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KVBPR Public Relations News

JUST A PINCH RECIPE CLUB CALLS FOR ULTIMATE SALAD TOSS CONTEST ENTRIES

July 30, 2010

Are you the ultimate salad spinner? Do you have a potato salad that knocks your socks off? Then www.justapinch.com has the contest for you!

Just A Pinch Recipe Club invites creative hometown cooks to share their favorite salad recipes in its “Ultimate Salad Toss” for a chance to win a trip to Nashville, Tenn., and a cook’s dream shopping spree at The Viking Store.

Entries will be accepted through 5 p.m. CDT, Sept. 30, 2010.

All salad recipes from Just A Pinch Recipe Club members are eligible, from green salad to pasta salad to gelatin salad to potato salad and more. Lettuce is welcome, but not required! Recipe entries for the “Ultimate Salad Toss” should be submitted on the Club’s website at www.justapinch.com.

The ultimate salad will be crowned champion based on originality, ease of preparation, presentation and pure deliciousness. The recipe submitter and the winning salad will be featured at www.justapinch.com the week of Oct. 5.

The winner also will be the special guest at the Just A Pinch Blue Ribbon Showcase in October, where they will prepare their winning salad recipe with Janet Tharpe, Recipe Club hostess. The Blue Ribbon Showcase will be held at the Viking Culinary Arts Center in Franklin, Tenn., located just minutes from Nashville.

The grand prize includes:

• Roundtrip airfare for two to Nashville, Tenn.
• Two nights hotel accommodations
• Two tickets to a Grand Ole Opry performance (subject to scheduling and availability)
• A $1,000 cook's dream shopping spree at The Viking Store in historic downtown Franklin, Tenn.

For more information on the “Ultimate Salad Toss”, visit www.justapinch.com.

Founded in 2010, the Just A Pinch Recipe Club® is an online community of hometown cooks across America who view and rate thousands of recipes, as well as swap and chat about recipes, build menus, access grocery lists and get coupons for recipe ingredients and other household items. The Club offers free memberships and premium perks. For more information, visit www.justapinch.com.

KATCHER SHARES EXPERTISE WITH THREE DIVERSE AUDIENCES DURING JULY PRESENTATIONS

July 15, 2010

KVBPR partner Aileen R. Katcher will share her public relations and communications expertise at three upcoming programs with the Center for Nonprofit Management, Mid-South Franchise Business Network and a program sponsored by Lipscomb University and Compass Executives.

Katcher will speak about writing a PR plan, developing creative communications strategies and working with CEOs during a crisis at programs and panel discussions throughout the community this month.

Writing a Public Relations Plan
On Thursday, July 22, Katcher will conduct a workshop, Writing a Public Relations Plan, at the Center for Nonprofit Management. The course details how to develop a PR plan that delivers an organization’s message to the right audience and the steps necessary to reaching overall communication goals. She has led the workshop for nine years. To register, visit CNM's Course Calendar. The cost is $60 for members, $125 for non-members and $20 for students.

Effective Communication Strategies for Franchisors and Franchisees
Katcher will speak at the Mid-South Franchise Business Network meeting on Effective Communication Strategies for Franchisors and Franchisees on Friday, July 23,. The event is hosted by lawyers from Baker Donelson Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, a member of the IFA Council of Franchise Suppliers. She will discuss how preparation is the key to handling any crisis and the key elements to include in crisis communication plans.

How Nashville CEOs Lead During a Natural Disaster
On Friday, July 30, Katcher will serve on a panel at “How Nashville CEOs Lead During a Natural Disaster,” a roundtable forum for Nashville business leaders from 7 to 10 a.m. on the campus of Lipscomb University.    

The event is co-presented by Compass Executives LLC, Lipscomb University  and Consensus Point.

Katcher and other communications professionals will discuss how to guide CEOs during critical times, internally and externally. Prior to the communications roundtable, the event will include a panel featuring Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County Mayor Karl Dean, retired HCA Chairman Jack Bovender, Gaylord Hotels Chairman and CEO Colin Reed and Jaynee Day, president and CEO of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, who will discuss how they led their organizations during the May flood in Nashville. To register, visit Lipscomb University College of Business or call (615) 966-5950. The cost is $150 per person with all proceeds benefitting the Nashville Flood Relief Effort.

 

HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTES $30 BILLION ANNUALLY TO NASHVILLE ECONOMY

July 07, 2010

Health Care is Largest and Fastest Growing Local Employer

Nashville’s health care industry contributes nearly $30 billion and 210,000 jobs to the local economy, according to an economic impact study released today by the Nashville Health Care Council. The industry also has a far global reach, with 56 health care company headquarters* that generate nearly 400,000 jobs and more than $62 billion in revenues worldwide.

“The health care industry is Nashville’s largest and fastest growing employer,” said Nashville Mayor Karl Dean. “Beyond health care providers, Nashville is home to a diverse sector of leading health care companies not found anywhere else, including hospital management, health information technology, disease management and more.”
 
More than 250 health care companies have operations in Nashville, an industry concentration that ranks it above 13 other similar cities including Atlanta, Birmingham, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis and Louisville based on the number of health care companies, industry revenues and employment.
 
"Nashville’s health care industry has a major economic impact not just at the local level, but nationwide and across the world as illustrated in this study," said Joey Jacobs, current chairman of the Nashville Health Care Council and chairman, president and CEO of Psychiatric Solutions, Inc. "With findings of this magnitude, it is easy to understand why Nashville is often referred to as the health care capital of the U.S.”
 
Nashville’s health care employment growth has outpaced Tennessee and the nation, creating a vibrant industry hub, with one in eight Nashville workers employed by health care providers. In Tennessee, clinical occupations are projected to create over 55,000 jobs by 2016, representing one in every seven new jobs in the state. Nationally, these jobs are projected to increase by almost 3 million to represent one in every six new jobs by 2018.
 
"The findings of this study underscore what we’ve always known to be true - that Nashville’s health care industry is unique to other markets, especially in the creation of jobs, both locally and globally,” said Murat Arik, PhD, associate director of the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC) at the Jennings Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) and lead researcher for the project.
 
In addition to analyzing the economic impact of Nashville’s health care industry, the study included a survey of Nashville Health Care Council member CEOs. 
 
"Ninety-five percent of Nashville Health Care Council member CEOs indicated that a Nashville headquarters location is important to their company’s positive performance," said Council President Caroline Young. "Nashville’s long-standing reputation as a health care hub is reinforced by a culture of entrepreneurialism and creativity, key elements for continued growth and innovation in this industry. In our 15th year, the Health Care Council continues work to foster these qualities here." 
 
Conducted by BERC at MTSU, the report examined the impact of the health care industry on business revenue, personal income, employment, office space and other factors. This study is a follow up to a report commissioned by the Health Care Council in 2005.
 
Key Study Findings of the Nashville Health Care Industry:
 
Economic Impact

• The Nashville health care industry contributes an overall economic benefit of nearly $30 billion and more than 210,000 jobs to the local economy annually. 

• Globally, 56 health care companies headquartered in Nashville generate more than $62 billion in revenue and nearly 400,000 jobs.
  

• More than 250 health care companies have operations in Nashville and work on multi-state, national or international basis, with more than 300 professional service firms (e.g., accounting, architecture, banking, legal) providing expertise in the health care industry, according to Nashville Health Care Council data.
  

• Seventeen publicly-traded companies are located in Nashville with combined employment of more than 145,000 and revenue of nearly $26 billion globally.
  

• The health care industry is Nashville’s largest and fastest growing employer, directly employing 110,000.
  

• One in eight Nashville workers is employed by a health care provider.
  

• The Nashville health care industry generated $13 billion in personal income for the local economy in 2008.
  

• The average annual wage of the Nashville health care industry is $53,000, significantly higher than the average Nashville wage of $39,000.
  

• In 2008, total estimated taxes paid by the Nashville health care industry in Tennessee were $1.2 billion, which represents nearly 20 percent of all taxes collected in Nashville and 7 percent of all taxes collected in Tennessee in 2008.
  

Nashville Health Care Council Members

• Council members directly employ nearly 70,000 people in Nashville and 375,000 globally.

• Council member companies pay an average annual wage of approximately $70,000, almost double the average Nashville annual wage of $39,000.
  

• A survey of Council member CEOs shows great confidence in the Nashville market; 95 percent indicated that a Nashville headquarters location is important to their company’s positive performance. 
  

• Approximately half of Council member CEOs believe that health information technology is the most promising sector to enter today.
  

About the Study:
The study examined core clinical providers, which include ambulatory services, hospitals, and nursing and residential care facilities operating locally; and the greater health care industry that encompasses these clinical providers and other related health care companies such as health care services management, managed care, life sciences and professional services firms that operate on a local, national or international basis.
 
The study also surveyed and profiled approximately 150 member companies of the Nashville Health Care Council and used the most current and comprehensive industry data available to analyze member business operations and CEO confidence.
 
This most recent analysis is a follow up to a study commissioned from MTSU by the Nashville Health Care Council in 2005. View the current and previous studies at www.healthcarecouncil.com.

About the Nashville Health Care Council:
The Nashville Health Care Council, founded in 1995 as an initiative of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, is an association of health care industry leaders working together to further establish  Nashville’s position as the nation’s health care industry capital. For more information on the Council, please visit www.healthcarecouncil.com.
 
About the MTSU Business and Economic Research Center (BERC):
The MTSU BERC supports the public service activities of the Jennings A. Jones College of Business.  The organization engages in a variety of educational and research activities aiding businesses, government, civic organizations and other interested individuals to help them understand the economic and business climate of Tennessee. For more information, please visit www.mtsu.edu/~berc.



* Only companies with more than $500,000 in revenue and at least 100 employees are included in this analysis.

ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL DISCUSSES NEXT STEPS IN HEALTH REFORM WITH NASHVILLE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY EXECUTIVES

June 17, 2010

NASHVILLE – Rima Cohen, Health Policy counselor to U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, spoke about the current status of health care reform and the Obama Administration’s view on next steps in reform implementation at a meeting of the Nashville Health Care Council today.

In her speech, Cohen spoke about the benefits the Affordable Care Act offers employers.

“Businesses large and small have seen the cost of providing health coverage to their employees rise dramatically,” Cohen said. “The Affordable Care Act preserves what is best about our current health care system while helping to give employers and employees more affordable coverage.  The Act builds on our employer based system and works to control costs, stabilize insurance markets, and provide new protections for employers and their workers.”

More than 200 health care industry executives attended the briefing at the Marriott in Cool Springs. The program was the first in a year-long series the Council is offering members to offer insights on provisions of the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, including policy development, implementation and potential outcomes.  BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee is the presenting sponsor of the series. 

“The Council was delighted to host Ms. Cohen here in Nashville.  The new law will impact our members and how they deliver care in a number of ways, and it was very valuable to gain an understanding of the Obama Administration’s perspectives as this legislation is rolled out for nationwide implementation,” said Caroline Young, president of the Nashville Health Care Council.

Implementation of the new law will take effect over the next four years.  Among the major areas that are affected are Medicaid eligibility, Medicare benefits, subsidization and incentives for insurance premiums and benefits, the establishment of health insurance exchanges and more support of medical research. 

The Nashville Health Care Council, founded in 1995 as an initiative of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, is an association of health care industry leaders working together to further establish Nashville’s position as the nation’s health care industry capital.  For more information on the Council, please visit www.healthcarecouncil.com. 

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Note to media: Click here to access event photos. Photo credit: Photos (c) 2010, Harry Butler, Nashville.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS TENNESSEE INVITES FUNDRAISERS TO GO "OVER THE EDGE" OF A DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE BUILDING

June 10, 2010

Special Olympics Tennessee is sending Nashville-area residents down 27 floors of the Nashville City Center as part of its Over the Edge fundraising event in which participants will rappel from a height of more than 400 feet.

Those who would like to participate are invited to raise a minimum of $1,000 in pledges to qualify for the rappel taking place Sept. 9-10. 

“While it may seem a little crazy, we’re excited to partner with Over the Edge to provide a unique experience for those who want to help support our statewide programming,” said Alan Bolick, president of Special Olympics Tennessee.

Nashville-area businesses are invited to participate in the Over the Edge “Toss Your Boss” campaign by encouraging employees to raise a minimum of $3,000 to send their boss over the edge.

Funds raised through Over the Edge will support Special Olympics Tennessee’s year-round sports training and athletic competition for more than 16,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

On event day, participants will have the opportunity to do a practice rappel prior to their jump. In addition to bragging rights for being among the first ever to rappel off a downtown Nashville building, participants will receive an event shirt, two VIP celebration access wristbands and a photo of themselves rappelling down the Nashville City Center.

A VIP rappel will take place on Sept. 9, with the individual rappel to follow on Sept. 10. Participants will rappel down the Nashville City Center, located 511 Union St.

Registration opens June 21. To learn more, visit www.specialolympicstn.org.

About Special Olympics Tennessee
Special Olympics is an international organization that changes lives by encouraging and empowering people with intellectual disabilities, promoting acceptance for all, and fostering communities of understanding and respect worldwide. Special Olympics athletes have the opportunity to expand beyond competition, by participating in the Healthy Athletes program or the Athlete Leadership Programs, where athletes can train as coaches, officials or public speakers. Visit Special Olympics Tennessee at www.specialolympicstn.org.

About Over the Edge
Over the Edge is a USA based special events company that provides signature fundraising events to nonprofit organizations anywhere throughout North America. For more information, please visit www.overtheedgeusa.com.

URBAN LAND INSTITUTE NASHVILLE HONORS ELEVEN PROJECTS WITH SECOND ANNUAL EXCELLENCE IN DEVELOPMENT AWARDS

May 24, 2010

The Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) Nashville District Council honored 11 area development projects with Excellence in Development Awards

last night at the Noah Liff Opera Center.

Award entries represented projects from the private and public sector and from commercial and residential areas.

The winning projects were recognized for innovation in land use and design, design excellence, contribution to the community, reflection of the regional or neighborhood character, public/private partnership, environmental sensitivity and financial viability.

Following are the winners, and corresponding comments from the nationally recognized, out-of-town judges:

 

• Downtown YMCA: A winning display of reinvestment by a nonprofit; the original and new buildings blend seamlessly; a valuable resource for the community; and the redesign is sensitive to its context/neighbors.

• Franke Corporate Headquarters and Distribution Center: Tremendous economic impact (tax base and employment) to its middle Tennessee location (Rutherford County); extraordinary design aesthetic; prime ‘best practices’ example of the benefits of a public/private development.
  

• Hutton Hotel: Creative redevelopment into an under-served use; creates a strong gateway presence; thoughtful attention to construction and design details; retrofitted a non-descript mid-century use with sustainable features at every turn.
  

• J. Henry Hale Apartments: Demonstrates ‘best practices’ in affordable housing, which should be a model; made an unlivable barracks style into an attractive place to live; now this is a neighborhood; the influence on the broader neighborhood’s stability is vital.
  

• Martin Corner: The impact on the metro tax rolls from this redevelopment is extraordinary; a great variety of new construction, adaptive reuse, renovation that are compatible with, and that enhance, the fabric of the adjacent neighborhood; the difference between before and after is remarkable; is a smooth bridge between one district of reinvestment and another.
  

• Nissan Americas Corporate Facility: Shows sensitive, thoughtful development can be done well in a suburban campus; priority given to comprehensive sustainable practices; demonstrates that exceptional design can benefit the building owner, workers and community.
  

• Pinnacle at Symphony Place: A landmark on the horizon for a new level of development downtown; clearly a modern icon for the city’s skyline; a powerful demonstration of private investment in Nashville’s core; doesn’t neglect sustainability in its exemplary design.
  

• The Midtown Millworks: One of the best examples of conversion for a nonprofit office condo I’ve ever seen of its kind; noteworthy community-use tenants; impressive reinvestment in fragile corridor; sustainable considerations are substantial; interior spaces are attractive and reflect users.
  

• Vanderbilt Health/One Hundred Oaks:  It’s all about the educational value of what can be done in adaptive reuse; a strong demonstration on the influence that good development can have on the broader community; shows best practices lessons for adaptive reuse for a profitable development with a public good.
  

• Vanderbilt University Commons Center:  Its lessons on green development show how it can be done, should be done from start to finish; demonstrates best practices on community building for students and the broader university, and with the broader neighborhood and community; architecturally compatible with the historic elements of the adjacent historic Peabody College campus of Vanderbilt University.
  

• West End Station:  This is how workforce, mixed-income housing should be done; architectural details and green space add value to the project; the influence of reinvestment in the neighborhood is evident; the right product at the right price; kudos to rectifying a former environmentally blighted lot.
  

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) www.uli.org is a nonprofit research and education organization supported by its members worldwide. The ULI Nashville District Council’s priority is to serve as a convener and collaborator, providing a forum for exchange of ideas and education about best practices in land use for Middle Tennessee’s public, private, educational and nonprofit real estate and land-use community.  It has a diverse membership of 200 professionals including architects, land planners, engineers, developers, Realtors®, public officials, academicians and attorneys.

JUST A PINCH RECIPE CLUB CALLS FOR CAKE CONTEST ENTRIES

May 24, 2010

MAYOR, LAWSON, SATURN AND STEAKLEY HONORED AT COMMUNITY NASHVILLE 39th HUMAN RELATIONS AWARDS DINNER

May 07, 2010

Nasvhille For All of Us Recognized for Collaboration

CommunityNashville will honor four individuals for their commitment to human rights at the 39th Annual Human Relations Award Dinner presented by Saint Thomas Health Services, May 24th at 7 p.m. at Loews Vanderbilt Plaza.  

The 2010 honorees are:

Mayor Karl Dean for his commitment to improving quality of life for all Nashville citizens  and work to defeat the 2009 English Only referendum. 
Rev. James F. Lawson, Jr. for his lifelong fight for human rights including protesting the Jim Crowe laws with the Freedom Rides to Birmingham.
Joseph N. Steakley  for his longtime commitment to diversty and his leadership  of CommunityNashville during its transition to the independent, community focused organization it is today. 
Nancy Saturn (posthumously) for her support of Nashville Cares in the fight against AIDS, and her work at Gilda’s Club in support of cancer survivors and their families.

The Peggy Steine Memorial Award for Human Rights Collaboration will be presented to Nashville for All of Us (N4AOU) for its unified effort to defeat English Only legislation last year.

Kim Sharp, chair of the selection committee, says each honoree exemplifies CommunityNashville’s commitment to fighting bias, bigotry and racism and making Nashville a better place for all.  “These individuals are true demonstrations that one person’s lifetime of work can truly impact many.  They are role models for all.” Sharp said. 

St. Thomas Health Services is presenting sponsor for the dinner which benefits the CommunityNashville Building Bridges Program at Oasis Center.  Building Bridges works with youth; helping them face their own feelings as they learn about the root causes of prejudice, become more understanding and learn to respect others.  Operation of the program transitioned to Oasis Center this year where it will be able to double the number of youth served, with the help of the funds raised by the dinner.

Other sponsors are the Ingram Foundation, Community Health Systems, Steve and Judy Turner, Turner Universal, HCA/TriStar, Corrections Corporation of America and The Memorial Foundation. 

Tickets for the dinner are available at www.communitynashville.org. 

About CommunityNashville
Since 1972, CommunityNashville has been an advocate for and raising awareness of issues of bias, bigotry, racism and threats to human rights in the region. As a volunteer organization, CommunityNashville is committed to outreach and advocacy work with a focus on their role as conveners on issues of human rights.

MOBILE LOAVES AND FISHES EXPANDS FEEDING TO FLOOD VICTIMS AND CRISIS RESPONSE WORKERS

May 06, 2010

Mobile Loaves and Fishes

(MLF) has expanded its service for the homeless to also feed flood victims and volunteers.

Normally serving 150 meals per day, MLF has served more than 5,000 meals to approximately 1,500 people displaced by the flooding since Sunday. Meals are also being provided for volunteers working at the Omohundro and Karh water plants.

Metro Council member, Erik Cole has asked MLF to extend its relief efforts by providing meals to the hundreds of volunteers working at the Emergency Command Center and five disaster response information centers throughout the Middle Tennessee area. Flood victims and crisis response teams in Hadley Park and Boone Trace have also received food from MLF.

“Thank you to Trader Joe’s for the six pallets of food donations, and to the more than 300 volunteers who worked to make and deliver meals, unpack food and organize cooking schedules,” said Tallu Scott Schuyler, MLF executive director.

Schuyler said the organization still needs donations and volunteers.

What can you do to help?

Contributions of food, toiletries and supplies are welcome, including the following items:

 

• Fresh fruit (apples, pears, oranges, clementines, bananas)

• Socks
  

• Washcloths and towels
  

• Toiletry items (toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, deodorant, toothpaste, soap, shampoo and conditioner)
  

• Sandwich-sized zipper baggies
  

• Disposable to-go containers with lids
  

• Disposable oven-safe aluminum baking pans
  

Collections will be taken at the MLF office at Woodmont Christian Church, South Hall, 3605 Hillsboro Road, in the Green Hills area. Volunteers interested in helping with food preparation are also welcome to visit the South Hall from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. If interested in helping with food distribution, please contact Margo Cloniger at Mcloniger@mlfnashville.org.

MLF is also accepting tax-deductible contributions to flood relief efforts. Please make checks payable to Mobile Loaves and Fishes, Nashville, 3605 Hillsboro Road Nashville, TN 37215. All checks should indicate “flood relief.”

Mobile Loaves and Fishes, Nashville is a food project that strives to provide increased access to healthy foods in homeless and working poor communities across Davidson County. As we work to alleviate hunger in our city, our goal is to grow a thoughtful and productive community of volunteers through service and education and to foster opportunities in which poor people move from poverty to possibility. Since our beginning in 2007, we have served 72,000 meals from our two catering trucks. For more information please contact Tallu Schuyler, Director, by phone at (615)460-0172 or by email tschuyler@gmail.com. Our offices are located at 3605 Hillsboro Pike, 37215.

JUST A PINCH MEDIA SERVES UP FREE WEEKLY FOOD COLUMNS, PHOTOS TO COMPLEMENT COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER EDITORIAL CONTENT

April 28, 2010

One of the best-read and most valued components of a community newspaper is recipes.  Now newspaper publishers can feed their readers’ appetites with free, weekly food columns from Just A Pinch Media.

Each week, Just A Pinch Media serves up two syndicated columns and photos: Just A Pinch and Janet’s Notebook.  Just A Pinch features recipes, photos and profiles of hometown cooks from across America.  Janet’s Notebook focuses on behind-the-scene stories of life in the kitchen with Janet Tharpe of Franklin, Tenn.  Tharpe is hostess for Just A Pinch Recipe Club a new online recipe community at www.justapinch.com.

“We believe in the importance of community journalism and the need to deliver hometown content that complements a newspaper’s editorial tone, especially in this time of tightening budgets,” said L. Daniel Hammond, CEO and founder of American Hometown Publishing and Just A Pinch Media.

Hammond also created and brought American Profile magazine to community newspapers almost a decade ago.

Publishers can sign up for distribution of the free weekly columns at www.justapinchmedia.com where they’ll also find letters to readers, house ads and other promotional materials to help introduce the food columns and Just A Pinch Recipe Club.  Current and archived columns are available at the site in color or black-and- white in two-column and three-column PDF formats.  Publishers may use the material as they please through the unique licensing agreement where they simply acknowledge the ownership and origin of the articles, and in return, are allowed to use them without any syndicated fee.

Members of the Just A Pinch Recipe Club online community can view and rate thousands of recipes, submit and chat about recipes, build meal plans, access grocery lists and access hundreds of free coupons from national brands like General Mills, Hershey’s, Land O Lakes and Betty Crocker.

Each week, blue ribbons are awarded to outstanding recipes on the Just A Pinch Recipe Club site.  A story about blue-ribbon wins and other submissions is sent to the submitter’s hometown newspaper for publication.

BURKS TO REPRESENT KVBPR ON GREEN BUSINESS SUMMIT MARKETING PANEL APRIL 13

April 05, 2010

Neely Burks, a KVBPR account executive, will participate in the Green Media and Marketing panel discussion on Tuesday, April 13, during the two-day Green Business Summit at Lipscomb University.

The April 13-14 conference, hosted by Lipscomb University’s Institute of Sustainable Practice and the College of Business, features national speakers and workshops about reducing expenses, expanding profitability and providing socially responsible goods and services. Summit keynote speakers include Catherine Corley, vice president of member program development at Sam’s Club, and Tom Szaky, CEO and co-founder of TerraCycle. 

Burks will share insights gained from her public relations work with clients in the civic growth and development sector during the Green Media and Marketing panel at 2:30 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. in Lipscomb University’s Ezell Center.

For additional information and registration for the Green Business Summit visit www.greenbusinesssummit.net.

JUST A PINCH RECIPE CLUB DRAWS COOKS INTO THE KITCHEN CONVERSATION

April 01, 2010

There are no worries about too many cooks spoiling the broth at Just A Pinch Recipe Club, www.justapinch.com. In fact, swapping and commenting on recipes is encouraged.

The new online recipe community has cooks across America joining the kitchen conversation.  They are sharing and chatting about recipes, building meal plans, creating grocery lists and accessing hundreds of free coupons from national brands like General Mills, Hershey's, Land O Lakes and Betty Crocker. 

"Unlike the celebrity food shows and Web sites, Just A Pinch Recipe Club is fed and nurtured by people in towns across America," said L. Daniel Hammond, CEO and founder of Just A Pinch Recipe Club. 

"It's an old-fashioned recipe swap that extends to blue-ribbon cooks across the map," Hammond added. "However, the programming behind this warm and friendly site is extremely robust and features greater capabilities than any other food, recipe and coupon site on the Internet."

Members create a profile, describing their culinary expertise as "well-seasoned," "cooked to perfection," "full-flavored" or "lightly salted."  And, then the swapping begins.  Vicky from Winona, Miss., shares her Grandmother Taylor’s Southern Chess Pie.  Dana from Riverside, Calif., posts French Market Soup, which she says fulfills her late mother's New Year's "good luck" menu.  Jane from Clarkston, Mich., shares the Best Carrot Cake Ever from her collection of vintage family recipes.

Janet Tharpe is the hostess for this worldwide kitchen.  With help from her daughter-in-law, she prepares and samples the various recipes.  Outstanding recipes receive blue ribbons and special acknowledgement on the Club's site.

Just A Pinch Recipe Club has three levels of access: guests and friends (both have free memberships) and premium memberships.  Guests can search, view and print recipes, view club discussions and cooking tips and print coupons.  Friends get to interact as full club members – set up a profile, post and comment on recipes, and set up and use an online recipe box.  Premium members pay just $3.49 a month and have access to the entire site, including an integrated recipe box organizer capable of organizing and filing all recipes, a meal planner and a shopping list generator.  They also receive a weekly Coupon Gram email with $5 of prized coupons, a 20 percent discount in the Club store and a free club apron.

"Site visitors and members are telling us the site is fun and easy to use," said Hammond.  "They love being able to pose cooking and ingredient questions directly to a recipe submitter or going to the Town Square where they can chat with other cooks about everything from Sunday dinners to fresh veggies. And, the online coupons more than pay for the monthly membership."

Founders Hammond and Steve Young know hometown America and are using that expertise for this new digital venture.  Just A Pinch Recipe Club is based on their highly successful experience breaking through traditional publishing barriers to bring national advertisers to rural American consumers. 

In 2000, Hammond and Young launched Publishing Group of America (PGA); American Profile, a weekly magazine for community newspapers dedicated to covering the good news about life in America's hometowns; and Home Town Content, the first syndicated content provider strictly for community newspapers.  American Profile was the largest successful magazine launch in United States history.  Today, it is the third largest publication in the country delivered to more than 10 million households and 32 million readers each week. 

The duo's company also created Relish, the largest monthly food magazine in the country and fourth largest publication in the country with a circulation of 15 million plus households.

Subsequent to selling PGA to Bain Capital and Shamrock Capital Partners, Hammond and Young launched American Hometown Publishing, a growing network of weekly and small daily community newspapers that preserves local editorial independence.  Just A Pinch Recipe Club is a subsidiary of American Hometown Publishing.

IMI HEALTH ACQUIRES BOUNDARY MEDICAL JOINING OUTCOMES MEASUREMENT WITH BUSINESS DATA ANALYSIS

March 23, 2010

Acquisition Gives Health Care Companies More Robust and Customized Data to Improve Patient Care, Reduce Costs

IMI Health (IMI), a health care information company, has acquired Minneapolis-based BoundaryMedical, a leading outcomes measurement software company.

Boundary’s Outcome Enterprise™ software complements IMI’s health care business intelligence tools giving both companies’ customers more robust data collection and analysis.  This will answer demands for clinical outcomes from consumers, regulators, payers and providers as our nation seeks solutions to increase quality and reduce costs in our health care system.

“This combination will help our customers and their patients make more informed decisions about patient care options,” said Leon Dowling, CEO and founder of IMI.  “In addition to IMI’s ability to integrate a wide range of data from different platforms across their current systems, Boundary provides a mechanism to gather data from patients, manufacturers and providers in a customized format.”

IMI’s national customer base includes health plans, pharmacy benefits managers and providers.  Boundary’s customers are primarily providers, clinical research facilities and medical product companies. 

“There is both overlap and diversity in both of our current client bases,” Dowling said.

In today’s cost-conscious environment, health care businesses are seeking user-friendly technology tools to capture and measure data in a format that works for their individual situation. 

Boundary’s customers will benefit from IMI’s comprehensive health information dashboard, while IMI’s customers gain Boundary’s flexibility and robust measurement. 

“This acquisition will enable us to grow our Outcomes Enterprise platform and develop others,” said Mark Walinske chief business development officer for IMI and former Boundary CEO.

IMI is one of 11 certified NCQA HEDIS® Software providers in the country. IMI is currently raising expansion capital to build a sales and marketing team to further expand the successful growth of both companies.  The Boundary senior management team including Walinske and Bruce Batten, vice president of clinical performance and development, will remain with IMI and the Boundary operations have moved to Nashville.  Keith Gregg, chairman of JRG Ventures was instrumental in bringing the two companies together. 

About BoundaryMedical
Based in Minneapolis, MN, BoundaryMedical, Inc. is a leading provider of SaaS-based outcome measurement solutions through its Outcome Enterprise™ platform. A pioneer in subscription-based outcome measurement technology, BoundaryMedical offers   an affordable and easy-to-use tool for outcome measurement projects including studies, registries or routine P4P and CER measurement projects. The company’s customers include leading clinics, pharmaceutical and medical product companies. 

About IMI Health
IMI Health Inc. is a leading provider of comprehensive health informatics products and services to health plans, pharmacy benefit managers and health providers nationwide. Headquartered in Brentwood, TN,   IMI’s solutions help clients understand a wide variety of health business challenges including operational improvements, NCQA and Medicare submissions. IMI is one of eleven vendors in the country with NCQA HEDIS® Software CertificationSM

SSRCx AWARDED CRESCENT RESOURCES CONTRACT

March 12, 2010

SSRCx, the commissioning division of Smith Seckman Reid, Inc., recently secured a contract with Crescent Resources, LLC for the provision of LEED facilitation services for seven office buildings located in the Cool Springs area.

SSRCx will be responsible for facilitating the LEED-EB O&M certification process for more than 1 million sq. ft. While many of the buildings have already attained Energy Star certification, the firm will also provide energy auditing services.

The project will conclude in the fourth quarter of 2010.

About SSRCx, LLC
SSRCx, an independent, wholly owned division of Smith Seckman Reid, is a leading facilities commissioning provider. The company ensures facilities work better by verifying and documenting that buildings are designed and installed to meet the needs of the owner and its occupants.  SSRCx provides commissioning services at any stage of a project, from design to completion, including facilities that have been built and running for a significant amount of time.  For more information about SSRCx, call (800) 545-6732 or visit www.ssrcx.com.

JULIA FRY LANDSTREET NAMED INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT NASHVILLE CIVIC DESIGN CENTER

February 18, 2010

Julia Fry Landstreet joins the Nashville Civic Design Center (NCDC) as interim executive director.

Julia’s role with the Center includes oversight of the administrative and development functions for the organization, as well as cultivating relationships within the design, development and civic communities.  She will work closely with the Center’s Design Director, Gary Gaston, in coordinating the organization’s programs; such as the two monthly flagship programs, CityThink and the Urban Design Forum. 

In addition to her current position, Landstreet serves as president of the board for Friends of Warner Parks and on the board of the Garden Club of Nashville.  Since 2006 she has operated a construction consulting business that specializes in “green” applications.  Prior to that, she served as commissioner and vice mayor of Belle Meade overseeing the reconstruction of city hall and spearheading efforts for new zoning codes. 

“Julia has a real enthusiasm and understanding of the profound impact the NCDC mission has on the greater good of the city. This coupled with knowledge of the challenges of the built environment in an urban setting and extensive organizational skills and experience with non profits make her a great addition to the Civic Design Center team,” said Mercedes Jones, NCDC board chair. Landstreet earned a bachelor’s of arts degree from Sarah Lawrence College in New York and attended Franklin College in Switzerland.

About Nashville Civic Design Center
NCDC is a nonprofit organization that works to elevate the quality of the Nashville’s built environment and to promote public participation in the creation of the more functional and beautiful city for all. The Center is noted for its book, The Plan of Nashville: Avenues to a Great City, published by Vanderbilt University Press in 2005.  The organization has played an active role in numerous major development projects for the city, including Riverfront Redevelopment, Convention Center and Green Ribbon Committee.

For more information on NCDC and its programs, please visit www.civicdesigncenter.org.

HAMILTON HEALTHCARE SYSTEM PURCHASES LATEST CLINICAL, FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY FROM HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

January 29, 2010

HMS Provides Customized Solutions Tailored to Clinical, Administrative Staffs

Hamilton Healthcare System (HHS) has selected Healthcare Management Systems, Inc. (HMS) to provide customized clinical and financial technology applications for its facilities including Hamilton General Hospital, a 34-bed community hospital located in Hamilton, Texas, Family Practice Rural Health Clinic in Hamilton, Texas, Hico Clinic in Hico, Texas and Family Practice Clinic of Mills County in Goldthwaite, Texas.

The HMS software, an enterprise-wide technology solution for more than 650 community hospitals, will allow Hamilton Healthcare System to automate its financial activities, including patient accounting, accounts payable, and eligibility. It will also enhance clinical productivity, improve patient safety and provide many of the benefits associated with automating lab results, physician orders, medication administration, transcription and other clinical data. In addition to the direct hospital benefits, the system will integrate with the community-based physician electronic medical record allowing key hospital personnel and physicians access to relevant patient information within the hospital, completing the continuum of care.

“HMS was attractive because of its customized software that allows systems to grow and expand,” said Chad Reinert, HHS’s director of information technology.

Jim Shafer, chief executive officer at Hamilton Healthcare System added that the hospital began to implement the new software package mid-January as a product launch aptly named “HHS200: Racing Forward.” The implementation process will be complete by this summer.

The HMS clinical-financial package will allow Hamilton General Hospital to meet its business goal to share data between its hospital, visiting specialists and its three clinics.

In addition, HMS provides in-depth, on-site training, an important service for community hospitals such as Hamilton General. “We wear many hats in a rural hospital, which makes it difficult for a group of us to be off-site for training for an extended period of time,” said Michele Cathey, chief operating and financial officer at Hamilton Healthcare System. “HMS’s on-site training allowed us to train our 200 employees without disrupting patient care.”

“Hamilton Healthcare System chose HMS because they have proven experience with hospitals our size, and they will be a true partner. During the review process, we found that the company’s corporate culture was very similar to ours, which is important to us,” said Shafer.

“We provide integrated and interoperable products and services that meet the technology needs in the community hospital setting,” said Tom Stephenson, president and chief executive officer of HMS. “HMS puts clinical and financial information at the fingertips of staff.  We fully appreciate the significance of providing the clinical functionality and training hospitals need to achieve meaningful use.  We are committed to attaining our customer’s goals when they select us because we understand their success is our success.”

About HMS
Based in Nashville, Tenn., Healthcare Management Systems, Inc. (HMS) develops, sells and supports a full range of healthcare technology products that combines clinical, financial and patient access information. Founded in 1984, HMS currently serves 650 community hospitals; behavioral, rehabilitation and long-term acute care facilities; and multi-entity healthcare organizations nationwide. Visit www.hmstn.com for more information.

About Hamilton General Hospital
Nestled in the heart of Central Texas, Hamilton Healthcare System stands at the forefront of rural Texas health care facilities. With a licensed 34-bed medical/surgical hospital, three clinics, a special care clinic and a wellness center, community-owned HHS provides a wide range of patient-focused care and treatment with a commitment to patient satisfaction. A staff of knowledgeable, compassionate professionals makes HHS what hometown health care should be! Visit www.hamiltonhospital.org for more information.

HMS SUCCESSFULLY DEMONSTRATES FULL INTEROPERABILITY IN IHE NORTH AMERICAN CONNECTATHON

January 22, 2010

Nashville company demonstrates data-sharing for community health information exchanges

Healthcare Management Systems (HMS), the health information technology answer for community hospitals, successfully completed 100 percent of its defined goals at the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) North American Connectathon event in Chicago last week.

“We successfully tested critical IHE profiles needed to run a health information exchange,” said Jeff Givens, product manager for interoperability at HMS. “During the five-day Connectathon, systems exchanged information with complementary systems from multiple vendors, performing all of the transactions required for the roles selected, in support of defined clinical-use cases.”

The IHE Connectathon is the North American healthcare IT industry's largest interoperability testing event. Companies participated in a variety of tests to determine how well their systems conform to IHE integration profiles and share patient information with complementary systems. HMS demonstrated interoperability with all healthcare IT vendors with which it exchanged information with during tests in which it was involved. 

IHE is an initiative by the healthcare industry and its professionals to improve the way computer systems in healthcare share information. It promotes the coordinated use of established standards to address specific clinical needs in support of optimal patient care. Systems developed in accordance with IHE communicate better, are easier to implement, and enable care providers to use information more effectively.

“The Connectathon is a great way to demonstrate our interoperability,” said Givens.  “HMS is the enterprise-wide technology solution for more than 600 community hospitals nationwide. Our interoperability is a key strength as our customers move toward achieving meaningful use and actively exchange information with other providers in their communities.

The vendors with which HMS successfully demonstrated interoperability included Alert, Metavante, CPSI, Siemens, Athena, Corepoint Health, Nextgen, Karos, Misys, IBM, GE, Spirit, Oracle, Sage, Karos, Allscripts, eMDs, Medquist, EMC, EBMtech, MIE, Microsoft, CareEvolution, QuadraMed2 and Initiate.

HMS also will participate in the interoperability showcase at HIMSS 2010 March 1-4 in Atlanta.

About HMS
Based in Nashville, Tenn., Healthcare Management Systems, Inc. (HMS) develops, sells and supports a full range of healthcare technology products that combines clinical, financial and patient access information. Founded in 1984, HMS currently serves 650 community hospitals; behavioral, rehabilitation and long-term acute care facilities; and multi-entity healthcare organizations nationwide. Visit www.hmstn.com  for more information.

About IHE
IHE (www.ihe.net) is a global initiative, now in its ninth year, that creates the framework for passing vital health information seamlessly – from application to application, system to system, and setting to setting – across multiple healthcare enterprises. IHE brings together health information technology stakeholders to implement standards for communicating patient information efficiently throughout and among healthcare enterprises by developing a framework of interoperability. Because of its proven process of collaboration, demonstration and real world implementation of interoperable solutions, IHE is in a unique position to significantly accelerate the process for defining, testing, and implementing standards-based interoperability among electronic health record systems.

HMS SUCCESSFULLY DEMONSTRATES FULL INTEROPERABILITY IN IHE NORTH AMERICAN CONNECTATHON

January 21, 2010
Nashville company demonstrates data-sharing for community health information exchanges

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  Jan. 21, 2010 -- Healthcare Management Systems (HMS), the health information technology answer for community hospitals, successfully completed 100 percent of its defined goals at the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) North American Connectathon event in Chicago last week.
We successfully tested critical IHE profiles needed to run a health information exchange, said Jeff Givens, product manager for interoperability at HMS.

During the five-day Connectathon, systems exchanged information with complementary systems from multiple vendors, performing all of the transactions required for the roles selected, in support of defined clinical-use cases.

The IHE Connectathon is the North American healthcare IT industry's largest interoperability testing event. Companies participated in a variety of tests to determine how well their systems conform to IHE integration profiles and share patient information with complementary systems. HMS demonstrated interoperability with all healthcare IT vendors with which it exchanged information with during tests in which it was involved. 

IHE is an initiative by the healthcare industry and its professionals to improve the way computer systems in healthcare share information. It promotes the coordinated use of established standards to address specific clinical needs in support of optimal patient care. Systems developed in accordance with IHE communicate better, are easier to implement, and enable care providers to use information more effectively.

The Connectathon is a great way to demonstrate our interoperability,î said Givens.  ìHMS is the enterprise-wide technology solution for more than 600 community hospitals nationwide. Our interoperability is a key strength as our customers move toward achieving meaningful use and actively exchange information with other providers in their communities.

The vendors with which HMS successfully demonstrated interoperability included
Alert, Metavante, CPSI, Siemens, Athena, Corepoint Health, Nextgen, Karos, Misys, IBM, GE, Spirit, Oracle, Sage, Karos, Allscripts, eMDs, Medquist, EMC, EBMtech, MIE, Microsoft, CareEvolution, QuadraMed2 and Initiate.
HMS also will participate in the interoperability showcase at HIMSS 2010 March 1-4 in Atlanta.

About HMS
Based in Nashville, Tenn., Healthcare Management Systems, Inc. (HMS) develops, sells and supports a full range of healthcare technology products that combines clinical, financial and patient access information. Founded in 1984, HMS currently serves 650 community hospitals; behavioral, rehabilitation and long-term acute care facilities; and multi-entity healthcare organizations nationwide. Visit www.hmstn.com for more information.

About IHE
IHE (www.ihe.net) is a global initiative, now in its ninth year, that creates the framework for passing vital health information seamlessly ñ from application to application, system to system, and setting to setting ñ across multiple healthcare enterprises. IHE brings together health information technology stakeholders to implement standards for communicating patient information efficiently throughout and among healthcare enterprises by developing a framework of interoperability. Because of its proven process of collaboration, demonstration and real world implementation of interoperable solutions, IHE is in a unique position to significantly accelerate the process for defining, testing, and implementing standards-based interoperability among electronic health record systems.

NEELY BURKS PROMOTED TO ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE AT KATCHER VAUGHN & BAILEY PUBLIC RELATIONS

December 14, 2009

Katcher Vaughn & Bailey Public Relations, Inc. (KVBPR) has promoted Neely Burks to an account executive position.

Since joining KVBPR in 2008 as an associate account executive, Burks has specialized in media relations and community outreach for a variety of healthcare and civic growth and development clients, including Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. and its subsidiary, SSRCx, First Tennessee, Pfizer, Inc., Blakeford at Green Hills and Stites & Harbison. As an account executive, Burks’ responsibilities include strategic planning, media relations, internal communications and community outreach.

Previously, Burks served as a communications coordinator at the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. Burks is a member of the 2009 graduating class of Nashville Emerging Leaders and holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. 

A GUIDE TO INEXPENSIVE GIFT GIVING FOR A SPECIAL SENIOR IN YOUR LIFE

December 11, 2009

The holiday season is here, and so is the stress that comes with gift-giving. To help you shop for the senior adult in your life, we’ve polled our residents for holiday gift ideas. Residents of The Blakeford at Green Hills gave a variety of answers, but there are some gifts that seemed to be mentioned again and again.

• Beautifying gifts are great for making your mother or grandmother feel special and pampered. Many Blakeford residents requested lotions, cosmetics or gift certificates for a manicure or massage at a local beauty salon or massage school. To make the gift even more special, why not set up an appointment for two? You and your loved one can bond over inexpensive spa treatment options.
• Some of the seniors we polled listed hobby-related items as their favorite gifts. If your father or favorite uncle loves to read, get him a book you think he would like. If he is farsighted, try to find a large-print copy. You can find used books at a local thrift store and give your loved one a bundle of stories for the price of one new book.
• If your grandmother enjoys her garden, get her some flower bulbs to plant or a potted plant to keep in her house. You can find free potting soil at some local garden centers, and even give her a potted plant that came from your own home garden.
• We also found a strong desire to be more connected with their families and friends. Why not help your parents or grandparents set up a Facebook or email account to help keep them in touch with their loved ones? Computer lessons are a great way to spend time together while teaching a valuable skill (and they only cost you time).

Hopefully these tips have helped you figure out that perfect, inexpensive gift for your loved one. Remember, no matter what you end up giving them, it’s time with you that many seniors value the most. Happy holidays!

About The Blakeford at Green Hills
The Blakeford at Green Hills (www.blakeford.com) is Nashville’s premier retirement community, serving the Middle Tennessee area for more than a decade. Locally owned and managed, Blakeford is a not-for-profit community that offers a broad range of care and services to its residents, including independent living, assisted living, a wellness center and a healthcare center that encompasses intermediate, skilled nursing care and Memory Care.

US AIRWAYS HEADQUARTERS AWARDED LEED EB O&M GOLD CERTIFICATION

November 20, 2009

BELLEVUE RESIDENTS INVITED TO SIGN UP FOR 'SEEDLINGS IN THE CITY'

October 29, 2009

Stites & Harbison Sponsoring Planting of 100 Seedlings

Stites & Harbison, PLLC is hosting its second annual ‘Seedlings in the City’ on Nov. 7 where volunteers will work to plant 100 trees at no cost to participating residents in the Bellevue area.

Bellevue residents who are interested in having a tree seedling planted in their yard are invited to register by contacting Becky Dan at becky.dan@stites.com or (615) 782-2210. Volunteers are also needed to help with the planting. Dan is also interested in receiving feedback regarding future planting locations.

Stites & Harbison will provide American Elm seedlings, a tree that suffered great losses in the eastern United States in the mid-1900’s due to an outbreak of Dutch Elm disease. Silver Maple and Sugar Maple seedlings will also be available.

“These aren't just any trees,” explained Tara Aaron, co-founder of the project and an attorney with Stites & Harbison. “They're American Elm seedlings from a tree named 2008 Big Tree champion by The Nashville Tree Foundation.”

American Elms are prized for their lovely arching branches that provide shade, make homes more energy efficient and add beauty and value to neighborhoods. During the early 1900's, American Elms were found in great numbers gracing the eastern United States. Sadly, many trees were lost during the mid-1900's, due to the outbreak of Dutch Elm disease. While this disease affected some American Elms in Nashville, others survived and continued to grow into majestic, healthy trees.

“Stites & Harbison considers its involvement in the betterment of Nashville’s communities a priority,” said Aaron.  “We live and work here too. This is our hometown and we want to help make it the best it can be.”

About Stites & Harbison
Stites & Harbison, PLLC, is a regional business and litigation firm with attorneys in Nashville and Franklin, Tenn.; Alexandria, Va.; Atlanta; Jeffersonville, Ind.; and Louisville, Frankfort and Lexington, Ky.  Tracing its origins to 1832, Stites & Harbison is one of the oldest law practices in the nation and among the largest law firms in the Southeast.  Our attorneys are consistently recognized by their peers in the following leading legal directories: Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory®, The Best Lawyers in America®, Chambers USA and Super Lawyers magazine.  Recent firm honors include: one of the Best Places to Work in Tennessee, more Best of the Bar honors than any firm in the Nashville/Middle Tennessee market (Nashville Business Journal), one of the 50 Best Overall Law Firms in America (Global Research), one of the Leading Law Firms in America (The American Lawyer), a Go-To Law Firm® (Corporate Counsel), one of the Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity (MultiCultural Law Magazine) and a Top 10 Growth Firm (National Law Journal).

FIRST TENNESSEE PARTNERS WITH THE RED CROSS TO TEACH MIDDLE TENNESSEANS HOW TO SAVE LIVES

October 26, 2009

Classes are example of First Tennessee’s move from traditional bank role

In an innovative partnership with the American Red Cross, First Tennessee will host adult CPR certification classes in its Middle Tennessee financial centers during the next year.

The year-long series of training sessions will certify individuals to correctly administer CPR. First Tennessee is subsidizing the cost of the classes to offer the course at a reduced price of $15 per person, said Paula Mansfield, vice president and work place banking manager for First Tennessee.

Class dates are as follows:

• Saturday, Oct.24
  9 a.m. to 1p.m.
  First Tennessee Concord Hills Financial Center
  7901 Concord Hills Drive
  Brentwood, Tenn.
  Registration deadline is Thursday, Oct. 22

• Saturday, Nov. 14
  9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  First Tennessee Indian Lake Financial Center
  216 Indian Lake Blvd.
  Hendersonville, Tenn.
  Registration deadline is Thursday, Nov. 12

Those interested can pre-register at their nearest First Tennessee financial center.  To find the center closest to you, please visit www.firsttennessee.com

“Community involvement is a priority for First Tennessee. The CPR classes focus on health care and education, two of our four cornerstones of giving,” said Mansfield, one of six First Tennessee employees certified to train others in CPR.

According to the American Red Cross, the ability to administer first aid and CPR during the first few minutes of a medical emergency is crucial to the survival and recovery of a victim.

“The Red Cross wants the public to know that everyone has the power to save a life. At least one person in every household and on every office floor should be trained and certified in CPR,” says Tim Ryerson, CEO, Nashville Area Red Cross. “By learning simple rescue skills, you can go from a helpless bystander to a person with the ability to take control and help someone during an emergency.”

While a full schedule of CPR classes will be mapped for 2010, there may be additional classes before the end of 2009, Mansfield said, depending on demand.

“Our goal is to offer these classes in all 50 of our locations over the next year,” Mansfield said.

About First Tennessee
The 6,000 employees of First Horizon National Corp. (NYSE: FHN), the parent company of First Tennessee Bank,  provide financial services through more than 200 bank locations in and around Tennessee and 14 capital markets offices in the U.S. and abroad. First Tennessee has the largest combined market share in the 17 Tennessee counties where it does business and has one of the highest customer retention rates of any bank in the country, and FTN Financial is one of the nation’s top underwriters of U.S. government agency securities. FHN has been recognized as one of the nation’s best employers by AARP and Working Mother magazines. More information can be found at www.fhnc.com.

About the Nashville Area American Red Cross
The Nashville Area Regional Chapter oversees 36 counties and six Red Cross community chapters in Middle Tennessee. The 17 counties served directly by the Chapter include: Cheatham, Clay, Davidson, DeKalb, Dickson, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, Van Buren, White and Wilson counties. The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization, led by volunteers, that provides relief to victims of disaster and helps people prevent, prepare and respond to emergencies. The American Red Cross is not a government agency. All disaster assistance is free, and is funded solely by local donations. To make a gift, call (615) 250-4300.

“Join the 10,000” is the Nashville Area Red Cross’ initiative to recruit and train 10,000 disaster volunteers, 10,000 certified in lifesaving skills, 10,000 new blood donors and 10,000 resources or in-kind donations.  To learn more about your Red Cross or how to join the 10,000, visit www.nashvilleredcross.org.
 

FIRST TENNESSEE MAKES 15TH WORKING MOTHER BEST COMPANIES APPEARANCE AND ENTERS HALL OF FAME

September 29, 2009

First Tennessee appears for the 15th consecutive year and joins the 100 Best Hall of Fame among top employers for working mothers, according to the 2009 Working Mother 100 Best Companies list issued by Working Mother magazine.

“Empowering our diverse workforce is pivotal for First Tennessee’s success as we continue to provide life solutions to the community,” says Doyle Rippee, First Tennessee middle market president.  “We appreciate Working Mother’s recognition of our commitment to implement practices and policies that acknowledge the importance of the work-life balance for our valued employees.”

Working Mother recognized First Tennessee for the 15th consecutive year as a company with an exceptional commitment to meeting the needs of working parents, particularly mothers. Working Mother took note of First Tennessee’s workplace flexibility and family-friendly culture reflected in the company’s Classroom Visitor Program that encourages and supports parental participation in important school events. Working Mother evaluated companies on the 2009 list on the following merits: workforce, compensation, child care, flexibility policies, benefits, parental leave and a family-friendly workplace culture.  Working Mother’s list of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers is available at www.WorkingMother.com.    

About First Tennessee
The 6,000 employees of First Horizon National Corp. (NYSE: FHN), the parent company of First Tennessee Bank,  provide financial services through more than 200 bank locations in and around Tennessee and 14 capital markets offices in the U.S. and abroad.  First Tennessee has the largest combined market share in the 17 Tennessee counties where it does business and has one of the highest customer retention rates of any bank in the country, and FTN Financial is one of the nation’s top underwriters of U.S. government agency securities.  FHN has been recognized as one of the nation’s best employers by AARP and Working Mother magazines.  More information can be found at www.fhnc.com

72 STITES & HARBISON ATTORNEYS HONORED IN "BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA"

September 16, 2009

16 honored from Nashville office

Stites & Harbison recently announced that 72 of its attorneys firm-wide were selected by their peers for The Best Lawyers in America® 2010.  Best Lawyers also ranked Stites & Harbison number one in Tennessee for equipment finance, family, land use & zoning and water law.

Sixteen of the 72 attorneys honored are based in the Nashville, Tenn., office.  These attorneys include:

Katherine S. Allen
• Banking Law
• Equipment Finance Law

Julian L. Bibb
• Banking Law
• Corporate Law
• Land Use & Zoning Law

Robert N. Buchanan III
• Banking Law
• Land Use & Zoning Law
• Real Estate Law

A. Stuart Campbell
• Corporate Law

J. Bryan Echols
• Land Use & Zoning Law
• Real Estate Law

Charles A. Grice
• Banking Law

Garry K. Grooms
• Commercial Litigation

Michael J. Hinchion
• Banking Law

Jeffrey R. King
• Land Use & Zoning Law
• Real Estate Law

William L. Penny
• Administrative Law
• Environmental Law
• Water Law

Daniel W. Small
• Banking Law

Robert C. Goodrich, Jr.
• Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law

Pamela A. Taylor
• Family Law

Gregory D. Smith
• Family Law

Ronald G. Steen, Jr.
• Bankruptcy and Creditor-Debtor Rights Law

Warren H. Wild, Jr.
• Real Estate Law

“The recognition we have received from Best Lawyers validates our firm-wide commitment to providing the best level of service possible to our clients,” said Kennedy Helm III, managing partner of Stites & Harbison, PLLC.

The Best Lawyers in America® is a nationally recognized referral guide to the legal profession that has been published biennially since 1983.  Attorneys selected for the publication are reviewed by professional peers through an extensive survey. 

About Stites & Harbison
Stites & Harbison, PLLC, is a regional business and litigation firm with attorneys in Nashville and Franklin, Tenn.; Alexandria, Va.; Atlanta; Jeffersonville, Ind.; and Louisville, Frankfort and Lexington, Ky.  Tracing its origins to 1832, Stites & Harbison is one of the oldest law practices in the nation and among the largest law firms in the Southeast.  Our attorneys are consistently recognized by their peers in the following leading legal directories: Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory®, The Best Lawyers in America®, Chambers USA and Super Lawyers magazine.  Recent firm honors include: one of the Best Employers in Tennessee, more Best of the Bar honors than any firm in the Nashville/Middle Tennessee market (Nashville Business Journal), one of the 50 Best Overall Law Firms in America (Global Research), one of the Leading Law Firms in America (The American Lawyer), a Go-To Law Firm® (Corporate Counsel), one of the Top 100 Law Firms for Diversity (MultiCultural Law Magazine) and a Top 10 Growth Firm (National Law Journal). 

FIRST TENNESSEE NO. 2 IN NATION FOR PRACTICES AND POLICIES REGARDING MATURE WORKERS

September 16, 2009

First Tennessee rose to second among the nation’s employers for mature workers, according to the 2009 Best Employers for Workers over 50 issued by AARP.

“First Tennessee strives to promote a culture of inclusion, empowerment and opportunity for a broad group of professionals,” said Doyle Rippee, First Tennessee Middle Tennessee market president. “We depend on the knowledge and energy that comes with a diverse workforce to help us meet the needs of the communities we serve. We are honored by AARP’s continued recognition.”

AARP recognized First Tennessee as one of the best employers for workers over 50 for the seventh consecutive year. AARP’s list acknowledges companies whose practices and policies best address the needs of mature workers. The companies were evaluated on innovative practices toward workers 50 and older including recruiting practices, education and career development, job sharing, flexible scheduling, health care and retirement benefits and workplace accommodations.

More information and AARP’s list of Best Employers for Workers Over 50 is available at www.AARP.org. 

About First Tennessee
The 6,000 employees of First Horizon National Corp. (NYSE: FHN), the parent company of First Tennessee Bank,  provide financial services through more than 200 bank locations in and around Tennessee and 14 capital markets offices in the U.S. and abroad.  First Tennessee has the largest combined market share in the 17 Tennessee counties where it does business and has one of the highest customer retention rates of any bank in the country, and FTN Financial is one of the nation’s top underwriters of U.S. government agency securities.  FHN has been recognized as one of the nation’s best employers by AARP and Working Mother magazines.  More information can be found at www.fhnc.com

KVBPR BECOMES TENNESSEE'S ONLY PUBLIC RELATIONS FIRM CERTIFIED AS A "WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESS"

September 09, 2009

KVBPR (Katcher Vaughn & Bailey Public Relations, Inc.) is the first Tennessee public relations firm to receive national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise from the Women’s Business Enterprise Council South.

The certification for “women-owned businesses” requires that one or more women own and control at least 51 percent of the business. The certification process includes an in-depth review of the business and a site inspection to confirm that company management and daily operations are run by women owners. 

“As the only WBENC-certified public relations firm in Tennessee, this designation gives us a distinct competitive advantage in our work with clients and partners in the civic growth and development and health care industries,” said Aileen R. Katcher, KVBPR founding partner. “Working with minority and women-owned businesses is of particular importance for those who need public relations support for projects that qualify for American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funding.” 

The firm is owned by Katcher, Greg Bailey and Nancy DeKalb. 

WBEC South is a regional certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nation’s largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women in the United States. More than 700 U.S. companies and government agencies rely on WBENC’s certification as a vital part of their supplier diversity programs. 

About KVBPR
KVBPR (Katcher Vaughn & Bailey Public Relations, Inc.) was founded in 1996 and works with clients in health care, civic growth and development and other fields to position those companies strategically with the people who matter most. KVBPR develops and implements programs designed to align interests, build relationships and create success. The firm is a partner in WORLDCOM, a global consortium of independently owned public relations counseling firms.

COMCAST TO LAUNCH 13 NEW HIGH-DEFINITION CHANNELS

August 24, 2009

Continues to be the Leader in HD Choices

Comcast will launch 13 new high-definition channels to its subscribers in Middle Tennessee on Friday. 

The new HD channels are:

• Weather Channel HD - Channel 185
• TV One HD – Channel 188
• CMT HD – Channel 195
• VH1 HD – Channel 196
• MTV HD – Channel 197
• BET HD – Channel 198
• MLB Network HD – Channel 199
• Lifetime HD – Channel 217
• Spike TV HD – Channel 218
• Nickelodeon HD - Channel 228
• G4 HD – Channel 257
• Style HD - Channel 259
• Comedy Central HD – Channel 260

Comcast is the first HD provider to offer more than 1,000 HD choices and has strengthened its industry-leading position by continuing to give consumers what they ask for – more HD choices on TV than anyone else. 

“We’ve heard from customers that they can’t get enough HD, so we’re excited to increase our offering of HD choices to give them even more value,” said John Gauder, market vice president of Comcast in Middle Tennessee.  “We strive to find quality HD content in the categories that we know our customers want. The addition of these HD channels allows us to continue to be leader in HD choices.” 

Response shows that consumers love seeing sports, movies, TV shows and music in HD.  Comcast has listened to consumers and offers live HD sporting events, more than 200 HD movies from top movie providers, nearly 300 television shows and hundreds of music choices like concerts and videos.

About Comcast
Comcast (www.comcast.com) is the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communication products and services. With 23.9 million cable customers, 15.3 million high-speed Internet customers, and 7.0 million Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, ten sports networks operated by Comcast Sports Group and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast's Internet businesses, including Comcast.net (www.comcast.net). Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.

Comcast in Nashville, Tennessee, serves more than 350,000 customers and employs more than 1,200 local residents across the Middle Tennessee area.

NASHVILLE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL PRESENTS SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK 2009

August 12, 2009

Pack a picnic and bring your family, friends, pets and blankets to an evening under the stars at The Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s twenty-second season of Shakespeare in the Park at the Centennial Park Bandshell Thursday through Sunday evenings, Aug. 13 to Sept. 13.

This year the festival will include two comical works, Shakespeare's  The Taming of the Shrew and the wildly popular, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged).

Beginning Aug. 13-Aug. 23 you can experience the Byron & Beth Smith Apprentice Company’s production of The Taming of the Shrew.  Set in the late 1960's,  disobedient Katherine finds an equal match in the rebellious Petruchio, and the sparks fly!

Actors Benjamin Reed, Chris Campbell and Brad Brown will attempt to perform all of Shakespeare’s plays in less than two hours in the hilarious, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) which runs Aug. 27-Sept. 13. 

Each night, pre-show entertainment begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by the main performance at 7:30 p.m. Food will be available to purchase onsite from vendors such as ChaChah, Project J.O.Y. and Moose Head Kettle Corn. Shakespeare in the Park T-shirts and Vitamin Water will also be available for donations at the Shakes tent.

Nashville Shakespeare Festival organizers hope to have a record crowd this year, and are encouraging all attendees to make a donation to the organization. “In order to ensure the continuation of professional Shakespeare in the Park performances in 2010, we need the people of Nashville who value Shakespeare in the Park to be its heroes,” said Nancy VanReece, executive director of The Nashville Shakespeare Festival. “Whether it’s $5 or $5000, you can help Save Our Shakespeare (SOS) by donating to this year’s festival.”

For more information about Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s Shakespeare in Park, or to donate, visit www.nasvilleshakes.org today.

About Nashville Shakespeare Festival
The mission of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival is to educate and entertain the Mid-South community through professional Shakespearean experiences. The Festival accomplishes this primarily through its public productions of Shakespeare in the Park in the summer and Winter Shakespeare at The Troutt Theater and its educational workshops for young people and businesses.

COMCAST FIRST TO LAUNCH HBO ON DEMAND® HD

July 29, 2009

HBO On Demand HD, Featuring Award-Winning Original Programming like True Blood^®, Entourage^® and The Wire^®, Theatrical Films and More, Provides Optimal Viewing Experience to Comcast’s HBO^® Subscribers

NASHVILLE, TENN., – Comcast today announced that it is the first cable provider to offer the full HBO On Demand service in HD, now offering HBO’s original and award-winning programming, as well as its extensive movie collection, to Comcast On Demand customers who subscribe to HBO.  

“We are making entertainment more accessible and providing customers more choices, especially as we expand our On Demand service” said John Gauder, market vice president for Comcast in Middle Tennessee. “This is part of an on-going drive. As telecommunications advances, we will continue to be at its forefront, offering high-quality products that work in conjunction with progressing technology.”

Comcast’s HBO customers have unlimited access to the network’s HBO On Demand HD service, featuring current and classic original and award-winning series, comedy, documentaries, family shows, world-class sporting events and motion pictures – allowing them to watch programming when they want and as often as they want.  Top programming, from popular hit series such as True Blood^®, Entourage^®, The Sopranos^® and The Wire^® to blockbuster movies such as The Dark Knight, Mamma Mia!, American Gangster and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, are currently available.

As one of the first video providers to offer HD and VOD services, Comcast is continuously expanding its library of offerings.  This initiative with HBO and all of the choices available On Demand are part of Project Infinity, the company’s commitment to innovation and the delivery of exponentially more quality content on TV, including more HD. Currently, Comcast’s signature On Demand library offers more than 10,000 entertainment programs each month, including more than 1,000 choices in HD available anytime, anywhere and with the ability to pause, rewind and fast-forward selections. With more than 12 billion views to date, Comcast’s extensive On Demand library features everything from movies, music and top TV shows to the most popular kids, sports, lifestyle and local programs. Comcast customers now are selecting On Demand more than 300 million times every month. 

About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (www.comcast.com) is the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communication products and services. With 24.1 million cable customers, 15.3 million high-speed Internet customers, and 6.8 million Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, ten sports networks operated by Comcast Sports Group and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast's Internet businesses, including Comcast.net (www.comcast.net). Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.

# # #

HBO^® and related and service marks are the property of Home Box Office, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 

COMCAST LAUNCHES WIDEBAND INTERNET SERVICE TO BUSINESS CUSTOMERS

July 17, 2009

New Packages, Upgrades Available to Business Customers in Thirteen Communities Across Middle Tennessee 

Comcast has launched blazing-fast wideband Internet service, offering small- and medium-sized businesses some of the fastest speeds available in Murfreesboro, La Vergne, Smyrna, Rutherford County, Dickson, Dickson County, Tennessee City, Kingston Springs, White Bluff, Burns, Charlotte, Pegram and Waverly.

As part of the wideband deployment, Comcast has introduced two new speed tiers to Business Class customers:

• Deluxe, offering up to 50 Mbps of download speed and up to 10 Mbps of upload speed at $189.95 a month, and
• Premium, offering up to 22 Mbps of download speed and up to 5 Mbps of upload speed at $99.95 a month.

Comcast Business Class Internet offers businesses a feature-rich, reliable and secure Internet solution.  With wideband technology, Comcast business customers can download a 500 MB set of digital x-rays in approximately 90 seconds, a 3GB presentation file in about 8 minutes; that would take over an hour on a 6 Mbps DSL service, and a 250 MB architectural plan in under 60 seconds.

Uploading files is also faster. For example, a customer can e-mail a 60 MB graphics file in less than a minute with Comcast Business Services Deluxe speed.  Along with Business Class Internet, customers enjoy Microsoft Communication Services, Microsoft Outlook 2007, Windows SharePoint Service, web hosting service including custom domain name, web site, and site-builder tool, advanced McAfee® Security Suite, and IP Gateway firewall protection installed and managed by Comcast,

"Faster Internet service and cutting edge technology are important differentiators for small and medium-sized businesses focused on increasing their productivity and efficiency to beat the competition," said John Gauder, market vice president for Comcast in Middle Tennessee. "Comcast is committed to helping local companies get ahead in the marketplace by providing a better business technology solution that offers faster Internet speeds, dedicated support and significantly more value than they can get from the phone company."

Comcast will continue the rollout in its Middle Tennessee market throughout 2009. To find out when wideband will be available, business customers can visit www.comcast.com/fastestfast or call (615) 514-9000.

About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (www.comcast.com) is the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communication products and services. With 24.1 million cable customers, 15.3 million high-speed Internet customers, and 6.8 million Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, ten sports networks operated by Comcast Sports Group and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast's Internet businesses, including Comcast.net (www.comcast.net). Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.

KVBPR EARNS TOP HONORS FROM NATIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS ORGANIZATIONS

June 09, 2009

KVBPR recently earned recognition from two national public relations associations, receiving three communications awards for work on behalf of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee and the Nashville Symphony. 

BlueCross’ 2008 open enrollment campaign for its employees earned a Gold Quill Award for excellence in employee/member communication, presented by the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), and a Silver Anvil for excellence in internal communications, presented by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

The Nashville Symphony integrated communications campaign, which KVBPR partnered with Locomotion Creative to develop, received a Silver Anvil Award of Excellence from PRSA. 

As Tennessee’s largest health insurer, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee needed to communicate significant changes to its 2009 employee health plans for the company’s approximately 5,400 staff and 500 eligible retirees. The internal communications program focused on higher levels of wellness and personal health accountability, calling on employees to embrace a Culture of Wellness for 2009 and offered substantial incentives for doing so.

BlueCross’ campaign resulted in attracting 26 percent of employees to a health savings account option and securing 78 percent employee participation in wellness initiatives.

The Nashville Symphony faced the challenge of sustaining momentum and increasing single-concert ticket sales going into its third season in a new concert hall.  Meanwhile, its new energetic Maestro Giancarlo Guerrero was a rising star in the classical music world but still unknown in Nashville. The Symphony teamed up with KVBPR and Locomotion Creative to launch Guerrero as the “face” of the orchestra with a multi-channel communications campaign, resulting in a 33 percent increase in classical single-ticket sales and 12 percent increase in all-season ticket sales.

Both programs combined traditional and new media strategies to achieve their goals. The internal campaign for BlueCross included interactive electronic brochures, postings on the corporate intranet site and BlueCross external site, a customized open enrollment site, and a senior management communications campaign including videos, e-mail reminders, messages and presentation development. The Nashville Symphony integrated campaign included traditional and online advertising, social media tactics, direct mail, publicity and community outreach through events and speaking opportunities.

GREENWAYS FOR NASHVILLE TO HOST JUNE 7 MEMBER EVENT AT STONE HALL

June 05, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Greenways for Nashville  is hosting the first of three member events from 3-5 p.m., Sunday, June 7, at the historic Stone Hall on the Stones River Greenway in Hermitage, Tenn.

The event is free for all members and new members who join Greenways for Nashville at the event for a fee of $35 per individual or $50 per family. 

Greenways for Nashville is a not-for-profit member organization raising awareness and private support for Nashville’s greenways initiative. Guests can tour the Stone Hall grounds, gardens and guesthouses, enjoy music and view artwork that will be on sale through Metro Parks’ arts program.  Stone Hall is an example of Colonial Revival architecture and the former home of Angie Cantrell Merritt Donelson Ezell.  It is located next to Ravenwood Country Club at 1014 Stones River Road in Hermitage, Tenn. It was acquired by Metro Parks and several private donors as a central park along the Stones River Greenway.  

Serenatta, a Latin ensemble, will provide music and refreshments will be served in the historic Stone Hall. Serenatta features the lush rhythms of tangos from Argentina, bossa novas from Brazil, pasillos and bambucos from Colombia, joropos from Venezuela, waltzes from Peru, boleros from Mexico, and guaranias from Paraguay, among others.

The Nashville Greenways system includes more than 3,000 acres of Metro Parks land and some 11,000 acres of open space throughout Davidson County.

Other upcoming Greenways for Nashville member events are Thursday, July 16, at the Beaman Park Nature Center and Sunday, Oct. 11, at the Bells Bend Outdoor Center.

For event information or directions, call Greenways for Nashville at 615-862-8400 or visit www.greenwaysfornashville.org.   To RSVP for the June 7 event, call 615-862-8400, ext. 378.

FIRST TENNESSEE FEATURES BILL TODD AS ARTIST OF THE MONTH

June 01, 2009

Bill Todd, the current “artist of the month” at the First Tennessee Providence branch, is pictured here with one of his custom-made guitars and the financial center manger, Drew Brooks. Todd’s musical talent as a professional musician inspired him to begin his company W Todd & Co. where he designs and manufactures guitars. This exhibit is a continuation of the Providence branch’s “artist of the month” tradition of featuring works from local artists.

Photo Credit: First Tennessee



This W Todd & Co. arch-top jazz guitar was handcrafted by Bill Todd. He carved the guitar from solid maple wood with Cello inspired curves crafted and tuned by ear to achieve the maximum volume and tone. It is a top-of-the-line model valued at approximately $3,200.

Photo Credit: First Tennessee

 

AEGIS SCIENCES SELECTS NEW BOARD OF DIRECTORS

May 29, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Aegis Sciences Corp., a forensic chemical and drug-testing laboratory, elected Martin Brown, James Jones and Margaret Morford to its board of directors. They will join Dr. Bill Frist, who was previously announced as a new board member and health care advisor.

“The dramatic growth of Aegis demands that the board membership increase and diversify,” said Dr. Black, president and CEO at Aegis Sciences, Corp. “I am delighted and excited regarding each of these individuals who have agreed to join the Aegis board and contribute to our greater success.”

Currently retired, Brown spent 10 years as chairman and CEO of Therapeutic Antibodies, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company listed on the London Stock Exchange. Prior to that position, he served as vice chairman of the Brown-Forman Corporation and as CEO at Jack Daniel Distillery. Brown currently sits on the board of directors for the Southern Environmental Law Center and The Land Trust for Tennessee. He also serves on the National Council of the National Parks Conservation Association.

Jones currently provides private client services and is a consultant for the long-term care industry. He retired from KPMG LLP in May 2006 as managing partner of the Nashville office, where he served 30 years as a tax service partner and client service partner for corporations in the health care and industrial industry. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants, the Nashville Rotary Club and Deacon Woodmont Baptist Church. He serves on The Boys and Girls Club of Middle Tennessee and the Nashville Zoo’s board of directors.

Morford is founder and president of The HR Edge, Inc., an international management consulting and training company with clients including Chevron, Time Warner, Sara Lee Foods, Home and Garden Television and Verizon. Prior to The HR Edge, Morford served as Senior Vice President of human resources consulting for a national consulting firm.


The four will join current board members:

• Dr. David L. Black, president and CEO, Aegis Sciences Corp.
• A.J. Kazimi, founder and CEO, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
• Bruce Pershke, president, Pershke Business Development
• Dr. Yale H. Caplan, director at National Scientific Services
• Robert F. (Frank) Moser, vice president of business development, Aegis Sciences Corp.
• Jeffrey R. Fisher, vice president of finance, Aegis Sciences Corp.

About Aegis Sciences Corp. (www.aegislabs.com)
Founded in 1990, Aegis Sciences Corp. is a forensic chemical and drug-testing laboratory specializing in Zero-Tolerance Drug Testing, employee drug testing, professional and amateur sports drug testing, pain management drug testing and post-mortem evaluations.

NASHVILLE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL'S 'SHAKESPEARE ALLOWED!' CELEBRATES NINE MONTHS OF READING WITH 'LOVE'S LABOR'S LOST'

May 29, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s ongoing program, Shakespeare Allowed!, has been in full swing for nine months. This month, Love's Labor's Lost is the featured read.

The program Shakespeare Allowed! brings participants together each month to read aloud one of Shakespeare’s works. The goal is to read all his works beginning with the first play he wrote and ending with his last. The program began last October, and will continue once a month over the next three years.

Love’s Labor’s Lost is scheduled to be read on Sat., June 6 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the downtown main library. The comedy follows the King of Navarre and his three noble companions and their anguish after taking an oath to devote three years to their studies--without the company of women. Temptation, and humor, is strong when the princess and her three ladies pay a visit to the kingdom.

The Nashville Shakespeare Festival invites everyone to bring their own copy of the play and join the reading circle, as an out-loud reader or as a listener. Shakespeare Allowed! is a free event, open to the public.

Other scheduled programs include:

• Richard II, July 11
• King John, August 1
• Romeo and Juliet, September 5

For more information about the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s Shakespeare Allowed! program, visit http://nashvilleshakes.org/shakespeareallowed.htm.

About Nashville Shakespeare Festival
The mission of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival is to educate and entertain the Mid-South community through professional Shakespearean experiences. The Festival accomplishes this primarily through its public productions of Shakespeare in the Park in the summer and Winter Shakespeare at The Troutt Theater and its educational workshops for young people and businesses.

FIRST TENNESSEE RANKS SECOND IN SOUTHEAST REGION ACCORDING TO J.D. POWER AND ASSOCIATES SURVEY

May 26, 2009

Bank cited for strong customer service

NASHVILLE, Tenn., – First Tennessee Bank recently ranked second in the Southeast region according to the 2009 J.D. Power and Associates Retail Banking Satisfaction StudySM, maintaining its position as a high-performing bank that consistently provides an exceptional level of customer satisfaction.
First Tennessee performed particularly well in terms of convenience, fees and transactions. 

“Recognition of this caliber reaffirms our decision to make customer service a number one priority for First Tennessee,” said Tony Thompson, Middle Tennessee market president for First Tennessee.  “This J.D. Power and Associates ranking is truly made possible by our employees, whose hard work better enables our company to shape the financial future of the Middle Tennessee region.”

The 2009 study was based on more than 28,000 responses from households across the nation about their experiences with their primary banking providers.  Financial institutions across seven predefined geographic regions were included in the study.

About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is a global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The firm’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. For more information on boat ratings, car reviews and ratings, car insurance, health insurance, cell phone ratings, and more, please visit JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About First Tennessee
The 6,000 employees of First Horizon National Corp. (NYSE: FHN), the parent company of First Tennessee Bank,  provide financial services through more than 200 bank locations in and around Tennessee and 14 capital markets offices in the U.S. and abroad.  First Tennessee has the largest combined market share in the 17 Tennessee counties where it does business and has one of the highest customer retention rates of any bank in the country, and FTN Financial is one of the nation’s top underwriters of U.S. government agency securities.  FHN has been recognized as one of the nation’s best employers by AARP and Working Mother magazines.  More information can be found at www.fhnc.com

DR. WILLIAM FRIST JOINS AEGIS SCIENCES AS HEALTH CARE ADVISOR

May 20, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Former U.S. Senator William (Bill) Frist, M.D. is joining forensic chemical and drug-testing laboratory Aegis Sciences Corp. as a health care advisor and member of its board of directors.

“My respect for the vision and integrity of the Aegis Sciences’ team complements my excitement about the explosive future growth of toxicology assessments,” said Dr. Frist. “I am delighted to be a part of this forward-thinking group.”

Effective June 1, Dr. Frist’s responsibilities as health care advisor will include assisting in Aegis’s development of a strategic alliance with Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC), providing counsel on the company’s research and development for new laboratory-based toxicology assessments. He will also advise Aegis on general health care issues including:

• New advances in disease treatment with drugs that require compliance assessment;
  

• Changing patterns of drugs used in medicine that may require changes to existing Aegis services;
  

• Federal and state policies governing health care treatment and reimbursement for laboratory based services; and
  

• New laboratory based services to improve delivery of health care.

“Bill and I were colleagues at VUMC many years ago and I have great respect for his medical knowledge, health care insights and integrity,” said Dr. David L. Black, CEO and founder of Aegis.  “I look forward to working with him again, knowing he will make a significant and immediate contribution to our continued success.”

Dr. Frist served as U.S. Senator for Tennessee from 1995 until 2007. He was Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate from 2003 until 2007 and held seats on the Finance Committee overseeing health policy and on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committees.

Consistently recognized as one of the most influential leaders in American health care, he is one of two individuals to rank in the Top 10 of each of the five inaugural Modern Healthcare magazine’s annual surveys on the most powerful people in health care in the United States.

Dr. Frist earned his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, in Princeton, N.J. and his doctorate from Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass. He currently acts as a university distinguished professor of business and medicine at Vanderbilt University and a partner at Chicago-based Cressey & Company, a private investment firm focused on the health care industry.

Previously, Dr. Frist worked at Vanderbilt University as surgical professor in the Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery, and at Vanderbilt University Medical Center as director of the heart and heart-lung transplantation program and a surgical director of Vanderbilt’s multi-organ transplant center.

He has recently presented to national health care organizations on topics including “A Senator-Doctor’s Diagnosis of and Prescription for the Health Policy Challenges Facing American Families Today” and “Insights on the Current State of the Health Care Industry.” He has authored five books and numerous articles.

His current board service includes the Kaiser Family Foundation, Millennium Challenge Corporation, Africare, the U.S. Holocaust Museum’s Committee on Conscience, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Harvard Medical School Board of Fellows, the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project and Hope through Healing Hands. He is chair of the Save the Children’s “Survive to Five Campaign.”

About Aegis Sciences Corp. (www.aegislabs.com)
Founded in 1990, Aegis Sciences Corp. is a forensic chemical and drug-testing laboratory specializing in Zero-Tolerance Drug Testing, employee drug testing, professional and amateur sports drug testing, pain management drug testing and post-mortem evaluations.

URBAN LAND INSTITUTE NASHVILLE HONORS NINE PROJECTS WITH FIRST ANNUAL EXCELLENCE IN DEVELOPMENT AWARDS

May 20, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. —  The Urban Land Institute’s Nashville District Council honored nine local development projects with Excellence in Development Awards last night.

The winning projects were recognized for innovation in land use and design, design excellence, contribution to the community, reflection of the regional or neighborhood character, public/private partnership, environmental sensitivity and financial viability.

The winners are:

• Belmont Lofts: This artistic and creative multi-family project merges preservation with contemporary design all with financial success.  It picks up cues from the existing architecture in the historic neighborhood it sits in and adds an urbane essence. 
  Development team:   Manuel Zeitlin Architects, Belmont Building Company LLC, Belmont Lofts LLC
• Edgehill Village: This mixed-use neighborhood destination, which was transformed from a laundry industry, is a good example of adaptive reuse that offers economic development opportunities to its neighborhood and particularly to women.
  Development team: Steve Ashbury & Wade Elam Sr. (Villa Properties Joint Venture), Commercial Industrial Real Estate Association, Harvest Construction Company
• Hill Center – Green Hills: The Hill Center is progressive in its responsible environmental choices, with discreetly placed parking garages, rainwater harvesting, bioswales in the surface parking, and white cool roofs. Their parking meter proceeds go to the neighboring YMCA, a ‘Good Neighbor’ feature of their public-private partnership.
  Development Team: H.G. Hill Realty Company, RTKL, Hoar Construction, Barge Cauthen & Associates Inc., Hawkins Partners Inc., Southeast Venture, RPM Transportation Consultants, Gorney Realty
• ICON in the Gulch: This development is part of the first neighborhood in the south to receive LEED-ND, including access to mass transit. A few of the things that set ICON apart is its sensitive design to the street, public-private partnerships, and environmentally-friendly design.
  Development team: MarketStreet Enterprises, Bristol Development Group LLC, KA Architecture, Littlejohn Engineering Associates, Village Real Estate, Ortale Kelley Herbert & Crawford, Moore Design Group
• Noah Liff Opera Center: The green focus of this building began with the decision to reuse its original warehouse structure. It creates a new investment in its neighborhood, while developing a growing pride for the local non-profit institution, The Nashville Opera.
  Development team: Nashville Opera, Nashville Opera Board, Earl Swensson Associates Inc., D.F. Chase Construction Inc., Civil Site Design Group, KSi/Structural Engineers Inc., I.C. Thomasson Associates Inc., Hodgson & Douglas LLC
• Schermerhorn Symphony Center: This world-class facility placed Nashville on the map.  It’s welcoming and monumental design will become a landmark in a district of the city on the verge of major redevelopment. 
  Development team: Nashville Symphony, Legacy Project Resources, David M. Schwarz/Architectural Services Inc., American Constructors Inc, Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon, KSi Structural Engineers Inc., I.C. Thomasson Associates Inc, Earl Swensson Associates Inc., Hastings Architecture Associates, Akustiks
• Summer Street Lofts: Urban infill, mixed-use project with outstanding environmental considerations in materials and design, as well as progressive economics offering condo office space makes this project a sensitive transition from the fringes of downtown into a historic residential neighborhood.
  Development team: Germantown Partners LLC, Dryden Abernathy / Architecture Design LLC, Baron + Dowdle Construction Inc., Lose & Associates Inc., EMC Structural Engineers, Power Management
• The Commons, Vanderbilt University: This project has a focus of sustainability with its inclusion of multi-modal transportation opportunities, pervious paving, reflective roofs, green interior design choices, and recycled demolition and construction waste.  A new, green gathering place on a historic campus.
  Development team: Vanderbilt University, Street Dixon Rick Architecture PLC, Barge Cauthen & Associates
• W. O. Smith Nashville Community Music: This reinvestment in a deteriorated, disinvested neighborhood met a community need in the best possible way. Its sustainability is evident with the reuse of its original tire warehouse and service bay structure and its many public-private partnerships.
  Development team: W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School, BAUER ASKEW Architecture, American Constructors Inc., Barge Cauthen & Associates, Structural Design Group, Peterson & Associates, Michael Cronin Acoustic Construction

 

The winners are:

FIRST HORIZON INSURANCE NAMES KEVIN MATHIS EMPLOYEE BENEFIT SALES VP

May 19, 2009
NASHVILLE, Tenn., - First Horizon Insurance, a subsidiary of First Horizon National Corp. (NYSE:FHN), recently promoted Kevin Mathis to vice president of employee benefit sales. Mathis has more than 15 years of experience in the health care and insurance industry. He joined First Horizon Insurance in 1998. He is a member of the Middle Tennessee Association of Health Underwriters and Middle Tennessee Employee Benefits Council. Mathis is currently pursuing a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist designation.

“Kevin has always been sensitive to the needs of his clients, assisting them in developing employee benefit packages that are both comprehensive and cost-effective,” said Dan Hite, executive vice president of First Horizon Insurance. “His inherent desire to achieve, combined with his outstanding talent, perseverance and sheer hard work contributed to his promotion.”


About First Horizon Insurance
First Horizon Insurance is part of the First Horizon National Corp. (NYSE:FHN) family of companies.  With offices in Atlanta, Ga., Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Memphis, First Horizon Insurance was established in 1975 and offers auto, home, commercial and medical malpractice insurance, employee benefits and bonds to clients throughout the Southeast.  First Horizon companies have been recognized as some of the nation’s best employers by AARP and Working Mother magazines.

Contact First Horizon:
Kevin Mathis, 615-385-2860
Anthony Hicks, Media Relations, 901-523-4726

NASHVILLE SYMPHONY WINS LOCAL AWARD FOR INTEGRATIVE MARKETING APPROACH

May 14, 2009

KVBPR and Locomotion Creative Assisted With Award-Winning Campaign to Introduce Irrepressible New Maestro to Music City

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Nashville Symphony won top honors in the not-for-profit category at the Achievement Marketing Awards for its targeted, multi-channel communications campaign to drive traffic to its Web site and sell tickets. The American Marketing Association’s Nashville chapter hosted the ceremony, held on Wednesday, May 6.

Under the strategic counsel of KVBPR and creative direction of Locomotion Creative, the campaign leveraged the personality of the Symphony’s new music director, Giancarlo Guererro.

The program included multi-channel advertising, underwriting, mobile billboards and direct mail. A viral social media program promoted the creative portions of the campaign, while an aggressive media relations program concentrated on both performance- and business-related stories. The team also targeted bloggers and the Hispanic media with stories about Nashville’s new Costa Rican-born celebrity. Direct community outreach included speaking engagement and events.

The integrated communications efforts resulted in a 42 percent increase in Web ticket sales. In addition, during the Symphony’s ticket-sales kickoff event, overall sales increased 59 percent, special discount $15 ticket sales increased 80 percent and season ticket sales increased 39 percent.

“A tremendous amount of effort and collaboration went into the Symphony campaign, and it is very fulfilling to see it recognized in this way,” said Aileen Katcher, partner at KVBPR. “If not for the initial research conducted by Prince Market Research and the creative direction of Locomotion Creative, this campaign would not have been nearly as successful.”

About KVBPR
Katcher Vaughn & Bailey Public Relations, Inc. (KVBPR) www.kvbpr.com was founded in 1996 and works with clients in healthcare, civic growth and development and other fields to position those companies strategically with the people who matter most. KVBPR develops and implements programs designed to align interests, build relationships and create success.  The firm is a partner in WORLDCOM, a global consortium of independently owned public relations counseling firms.

URBAN LAND INSTITUTE NASHVILLE TO REVEAL WINNERS OF FIRST ANNUAL EXCELLENCE IN DEVELOPMENT AWARDS

May 13, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Urban Land Institute’s Nashville District Council will honor nine local projects with an Excellence in Development Award on May 19. The awards recognize innovation in land use and design, design excellence, contribution to the community, reflection of the regional character, public/private partnership, environmental sensitivity and financial viability of local developments.

WHO: Urban Land Institute Nashville and representatives of local development projects

WHAT: First Annual ULI Excellence in Development Awards

WHEN: Tuesday, May 19
Reception 5:30-7 p.m.
Dinner and Awards 7-9 p.m.

WHERE: The Schermerhorn Symphony Center
One Symphony Place
Nashville, TN 37201-2031

SPEAKER: Tom Murphy, former Pittsburgh mayor and now senior ULI fellow for urban development

The keynote speech by Tom Murphy is expected to be a highlight of the evening. As Pittsburgh mayor (1994-2005), Murphy redeveloped the city’s riverfront, built the first green convention center and the world’s largest green building, squeezed money out of a tight operating budget to create a development fund, reinvented public housing and revitalized the downtown area.

The Urban Land Institute (ULI) www.uli.org is a nonprofit research and education organization supported by its members worldwide. The ULI Nashville District Council’s priority is to serve as a convener and collaborator, providing a forum for exchange of ideas and education about best practices in land use for Middle Tennessee’s public, private, educational and nonprofit real estate and land-use community.  It has a diverse membership of 200 professionals including architects, engineers, developers, Realtors®, public officials, academicians and attorneys.

LOCAL WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES SELECTED FOR 2009 ATHENA POWERLINK PROGRAM

May 11, 2009

National Mentoring Program sponsored by First Tennessee and CABLE

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The ATHENAPowerLink® mentoring program has selected two women-owned companies, The Porch Company and Adventureworks, to participate in its 2009 class. Sponsored by First Tennessee and CABLE, ATHENAPowerLink® connects local women business owners with sound advice from a carefully selected panel of business leaders.

“Now in its second year in Nashville/Middle Tennessee, this program offers a rare opportunity for a woman-owned business to move up to the next level,” said Jan Stinson, CABLE liaison for the ATHENAPowerLink® Governing Body. “Last year’s participant, G Squared Wireless, hoped to double its income and client base. With the help of the program, the company actually tripled both while doubling its staff size.”

The Porch Company and Adventureworks were selected by the AthenaPowerLink® local governing body following an in-depth application and interview process.  During the year-long program, each will have the opportunity to network, access capital and implement recommended best practices.

“Entrepreneurs founded both companies,” said Chip Higgins, senior vice president and business banking manager for First Tennessee. “As a member of the Nashville business community, First Tennessee understands the significance of fostering the entrepreneurial spirit and looks forward to the opportunity to do so through this program.”

The Porch Company, owned by Nancy Moore and Audrey Williams, builds custom designed porches using techniques that infuse old-time craftsmanship with modern design and technology. Having left her job of nine years with IBM for a field that she knew nothing about, Moore now hopes to take her already successful business to the next level by developing a growth strategy that triples annual revenue through her participation in the ATHENAPowerLink® program.

Established in 1987, Adventureworks specializes in team building and experienced-based training.  Founders Paula Feather and Jennifer Halverson hope to quadruple both sales volume and profits through their program experience. 

Throughout the year, each company will work with an advisory panel to meet specific business objectives. Advisory panel members include: Jacob Arthur, Frasier, Dean and Howard; Jerry Heffel, Southwestern Companies; Gary LaRoy, Natural Path Marketing; Lisa Meiers, Avenue Bank; Barbara Moss, Stites & Harbison; Courtney Murray, First Tennessee Bank; Debra Owens, First Tennessee Bank; Dewayne Scott, SRS; Becky Sharpe, International Scholarship and Tuition Services; Kim Wainwright, Vaco Financial; and Charlie Williams, Mayor's Office of Economic and Community Development.

For more information or to apply for the Athena PowerLink program, visit the CABLE website at www.nashvillecable.org.

THE NASHVILLE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL PRESENTS SHAKESPEARE'S CASE

May 11, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In 1925, the eyes of the world focused on Tennessee as the teaching of evolution went on trial. Eighty-four years later, in Nashville, the teaching of the plays of William Shakespeare will now face the judge. The Nashville Shakespeare Festival presents Shakespeare’s Case, an original play about an author’s defense of his legacy.

In response to news in the U.S. that it is possible to achieve a degree in English without studying the world’s most quoted playwright, The Nashville Shakespeare Festival is giving William Shakespeare the opportunity to prove the relevance of his poetry to a modern audience.

In this courtroom drama, the complaining witness, an English professor, wants the works of Shakespeare permanently stricken from the curriculum, claims that his plays have become irrelevant and inaccessible to his students. In a surprise appearance, William Shakespeare takes the stand to defend his works. Shakespeare pleads his case using his own language, characters and plays, with props and costumes he pulls out of his traveling case. He seeks to convince the jury he is innocent of being boring, confusing, and irrelevant in the 21st century.

The Nashville Shakespeare Festival summons you to jury duty as Shakespeare argues his case for the first time May 29 and 30.
The 60-minute humorous production, written byNan Gurley, Denice Hicks, and Claire Syler, is the newest educational program developed by The Nashville Shakespeare Festival. The play boasts an impressive cast, including:
 

• Nan Gurley, prosecuting attorney;
• Jon Royal, complaining witness; 
• Denice Hicks, judge;
• And Brian Russell, William Shakespeare.

FIRST TENNESSEE AMONG 2009 BEST EMPLOYERS IN TENNESSEE

May 08, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – First Tennessee, a subsidiary of First Horizon National Corp. (NYSE: FHN), was recently named among the 2009 Best Employers in Tennessee by BusinessTN magazineand Best Companies Group.

“We place a high value on the well-being of our employees and are dedicated to providing innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and the communities we serve,” said Tony Thompson, Middle Tennessee market president at First Tennessee. “We are honored by BusinessTN’s recognition.”

First Tennessee is nationally recognized for its dedication to the workforce. It offers flexible options to its employees, including the ability to work from locations outside the workplace, adoption assistance, paid parental leave to take care of a family member and vacation donation. In 2008, AARP named the bank as one of the best employers for workers over 50 for the sixth consecutive year, and Working Mother magazine also awarded the company with its 14th consecutive appearance on the list of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers. 

The best employers’ survey and award program was designed to identify, recognize and honor the best places of employment in Tennessee, benefiting the state’s economy, its workforce and businesses. The list is comprised of 25 companies.

“Through our work with CABLE to sponsor the ATHENAPowerLink^® mentoring program for woman business owners and our partnership with the Nashville-Area Chamber of Commerce to provide resources, leadership and networking opportunities for small businesses, we look to positively impact economic growth in Middle Tennessee,” Thompson continued.

About First Tennessee
The 6,000 employees of First Horizon National Corp. (NYSE: FHN), the parent company of First Tennessee Bank,  provide financial services through more than 200 bank locations in and around Tennessee and 14 capital markets offices in the U.S. and abroad.  First Tennessee has the largest combined market share in the 17 Tennessee counties where it does business and has one of the highest customer retention rates of any bank in the country, and FTN Financial is one of the nation’s top underwriters of U.S. government agency securities.  FHN has been recognized as one of the nation’s best employers by AARP and Working Mother magazines.  More information can be found at www.fhnc.com.

FIRST HORIZON CALENDAR LISTING

May 01, 2009

What:  First Horizon Insurance will host a seminar led by two IBM healthcare experts, Dan Pelino, healthcare and life sciences general manager and Paul Grundy, MD, director of health care transformation, who will examine the federal economic recovery package and how it will transform health care.

Where:  Schermerhorn Symphony Center
One Symphony Place
Nashville, TN 37201

When:  Tuesday, May 12
10 a.m.

Tickets: Admission is free and open to the public.
Register by calling (615) 385-8377 or e-mail seminar509Nash@firsthorizonins.com; deadline is May 5.

COMCAST LAUNCHES PET ADOPTIONS ON DEMAND IN NASHVILLE

April 30, 2009

Customers Can “Meet” and Adopt Shelter Animals at the Touch of the Remote 
 
NASHVILLE, TN – Animal lovers looking for a friendly, four-legged companion can now turn to Pet Adoptions On Demand, a new service that allows Comcast Digital Cable customers to view profiles and videos of animals in need of a home.

Through a partnership with the Nashville Humane Association, Comcast provides video profiles of cats and dogs looking for new families on its On Demand service each month.  Every two weeks, profiles will be refreshed with new faces as the animals are adopted into loving homes. 

“The partnership with the Nashville Humane Association is a terrific fit since it matches the convenience of On Demand with a wonderful cause,” said Terri Weldon, director of public relations, Comcast of Middle Tennessee.  “We are always looking for new ways to deliver unique, local programming to our customers and the added appeal of finding homes for these animals underscores the value of this service.”

“We are excited to have the opportunity to partner with Comcast to help place our pets in new homes,” said Mary Pat Boatfield, executive director of the Nashville Humane Association.  “Pet Adoptions On Demand will provide a successful avenue to showcase our pets to those in search of that special friend.”

Comcast Digital Cable customers can view animal profiles at no additional cost by going to the “Get Local” section of the On Demand menu and selecting “Pet Adoptions.”  In the profiles, staff members interact with each animal and talk about its unique personality and ideal living environment.  Profiles, ranging in length from one to two minutes, are categorized by animal type and size. 

Each pet profile bears a unique tag identification number.  Viewers who are interested in visiting or adopting an animal featured on Pet Adoptions On Demand can visit the Nashville Humane Association’s website at www.nashvillehumane.org for more information. 

Pet Adoptions On Demand is another unique example of the wide variety of original, On Demand programming Comcast offers.  With more than 10,000 On Demand programs a month – the vast majority available for no additional cost – On Demand provides something for everyone, the most movies On Demand, and over 1000 HD choices On Demand.

About Comcast
Comcast (www.comcast.com) is the nation's leading provider of entertainment, information and communication products and services. With 24.2 million cable customers, 14.9 million high-speed Internet customers, and 6.5 million Comcast Digital Voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

Comcast's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, Golf Channel, VERSUS, G4, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One, ten sports networks operated by Comcast Sports Group and Comcast Interactive Media, which develops and operates Comcast's Internet businesses, including Comcast.net (www.comcast.net). Comcast also has a majority ownership in Comcast-Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia.

About Nashville Humane Association
Nashville Humane Association (NHA) became recognized as a nonprofit in 1946. NHA is committed to finding responsible homes, controlling pet overpopulation, and promoting the humane treatment of animals.  NHA provides a variety of services to pets and their owners including: an animal shelter, adoption services, spay and neuter program, and lost dog and cat services.

MEMBERS OF STITES & HARBISON TO BUILD HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HOME IN DAVIDSON COUNTY

April 29, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - More than 45 employees of Stites & Harbison, PLLC will help build a Habitat for Humanity home this Sunday that will be given to Ayalew Mekonnen, an immigrant from Ethiopia and his two sons, ages 19 and 20.

While his sons are currently pursuing higher education at Middle Tennessee State University and Nashville Tech, Mekonnen, who earned his degree in education from an Ethiopian University, looks forward to eventually earning his certification as a teacher in the U.S.

As a part of the project, Stites employees successfully raised $7,500 towards building and construction costs.

WHO: Stites & Harbison employees
WHAT: Habitat for Humanity home-build
WHEN: Sunday, May 3
7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WHERE: Timberwood – Northeast Nashville Habitat community located off Brick Church Pike and Briley Pkwy.
NOTE: For more information, please contact Nancy Johnson at (615) 838-1763 or Joanna Stanfield at (615) 512-9805

NASHVILLE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL'S 'SHAKESPEARE ALLOWED!' READING OF THE TWO GENTLEMAN OF VERONA

April 29, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s ongoing program, Shakespeare Allowed! will read The Two Gentleman of Verona in the month of May.

The program Shakespeare Allowed! began last October, and will continue over the next few years as participants come together once a month to read aloud one of Shakespeare’s works. The monthly reading schedule follows the order in which Shakespeare wrote the plays.

The Two Gentleman of Verona is scheduled to be read from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the downtown main library on Sat., May 2. The comedic play is about the Verona gentleman, Valentine and Proteus, and their dealings with friendship and infidelity.

The Nashville Shakespeare Festival invites everyone to bring their own copies of the play and participate, whether as one of the out-loud readers or to read along. Discussion to follow on the Nashville Shakespeare Festival Facebook page. Shakespeare Allowed! is a free event, open to the public. 

Other scheduled programs include:

- Love’s Labor’s Lost, June 6
- Richard II, July 11
- King John, August 1

For more information about the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s Shakespeare Allowed! program, visit http://nashvilleshakes.org/shakespeareallowed.htm.

About Nashville Shakespeare Festival
The mission of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival is to educate and entertain the Mid-South community through professional Shakespearean experiences. The Festival accomplishes this primarily through its public productions of Shakespeare in the Park in the summer and Winter Shakespeare at The Troutt Theater and its educational workshops for young people and businesses.

FIRST TENNESSEE'S POWERING YOUR DREAMS SWEEPSTAKES INSTANT WINNER

April 28, 2009

Suzanne Dixon, East Nashville resident, receives a check at First Tennessee’s East Nashville financial center. Dixon is a $10,000 instant winner of the bank’s Powering Your Dreams Sweepstakes, where customers were encouraged to go online and submit their dreams. The sweepstakes was part of an initiative geared toward positioning First Tennessee as a resource to help customers reach their personal, educational and financial goals.

Tony Thompson, First Tennessee’s Middle Tennessee market president, presents Dixon with her check.

LONGTIME BANKING EXECUTIVE MYATT LOOKS FORWARD TO RETIREMENT

April 24, 2009
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Charles Myatt, Rutherford County president at First Tennessee, announced today his plans to retire this fall after four decades with the bank.

“Life has been good to me. I’ve been with First Tennessee for 40 years, and have been fortunate to have spent more than half of them in Rutherford County,” said Myatt. “But I’m looking forward to learning to relax, traveling with my wife and partner of almost 42 years, and spending more time with family and friends.” 

Upon Myatt’s retirement, Derrick Williams, senior vice president of commercial banking at First Tennessee, will be promoted to Rutherford County president. Williams, who has more than 20 years of financial experience and 15 of those with First Tennessee, will move his office to Murfreesboro next month to work alongside Myatt.

“I look forward to working with Derrick over the next six months to ensure a smooth transition in this growing market,” continued Myatt. “He will be a terrific addition to the Rutherford County community.”

Myatt’s First Tennessee career began in Chattanooga in 1969, where he served in various positions, including senior vice president and manager of the branch division and senior vice president and manager of the east region of Chattanooga’s correspondent division. He moved to Murfreesboro in 1988 to become regional president, and during his tenure increased First Tennessee’s Rutherford County presence from three locations to 10 financial centers.

“Charlie has been an integral part of our success, specifically in Murfreesboro, for the past 21 years and will be greatly missed,” said Tony Thompson, Middle Tennessee market president. “We look forward to celebrating his First Tennessee career this fall.”

An active community leader, Myatt chairs the MTSU Miller Trust Corporation and serves on the City of Murfreesboro Pension Committee and the United Way Allocations Panel. He previously served as chairman of the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, president of the MTSU Foundation and president of the Rutherford County Boys and Girls Club.

About First Tennessee
The 6,000 employees of First Horizon National Corp. (NYSE: FHN), the parent company of First Tennessee Bank,  provide financial services through more than 200 bank locations in and around Tennessee and 14 capital markets offices in the U.S. and abroad.  First Tennessee has the largest combined market share in the 17 Tennessee counties where it does business and has one of the highest customer retention rates of any bank in the country, and FTN Financial is one of the nation’s top underwriters of U.S. government agency securities.  FHN has been recognized as one of the nation’s best employers by AARP and Working Mother magazines.  More information can be found at www.fhnc.com

LONGTIME BANKING EXECUTIVE AND COMMUNITY LEADER JOINS FIRST TENNESSEE

April 24, 2009
Appointment in Line with Company’s Strategic Growth Plan

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- First Tennessee announced today the appointment of veteran Nashville banker Doyle Rippee as Nashville regional president, effective May 3.

Rippee has three decades of commercial banking experience, most recently in senior positions with Regions/Morgan Keegan & Co., Inc. including executive vice president, general manager of corporate banking.  He also was Tennessee president at Bank of America.

“Having someone of Doyle’s caliber to lead our Davidson County team is critical as we concentrate on the great opportunities before us here,” said Tony Thompson, Middle Tennessee market president. Thompson previously held the dual title of market president and Nashville regional president.  “With Doyle on board, I will be able to focus all of my attention on our efforts to increase First Tennessee’s market presence throughout the region.”  

Rippee’s appointment is part of the bank’s growth strategy to leverage human capital to further strengthen and grow its commercial market, and to work with qualified customers to meet their commercial loan and depository needs. 

“First Tennessee has a tremendous commitment to Nashville, and I’m looking forward to working with its strong management team and advisory board to reach the bank’s goals in this key market,” said Rippee. “I’m also impressed with First Tennessee’s delivery system with financial centers in strategic locations, which is important to both individual customers and businesses.”

A longtime community leader, Rippee’s dedication to the community mirrors First Tennessee’s four cornerstones of giving: arts, economic development, health care and education. He serves as chairman for The Land Trust for Tennessee and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Business Conditions Council.  In addition, he is past chair of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, YMCA of Middle Tennessee and the Nashville Symphony. Rippee is a Leadership Nashville alumni and former capital campaign co-chair for Alive Hospice.

Rippee’s responsibilities will include managing the commercial, corporate, health care and business banking strategies in Davidson and Williamson counties.  He will report to Thompson. 

Rippee received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss. He attended the ABA National Commercial Lending School, University of Oklahoma and Columbia University Commercial Bank Management Program.
                                                         
About First Tennessee
The 6,000 employees of First Horizon National Corp. (NYSE: FHN), the parent company of First Tennessee Bank,  provide financial services through more than 200 bank locations in and around Tennessee and 14 capital markets offices in the U.S. and abroad.  First Tennessee has the largest combined market share in the 17 Tennessee counties where it does business and has one of the highest customer retention rates of any bank in the country, and FTN Financial is one of the nation’s top underwriters of U.S. government agency securities.  FHN has been recognized as one of the nation’s best employers by AARP and Working Mother magazines.  More information can be found at www.fhnc.com

SSR EMPLOYEE MIKE BERNARD ELECTED TO AWWA BOARD

April 22, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mike Bernard, vice president and team leader with Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), an engineering design and facility consulting firm, was recently elected to serve on the board of the American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) Kentucky/Tennessee Chapter.

The AWWA is a membership organization dedicated to the promotion of safe drinking water. Bernard will serve a five-year term, where he will act as trustee, vice chair, chair-elect, chair and eventual past-chair.

In addition to his position with the AWWA, Bernard, who has been with SSR for more than 13 years, continues to promote safe drinking water by serving as a project manager for the two largest membrane filtration water treatment plants in Tennessee.

About Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.
Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR) is an employee-owned engineering design and facility consulting firm with 550 employees in 13 offices across the United States. The firm provides a wide spectrum of consulting services related to building and infrastructure design, operation and management. SSR delivers services for facilities nationwide, including healthcare, education, science and technology, research, sports and entertainment, corrections, infrastructure, commercial and industrial clients. For more information about SSR, visit www.ssr-inc.com.

NASHVILLE'S GOT TALENT!

April 21, 2009

Watch Auditions for 2009 Shakespeare in the Park Productions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Apr. 25 auditions for Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s Shakespeare in the Park are an opportunity to watch some of Nashville’s theatrical talent and be part of the Shakespearean process.

Actors will be performing two minute monologues and stand up routines, along with a showcase of their special skills and talents at the auditions for a chance to be a part of the 22 year tradition of Shakespeare in the Park. This summer’s two Shakespeare in the Park plays are The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) and The Taming of the Shrew.

Auditions will be held at the Centennial Park Bandshell, located at 2600 West End Avenue. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) auditions for adult actors are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the auditions for youth age 13 and up for The Byron & Beth Smith Apprentice Company’s Shakespeare in the Park performance The Taming of the Shrew will be from 1 to 4 p.m.

Bring your family, blanket, picnic and pets to come enjoy a day at the park watching Nashville talent and a glimpse of the Shakespeare in the Park process.

To participate in the auditions, schedule an audition appointment by emailing Robert@nashvilleshakes.org your name, email address, phone number and your first and second choice for an audition time.

For more information about the Nashville Shakespeare Festival or Shakespeare in the Park, visit www.nashvilleshakes.org.

About Nashville Shakespeare Festival
The mission of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival is to educate and entertain the Mid-South community through professional Shakespearean experiences. The Festival accomplishes this primarily through its public productions of Shakespeare in the Park in the summer and Winter Shakespeare at The Troutt Theater and its educational workshops for young people and businesses.

THOUSANDS OF MEDICATIONS COLLECTED AT AEGIS SCIENCES' MEDS DISPOSAL EVENT

April 20, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Most people don’t think about pills and medicine when considering how to improve the environment. Yet, at least 13 common drugs including antidepressants and antibiotics were found in the Tennessee River System, creating antibiotic resistance in humans and damage to aquatic life.

Middle Tennesseans filled more than seven containers totaling 105 gallons with medications at Aegis Sciences Corp.’s MEDS (Manage Extra Drugs Safely) medication collection event, held on April 18.

The event provided residents with a method to dispose their outdated over-the-counter and prescription medications in an environmentally conscious manner.  Aegis Sciences provided two drop-off booths at the Nashville Earth Day Festival at Centennial Park and at Memorial Park in Hendersonville.

“Aegis is committed to protecting neighbors and operating an environmentally friendly organization,” said Dr. Black, CEO and founder of Aegis Sciences Corp.  “We prevented thousands of pills and capsules from going into landfills and the sewer system, potentially damaging our water source or from falling into the wrong hands. It was a good day for us.”

Local law enforcement attended both collection sites and documented the types of medication collected. These medications will be disposed of according to DEA and EPA standards.

Similar collection events have been held by Metro Nashville Public Works, which this year supported the MEDS event.

"Aegis is providing the public a safe and environmentally responsible opportunity to discard their unused and expired medications at the most appropriate of venues” said Veronica Frazier, executive director of Metro Nashville’s Beautification & Environment Commission Staff. “This medication collection event offers a much needed service to our community by educating attendees on the importance of the proper disposal of medications and protecting our precious water supply."

Keeping outdated or unused medications around the house leads to the risk of prescription medication abuse by children and teenagers, pharmaceuticals in drinking water, which can lead to antibiotic resistance in humans and damage to aquatic life, and identity theft.

“We are a toxicology lab and we work to find pharmaceuticals in humans every day, making this an important issue for us,” concluded Black.

About Aegis Sciences Corp. (www.aegislabs.com)
Founded in 1990, Aegis Sciences Corp is a forensic chemical and drug-testing laboratory specializing in Zero-Tolerance Drug Testing, employee drug testing, professional and amateur sports drug testing, pain management drug testing and post-mortem evaluations.

LOCAL GREEN BUILDING EXPERT PRESENTS AT NATIONAL BUILDING COMMISSIONING CONFERENCE

April 16, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Green building is fast-growing and ever-changing in today’s energy conscious world, and Nashville-based SSRCx, the commissioning subsidiary of Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. is offering its expertise on a national level.

Paul McCown with SSRCx will present “Commissioning Changes in LEED 2009” at the AABC Commissioning Group’s (ACG) 5th Annual Conference on Total Building Commissioning on April 17 in Chicago.  McCown provides LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) consulting, existing building commissioning and energy analysis through the Sustainable Solutions Group of SSRCx.

His presentation at the annual conference will detail the changes regarding commissioning requirements in all of the LEED 2009 updates, with a special emphasis on the complete overhaul to commissioning requirements that came with LEED-EB (LEED for Existing Buildings) for Operations and Maintenance. Commissioning is a systematic process of ensuring that the owner’s operational needs are met, building systems perform efficiently and building operators are properly trained. 

This year’s conference will host some of the nation’s leading experts addressing commissioning services required in today’s building environment, including new energy policies and strategies, integrating measurement and verification of existing buildings, and system integration testing.

About ACG
The ACG is a nonprofit association of certified commissioning authorities dedicated to providing professional, independent commissioning services and to educating the construction industry on the benefits of commissioning. The organization includes more than 300 certified commissioning authorities from more than 170 certified member companies.

About SSRCx, Sustainable Solutions Group
SSRCx (www.ssrcx.com), an independent, wholly owned subsidiary of Smith Seckman Reid, Inc., is a leading facilities commissioning provider and a licensed Continuous Commissioning ® provider.  The Sustainable Solutions Group (SSG) is an SSRCx team that aids in the design, construction and operation of high-performance new and existing green buildings to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.  SSG accomplishes this by educating clients about sustainable practices, fostering ongoing communication and empowering the design, construction and commissioning teams to ensure the building is completed within established procedures for both efficient use of resources and environmentally friendly practices.

FIRST HORIZON NAMED ONE OF TOP 50 COMPANIES FOR WOMEN EXECUTIVES

April 15, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The National Association for Female Executives named First Horizon National Corp., parent company of First Tennessee, to the 2009 NAFE Top 50 Companies for Executive Women list.

"Diversity and inclusiveness within your top employee tier is crucial for the success of any business. We appreciate the leadership and insight our female executives bring to the table,” said Tony Thompson, Middle Tennessee market president at First Tennessee. "We appreciate NAFE's recognition of our commitment as we continue to develop and reward the efforts of our senior management."

Several current female executives were promoted from within the company, including local employees Susan Springfield and Rita Mitchell. Springfield is executive vice president and senior credit officer with First Tennessee, and Mitchell is a senior vice president and manager in the Private Client Financial Services area.

In 2008, women comprised 67 percent of all First Horizon managers and supervisors. Among the company's senior managers and top executives, 18 percent are female.

"I have been with First Tennessee for more than 12 years and received every opportunity to take control of my career and develop within the company,” said Springfield. "I'm proud of First Tennessee’s determination to create an internal culture that recognizes the commitment and performance of its employees, regardless of gender.”

In choosing its top companies, NAFE places specific emphasis on the number of women in jobs with profit-and-loss responsibility. The list recognizes corporations whose practices and employment records demonstrate that women matter to the bottom line.

About NAFE
The National Association for Female Executives (NAFE), founded in 1972, serves 20,000 members nationwide in the efforts to grow their careers and their businesses. NAFE magazine publishes the annual Top Companies issue as well as quarterly online magazines. NAFE.com keeps members in touch with each other throughout the year. Last year I-NAFE, international counterpart of NAFE, was launched in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Johannesburg, South Africa. NAFE is a division of Working Mother Media and Bonnier Corporation.

About First Tennessee
The 6,000 employees of First Horizon National Corp. (NYSE: FHN), the parent company of First Tennessee Bank,  provide financial services through more than 200 bank locations in and around Tennessee and 14 capital markets offices in the U.S. and abroad.  First Tennessee has the largest combined market share in the 17 Tennessee counties where it does business and has one of the highest customer retention rates of any bank in the country, and FTN Financial is one of the nation’s top underwriters of U.S. government agency securities.  FHN has been recognized as one of the nation’s best employers by AARP and Working Mother magazines.  More information can be found at www.fhnc.com.

Shakespeare's Case Calendar Listing

April 14, 2009

Nashville Shakespeare Festival performs the world premiere event of their new production, Shakespeare’s Case, a four-actor play that puts the relevance of Shakespeare's works on trial, with William Shakespeare himself appearing to argue his defense.

• World premiere, fundraising event on Friday, May 29, reception at 6:30, performance at 7:30 p.m., tickets are $100.
• Public performances on Saturday, May 30, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $14 for seniors and $8 for students.

All performances will be at Belmont University’s Troutt Theater. Tickets are on sale at www.ticketnashville.com. Tickets can also be purchased the day of the show at the box office, which opens one-hour prior to curtain call.

For additional information visit www.nashvilleshakes.org.

NASHVILLE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL'S 'SHAKESPEARE ALLOWED!' READING OF THE TAMING OF THE SHREW

April 03, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Taming of the Shrew will be the April reading for The Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s ongoing program, Shakespeare Allowed!.

The program Shakespeare Allowed! began last October, and will continue over the next few years as participants come together once a month to read aloud one of Shakespeare’s works. The monthly reading schedule follows the order in which Shakespeare wrote the plays.

On Sat., April 11, The Taming of the Shrew is scheduled to be read from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the downtown main library. The comedic play follows the zany courtship of Petruchio and the headstrong Katherina, and includes many other colorful characters of Padua.

The Nashville Shakespeare Festival invites everyone to bring their own copies of the play and participate, whether as one of the out-loud readers or to read along. Discussion to follow on the Nashville Shakespeare Festival Facebook page.  Shakespeare Allowed! is a free event, open to the public. 

Other scheduled programs include:

• The Two Gentleman of Verona, May 2
• Love’s Labor’s Lost, June 6
• Richard II, July 11

For more information about the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s Shakespeare Allowed! program, visit http://nashvilleshakes.org/shakespeareallowed.htm.

About Nashville Shakespeare Festival
The mission of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival is to educate and entertain the Mid-South community through professional Shakespearean experiences. The Festival accomplishes this primarily through its public productions of Shakespeare in the Park in the summer and Winter Shakespeare at The Troutt Theater and its educational workshops for young people and businesses.

SSRCx ANNOUNCES NEW PARTNERSHIPS IN ITS PHOENIX OFFICE

April 02, 2009

PHOENIX - SSRCx, the commissioning subsidiary of Smith Seckman Reid, Inc., is expanding its resources and knowledge with a key partnership as a charter member in the Phoenix Chapter of the Arizona Green Chamber of Commerce.

The Arizona Green Chamber of Commerce is a non-profit organization committed to working with businesses that are working towards sustainable practices, an environmentally sound economy and increasing green public policy. As members, SSRCx will work to extend the ideas, best practices and influence of green businesses large and small. The organization also offers opportunities to participate in networking and educational events.  

This new partnership adds to their list of credentials, including:

• EPA Energy Star Partner,
• APS Trade Ally,
• SRP Qualified Service Provider,
• accreditation of both the national Building Commissioning Association and AABC Commissioning Group,
• and long term membership and active involvement in the U.S. Green Building Council.

About SSRCx, LLC
SSRCx, an independent, wholly owned subsidiary of Smith Seckman Reid, is a leading facilities commissioning provider. The company ensures facilities work better by verifying and documenting that buildings and their systems are designed and installed in a quality manner and meet the needs of the owner and its occupants.  SSRCx provides commissioning services at any stage of a project, from design to completion, including facilities that have been built and running for a significant amount of time.  For more information about SSRCx, call (602) 604-6350 or visit www.ssrcx.com.

About Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.
Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., is an employee-owned engineering design and facility consulting firm with more than 500 employees in 13 offices across the United States. The firm provides a wide spectrum of consulting services related to building and infrastructure design, operation and management. SSR delivers services for facilities nationwide, including healthcare, education, science and technology, research, sports and entertainment, corrections, infrastructure, commercial and industrial clients. For more information about SSR, visit www.ssr-inc.com.

INCLUDE YOUR MEDICINE CABINET IN YOUR SPRING CLEANING

March 31, 2009

Aegis Sciences will host a MEDS (Manage Extra Drugs Safely) collection event on Saturday, April 18, to offer safe-disposal of excess and expired medications.

Disposal sites

• Davidson County: Nashville Earth Day Festival in Centennial Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sumner County: Memorial Park (near tennis courts) in Hendersonville, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Disposal Instructions

• Only prescription and over-the-counter medications in pills and capsules will be accepted.
• Medications must have original packaging and labels
• No liquids, syringes or needles will be accepted

For additional information visit www.aegislabs.com/meds
 

DON'T LET MARCH MADNESS BEGIN WITHOUT YOU!!!

March 31, 2009

The clock is ticking...join the annual KVBPR NCAA Basketball pool today!

Entry fee is $20, and you must fill out your online bracket before 11 a.m. CST on Thursday, March 19.

To enter:

• Please email either of our co-commissioners Greg Bailey or Heather Schablik to let us know you would like to enter. We will then send you an e-mail invitation to join our online bracket hosted by www.cbssports.com.
• Once you receive an invitation, you must have a cbssports.com user name and password to participate. 

We are trying to make this our biggest pool ever and need your help! Please tell your spouses, significant others, friends, co-workers – anyone who excels in Bracketology or wants to engage in this rite of spring.

New features this year include:

• Refer five people to the pool, and we'll waive your entry fee. Have your friends email Greg Bailey or Heather Schablik, tell us they want to enter and make sure they provide a referral name.
• Winners of the first three rounds will receive $20 (the entry fee refunded). If the same player wins one or more rounds, he or she will win $20 per round.

The big bucks will go to the top three finishers (First-70%, Second-20%, Third-10%). The winner of the 2008 pool won more than $550.

We use the following scoring system:
First Round – 1 point
Second Round – 2 points
Third Round – 3 points
Fourth Round – 8 points
Semifinals – 16 points
Finals – 32 points

Bonus points are available in each round through a seed multiplier. For example, if a No. 12 seed wins a Second Round game (two points), then you will receive 24 points for correctly predicting the game. You are rewarded for correctly picking a lower seed to win.

Rules

• All online brackets must be filled out by 11 a.m. CDT on Thursday, March 19.
• Entry fee is $20 and must arrive at KVBPR offices no later than 11 a.m. on Friday, March 20. If not, your entry will be removed from the pool.
• Please make checks payable to Heather Schablik or Greg Bailey, not KVBPR.

Please mail your $20 entry fee to:
Heather Schablik or Greg Bailey
Katcher Vaughn & Bailey Public Relations
401 Church Street, Suite 2100
Nashville, TN 37219

Notes

• If this is your first time to compete in the KVBPR pool, you will need to register with www.cbssports.com to enter the pool and compete.
• Please do not wait until the last hour to fill out your bracket as the Internet is jammed on Thursday morning (March 19) before the start of the tournament and you risk not getting your bracket completed in time.

Bring it on!!! The madness is about to begin!!!

NASHVILLE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD MEMBERS

March 09, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Nashville Shakespeare Festival added Stephen Earnest, Jon Grayson and Santos Lopez to its board of directors.

Earnest is a retired corporate trainer and serves on the Festival’s education committee. Grayson is a director of government relations at HCA and serves on the arts organization’s marketing committee. Lopez is a supervising producer at Country Music Television. He also serves on the marketing committee at the Nashville Shakespeare Festival. 

About Nashville Shakespeare Festival
The mission of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival is to educate and entertain the Mid-South community through professional Shakespearean experiences. The Festival accomplishes this primarily through its public productions of Shakespeare in the Park in the summer and Winter Shakespeare at The Troutt Theater and its educational workshops for young people and businesses.

AEGIS SCIENCES CORP. RECEIVES THE TNCPE 2008 INTEREST RECOGNITION

March 02, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence honored Aegis Sciences Corp. with 2008 Interest Recognition during the 16th annual Excellence in Tennessee Awards Banquet at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs in Franklin, Tenn. this month.

“Organizations that focus their resources on improving systems and results are often successful ones,” said Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen. “The companies that receive these awards acknowledge this, and have proven their commitment by making their business – and in turn, our state – economically stronger.” 

TNCPE recognizes organizations achieving the highest standards of excellence in their operations and results. The program uses the Criteria for Performance Excellence established by the Baldrige National Quality Program as the evaluation tool.

“The TNCPE process is in line Aegis’s commitment to performance excellence,” said Dr. David L. Black, CEO and founder of Aegis. “We have a team dedicated to pursuing excellence and provide superior service to our clients.  It is such a reward to be honored with this prestigious award.”

Organizations that earn Interest Recognition must complete a 5-page Organizational Profile and host a half-day education and evaluation site visit from a team of TNCPE examiners. This level is the first step for organizations interested in adopting and applying Baldrige principles of performance improvement.

“I congratulate Aegis Sciences Corporation on this award, which represents countless hours of hard work by this organization,” said Bredesen.

The Tennessee program, a national and international role model, is available to all businesses, educational institutions, health care organizations, government agencies and other nonprofit entities.

Achieving any level of recognition is significant. “The businesses, schools, hospitals and nonprofits that use the Criteria for Performance Excellence are setting themselves up for success, period,” said TNCPE President Katie Rawls. “With the TNCPE program as their guide, these winners are developing the infrastructure they need to weather any storm. I am delighted with what they’ve accomplished, and I encourage them to keep going.”

About Aegis Sciences Corp. (www.aegislabs.com)
Founded in 1990, Aegis Sciences Corp is a forensic chemical and drug-testing laboratory specializing in Zero-Tolerance Drug Testing, employee drug testing, professional and amateur sports drug testing, pain management drug testing and post-mortem toxicology evaluations.

About Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence
Since TNCPE was created in 1993, about 1,080 organizations have progressed through one or more levels of achievement. A Board of Examiners made up of approximately 200 experts in business, education, health care and government assessed this year’s applicants in seven categories: leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement, analysis and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and results. For more information on the nonprofit Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence, contact Katie Rawls, president, at the organization’s Nashville office: (800) 453-6474 or katie.rawls@tncpe.org.

NASHVILLE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL'S 'SHAKESPEARE ALLOWED!' READING OF THE COMEDY OF ERRORS

February 27, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s ongoing program, Shakespeare Allowed!, will feature The Comedy of Errors for the month of March.

The program Shakespeare Allowed! brings participants together each month to read aloud one of Shakespeare’s works. The goal is to read all his works beginning with the first play he wrote and ending with his last. The program began last October, and will continue once a month over the next three years.

The Comedy of Errors is scheduled to be read on Sat., March 7. from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the downtown main library. The comedic play tells the story of two sets of identical twins that were accidentally separated at birth.

The Nashville Shakespeare Festival invites everyone to join the reading circle, as an out-loud reader or as a listener. Shakespeare Allowed! is a free event, open to the public.

Other scheduled programs include:

• The Taming of the Shrew, April 4
  The Two Gentleman of Verona, May 2
  Love’s Labor’s Lost, June 6

For more information about the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s Shakespeare Allowed! program, visit http://nashvilleshakes.org/shakespeareallowed.htm.

About Nashville Shakespeare Festival
The mission of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival is to educate and entertain the Mid-South community through professional Shakespearean experiences. The Festival accomplishes this primarily through its public productions of Shakespeare in the Park in the summer and Winter Shakespeare at The Troutt Theater and its educational workshops for young people and businesses.

ANDREW BRADLEY JOINS VILLAGE REAL ESTATE AS REALTOR

February 25, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Andrew Bradley has joined Village Real Estate Services as a Realtor® in the company’s Hillsboro Road office.

Bradley will focus on investments and new constructions sales, drawing on his eight years of experience in home remodeling and real estate investment and sales. Previously, he was an agent with Crye-Leike.

Bradley holds a master’s degree in divinity from Vanderbilt University and a bachelor’s degree in religion from Trevecca Nazarene University, in Nashville. He is a board member of the Bluefields Home Owners Association in Donelson and is a pastor of discipleship and education at Trevecca Community Church of the Nazarene.

About Village Real Estate Services
Village Real Estate Services, the premiere residential real estate resource in Nashville’s urban market, is a full-service agency committed to the vitality of Nashville's established neighborhoods. Established in 1996, Village Real Estate builds stronger, more progressive communities through comprehensive client services including buying, selling, relocation, lending, title and escrow. Village Real Estate has five locations in the Nashville area. For more information visit www.villagerealestate.com.

SSR MOVES ITS DENVER OFFICE, MAKING LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO CITY'S GROWTH

February 23, 2009

New Space Is Dynamic and Collaborative, Accommodates Future Growth

DENVER – Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), an engineering design and facility consulting firm with 13 offices across the country, signed a 10-year lease with a March 1 move of its Denver office to the Denver Tech Center.
SSR’s new address is 8055 E. Tufts Ave., Suite 1100, Denver.

“We have enjoyed our involvement in the community over the past three years and look forward to continued success as we work to grow our presence in the Denver area,” said Richard Morris, executive vice president of SSR’s Southwest Division. “We see Denver as a positive, economic recovery city that is an attractive place to live and work and recruit new talent.”

Since February of 2006, SSR has been located in The Wetz Building. The new Denver Tech Center location features more than 20,000 square feet of office space, two-times larger than the previous office.  The open floor plan and collaborative work space is designed to allow employees to communicate more efficiently.

Notable features include common areas for teams to gather, a mixed-use café, recreation and meeting area and an updated conference space that incorporates new technologies.

SSR has also incorporated several sustainable features including occupancy sensors and 100 percent daylighting that provide each member of SSR’s 40-person staff a view of the outdoors.

The Denver office will continue to focus on health care and higher education projects, providing services including structural, mechanical, plumbing, fire protection, communications and technology, electrical, construction management, LEED facilitation, commissioning and Building Information Modeling.

About Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.
Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR) is an employee-owned engineering design and facility consulting firm with 550 employees in 13 offices across the United States. The firm provides a wide spectrum of consulting services related to building and infrastructure design, operation and management. SSR delivers services for facilities nationwide, including healthcare, education, science and technology, research, sports and entertainment, corrections, infrastructure, commercial and industrial clients. For more information about SSR, visit www.ssr-inc.com.

SMITH SECKMAN REID OPENS KANSAS CITY OFFICE

February 10, 2009

Projects and Talent Pool Attract National Engineering Firm

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), a leading engineering design and facility consulting firm with offices throughout the United States, recently opened its 13th office in Kansas City.

“Kansas City serves as an excellent talent pool for engineering professionals because of the number of universities that feed into the market,” said Rob Barrick, CEO of Smith Seckman Reid. “As SSR’s project work continues to expand in the region, we are now well-positioned to better serve our clients as we continue to grow.”

The new office is located at 2300 Main Street, Suite 900, Kansas City, Mo., 64108.  In early 2008, SSR opened its 12th office in Orlando.

SSR is providing engineering design services in the Kansas City area for Children’s Mercy Hospital and has recently completed project work for the University of Kansas Hoglund Brain Imaging Center and University of Kansas Medical Center-Center for Advanced Heart Care. SSR’s commissioning division, SSRCx, has also provided services for St. Luke’s Hospital and the University of Kansas Heart Center. In addition, SSR’s sports design team continues to partner with local architects HOK SVE and 360 Architecture for projects in the Midwest and Southeast regions of the United States.

The new Kansas City office will provide a wide array of engineering design and facility consulting services including: MEP engineering design, communication and technology system planning and design, regulatory compliance support, commissioning, LEED facilitation and sustainable design. SSR has offices in Nashville, Memphis and Knoxville, Tenn.; Ft. Lauderdale, Sarasota, Tampa and Orlando, Fla.; Houston and Dallas, Texas; Denver, Colo.; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Hernando, Miss. The new Kansas City office is in line with growth goals laid out in the firm’s 10-year strategic plan for growing and diversifying SSR.

Key management in the SSR Kansas City office includes Darren Harvey, PE, vice president; Todd Moore, PE, senior project manager, and Jeff Miller, PE, senior project manager.

About Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.
Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR) is an employee-owned engineering design and facility consulting firm with 550 employees in 13 offices across the United States. The firm provides a wide spectrum of consulting services related to building and infrastructure design, operation and management. SSR delivers services for facilities nationwide, including healthcare, education, science and technology, research, sports and entertainment, corrections, infrastructure, commercial and industrial clients. For more information about SSR, visit www.ssr-inc.com.

SSRCX BECOMES AN ENERGY STAR® PARTNER

February 10, 2009

Partnership with the EPA's Program Marks a Commitment to Energy Efficiency

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – SSRCx, the commissioning subsidiary of Smith Seckman Reid, Inc., is teaming with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program, marking a commitment to energy efficient practices. 

“We feel the ENERGY STAR Program is in direct line with our goals as an organization,” said Mike Coyne, vice president of SSRCx. “It is our commitment to our clients and as a company to provide smart energy solutions and reduce our impact on the environment.”

In partnership with ENERGY STAR, SSRCx will:

• Measure and track the energy performance of its corporate facilities where possible by using tools offered through ENERGY STAR;
  Develop and implement a plan consistent with the ENERGY STAR Energy Management Guidelines to achieve energy savings;
  Help spread the word about the importance of energy efficiency to its staff and community;
  Support the ENERGY STAR Challenge, a national call-to-action to help improve the energy efficiency of America’s commercial and industrial buildings by 10 percent or more;
  Highlight its achievements with recognition offered through ENERGY STAR.

"Environmental responsibility is everyone's responsibility - and today I'm pleased SSRCx is taking this motto to heart," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.  "By making smart energy choices, SSRCx is helping improve our nation's energy and environmental outlook."

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 50 different kinds of products, new homes and commercial and industrial buildings. Products and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government. In 2007, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved about $16 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 27 million vehicles.

For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES.

About SSRCx, LLC
SSRCx, an independent, wholly owned subsidiary of Smith Seckman Reid, is a leading facilities commissioning provider. The company ensures facilities work better by verifying and documenting that buildings and their systems are designed and installed in a quality manner and meet the needs of the owner and its occupants.  SSRCx provides commissioning services at any stage of a project, from design to completion, including facilities that have been built and running for a significant amount of time.  For more information about SSRCx, call (800) 545-6732 or visit www.ssrcx.com.

About Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.
Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., is an employee-owned engineering design and facility consulting firm with more than 500 employees in 13 offices across the United States. The firm provides a wide spectrum of consulting services related to building and infrastructure design, operation and management. SSR delivers services for facilities nationwide, including healthcare, education, science and technology, research, sports and entertainment, corrections, infrastructure, commercial and industrial clients. For more information about SSR, visit www.ssr-inc.com.

URBAN LAND INSTITUTE TO ADDRESS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

February 10, 2009

February 20 Forum Features National Authority and Local Experts

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Urban Land Institute (ULI) Nashville District Council is presenting an interdisciplinary sustainability forum on Friday, Feb. 20, at David Lipscomb University. 

Ed McMahon, a nationally renowned authority on sustainable development, land conservation and urban design, will address The Dollars and Sense of Sustainable Development and join a panel of local experts for an interactive discussion with the audience about sustainability. Each local expert participating on the diverse and interdisciplinary panel will talk about sustainability from his or her discipline’s perspective.  Those panelists are:

• Moderator -Tabitha Crawford, president of Rayan Solutions LLC;
  Engineering - Jamie Qualk, vice president of SSRCx Sustainable Solutions Group;
  Development – Randy Chastain, president of Parkside Homes;
  Public Policy - Jenna Smith-Sexton, environmental sustainability manager for the City of Nashville; and
  Careers in Sustainable Industries - Dodd Galbreath, director of Lipscomb University Institute of Sustainable Practices.

McMahon, ULI senior resident fellow on sustainable development, leads ULI’s research and education activity related to green and sustainable development practices.  He is an attorney, a community planner, a lecturer and an author.  Formerly, he was vice president and director of land use programs at The Conservation Fund.  He also is the co-founder and former president of Scenic America, a national non-profit organization devoted to protecting America’s scenic landscapes.

The sustainability forum will be in Shamblin Theatre in the Bennett Campus Center at David Lipscomb University, 3901 Granny White Pike. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. and the forum is from 8-10 a.m. 

Registration for ULI members and non-members is available online at http://nashville.uli.org or by calling ULI Nashville at 1-800-321-5011.

ULI is a nonprofit education and research institute that is supported and directed by its members.  Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustain thriving communities worldwide.

KVBPR'S KATCHER ELECTED TO GLOBAL PR NETWORK BOARD

February 03, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – KVBPR partner Aileen R. Katcher has been elected to the Americas region board of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, a global consortium of independently owned public relations counseling firms.

Katcher will also serve as chair of the marketing committee for the Americas region.

Katcher brings more than three decades of experience in public relations and marketing to the Worldcom board of directors. She has held senior management and communications positions in corporate and agency settings.

KVBPR has been a partner in Worldcom since 2004. This is her second year in a row to be elected for this honor.

About KVBPR
Katcher Vaughn & Bailey Public Relations, Inc. (www.kvbpr.com) develops innovative public relations programs for healthcare and civic growth and development clients.  KVBPR helps align client’s interests with the people who are important to their long-term interests and success. The firm is a partner in WORLDCOM, a global consortium of independently owned public relations counseling firms.

About the Worldcom Public Relations Group
Worldcom Public Relations Group is the world’s leading network of independently owned public relations counseling firms, with some 114 partners in 94 cities worldwide. Established in 1988, it was formed so that the strongest, most capable independent public relations firms could serve national, international and multi-national clients while retaining the flexibility and client-service focus inherent in independent agencies.  Through Worldcom Group, clients have on-demand access to in-depth communications expertise from professionals who understand the language, culture and customs of the geographic arenas in which they operate.  Visit www.worldcomgroup.com for more information.

NASHVILLE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL'S 'SHAKESPEARE ALLOWED!' READING OF TITUS ANDRONICUS

February 03, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The month of February marks the fifth month in The Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s ongoing program, Shakespeare Allowed!, which will feature Titus Andronicus.

The program Shakespeare Allowed! brings participants together each month to read aloud one of Shakespeare’s works. The goal is to read all his works beginning with the first play he wrote and ending with his last. The program began last October, and will continue once a month over the next three years.

Titus Andronicus is scheduled to be read on Sat., Feb. 7. from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the downtown main library. The play follows the revenge of the Roman general, Titus Andronicus, and is one of Shakespeare’s bloodiest works.

The Nashville Shakespeare Festival invites everyone to join the reading circle, as an out-loud reader or as a listener. Shakespeare Allowed! is a free event, open to the public.

Other scheduled programs include:

• The Comedy of Errors, March 7
  The Taming of the Shrew, April 4
  The Two Gentleman of Verona, May 2

For more information about the Nashville Shakespeare Festival’s Shakespeare Allowed! program, visit http://nashvilleshakes.org/shakespeareallowed.htm.

About Nashville Shakespeare Festival
The mission of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival is to educate and entertain the Mid-South community through professional Shakespearean experiences. The Festival accomplishes this primarily through its public productions of Shakespeare in the Park in the summer and Winter Shakespeare at The Troutt Theater and its educational workshops for young people and businesses.

NASHVILLE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL SELECTED FOR SHAKESPEARE FOR A NEW GENERATION

January 27, 2009

Performances part of National Endowment for the Arts initiative

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville Shakespeare Festival has been selected to participate in Shakespeare for a New Generation, a major initiative sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts in cooperation with Arts Midwest.

Shakespeare for a New Generation will give high-school and middle-school students throughout America the opportunity to experience Shakespeare’s works through high-quality productions and educational activities. It is the sixth phase of Shakespeare in American Communities, launched in September 2003, which has already reached more than 1,300 communities, 18 military bases, and 2,200 schools across all 50 states. This is the largest Shakespeare tour in American history.

“The NEA’s Shakespeare initiative not only introduces millions of Americans to the English language’s greatest writer, but it also brings the experience of professional theater to many students who have never seen it before,” said NEA Chairman Dana Gioia. “I am delighted that through Shakespeare for a New Generation, we have benefited not only students, but also their teachers, as well as provided employment to numerous actors and theater professionals.”

Through Nashville Shakespeare Festival, more than 1,700 students from 22 local schools will see the production of Richard the Third. Students also have the chance to attend workshops. This month alone, 42 Richard the Third workshops and six Hamlet workshops are booked for 19 area schools.

"Seeing Shakespeare performed live by professional actors is the best way for young people to appreciate the value of Shakespeare's work.  We are so grateful for the NEA funding which helps us achieve our mission," Denice Hicks, Nashville Shakespeare Festival Artistic Director, said.

The following 40 theater companies will each receive matching grants to support activities targeting students from at least 10 schools in their communities, states or regions between June 1, 2008 and May 31, 2009.

• The Acting Company (New York, NY)
  Actors’ Shakespeare Project (Cambridge, MA)
  African-American Shakespeare (San Francisco, CA)
  Alabama Shakespeare Festival (Montgomery, AL)
  American Players Theatre (Spring Green, WI)
  American Shakespeare Center  (Staunton, VA)
  The Aquila Theatre Company (New York, NY)
  Barter Theatre (Abingdon, VA)
  California Shakespeare Theater (Cal Shakes) (Berkeley, CA)
  The Children’s Theatre Company (Minneapolis, MN)
  Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (Cincinnati, OH)
  Classic Stage Company (New York, NY)
  Denver Center for the Performing Arts (Denver, CO)
  East LA Classic Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)
  Georgia Shakespeare Festival (Atlanta, GA)
  Honolulu Theatre for Youth (Honolulu, HI)
  Idaho Shakespeare Festival (Boise, ID)
  Indiana Repertory Theatre (Indianapolis, IN)
  Kentucky Shakespeare Festival (Louisville, KY)
  Lantern Theater Company (Philadelphia, PA)
  Main Street Theater (Houston, TX)
  Milwaukee Shakespeare (Milwaukee, WI)
  Montana Shakespeare in the Parks (Bozeman, MT)
  The Nashville Shakespeare Festival (Nashville, TN)
  A Noise Within (Glendale, CA)
  Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Ashland, OR)
  Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival (Orlando, FL)
  The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival at DeSales University (Center Valley, PA)
  PlayMakers Repertory Company (Chapel Hill, NC)
  Portland Stage Company (Portland, ME)
  Seattle Shakespeare Company (Seattle, WA)
  Shakespeare & Company (Lenox, MA)
  Shakespeare Festival at Tulane (New Orleans, LA)
  Shakespeare Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA)
  Shakespeare Theatre Company (Washington, DC)
  The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey (Madison, NJ)
  Utah Shakespearean Festival (Cedar City, UT)
  Walltown Children’s Theatre (Durham, NC)
  Weston Playhouse Theatre Company (Weston, VT)
  The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum (Topanga, CA)

Education will continue to be an integral part of Shakespeare for a New Generation. The project combines the presentation of art with arts education through scholastic programs and classroom materials. In addition, educational materials developed by the Arts Endowment and showcasing some of the greatest actors of our day will continue to be distributed, free of charge, to thousands of classrooms.

Nashville Shakespeare Festival: The mission of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival is to educate and entertain the Mid-South community through professional Shakespearean experiences. The Festival accomplishes this primarily through its public productions of Shakespeare in the Park in the summer and Winter Shakespeare at The Troutt Theater and its educational workshops for young people and businesses.

The National Endowment for the Arts: The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Arts Endowment is the largest national funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases.

Arts Midwest: Based in Minneapolis, Arts Midwest connects people throughout the Midwest and the world to meaningful arts opportunities, sharing creativity, knowledge, and understanding across boundaries. Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest’s history spans more than 25 years.

For more information on:

• Nashville Shakespeare Festival, call 615.255.2273 or visit www.nashvilleshakes.org.
  Shakespeare in American Communities, visit www.shakespeareinamericancommunities.org.
  National Endowment for the Arts, call 202.682.5570 or visit www.arts.gov.
  Arts Midwest, call 612.341.0755 or visit www.artsmidwest.org.
  

NASHVILLE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL'S 'SHAKESPEARE ALLOWED!' READING OF RICHARD THE THIRD

December 23, 2008

Nashvillians invited to read play before its premier at Troutt Theater

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Nashville Shakespeare Festival announced they will be reading Richard the Third on Jan. 3 as a precursor to the company's 2nd Annual Winter Shakespeare production at Belmont University's Troutt Theater. Shakespeare Allowed! is an ambitious project to gather lovers of the bard once a month over the next three years to read all of Shakespeare's plays aloud.

"We are reading the plays in the order they were written, and it just so happens that Richard the Third is next," said Denice Hicks, artistic director for the Nashville Shakespeare Festival. "It's a great opportunity to read the full text aloud before seeing our edited and interpreted production live beginning Jan. 15."

Shakespeare Allowed! participants will meet on Sat., Jan. 3 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the downtown main library.  Shakespeare Allowed! is a free event, open to the public.

Shakespeare's story of a cruel yet charismatic villain will be brought to life with a Vaudeville twist at Belmont University Troutt Theater from Jan. 15 through Feb. 1.  Tickets to the play's public performances are now on sale at www.ticketsnashville.com. Teachers interested in Richard the Third school matinees should contact education director Claire Syler at claire@nashvilleshakes.org. For more information about the Nashville Shakespeare Festival's production of Richard The Third, visit www.nashvilleshakes.org.

About Nashville Shakespeare Festival
The mission of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival is to educate and entertain the Mid-South community through professional Shakespearean experiences. The Festival accomplishes this primarily through its public productions of Shakespeare in the Park in the summer and Winter Shakespeare at The Troutt Theater and its educational workshops for young people and businesses.

SMITH SECKMAN REID ANNOUNCES TWO NEW PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS IN ITS H3 DIVISION

December 23, 2008

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), an engineering design and facility consulting firm, recently announced that Pedro Quinones, IV and Michael Steward have received their professional engineer licensure in the firm’s Fort Lauderdale office. 

A team member since 2006, Quinones is a mechanical engineer who is responsible for the design of health care, institutional and commercial projects. Quinones received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Florida in Gainesville, and is also a LEED® accredited professional. In addition, he is a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Steward, who joined SSR in 2003, is a project manager and electrical engineer with a focus in health care, institutional and industrial design. He received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Florida in Gainesville.

About Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.
Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., is an employee-owned engineering design and facility consulting firm with 500 employees in 12 offices across the United States. The firm provides a wide spectrum of consulting services related to building and infrastructure design, operation and management. SSR delivers services for facilities nationwide, including healthcare, education, science and technology, research, sports and entertainment, corrections, infrastructure, commercial and industrial clients. For more information about SSR, visit www.ssr-inc.com.

URBAN LAND INSTITUTE TO PRESENT REAL ESTATE TRENDS 2009 ON DEC. 5

November 25, 2008

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Chuck DiRocco, managing director of Industry Trends and Analysis at the Urban Land Institute (ULI) in Washington, D.C., will present Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2009 during the ULI Nashville District Council program, 7:30-9 a.m., Friday, Dec. 5, at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts.

The December breakfast program will also include a panel discussion with local housing, banking and real estate professionals participating.  Panel members include Eddie Latimer, Affordable Housing Resources CEO; Jim Schmitz, Regions Bank Middle Tennessee area executive; and Nate Greene, NAI Nashville managing partner.

DiRocco will share research from ULI and PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Emerging Trends in Real Estate forecast publication which provides an outlook on real estate investment and development trends, real estate finance and capital markets, property sectors, metropolitan areas and other real estate issues in the U.S., Canada and Latin America. 

"This is the longest-running report of its kind and extremely thorough in its breadth of exploration into real estate markets," said Bert Mathews, president of the Mathews Company and chair of ULI Nashville District Council. "The ULI program will give attendees good insight into the real estate and development marketplace, from the national trends forecast to a panel of local experts reflecting on what they see for Middle Tennessee in the coming year."

This is the 29th year for the highly regarded publication that surveys real estate executives and market experts around the U.S., including gathering survey responses from more than 400 real estate executives and conducting personal interviews with more than 150 leaders.

Both ULI members and non-members are welcome to attend. Registration for the Emerging Trends in Real Estate program is available online at http://nashville.uli.org or by calling ULI Nashville at 1-800-321-5011.  The event fee includes a copy of the Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2009 publication.  

About the Urban Land Institute:   
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) www.uli.org is a nonprofit education and research institute that is supported and directed by its members.  Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustain thriving communities worldwide.

SMITH SECKMAN REID CELEBRATES 20th ANNIVERSARY OF DENVER EMPLOYEE

November 14, 2008

DENVER – Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), an engineering design and facility consulting firm, is honoring Nancy Kuttler for her 20 years of service with the firm’s Denver office.

Kuttler joined SSR as an electrical drafter in 1989, and was promoted five years later to electrical designer with responsibility for electrical design and computer-aided design (CAD) drafting. Prior to joining SSR, she worked for Schemmer Associates and Farris Engineering in Omaha, Neb.

“Nancy’s positive attitude, determination and work ethic have helped contribute to the many successes that SSR’s Denver team has enjoyed throughout the years. She is a team-player and valuable asset to the firm,” said Richard Morris, executive vice president of SSR’s Southwest Division.

Originally a Gordan Gumeson and Associates employee, Kuttler remained with the firm through its transition into an SSR office in 2006.  “I enjoy the type of work I do and the people with which I work. SSR employees are very much a part of my life. They are my friends, my family,” said Kuttler.

About Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.
Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., is an employee-owned engineering design and facility consulting firm with 500 employees in 12 offices across the United States. The firm provides a wide spectrum of consulting services related to building and infrastructure design, operation and management. SSR delivers services for facilities nationwide, including healthcare, education, science and technology, research, sports and entertainment, corrections, infrastructure, commercial and industrial clients. For more information about SSR, visit www.ssr-inc.com.

SMITH SECKMAN REID HIRES JEFF VISNIC IN THE FIRM'S DENVER OFFICE

November 14, 2008

DENVER – Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), an engineering design and facility consulting firm, hired Jeff Visnic, P.E., as a project manager and electrical engineer in its Denver office.

Visnic will be responsible for the design of lighting, emergency power and power distribution systems for health care facilities. Prior to joining SSR, he worked for Cator, Ruma & Associates in Lakewood, Colo.

Visnic earned his master’s of business administration from the University of Colorado Denver and a bachelor’s of science in engineering from the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colo. He is also a member of the Project Management Institute.

About Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.
Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., is an employee-owned engineering design and facility consulting firm with 500 employees in 12 offices across the United States. The firm provides a wide spectrum of consulting services related to building and infrastructure design, operation and management. SSR delivers services for facilities nationwide, including healthcare, education, science and technology, research, sports and entertainment, corrections, infrastructure, commercial and industrial clients. For more information about SSR, visit www.ssr-inc.com.

JAMIE QUALK NAMED LECTURER OF SUSTAINABILITY AT LIPSCOMB UNIVERSITY

November 10, 2008

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Jamie Qualk, LEED ® AP, of Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR) will discuss the role of sustainable professionals in a sustainable society as part of a panel at Lipscomb University’s graduate sustainability class on Nov. 21. The university recently named Qualk, SSR vice president and head of SSRCx’s Sustainable Solutions Group (SSG), as a lecturer.

“I am honored with the opportunity to impact the very students that I will soon be working with,” said Qualk. “I feel it is my duty as a professional to prepare the next generation for the future of engineering and sustainability.”

A team of LEED AP experts, SSG specializes in the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings according to guidelines set by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). SSG is part of SSRCx, a wholly owned subsidiary of SSR specializing in commissioning and all related disciplines, including the sustainable marketplace.

Qualk is also an advisor for the Lipscomb University Sustainability Curriculum Advisory Group.  A regular speaker and presenter, he recently addressed energy and sustainability topics at the 2008 Global Construction Summit in Beijing in April and the World Energy and Engineering Congress in Washington D.C. in October 2008.

About SSRCx, LLC
SSRCx, an independent, wholly owned subsidiary of Smith Seckman Reid, is a leading facilities commissioning provider. The company ensures facilities work better by verifying and documenting that buildings and their systems are designed and installed in a quality manner and meet the needs of the owner and its occupants.  SSRCx provides commissioning services at any stage of a project, from design to completion, including facilities that have been built and running for a significant amount of time.  For more information about SSRCx, call (800) 545-6732 or visit www.ssrcx.com.

About Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.
Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., is an employee-owned engineering design and facility consulting firm with 500 employees in 12 offices across the United States. The firm provides a wide spectrum of consulting services related to building and infrastructure design, operation and management. SSR delivers services for facilities nationwide, including healthcare, education, science and technology, research, sports and entertainment, corrections, infrastructure, commercial and industrial clients. For more information about SSR, visit www.ssr-inc.com.

AEGIS SCIENCES CORP. CRIMES EARNS PRESTIGIOUS ASCLD/LAB ACCREDITATION

November 05, 2008

One of Six Crime Labs in the Southeast to Earn Accreditation

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Aegis® CRIMES, a specialty division of Aegis Sciences Corp., is one of six independent laboratories in the Southeast to earn the prestigious Crime Laboratory Accreditation by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB).

Aegis® CRIMES, a forensic chemical and drug testing laboratory, met or exceeded the increasingly stringent and rigorous requirements of the ASCLD/LAB Accreditation program established more than 25 years ago. Through the on-site inspection process, Aegis® CRIMES demonstrated that its management practices, personnel qualifications, operational and technical procedures, equipment, and physical facilities met the nationally recognized standards for a forensic laboratory.

“This accreditation confirms our role as experts in forensic sciences and is a seal of approval validating the quality of our work for all the crime labs and police departments we work with throughout the U.S.,” said Dr. David L. Black, CEO of Aegis Sciences.  “Aegis now joins an elite group of less than a quarter of independent crime labs with ASCLD/LAB Accreditation.”

ASCLD/LAB Accreditation provides an impartial and objective system by which laboratories can improve quality through a complete operational review.  As a result, accredited laboratories are less likely to have their work findings scrutinized in criminal cases.

“This accreditation assures Aegis’® CRIMES clients that Aegis’ CRIMES has a quality system in place which is necessary to provide the highest-quality forensic sciences services,” said Ralph Keaton, Executive Director of ASCLD/LAB.

In addition to performing post-mortem toxicology testing, Aegis Sciences specializes in drug testing for businesses, professional and amateur athletes and pain management physicians.

About Aegis Sciences Corp. (www.aegislabs.com)
Founded in 1990, Aegis Sciences Corp is a forensic chemical and drug-testing laboratory specializing in Zero-Tolerance Drug Testing, employee drug testing, professional and amateur sports drug testing, pain management drug testing and post-mortem evaluations.

SMITH SECKMAN REID PROMOTES JAMIE QUALK TO VICE PRESIDENT IN THE FIRM'S NASHVILLE OFFICE

October 27, 2008

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR) has promoted Jamie Qualk, LEED ® AP, to vice president and team leader of the Sustainable Solutions Group (SSG) – a team of LEED AP experts specializing in the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings according to guidelines set by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).  SSG is part of SSRCx, a wholly owned subsidiary of SSR specializing in Commissioning and all related disciplines, including the Sustainable Marketplace.

In his new role, Qualk is responsible for managing SSG’s operation, marketing and business development. Previously, he served as the director of LEED® facilitation sales for SSRCx, LLC and was part of the group that formed the SSG team.

“Jamie has been an integral part of the success of the SSG team since its inception,” said Mike Coyne, managing principal of SSRCx.  “His passion for the sustainable design industry and the issues surrounding it, along with his innovation as a leader will continue to bring great success and recognition for SSRCx as a leading commissioning firm.”

Qualk earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Vanderbilt University. He is a LEED® accredited professional. Also, Qualk is an active member of the Middle Tennessee chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, the Tennessee Environmental Council, the Tennessee Pollution Prevention Roundtable in the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, and the Lipscomb University Sustainability Curriculum Advisory Group. 

A regular speaker and presenter, he recently addressed energy and sustainability topics at the 2008 Global Construction Summit in Beijing in April, 2008 and the World Energy and Engineering Congress in Washington D.C. October.

About SSRCx, LLC
SSRCx, an independent, wholly owned subsidiary of Smith Seckman Reid, is a leading facilities commissioning provider. The company ensures facilities work better by verifying and documenting that buildings and their systems are designed and installed in a quality manner and meet the needs of the owner and its occupants.  SSRCx provides commissioning services at any stage of a project, from design to completion, including facilities that have been built and running for a significant amount of time.  For more information about SSRCx, call (800) 545-6732 or visit www.ssrcx.com.

About Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.
Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., is an employee-owned engineering design and facility consulting firm with 500 employees in 12 offices across the United States. The firm provides a wide spectrum of consulting services related to building and infrastructure design, operation and management. SSR delivers services for facilities nationwide, including healthcare, education, science and technology, research, sports and entertainment, corrections, infrastructure, commercial and industrial clients. For more information about SSR, visit www.ssr-inc.com.

SSR HIRES ADRIAN ZAPATA AND SCOTT SAVAGE IN THE FIRM’S HOUSTON OFFICE

October 27, 2008

HOUSTON, Texas – Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), an engineering design and facility consulting firm, has hired Adrian Zapata as a senior communications consultant and Scott Savage as a senior project manager/senior mechanical engineer in the firm’s Houston office.

Zapata is responsible for the design of structured cabling, low voltage communications and data network systems as well as audio-visual integration. Prior to joining SSR, he worked for PBK Architects as a technology division project manager.

Savage is responsible for the design of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Previously, he worked for Multatech Engineering in Arlington as a project manager. Savage earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Texas A&M University and is a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

About Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.
Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., is an employee-owned engineering design and facility consulting firm with 500 employees in 13 offices across the United States. The firm provides a wide spectrum of consulting services related to building and infrastructure design, operation and management. SSR delivers services for facilities nationwide, including healthcare, education, science and technology, research, sports and entertainment, corrections, infrastructure, commercial and industrial clients. For more information about SSR, visit www.ssr-inc.com.

LOCAL EXPERT GOES GLOBAL WITH GREEN BUILDING PRESENTATION

October 20, 2008

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Green building is a hot button issue in today’s energy conscious world and Nashville-based SSRCx, the commissioning subsidiary of Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. and its Sustainable Solutions Group is going global with the discussion.

Paul McCown, PE, LEED® AP, CEM, CxA, an engineer with the Sustainable Solutions Group, will present “Busting the Myth that Green Costs More Green” at the 8th Annual International Conference for Enhanced Building Operations (ICEBO) Oct. 20-22 in Berlin. ICEBO is a forum for the international community, including investors and developers, owners and facility managers, architects and engineers, researchers and policy makers, to discuss green building technologies, advancements and opportunities.

“It’s a great opportunity to discuss the common misconception that building green will cost more than its return,” said McCown. “Green should not just be an additive feature but should be integrated into the design process itself.”

SSRCx is one of only four firms in the world to provide elite Continuous Commissioning ® service to its clients, exclusively through its partnership with Texas A&M University.  According to Texas A&M, an ICEBO co-sponsor, the Continuous Commissioning® process will typically reduce 20 percent of a building’s energy costs. The difference found in Continuous Commissioning® versus the traditional commissioning process is the opportunity for long-term savings through an ongoing system of monitoring energy consumption and the opportunity for follow-up commissioning.

SSRCx and Texas A&M were recently awarded a Continuous Commissioning ® project in Landstuhl, Germany.

About SSRCx, LLC
SSRCx, an independent, wholly owned subsidiary of Smith Seckman Reid, Inc., is a leading facilities commissioning provider. The company ensures facilities work better by verifying and documenting that buildings and their systems are designed and installed in a quality manner and meet the needs of the owner and its occupants.  SSRCx provides commissioning services at any stage of a project, from design to completion, including facilities that have been built and running for a significant amount of time.  For more information about SSRCx, call (800) 545-6732 or visit www.ssrcx.com.

About Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.
Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., is an employee-owned engineering design and facility consulting firm with 500 employees in 12 offices across the United States. The firm provides a wide spectrum of consulting services related to building and infrastructure design, operation and management. SSR delivers services for facilities nationwide, including healthcare, education, science and technology, research, sports and entertainment, corrections, infrastructure, commercial and industrial clients. For more information about SSR, visit www.ssr-inc.com.

 

VILLAGE REAL ESTATE SHOWCASES NASHVILLE'S DOWNTOWN RESIDENTIAL LIFE THROUGH UNIQUE TOURS

October 10, 2008

Downtown Partnership Recognizes CityLiving Lunch Tours

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – For the past two years, Village Real Estate Services’ CityLiving Team has been reaching out to empty nesters, young couples, professionals, hipsters and the young-at-heart, and introducing them to downtown residential life through a series of unique lunchtime tours of lofts, condos and townhomes.   

These tours reinforce Village Real Estate Services’ commitment to the revitalization and preservation of Nashville’s urban core; its desire to build the urban resident population; and its quest to help create a sustainable, walkable, metropolitan area where Nashvillians can live, work, play and invest.

Nashville Downtown Partnership recently gave the Outstanding Achievement in Downtown Residential Development award to Mark Deutschmann, founder and CEO of Village Real Estate Services, for the CityLiving Lunch Tours.

“Mark is the leading expert in Nashville’s urban living and continues to foster the growth of our urban core through his knowledge and support of our mission,” said Tom Turner, president and CEO at the Nashville Downtown Partnership.  “The tours not only show Nashville’s residential options, they also help market growth in our urban core.” 

Village Real Estate’s CityLiving Team focuses on urban living within Nashville and offers a unique selection of lofts, condos and townhomes.  Deutschmann and his team, working with developers and others in the real estate industry, are revitalizing urban living in Nashville with residential options that include the Icon and Velocity in the Gulch, MC3 of East Nashville and The Lofts at Werthan Mills in Historic Germantown.

The CityLiving Lunch Tours introduce these residential options to the community and prospective residents while providing them access to experts in all aspects of property buying in a low- or no-pressure environment.

“Our tours are one of the best ways to discover the newest developments in our city and for the past two years it has been an opportunity to sample a property without feeling pressured. These tours are especially useful for those working in the downtown area and answers the question of what is available,” Deutschmann added. 

Tour participants see available floor plans and furnished and unfurnished units. A real estate expert leads the tours and explains amenities, floor plans, pricing and the number of available units.  The tours end with a catered lunch and the opportunity to ask CityLiving Realtors about specific properties. Properties recently toured include Rolling Mill Hill and the Icon in the Gulch and the MC3 development in East Nashville.

Laura Gifford, a Crieve Hall area resident, recently participated in the MC3 lunch tour because she “wanted to see options on urban living in Nashville, specifically the East Nashville neighborhood.”

Trevecca University urban studies professor Don Kintner often brings his students to look at new urban developments, using the lunchtime tour program as an extension of the classroom.

“I am glad to see these neighborhoods on the up-swing, being rehabilitated and reinvigorated,” Kintner said.

“Our focus is to foster the development of Nashville into THE up-and-coming urban area,” said Deutschmann. “Showing people the living options that exist and sharing the vision for downtown Nashville with them is one way to foster that development and create a vibrant and pulsating urban center.”

Upcoming CityLiving Lunch Tours include:
- 4th & Monroe in Historic Germantown, Oct. 24, Noon
- Resale Lofts & Condos in the Downtown Core, Nov. 7, Noon

For more information please visit www.nashvillecityliving.com, email CityLivingTeam@villagerealestate.com or call 615-279-7299.

About Village Real Estate Services
Village Real Estate Services, the premiere residential real estate resource in Nashville’s urban market, is a full-service agency committed to the vitality of Nashville's established neighborhoods. Established in 1996, Village Real Estate builds stronger, more progressive communities through comprehensive client services including buying, selling, relocation, lending, title and escrow. Village Real Estate has five locations in the Nashville area. For more information visit www.villagerealestate.com.

 

SMITH SECKMAN REID HIRES CLAUDIA AUTRY, ANDY NGUYEN AND KENNETH PALMER IN THE FIRM'S SOUTHWEST DIVISION

September 29, 2008

HOUSTON, Texas. – Sept. 24, 2008 – Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), an engineering design and facility consulting firm, has hired Claudia Autry as a senior project manager and senior electrical engineer, Andy Nguyen, P.E., as a senior electrical engineer and Kenneth Palmer as an electrical engineer in the firm’s Southwest division.

Autry will be responsible for the design of lighting systems, emergency power systems and power distribution for all health care related projects in the firm’s Houston office. Previously, she worked as an associate for Burns DeLatte McCoy. Autry holds a bachelor’s degree in architectural engineering from University of Texas at Austin and is also a LEED ® Accredited Professional.

Nguyen will be responsible for lighting system, emergency power system and power distribution design in the firm’s Dallas office. Prior to joining SSR, he worked as an associate for Meinhardt Consulting. Nguyen holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas in Dallas.

Palmer will be responsible for lighting system, emergency power system and power distribution design in the firm’s Houston office. Prior to joining SSR, he worked as an electrical engineer for Carter-Burgess in Fort Worth. Palmer holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Lamar University in Beaumont.

About Smith Seckman Reid, Inc.
Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. (SSR), headquartered in Nashville, Tenn., is an employee-owned engineering design and facility consulting firm with more than 500 employees in 12 offices across the United States. The firm provides a wide spectrum of consulting services related to building and infrastructure design, operation and management. SSR delivers services for facilities nationwide, including healthcare, education, science and technology, research, sports and entertainment, corrections, infrastructure, commercial and industrial clients. For more information about SSR, visit www.ssr-inc.com.

PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGN MUST FIT CLIENT'S OBJECTIVE

September 17, 2008

From The Tennessean, Sept. 9, 2008

http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080909/BUSINESS01/809090319/1003/BUSINESS

By Laura Copeland

When you step off the elevator on the 21st floor of the landmark skyscraper, the L&C Tower, a jaunty, eye-catching, metal sign hovers just above your head that points and states, "Walk this way." Creative direction: exactly what a client should expect when working with a public relations firm.

What else should a client expect when creating a successful PR campaign? Think fit (will you work well together) and process. I talked with Nancy DeKalb, partner with Katcher Vaughn & Bailey public relations (www.kvbpr.com and whose offices I described above) about how they work with clients in the health care and civic growth and development industries.

Fully understanding the client's interests is a critical first step. What the client desires for their target audience is pivotal to developing a strategy that will be successful, and we work to help them define that, DeKalb said.

At the outset, "we delve deeply to understand our clients' goals, business plans and audiences or markets they want to reach. We ask the right questions and listen well," DeKalb said.

What else should the client expect?

"First, we take a step back to begin the creative process of crafting the message for the target market and determine the best way to deliver it. We think about other groups and organizations with similar interests or audiences and decide if they might be appropriate partners for our client.

"It isn't simply implementing tools and tactics. It could be a focused business-to-business program versus one driven solely by media relations," she said.

Then those ideas are posed to ensure they align well with the client's objectives. The natural outcome derived from working closely this way should be a unique and goal-specific strategy that is ready for launch.

Think about resources

Clients should also think about how the agency's resources are aligned to support them. DeKalb shared how their teams are designed to support the specific industries they serve. It reduces the learning curve to understand the clients' needs and expectations. They also source new talent keeping the client's industry top of mind.

At the end, how do you measure success? DeKalb notes that depends on the program strategy of course, yet it can range from the number of media impressions citing the targeted message to any other measurable targets agreed upon with the client.

DeKalb pointed to one case study: BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee's WalkingWorks for Schools program designed to combat childhood obesity among Tennessee's elementary school children. The idea was to teach children the importance of exercise at an early age.

Measuring the number of schools participating each year and the program's expansion statewide is one of the client's targets. It is also important to continuously re-evaluate the program, making changes to increase its potential, in addition to monitoring results, DeKalb said.
 
Creative direction, fit, and process: it is a proven foundation designed to ensure successful results for clients.

Laura Copeland of Copeland Consulting, Inc., develops Sales Strategies for Firms on The Grow. She writes a column for The Tennessean on sales and marketing best practices. Contact her at laura@copelandconsultinginc.com.

 

VILLAGE REAL ESTATE LAUNCHES PROPERTY MANAGEMENT SERVICES FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL MARKETS

September 17, 2008

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Sept. 9, 2008 – Village Real Estate Services has launched a new division, Village Property Management (Village PM), to help residential property owners achieve higher property performance and profitability.

According to Mark Deutschmann, CEO of Village Real Estate Services, Village PM staff will work with developers, homeowners and investors of lofts, condos, town homes, and single-family homes to ensure their property is well managed to attract tenants and have a positive tenant retention.

“Village has 185 agents representing 64 percent of the urban market and they get daily requests for long-term and short-term rental properties,” said Deutschmann.  “Village PM complements our existing network of comprehensive client services and further establishes Village as the premier real estate resource in Nashville.”

For property owners, Village PM provides current market condition and pricing information with monthly updates, tenant screening contracts and other forms, vacancy control and property inspections.  Other services include rent collection, accounting, reporting and maintenance repair.  Village PM also provides a smart alternative to house sitters, including weekly walks/visits, lawn care, cleaning and bill paying.

Village PM’s licensed Realtors give renters research and access to the best homes and condos for rent in Middle Tennessee at the best price. Village PM offers a safe and secure Web site for paying rent and can monitor maintenance and repairs.

Sheena Buntyon is director of Village PM.  She has studied real estate trends across the country. Locally, she developed her passion and skills for property management while working with Freeman Webb Co. and then Giarrantana-Novare Group, working on such projects as The Virdian and the Bennie Dillon.  Buntyon is a member of the Institute of Real Estate Management, Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Tennessee Association of Realtors and National Association of Realtors and the Nashville Civic Design Center.  

“Village PM understands the market, the needs and the risks, and we know the landlords and tenants,” Buntyon said.  “All those elements combine to make Village PM a powerful resource that meets our clients’ property management needs.  No matter where our clients are, we’re here for them 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Located at 2206 21st Ave. S., Suite 200  in Nashville, Village PM currently manages 46 units including single-family homes, apartments and condos in the Davidson, Williamson and Wilson County area.  More information about Village PM can be found at www.vrespm.com.

About Village Real Estate Services
Village Real Estate Services, the premiere residential real estate resource in Nashville’s urban market, is a full-service agency committed to the vitality of Nashville's established neighborhoods. Established in 1996, Village Real Estate builds stronger, more progressive communities through comprehensive client services including buying, selling, relocation, lending, title and escrow. Village Real Estate has five locations in the Nashville area. For more information visit www.villagerealestate.com.

ARNOLD JOINS KVBPR AS ASSOCIATE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

August 28, 2008

Nicole Arnold has been named an associate account executive at KVBPR (Katcher Vaughn & Bailey Public Relations).

Arnold’s responsibilities include media relations and creative support for KVBPR’s health care and civic growth and development clients.

Prior to joining the firm, Arnold interned for FD Ireland, where she supported the business and financial consulting firm with media relations, event management and graphic design. 

Arnold holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from The University of Tennessee in Knoxville and is a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County.