Chris Martin has served as president of the Knoxville Leadership Foundation (KLF) since its founding in 1994. KLF was founded on the belief that Knoxxville has the resources necessary to meet the needs of its communities and the people in them. 

As a faith-based, entrepreneurial nonprofit, KLF connects human and financial resources to address evolving unmet needs. KLF leads through collaboration, capacity-building, and the creation of programs that currently focus on mentoring youth and families, empowering the unemployed, strengthening other nonprofits, and improving housing conditions for low-income individuals and families.