leader, and 100% of Scholars state they are inspired to accomplish and achieve more after completing the program.
The 2026 program will begin on Jan. 21 in Washington, D.C.
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About Presidential Leadership Scholars
The Presidential Leadership Scholars program is a partnership among the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. To learn more, visit www.presidentialleadershipscholars.org. For updates about the Presidential Leadership Scholars, use #PLScholars and follow @PLSprogram on LinkedIn, X, and Instagram.
About Flourish and Thrive Labs
Flourish and Thrive Labs is a public health consulting firm dedicated to helping government agencies and organizations build healthier communities through data-driven strategies and innovative solutions. Their flagship product, PH360, leverages AI to streamline public health workflows and enhance decision-making for practitioners across the field. For more information about F&T Labs visit https://www.fandtlabs.com.
