Inside Memphis Business, Dec 17/Jan 18

!THE PHILANTHROPY ISSUE1 D EC 2 0 1 6 /J A N 2 0 1 7 | V O L U M E X I | N U M B E R 2 DEC 20 17 / JA N 20 18 | VOLUME XII | NUMBE R 2

CONVERSATIONS WITH

GAYLE ROSE A PHILOSOPHY OF GIVING

AND

RICHARD GADOMSKI GIVING BACK TO CBU

PLUS! YEAR IN REVIEW

HEALTHCARE THE OFFICE

UNITED WAY LEADERSHIP

RUBY BRIGHT EXIT INTERVIEW

VANCE BOYD

Supplement to Memphis magazine

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$2.3 BILLION

ADDED TO TENNESSEE’S ECONOMY

$84.3 MILLION

IN GRANT EXPENDITURES

3097

TOTAL STUDENTS

ENROLLED

100+

CLINICAL AND EDUCATIONAL

SITES ACROSS TENNESSEE

Patient Care | Professional Education Research

6

HEALTH CARE COLLEGES

Dentistry | Graduate Health Sciences Health Professions | Medicine Nursing | Pharmacy

4

FULL CLINICAL CAMPUSES Memphis | Chattanooga Knoxville | Nashville

1

MISSION:

TRANSFORM HEALTH CARE Education | Clinical Care Public Service | Research

uthsc.edu

!THE PHILANTHROPY ISSUE 1

DECEMBER 2017 / JANUARY 2018 VOLUME XII | NUMBER 2

feature

COLUMNS 6

FROM THE EDITOR ••• BY JON W. SPARKS

8

CREATIVE COMMUNICATION ••• BY ANDREA WILEY

10 F I N A N C E & I N V E S T M E N T ••• BY DAVID S. WADDELL

DEPARTMENTS 12 T H E H O T S H E E T 14 L E A D E R S H I P

Ruby Bright Executive director of the Women’s Foundation.

COVER PHOTOGRAPH: GAYLE ROSE BY LARRY KUZNIEWSKI

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••• B Y F R A N K M U R TAU G H

RICHARD GADOMSKI

18 E X I T I N T E R V I E W

Vance Boyd Three Decades of Good Taste

!1 Giving Back to the School That Changed His Life

••• BY SAMUEL X. CICCI

27 E C O N O M I C I M P A C T O F T H E A R T S

Elizabeth Rouse Executive director of ArtsMemphis.

••• B Y J O N W. S PA R K S

••• BY FREDRIC KOEPPEL

30 H E A L T H C A R E

2017 Year in Review ••• BY SAMUEL X. CICCI

48 S O C I A L S E R V I C E S

Meritan Health services nonprofit finds a new home in Downtown Memphis.

••• BY SAMUEL X. CICCI

50 C O M M U N I T Y P A R T N E R S H I P

RISE Foundation and International Paper.

••• B Y EMILY A DA M S K EPL IN GER

58 T H E C R Y S T A L A W A R D S

The city’s best philanthropists.

60 P O W E R P L A Y E R S

24

Banking Administration 62 T H E O F F I C E

GAYLE ROSE

Dr. Kenneth S. Robinson United Way of the Mid-South.

••• BY SAMUEL X. CICCI

!1 A Philosophy of Giving

64 F R O M T H E A R C H I V E S

The remarkable Mr. William R. Moore.

••• BY VANCE LAUDERDALE

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18

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••• B Y J O N W. S PA R K S

58

62

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DECEMBER 2017 / JANUARY 2018 | INSIDE MEMPHIS BUSINESS.COM |

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F R O M

T H E

E D I T O R

• • •

B Y

J O N

W.

S PA R K S

• • •

B Y

J O N

W.

S PA R K S

The Art of Giving

Philanthropy issue gives a salute to those who give back.

INSIDEMEMPHISBUSINESS.COM EDITOR

Jon W. Sparks

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Brian Groppe

MANAGING EDITOR

Frank Murtaugh

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Samuel X. Cicci

COPY EDITOR

Michael Finger

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

ADVERTISING ART DIRECTOR PRODUCTION OPERATIONS DIRECTOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS PHOTOGRAPHY

Kevin Dean, Emily Adams Keplinger, Fredric Koeppel, Vance Lauderdale, David S. Waddell, Andrea Wiley Christopher Myers Margie Neal Jeremiah Matthews, Bryan Rollins Brandon Dill, Larry Kuzniewski

PUBLISHED BY CONTEMPOR ARY MEDIA , INC .

PUBLISHER CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER EDITORIAL DIRECTOR SPECIAL PROJECTS DIRECTOR DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONTROLLER DIGITAL MANAGER SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER EMAIL MARKETING MANAGER DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

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IT DIRECTOR

Joseph Carey

ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT

Celeste Dixon

RECEPTIONIST

Kalena McKinney

Inside Memphis Business is published six times a year

by Contemporary Media, Inc., P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101 © 2017, telephone: 901-521-9000.

For subscription information, call 901-575-9470. All rights reserved.

Periodicals postage paid at Memphis, TN. Postmaster: send address changes to Inside Memphis Business, P.O. Box 1738, Memphis, TN 38101. Opinions and perspectives expressed in the magazine are those of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the views of the ownership or management.

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Headlines these days are wretched, bent as they are on screaming about mayhem, agony, and the worst of humanity. Perhaps now is a good time to pause as we near the season of goodwill and take a closer look at those souls who make their lives all about improving the human condition. This Inside Memphis Business is the annual philanthropy issue, where we celebrate those who give and share for the betterment of the community.

While our cover subjects take different approaches to their giving and involvement, both come from the notion that, if you’ve got it, share it.

Gayle Rose has been at the forefront of philanthropy and community involvement, from the effort to recruit the Grizzlies, to leading the Memphis Symphony Orchestra out of the wilderness, to co-founding the Women’s Foundation of Greater Memphis. Her interests are wide and her visibility is high.

In contrast, Dick Gadomski has, for decades, focused most of his philanthropic energy towards making Christian Brothers University an academic and community powerhouse. Ask anyone if they know who Gadomski is and they’re likely to furrow their brow and shrug their shoulders. Unless that person is connected with CBU. Their stories are both similar and different as can be. She was drawn to the arts at an early age and did well; he was a lousy student in high school — except for chemistry. She put aside a career as a professional clarinetist to pursue arts administration. He straightened up in college and became a versatile engineer.

Both are thinkers and entrepreneurs.

Both are humble about their philanthropy. Neither are soft touches. Both have been touched by tragedy and neither gave up.

This edition of IMB offers up a few other people you need to know.

The remarkable Ruby Bright, who has been at the helm of the Women’s Foundation since 2000, is highlighted in our Leadership feature by Frank Murtaugh.

Find out what’s going on at ArtsMemphis, an organization that both gives and receives, in Fredric Koeppel’s interview with executive director Elizabeth Rouse.

Few people know nonprofits as well as Kevin Dean, CEO of Momentum Nonprofit Partners, and he’ll tell you how they click.

You’ll also get a peek inside the offices at United Way, an interview with Meritan’s president/CEO Melanie Keller on the social service organization’s move Downtown, and a look at the community partnership between International Paper and the RISE Foundation.

There are good things going on in this world and don’t let the headlines dissuade you.

Dig Deep for Memphis A 2012 survey conducted by The Chronicle of Philanthropy ranked Memphis second in that magazine’s list of per-capita charitable contributions for America’s 50 most-populous metro areas. Memphisarea residents and businesses give over $700 million to charity annually.

Because of this, Inside Memphis Business in 2015 started working together with local companies to highlight the good work being done in our community. This is our “Dig Deep for Memphis” partnership program.

Over the past two years, we’ve matched

every advertising full page purchased by our partners with a donated page for the charitable organization of their choice.

We are very pleased with the “Dig Deep” program and look to expand it in the coming year. For further information, contact neill@contemporary-media.com.

As always, please join me in thanking our program partners — Triumph, FedEx, and Northwestern Mutual — for their support of philanthropy in the Mid-South, and their support for Inside Memphis Business in 2017. — Kenneth Neill

INSIDE MEMPHIS BUSINESS.COM | DECEMBER 2017 / JANUARY 2018

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A N D R E A

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Say “Thank You” Like You Mean It If an “average” person will work more than 90,000 hours over a lifetime, how many hours will an “exceptional” person work? And by exceptional, do we mean one who is exceptionally talented or one who bills an exceptional amount of hours? If an employer wants to attract employees in either category, they need to be creative in terms of incentives and recognition. What once were added benefits, are now differentiators that not only help attract and retain talent, but also set one company culture apart from another.

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It may be surprising to hear that the attorneys of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC, have “recess days,” and periodically, can be found playing kickball at Redbirds Stadium, on a ropes course in Shelby Farms, or playing WHAT DOES YOUR dodge ball at Envision COMPANY DO TO Fitness. The advertisers at Archer Malmo INCENTIVIZE AND receive a finder’s fee RECOGNIZE ITS upon the hire of a new PEOPLE? employee they referred along with a match of the fee when that employee reaches their first anniversary. And the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art gives a bi-yearly enrichment grant used for professional development to its deserving employees.

What does your company do to incentivize and recognize its people?

“I feel like we’re particularly good at work/ life balance and accommodating the needs of employees,” says Martha Hample, SVP, Director of Operations, Archer Malmo. “Some of those needs are met via daily lunch orders, fully stocked snacks and beverages, and a bike garage inside the office. But everyone’s favorite perk is bring your dog to work — every day if you want. For that matter bring your cat, hedgehog, child, or mother to work when necessary.”

Archer Malmo also offers unlimited personal time off, which has become common with companies, including Hemline Tailored Brand Strategies. “As long as the work is getting done on time and in a high-quality manner, we want you to go to your child’s school program or take time for a mammogram without having to worry about logging every hour or making up the time,” says Cynthia Saatkamp, owner and partner of Hemline.

Recognition for a job well done has not lost its luster, but it needs to be authentic and customized to the individual. Employee-ofthe-month type awards have grown stale and expected. Just because there is a recognition program in place does not mean that all of your employees will automatically feel as though their contributions are appreciated.

One of Saatkamp’s favorite recognition practices at Hemline is an old-fashioned show-and-

tell. “At our weekly staff meetings we start with kudos and atta-gals, by showing printed or digital applications that someone finished to much acclaim, but others in the office might not have seen. It puts everyone in a good frame of mind and reminds us all of the generous spirit that we share,” says Saatkamp.

Unexpected, informal recognition is important because it is about feeling special. It is hard to feel that way from a corporate program where everyone gets the same thing, like a five-year plaque. To be effective, recognition needs to come from those held in high regard, such as one’s manager.

Charles Gaushell, Chief Idea Architect, Paradigm Marketing & Creative, has found it invaluable to spend a dedicated hour per month, one-on-one with every employee. “We discuss whatever they want — anything is on the table. The goal in mind is personal development, whether it has anything to do with Paradigm or not, to encourage them as individuals and to truly understand their personal desires. If they want to focus on something to grow, I want to help them. I think they would tell you it is nice to know an employer cares about them beyond what the company can get out of them.”

Another way employers can encourage growth is by providing professional development opportunities. From attending conferences or workshops, enrolling in local leadership classes, or serving on boards, professional development training programs allow employees to connect with others, hone leadership skills, and prepare for positions of greater responsibility. But it can also help employers attract top job candidates, retain their best workers, and identify future leaders.

Incentives and recognition are most powerful when they are tied to desired behavior or performance. But no matter the form, or lack thereof, it sends a message to your employees about what the company values most. If your employees value their incentives and recognition, you will get better results.

Andrea Wiley is director of account management at DCA Creative Communications Consulting, and is an adjunct professor teaching advertising at the University of Memphis. She can be reached at awiley@dcamemphis.com.

INSIDE MEMPHIS BUSINESS.COM | DECEMBER 2017 / JANUARY 2018

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2016

project location size project type

Lansky’s Corporate Office Memphis, TN 4,417 sf Office - Renovation

100 Memphis, Peabody Place, Memphis, TN 38103 ••901.260.7370 • www.belzdesignbuild.com 100 Peabody Place, TN 38103 • 901.260.7370 www.belzconstruction.com

©Jeffrey Jacobs Photography

FI NA NCE & I N V ESTMENT

••• BY DAVID S. WADDELL

Give or Government?

TV Shows • Columns • Radio Show • Books • Podcast

The common denominator within (most Myanmar with a per capita GDP of $1,275 of) the responses, we came to learn, was the a year. Who is No. 2? The United States of America. theory of the public good. A public (social) good is a product or service paid for by Americans have significant resources and government that improves the quality of life offer them freely. In a recent month, 73 perfor its citizens. In theory, social goods and cent of us helped a stranger, 63 percent of services fill a void left by the private secus donated money, and 46 percent of us tor, which assumes that the profit-seeking volunteered for an organization. Americans private sector will not care for the weak, donated $360 billion to more than a million the poor, or the underprivileged; nor will charities last year. This reveals that averit build parks, conserve reage American households sources, or educate those donated $2 ,50 0 - $3 ,0 0 0 without ability to pay. and 26 hours of volunteer Also, the private sector time last year. Yet, while will not develop transAmericans are a generous portation infrastructure, lot, Memphians are more libraries, educational TV generous still. On average, programs, etc. Therefore, Memphis residents donated as the logic follows, we nearly twice as much as the need governmental benational average. So much nevolence to offset self-infor the cold self-interested economic man theory. terested malevolence. So how much government In Adam Smith’s lesser benevolence do we need? read compendium, The Well, that depends on your Theory of Moral Sentiments, view of how selfish we are he observes, “How selfish HOW MUCH GOVERNMENT as individuals. soever man may be supBENEVOLENCE DO WE NEED? posed, there are evidentEach year, the Charities Aid Foundation releases ly some principles in his WELL, THAT DEPENDS ON a survey of global philanwhich interest him YOUR VIEW OF HOW SELFISH nature, thropy titled “The World in the fortunes of others, WE ARE AS INDIVIDUALS. Giving Index.” This survey and render their happipolls citizens across 140 countries and asks ness necessary to him, though he derives them if, within the past month, they have nothing from it, except the pleasure of helped a stranger or someone they didn’t seeing it.” As Dr. Sharp taught me that know who needed help, donated any money day, the more you believe in the virtue to a charity, and volunteered their time to an of your fellow man, the less you believe organization. The responses might surprise in governmental expanse. Communism’s you classical economists: 51.4 percent of failure further punctuates that point. As humans, we give. As Americans, we give global citizens reported helping a stranger even more. As Memphians, we give more last month, 31.4 percent contributed capital, and 21.6 percent donated their time to an still. Should we be giving governments organization. less?

Interestingly, the aff luence of the nation David S. Waddell is CEO of Waddell and doesn’t determine its generosity. The top Associates. He has appeared in The Wall Street nation for helping a stranger? Iraq. The top Journal, Forbes, Business Week, and other nation for charitable giving? Myanmar. The local, national, and global resources. Visit wadtop nation for volunteerism? Turkmenistan. dellandassociates.com for more.

The most generous nation on the planet?

ILLUSTRATION BY N.L | DREAMSTIME

I remember my freshman economics class at Sewanee when Dr. Sharp asked us, “Why does government exist?” The hands rose quickly. “To provide defense!” True. “To enforce the law of the land!” True. “To build and maintain transportation lanes!” Also true. Answers fell fast and furiously until someone blurted, “To provide comedic material for late-night talkshow hosts!” Polls closed.

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Bob Nolan makes customer service his way of life.

He made consumer satisfaction the driving force of his company.

Bob needed a financial ally who could help his business grow while continuing to deliver an unparalleled experience for customers.

See Bob’s story at my.triumphbank.com

The My Triumph campaign exists to spotlight everyday people fulfilling their dreams.

These are our customers, and these are their stories of triumph. What’s your triumph?

The HOT Sheet Advancement Dr. Robert McDonald joined Memphis Veterinary Services as a specialist in internal medicine.

April Steele joined Southern Growth Studio as an applied anthropologist.

Vaco Memphis hired Brandon Musso as director of business development for its logistics division.

Guiding Point Financial added Jerry “Bud” Milligan as a financial advisor.

Hagwood Adelman Tipton hired Michael T. Goodin as managing attorney.

Southern Airways promoted Mark Cestari to chief commercial officer.

Pinnacle Financial Partners added Sean Henneberger to bolster its small business administration team.

Lehman-Roberts Co. hired Adrian Barnhill as the company’s first vice president of people.

Obsidian PR hired former intern Taylor McKinney as an account assistant.

Cindy Perry joined Financial Federal Bank as vice president of deposit services.

Vaco Memphis added Sydney Naylor, Laughlin Tagg, and Amber Barron to its general staffing and business development teams.

Campbell Clinic added Dr.’s Michael C. Ford (total joint replacement specialist), Benjamin W. Sheffer (pediatric orthopaedic surgeon), and Tyler J. Brolin (shoulder and elbow specialist) to its staff.

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West Cancer Center added Dr. Eric Reiner as its first director of oncological radiation for the Diagnostic and Interventional Radiation department.

Appointment Leigh Ann Pickup, assistant professor at University of Tennessee Health Science Center, was selected as a Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. Assistant professor Thaddeus Wilson was elected as a Fellow of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Fortune and research partner Great Place to Work named Pinnacle one of the “Best Workplaces for Women.”

Super Lawyers named Shea Moskovitz & McGhee attorney Leigh-Taylor White a Rising Star.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee recognized Saint Francis Hospital with a Blue Distinction Center Plus designation in the area of bariatric surgery.

Varsity Spirit named Bill Seely as its new president.

Orion Federal Credit Union’s 821 Poplar location received silver certification through the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building program.

Jenness Roth, family disability training coordinator at UTHSC, was appointed to Governor Bill Haslam’s Tennessee Council on Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, LLP’s Robert E. Craddock Jr. was recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers.

Junior League of Memphis’ Leah Fox-Greenberg was appointed to the National Association of Nonprofit Organizations and Executives’ 2018 board of governors.

Littler shareholders Jonathan Kaplan and Paul Prather have been recognized in the 2017 edition of Who’s Who Legal.

University of Tennessee Health Science Center named Stephen E. Alway dean of the college of health professions.

Harkavy Shainberg Kaplan & Dunstan, PLC, named Derek E. Whitlock a member of the firm.

Dr. Fred Azar, Campbell Clinic’s chief of staff, has been appointed as treasurer of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Leslie Smith, president and CEO of EPIcenter, was appointed to the Center for American Entrepreneurship board of directors.

Awards Two Lehman-Roberts Co. plants in Mississippi received the Diamond Achievement Commendation from the National Asphalt Pavement Association.

Brian Wood, head golf professional for Memphis National Golf Club, recently qualified for the PGA Professionals Championship.

Saint Francis Hospital CEO Audrey Gregory received the Tennessee Hospital Association’s Diversity Champion Award.

The UTHSC College of Pharmacy received the 2017 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.

Inked Youth Villages partnered with HealthyHere to provide a mobile medical clinic to employees.

Pinnacle Financial Partners grew its deposit market share by 67 percent in Memphis over the past year.

The UTHSC College of Pharmacy has initiated a faculty and staff endowed scholarship.

Campbell Clinic announced a collaboration with Rendina Healthcare Real Estate on plans to construct a new facility on its Germantown campus.

INSIDE MEMPHIS BUSINESS.COM | DECEMBER 2017 / JANUARY 2018

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Ruby Bright

Making a Difference One Woman At a Time

Ruby Bright

• • •

B Y

F R A N K

M U R TA U G H

It’s as though her name were crafted precisely for her mission at hand. As executive director of the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis, Ruby Bright is indeed seeking new light — in all its shapes, forms, and meanings — for Memphians in need, most particularly women and children. For 17 years, Bright has steered the nonprofit organization toward meaningful impact as measured, she insists, one woman at a time.

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“I believe in developing people,” says Bright, “because I was developed. When you help a woman, she receives a sense of giving back. But nothing comes without working hard.”

The second of eight siblings, Bright grew up in Byhalia, Mississippi, with the twin pillars of academics and faith stabilizing her youth. (To this day, she attends the same church she did as a child, St. Paul Missionary Baptist.) Her parents, Ferl and Annie Saulsberry, emphasized a bigger world to explore, encouraging Bright’s creative thinking and the notion of ideas followed by action. When, during high school, Bright noticed a park where black children weren’t allowed to play, her dad listened to the complaint and said, “Build a park. Make it happen.” Bright organized a group of fund-raisers a few years later and saw that park built.

“I had ideas,” says Bright. “I wanted to create things that were different. My father wanted us to strive to be the best. He pushed us to take responsibility, to understand the importance of community. My mother was a very nurturing parent. She wanted us to know that our spiritual being is important. They were very strict, very protective. We only did things that they considered age-appropriate.”

Bright graduated from Byhalia High School, having been transferred there (from Henry High School) for her final semester in 1970 when the school first integrated. She took her first job at a nursing home where her mom worked, but gained career traction in the late Seventies at Dave Williams Printing, under the guidance of the company’s owner, Mary Lou Frye. Bright was first tasked with teaching other employees how to run a printing press — “I wasn’t afraid of machines,” she says — and gradually rose to a position of authority.

“Mary Lou saw my potential,” says Bright.

“She taught me all she knew about the company. In three years, I became executive manager of the company.” Frye fit the model of mentor established by Bright’s parents, only from a different background. “She wanted me to reach my full potential,” notes Bright.

“I had a big responsibility. She taught me about customer service, marketing, how to communicate with people. She understood I’d be challenged as an African-American woman, because she’d been challenged as a white woman.”

Frye died of cancer in 1985, but a board membership she held with Junior Achievement proved to be a transitional bridge for Bright’s continued rise. Bright had volunteered with the organization, helping children better understand business, free enterprise, and — echoing Frye’s influence on

PHOTOGRAPH BY LARRY KUZNIEWSKI

L E A D E R S H I P

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her — the impact they could make as future professionals. “I learned how to raise money,” says Bright.

Fund-raising is a form of leadership unto itself, a skill Bright has now cultivated for more than 30 years. “It’s relational,” emphasizes Bright. “You’ve got to believe in what you’re asking for. Be able to connect. If you believe in it, I trust you with my money and resources. It’s not easy. You have to be able to hear ‘no,’ but also understand what ‘no’ means. ‘No’ means ‘not now.’ I’ve never asked for money [for a cause] that I didn’t give first.

It’s connecting a cause to people’s passion.”

Bright took a marketing job with Junior Achievement shortly after Frye’s death and served 15 years with the organization, including four years (1996-2000) as president and CEO of Junior Achievement Kansas City. When the youngest of Bright’s three children graduated from high school in 1996, she established a goal of becoming a chief executive. She traveled to Washington, D.C., to interview for the top job at that city’s Junior Achievement affiliate.

And it didn’t go well. Bright collected herself, sharpened the scope of her goal, and told herself she would leave her next interview proud of herself and her presentation. After a series of interviews in Kansas City, she landed that executive position.

“YOU’VE GOT TO BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU’RE ASKING FOR. BE ABLE TO CONNECT.” Her years in the City of Fountains opened Bright’s eyes to the arts and culture, and not just in western Missouri. “There’s more money in Kansas City, but I came to appreciate Memphis so much more, for what it has in the arts,” says Bright. “I’d never been to a ballet or symphony; you have to have a social network as well as a business network.”

The Women’s Foundation — founded in 1995 by a group led by Mertie Buckman — cast a nationwide net for a new director in 2000, and Bright answered what amounts to a call home. Seventeen years later, she smiles when asked how much has changed, a woman having won the popular vote for president, but sexual assault still a too-frequent news item. “The mission has remained the same,” says Bright, “helping low-income women become self-sufficient, breaking the cycle of poverty. Engaging women, lifting leadership.

I’m really proud of establishing the Legends Award [in 2009], which recognizes women who have made major contributions.”

Bright traveled back to D.C. in 2015, this time to meet with President Barack Obama (no interview required this time). The gathering was in support of the White House Council on Women and Girls and afforded Bright the opportunity to share — in the Oval DECEMBER 2017 / JANUARY 2018 | INSIDE MEMPHIS BUSINESS.COM |

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THIS IS WHAT A MULTI-ASSET PORTFOLIO LOOKS LIKE IN REAL LIFE...

Office — her perspective on empowering women. Among the women she considers most influential are civil rights leaders Dr. Dorothy Height and Maxine Smith.

“I got to sit in a room and listen to [Dr. Height], and that was an enormous impact on me,” says Bright. “She was a self-confident woman, very thoughtful. Nobility was the word I associate with her. She loved her friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt. She had vision.

“Maxine had courage that I haven’t developed. She was an advocate for community and she spoke up and spoke out. I got to see her

“I LOOK FOR POTENTIAL AND EXPERTISE, PEOPLE WHO ARE ENERGETIC. AND THEIR INTEREST MUST BE BEYOND MONEY.”

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as a negotiator; she wanted everybody in the room to win. I admired that. She connected with a diverse group of people. She gained respect without having to demand it.”

When it comes to her own leadership style, Bright describes herself as a “tough but fair manager.” The Women’s Foundation has a small staff (nine full-time employees), and Bright expects those she hires to bring vision beyond their current jobs. “I have high standards,” she notes. “I push people to be creative. ‘What do you want to become?’ I look for potential and expertise, people who are energetic. And their interest must be beyond money.”

Bright and her husband, Al, have been married more than 40 years. They have grandchildren exploring their futures, choosing leaders to follow, and measuring a larger world to explore. “I want to help people fulfill their potential,” says Bright. “A leader has to be able to make a decision at a critical moment, and take responsibility for their team. Leadership can be developed. The energy when we bring women together is still amazing to me.”

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E X I T

I N T E R V I E W

A Matter of Taste

Jeweler and designer Vance Boyd hangs it up after three generations of good taste.

B Y

S A M U E L

X .

C I C C I

Once he got into his groove, nothing could deter Vance Boyd from appreciating some of the finer things in life. Not being drafted into the military, not a robbery, and not health problems. Through it all, Boyd maintained his position as either a premier jeweler or designer for many of his Memphis clients for almost three generations. At the age of 87, and after 70 years of work, Boyd is finally ready to call it a day. But some of his clients aren’t so prepared to let him go. “I’ve announced I’m retiring,” says Boyd, “but nobody believes me! People have come up, but they’ve said ‘I won’t congratulate you, because I don’t think you’re going to quit.’”

Whether it’s denial, or simply an appreciation of his work over the years, many of Boyd’s clients don’t want to see him go.

After all, he’s been helping Memphians pick out exquisite jewelry and antiques for a long time, and has developed a taste and

eye for quality that others can only envy.

At the age of 18, he answered an employment ad for Brodnax Jewelry Company and held almost every concievable position the company had. However, the most impressionable job was in the

receiving department, where he would unbox all the jewelry that shipped into the store. “Unpacking those boxes, it was like Christmas every day,” says Boyd.

After a long career with Broadnax, Boyd struck out on his own and opened Vance Boyd & Son Fine Jewelers in Clark Tower.

Throughout 20 years running his own business, which involved relocating to Park Place Mall and opening a sister store at The Peabody, Boyd cultivated close relationships with many of his customers. To many, he was even a friend and confidant. Good taste, combined with a deep connection to his clients, really allowed Boyd to select the perfect jewelry for each individual.

Once finished with jewelry, Boyd opened up Vance Boyd Antiques & Collectibles on the corner of Cooper and Union. There, he continued to cultivate close relationships with the majority of his clients while finding enjoyment in the decoration of people’s homes.

Now that retirement is on the horizon, Boyd has recently discovered his passion for painting. A sun room in his home acts as the perfect studio where he can continue sharing his good aesthetic taste, this time on the canvas.

IMB: Trends and style are always changing; how has the landscape changed ever since you started?

VA N C E B OY D : In the jewelry scene, it’s changed immensely. Many small items were popular, like jewelry earrings. The trends switched to larger items, but then it swung back to smaller pieces again. The thing is, so many of the styles come back, like clothing.

If you hold on to something for enough years, you can bring it out and everyone thinks you just bought it, as it’s back in style again. People who buy really expensive clothes keep most of them. After 20 years, you can start wearing it again. Sometimes there’s a little difference when styles come back, but most times it’s almost identical.

Vance Boyd relaxes in his home off Poplar Avenue.

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Would you say the same thing regarding interior design?

V B : Colors come and go. Colors are forever, but some are more popular than others during certain years. There are times when people paint their rooms red or forest green, maybe olive green. I can

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY VANCE BOYD

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remember in the 1950s when I moved into a house, we had to have an olive green refrigerator and stove. Olive green was big in decorating, but I haven’t seen that around for a while. Colors do come and go, and some don’t come back at all. Now, the trend is no color, but it’s about to leave again already. For the last couple of years, everything was beige and grey, tone on tone. People just weren’t putting up colorful draperies and upholstery. People are getting tired of it quickly. Most people do like color, but that is just the trend right now, everything looking very neutral.

Did you ever find it difficult to keep up with changing trends?

V B : I never did. For some things, like antiques, you have to realize that they never go out of style. Some of them have been around for as long as you can remember.

Fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth century — many of these antiques have been around for many years, so they don’t go out of style.

Trends will come in, take over for a little bit, but it never stops the traditional style. Many people are wise enough to know that if you buy a traditional piece, that piece is forever.

However, there’s another way to approach it.

Some people don’t want antiques all over their house, but my taste is more eclectic. I like to mix some antiques with a few new things, and also a dash of other accessories. I’d love to throw in a real modern sort of coffee table, with a glass top and fine brass legs. It’s good to have a touch of modern with the antiques. It makes your home more interesting, and it makes you look at everything. If you have everything in just one style, say all English or all French, you see the room, but you don’t really see all of the individual items.

Have you ever had to change the way you did business, or has that personal connection to your customers always been effective?

V B : No, I’ve been personable all my life.

I think two things helped me with my career. It was very obvious I was an honest, sincere person, and I really cared about whether they were getting the right piece.

I didn’t just go for the sale and claim that something looked fabulous if it didn’t.

People recognized that I was that way.

I think honesty and taste were crucial.

If you look at the books on how to be a great salesman, I’m not in them. I could never have sold cars or insurance; I think you have to be a great salesman for those.

I think I could sell homes, or clothing, because they are beautiful. I get excited over everything I sell, and that excitement transfers to my customers. That, along with my honest look and their trust, is what has made me so successful.

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY CBU

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!THE PHILANTHROPY ISSUE 1

RICHARD GADOMSKI ! Giving Back to the School that Changed His Life 1

an engineering and chemistry major — and this really made me into an engineer,” he says.

“I got to do whole processes and that turned me on as an engineer.”

When his father-in-law died, Gadomski felt a change of scenery was important to him and his family. He took a job with BASF Corporation in Germany as an instrument engineer. Then they needed people to do process work, so he became a process engineer.

That led in 1974 to a phone call from a former classmate who said, “Cargill wants to build a plant in Memphis. You know how to do young man’s life to come. this stuff, don’t you? Come down and make Even with some academic bumps at CBC, a pitch for us.”

Gadomski loved being there. “It’s a small Gadomski went but with little hope of sucschool where I lived in an extended family cess. “I said, ‘These guys are never gonna give environment,” he says. “It was all boys at the a grassroots plant to a green engineering time, and we all hung out together. Whether company.’ I made the pitch, and they gave us you were a freshman or a senior it didn’t make the job on the spot, and I could not believe it.” any difference. I got involved on the student That enterprise, a $50 million corn processing newspaper as a freshman. Sophomore year plant, became Process Systems Incorporated I was working on planning student parties.

(PSI) and he ran it until 2001.

Junior year I was a class officer. Junior and The new job also provided an important senior years I was involved and became presreconnection with his city and his alma mater. “I got a hamburger and ident of the student chapter an order of fries, and I was of the American Chemical “I make my money Society.” He also chaired the sitting on the stairs at the here. I’m going to athletic program for the inadministration building at support the commutramural program, arranging CBU, and I realized, ‘I’m for teams and coaches, and home.’” nity here. I expectlearned an indelible lesson: Gadomski got more ed everybody to be “If you get volunteers to do involved, first with the things, you must have some Alumni Association thanks involved and I emmanagement ability. When I to Lance Forsdick, anothpowered people and came out of there I felt like my er alumnus who has long encouraged them.” mind was like a steel trap, it been involved in Christian was so quick.”

Brothers University and He also came out of CBC in 1962 with a new who groomed him to take his place. “I chaired wife. He’d met Dolores Sabbatini, a student alumni fundraising for five years,” he says. I at CBC’s sister school, Siena College, and he had a co-chair, and together we organized credits her with pushing him to be serious alumni fundraising at CBU. Then Lance about life. got me on the board, because he’d become From there, Gadomski took on a series of chairman of the board and he groomed me jobs, each one giving him invaluable knowlto take his place there. I arrived here in 1974 edge and abilities that would launch him into and by 1984 I was chairman of the board of a rising career and simultaneously providing Christian Brothers University. I’ve had three board terms, a total of 28 years. The Brothers him with philanthropic expertise. Out of colcontinue to change my life.” lege he became a rocket scientist, going into The story of his philosophy of philanthrothe aerospace industry at North American Aviation, and realized he could compete with py begins with his parents, both of whom anybody because of his education. In the late worked and although they weren’t rich, they 1960s, he returned to Memphis and got a job were giving. That and his work ethic carried with Humko, a division of Kraft that made over into his enterprises. “I ran a business and vegetable oil. “I was into chemicals — I was we were always philanthropic; it just came

Sometimes, the exercise of philanthropy is rooted in a very simple concept: “Thank you.”

For Dick Gadomski, it’s summed up this way: “Christian Brothers changed my life, it’s as simple as that.”

When he arrived at then Christian Brothers College in the late 1950s, there wasn’t much, at first glance, that would give much hope. He was an inner-city kid from Chicago and neither of his parents graduated from high school. He got, as he says, the good fortune to go to a parochial grammar school and then a Christian Brothers high school. But he graduated with only a 1.98 average, less than a C. “I didn’t care about school,” Gadomski says, who worked 32 hours a week during his junior and senior years. “And I didn’t think I was college material.” But his homeroom teacher thought otherwise and convinced him to go to CBC. “I studied more my first semester of my freshman year in college than I studied in four years in high school,” he says, “and actually passed everything.”

You might think it was a clean launch to a stellar academic experience and his subsequent entrepreneurial career — but no.

“Then, I was a wise guy,” he admits with a trace of embarrassment. “I thought I knew everything and started cutting classes. CBU allowed me to take 14 hours over again the next semester.”

There was always someone who saw something in the youngster. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without three Christian Brothers being in my life,” Gadomski says. “The first one was Brother Philip Hogan, a chemistry teacher in high school. He made chemistry fun and exciting, a fabulous teacher. We would goof off in class and he would throw erasers at us, saying, ‘OK, Gadomski, we’re gonna make chlorine this afternoon and I’m gonna use the exhaust system.’ You’d have tears coming down your eyes making chlorine in a lab. He was my favorite teacher.”

The homeroom teacher — the one who convinced Gadomski to go to Memphis — was Cyprian Moriarty, a Christian Brothers High School graduate from Memphis.

Gadomski almost blew it though. “I earned a trip my senior year in Chicago,” he says. “I got a bottle of scotch with six of my roommates, and got caught.” Weeks before graduation and Brother Cyprian recommended kicking him out. But the principal, Brother L. Paul McGinnis, decided that forgiveness was the way to go. Three Brothers who all shaped the

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out of me,” Gadomski says. “I make my money here, I’m going to support the community here.” And he made sure his employees were involved. When he would do fundraising at the corporate level, “50 percent of what we did I picked out what we’re going to do and the other 50 percent the employees picked out. We got involved in all kinds of different things and when you looked at our results, we were in the top 10 givers to the community on a per employee basis. I expected everybody to be involved and I empowered people and encouraged them.”

In 1998, Gadomski sold PSI to the German conglomerate Lurgi. He was to stay on another five years but soon after the sale, his wife Dolores was diagnosed with cancer. After she died in 2000, “I asked to bail out,” he says, “because I was a mess and I didn’t even want to work, I just wanted to reboot.” He left in 2001 and got his life back in order. “I ended up meeting my current wife, Florence Smith,

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Dick Gadomski credits his wife Florence for being an invaluable partner in his philanthropic endeavors at Christian Brothers University as well as with other organizations, including the Community Foundation.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY CBU

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and now have been focused on philanthropy, getting up every day and asking, ‘What can I do good for CBU?’” He was involved in hiring all of the presidents since Brother Theodore Drahmann, “so from 1980 to now I’ve been on all the presidential searches.” Although, he says, not next time. “Younger people need to be doing this stuff.”

Gadomski can rattle off CBU’s achievements, starting with the current president, Brother John Smarrelli Jr. “Everybody knows CBU today because of John,” he says. “He’s on about eight different boards. He’s had vision, and our university’s growing, but we’re up almost 30 percent in enrollment the last three years, we have new programs, and we’ve done exciting things to help the community.”

Those successes include giving life to the Maxine Smith STEAM Academy (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) across from CBU at the old Fairview Middle School, and then the Middle College High School, both closely entwined with CBU. That success has led to a teaching facility at Crosstown where there will be a new high school.

Also, Collierville Schools and CBU are developing a partnership with IBM to implement a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,

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Math) education program for K-12.

Gadomski has also been involved in the March of Dimes, Youth Villages, United Way, Church of the Holy Spirit, and a variety of youth sports programs.

His biggest passion, though, is reflected in the name of the Gadomski School of Engineering. “I’m excited about CBU because we’ve got a fabulous reputation in engineering. Because this has been our starting point as a school, we’ve built ourselves on engineering,” he says. “But we’ve got now a real strong science and pre-med program and we’ve got one of the highest acceptance rates in the region for med school.” Like a proud father, he’ll give you the statistics on how well the school is doing.

“I find that my interests are to keep the Brothers reputation going, and make this School of Engineering the best it could be,” he says. “I work with a great leader, Dr. Siripong Malasri, who heads up the School of Engineering and is just a dynamic dean. He’s the most visionary, most entrepreneurial, he’s

Gadomski’s current passion is CBU’s ambitious capital campaign, called Faith In Progress: The Campaign for Advancing Education.

always got ideas. I love people with ideas, so my job is to fund his dreams.”

Gadomski’s current passion is CBU’s ambitious capital campaign, called Faith In Progress: The Campaign for Advancing Education. It started in 2015 and in making plans, he thought they’d need $39 million although he was concerned that was a bit too ambitious. CBU hired a consultant who did the research and reported back. “He said, ‘We think we can raise $70 million.’ I about fell off my chair.” How’s it going so far? The transformative campaign has about four years to go and according to projections, “When we announced the campaign, we said we’d be at $47 million now,” Gadomski says. “And we’re at $47 million.”

As the campaign goes full speed ahead, the board is figuring the priorities, but among them are additions to enhance student life.

“There’s a modification of a library for that purpose, there’s an engineering laboratory project because of the growth of the engineering school, then there’s possibly a visitor’s center,” Gadomski says.

Whew.

It’s a full plate and the thoughtful philanthropist continues to dig in. And that’s how you say “Thank You” when somebody changes your life.

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Richard T.Gadomski • christian brothers college class of 1962, bachelor of science in chemical engineering • • trustee emeritus & former board chairman • school of engineering advisory board • • faith in progress capital campaign co-chair •

• valued friend and generous benefactor • DECEMBER 2017 / JANUARY 2018 | INSIDE MEMPHIS BUSINESS.COM |

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Flanking Gayle Rose are Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale and his wife Natasha Sen-Fizdale. They were attending last year’s Soulfull Memphis Operation Food Basket.

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!THE PHILANTHROPY ISSUE1

GAYLE ROSE ! A Philosophy of Giving 1

it meant and how effectively private philanthropy could really move the needle. “When it doesn’t over time, it’s caused me to step back and think and study and read and wonder why,” she says. “What is really impactful, and what isn’t?”

A couple of Rose’s most notable efforts have been in helping recruit the Grizzlies to come to Memphis and leading the effort to save the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.

She took on the task of getting the Grizzlies in a way that helped me be acquainted with, to come to town because she felt it would bring and really interested in, what’s happening for together the community. Rose is not an owner, about half of our population that is suffering.” although some people think she is. “I didn’t Rose has a philanthropist’s heart and mind. do it for ownership, I didn’t do it for pay,” she says. “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever She is humble and ever willing to listen and done, the leadership challenge, because it was learn. At the same time, she thinks with a so public and it was controversial, and we had macro vision and purposefulness, knowing after decades of involvement in many levels to lead it through three different bodies of of Memphis life the art of the possible and government to get the FedExForum built and how to achieve it. amass the investment capital.”

I served on the board She is, for example, a It took, Rose says, a huge co-founder of the Womteam, including Pitt and of LeMoyne-Owen en’s Foundation of Greater Barbara Hyde, Staley Cates, College for about 15 Memphis. Rose knew that and FedEx. “But there had to most people who live in be sort of a point and a face years, and that really poverty are women and chilperson that was interacting helped ground me in dren, and she remembered a with all these bodies, and some of the issues in especially the media,” she talk she’d heard by a faculty member at Harvard, econosays, “and that was the role I our community. mist and philospher Amaplayed. It was really a philanrtya Sen. “He said, ‘If you want to strengthen thropic effort for Memphis, and I still believe a community, you strengthen its women, and that it’s good for Memphis.” you empower them,’ and that’s a real developHer labor for the MSO is “a call of my soul.” ment from an economist’s perspective. It’s a Rose was approached in 2011 when the symdevelopment strategy, not necessarily a femphony was in trouble. “It’s not just because it’s inist idea, but an economic policy.” pretty concerts for pretty people,” she says, In helping form the Women’s Foundation, “but I believe that music is transformative in the realization was that organizations servpeople’s lives. The Memphis Symphony is a ing women were underfunded compared to leader in the country in coaching, teaching, groups that serve men and boys. “And that was and mentoring kids, and all our musicians are a result of who controlled the checkbook for teaching, almost all in the community. It also centuries,” she says. “Women really were comintersects with my social justice passion that I ing into the workplace and the wealth transfer think artists who play a role in transforming a community are undervalued.” to women was occurring. But women were probably ill-equipped to think about and make It’s been a long and hard journey. “But I decisions about philanthropy outside of maybe think we’re just arriving at the place where donating to their churches. We spent a great my succession is starting to be discussed, and deal of time educating a very diverse group led by me.” She says it’s on the road to stability of women leaders in Memphis, to think about with the new leadership of music director themselves as philanthropists controlling their Robert Moody and CEO Peter Abell. The own interests financially, and that you don’t move to be headquartered at the University have to have millions to be impactful.” of Memphis was something that cut costs As Rose got increasingly involved in and expanded resources at the same time. philanthropy, she looked deeply into what “It’s getting exciting programming, relevant

When Gayle Rose first picked up a clarinet at age 7, little did she know it would lead her to become a virtuoso — in philanthropy.

She got to be quite good on the licorice stick, graduating with a degree in music from the University of Northern Iowa and playing professionally before and after she arrived in Memphis in 1979. She loved music specifically and the arts in general, which led to her being recruited by Sally Thomason, executive director of the Memphis Arts Council, to be second in charge at the nonprofit united fund for the arts (now ArtsMemphis).

Rose stayed about five years, a time of impressive growth for the agency. “It got me exposed to the role of arts in a city the size of Memphis,” she says. That included learning who the players were, how to deal with business and government, why people valued the arts, and how it all played a role in the community. “Since I was a musician myself, and I was playing on the side, it all made sense for me to be in arts administration,” she says.

Rose left in 1984 to get a masters degree in public administration at Harvard University. She also had met Mike Rose, the CEO and chairman of the former Holiday Corp., and they married in 1985. It was also a marriage into wealth, which put her firmly on the path to philanthropy. “When I came back to Memphis from Harvard, and Mike and I were newly married and navigating what my career was going to be with the demands of being the wife of an international CEO, we decided to formalize our philanthropy and create a foundation that I would run.”

She remains as Chairman of the Rose Family Foundations private charity. And she is founder and CEO of EVS Corporation, a tech firm. She was previously CEO for a firm associated with physician and self-help author Deepak Chopra and was managing director with the Memphis office of financial services group Heritage Capital Advisors LLC. The beginning of her philanthropic career was marked, she admits, with some naïvete.

“But then I did what I knew, which was really wanting to support education and the arts, and that’s where we focused,” she says.

“And as I matured a little bit into that, I became very aware of some of the real issues in Memphis in general, the issues of poverty, the social issues that the city was having. I had no idea how to approach any of that. I served on the board of LeMoyne-Owen College for about 15 years, and that really helped ground me in some of the issues in our community

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programming, leadership that reflects our community, and being an invaluable piece of the fabric of our community,” Rose says.

If there’s one philanthropic effort that has consumed Rose, it is Team Max. In 2009, her middle son, Max, was killed in an automobile accident at age 19. She was shattered. But she began to develop an idea rooted not only in her own dedication to philanthropy but in Max’s activism. “My son was very interested in giving back and being engaged at what I call the street level. It’s comfortable here sitting in my beautiful office writing checks to organizations, but he wanted to be on the ground, touching and seeing and looking in the eyes of the children, and the people living in the disinvested neighborhoods. He did that by working at Streets Ministries, serving at Union Mission, teaching English as a second language at Hickory Hill to Hispanic children.”

What Rose realized was that Max’s friends loved him so much that they wanted to continue that. She was talking with one of his

best friends and she understood that the young people had the impulse and desire, but couldn’t easily devote themselves to doing good. After all, they have school, jobs, and other activities. So how to make it work?

“Team Max was always going to be informal and loose, because kids like that,” she says. “It was going to require little other than showing up and serving.”

For Rose, it was a way to introduce young people to organizations doing ground-level work, such as the Memphis Food Bank. “Then there were other opportunities that didn’t require engagement with those organizations,” she says. “It’s just literally looking in a newspaper and seeing some need, whether we responded to the earthquake in Haiti, or tornadoes, or calls that the Union Mission might need socks and shaving kits.”

It is, she says, very much about teaching how easy it is. “You provide volunteer opportunities that say, ‘Come at 9 a.m., you’ll be done at 11 a.m., you can go on with your life.’ Maybe out of that pool, there’ll be somebody else whose lives were awakened by that incredible need out there.” There’s a busy day every December when Team Max holds contin u ed on page 51

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A R T S

E C O N O M Y

Do We Love the Arts?

PHOTOGRAPH BY BRANDON DILL

ArtsMemphis Counts the Ways

Elizabeth Rouse

• • •

B Y

F R E D R I C

K O E P P E L

There’s a hopeful attitude among nonprofit arts organizations that the spectrum of visual and performing arts brings not only cultural but economic advantages to a community. That’s a primary reason, also hopeful, that public and corporate sponsors and donors are willing to contribute to local arts organizations. It’s all part of the optimism of the arts, the belief that the economic good that accrues spreads out through a city like waves on a pond.

It turns out that these assumptions are true.

A nationwide study called Arts and Economic Prosperity “V,” conducted by Americans for the Arts, a nonprofit group headquartered in Washington, D.C., concluded, in a report released at the end of August,

that nationwide, nonprofit arts patrons spent $102.5 billion during 2015. And not just on tickets, but on parking, preevent dining and shopping, babysitting, and other activities with a direct connection to their attendance at arts events.

In 2015, this spending supported

2.3 million jobs across America, provided $46.6 billion in household income, and generated $15.7 billion in total government revenue.

For Shelby County, also for 2015, nonprofit arts and culture collectively propelled $197.3 million in spending. That figure is equivalent to 6,138 full-time jobs and generated $22.4 million in revenue for local and state governments. Altogether, arts and culture in Shelby County amount to the area’s second largest attraction, the first being the Beale Street Historic District.

The Tennessee Arts Commission provided statewide

oversight for the study, and ArtsMemphis served as the Commission’s primary partner in West Tennessee. Overall, the project involved 14,439 arts organizations across the country, including more than 600 in the Volunteer State.

“The biggest way this study helps our efforts,” says Elizabeth Rouse, president and CEO of ArtsMemphis, “is that it puts actual numbers on paper with real value propositions. If we look at the nonprofit sector, the study reveals that more than 6,000 equivalent full-time jobs are arts-supported. If the nonprofit sector were like a private organization headquartered

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Elizabeth Rouse: More than 6,000 equivalent full-time jobs are arts-supported. If the non-profit sector were like a private organization headquartered in Memphis, we would be the city’s second largest employer.

in Memphis, we would be the city’s second largest employer.

The creative economy is part of the city’s DNA and part of its history.”

Rouse has been with ArtsMemphis since 2006, serving first as chief development officer, then, in 2013 and 2014, as chief operating officer, and since 2015 as president and CEO. The organization, founded by volunteer community leaders in 1963 as the Memphis Arts Council, raises funds to

support local arts and culture groups. In fiscal year 2017, ArtsMemphis awarded grants to 72 arts organizations and eight individual artists. In the past decade, the group invested more than $40 million into local arts and culture. Ninety-six percent of its revenue derives from individuals, corporations and foundations in Shelby County.

“The reason we chose to participate in this study,” Rouse says, “is that every day we’re trying to strengthen the arts groups we’re involved with and their relationship to the local population, mainly through private philanthropy. This report and these quantifiable numbers show that the return investment is well worth the effort.”

ArtsMemphis does more than simply invest donor dollars in its roster of arts and culture beneficiaries.

“We really work with these groups throughout the year,” says Rouse. “We help groups that are thinking about forming their own business plans, and we encourage organizations to create efficiencies in structure and proper staffing. We encourage them to have diverse revenue sources and to consider what their justification is, why they exist and to what purpose.”

ArtsMemphis will also hold workshops to help organizations understand and use the data provided by the study.

While ArtsMemphis tries to fulfill its goal of being a central resource for arts organizations, providing noncritical and nonrestrictive grants, Rouse and her staff understand the dilemmas in choosing what groups receive aid.

“It’s very difficult to make

decisions,” she says. “There are so many organizations doing important work, but our resources, while generous, are finite.”

ArtsMemphis awards grants to major and readily recognizable entities like Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Ballet Memphis, The Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Pink Palace Family of Museums, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, UrbanArt Commission, and others, but also to much smaller groups such as Collage Dance Collective, Elmwood Cemetery, Latino Memphis, Literacy Mid-South, Voices of the South, and a host of grassroots organizations.

Milton Lovell, chief financial officer and general counsel for nexAir, the 77-year-old, local, family-owned distributor of medical and industrial gases, said that the company had followed the report closely and understands the importance and influence of arts and culture in job creation.

“Supporting the arts,” he says, “is an investment in the community. A diverse range of cultural offerings appealing to many segments of the community means that we can attract talent to Memphis and keep it here.” Besides that, he says, “the

Memphis Brooks Museum of Art: $222,850 Memphis College of Art: $37,100 Memphis Library Foundation: $1,800 Memphis Mens Chorale: $2,000 Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum: $6,200 Memphis Symphony Orchestra: $151,350 Memphis Wind Symphony: $2,000 National Civil Rights Museum: $12,125 National Ornamental Metal Museum: $90,250 Neighborhood Christian Centers: $2,500 New Ballet Ensemble and School: $72,600 Opera Memphis: $184,750 Paint Memphis: $2,250 Playback Memphis: $2,490 Prizm Ensemble: $1,850 Shelby County Schoolseed Foundation: $3,500 Soulsville Foundation: $57,750

Spiritual Foundation: $1,600 SRVS: $1,700 Streets Ministries: $2,000 Tennessee Art Education Association: $7,050 The Blues Foundation: $25,500 The Children’s Museum of Memphis: $2,000 The Circuit Playhouse: $137,000 The Withers Collection: $1,056 Theatre Memphis: $116,350 TheatreWorks: $5,250 Thistle & Bee Enterprises: $1,600 Tipton Arts Council: $768 Transformations Autism Treatment Center: $1,600 University of Memphis College of Communication and Fine Art: $2,750 UrbanArt Commission: $42,000 Voices of the South: $3,100

“THERE ARE SO MANY ORGANIZATIONS DOING IMPORTANT WORK, BUT OUR RESOURCES, WHILE GENEROUS, ARE FINITE.”

ARTSMEMPHIS BENEFICIARIES Here’s the funding that ArtsMemphis provided to organizations and artists through various grant programs between July 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017. Not included are grants that ArtsMemphis administered on behalf of other corporations or foundations during fiscal year 2017, nor endowment distributions for organizations ArtsMemphis holds funds for that were designated by specific donors in past ArtsMemphis endowment campaigns.

Africa in April: $8,000 Ballet Memphis: $177,750 Beale Street Caravan: $32,450 Beethoven Club: $2,250 Blues City Cultural Center: $1,700 Buckman Performing Arts Center: $1,800 Concerts International: $7,500 Crosstown Arts: $4,000 Elmwood Cemetery: $719 Germantown Community Theatre: $5,100 Hattiloo Theatre: $18,500 28 |

Heal the Hood Foundation of Memphis: $2,125 Hot Foot Honeys: $1,850 Indie Memphis: $27,310 Kingdom Community Builders: $2,125 Lauderdale County Council of Arts: $1,280 LITE Memphis: $4,000 Literacy Mid-South: $2,500 Luna Nova Music Ensemble: $1,600 Mason Caregivers Corporation: $1,600 Memphis AOSA: $1,532 Memphis Boychoir: $2,000

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N O N P R O F I T S arts really do inspire people, whether they have training or not.” nexAir supports not only major nonprofit arts organizations like The Orpheum, Germantown Performing Arts Center, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, and ArtsMemphis, but “we like to support individual artists as well. Memphis is very fortunate in the number and quality of its artists. We have built a strong collection of regional artists that’s displayed throughout our offices and we think really benefits our employees.”

The restaurant industry is a reasonable gauge of the immediate economic effects of arts and culture events and occasions. For example, Deni Carr Reilly, owner with husband Patrick Reilly of The Majestic, cites attendance at the Orpheum and other Downtown venues as an economic boost, especially during the weeks when the historic theater hosts traveling versions of Broadway shows.

“We love the Orpheum,” she says. “In fact, we tie a lot of our marketing plans around the Orpheum’s schedule and other arts groups Downtown. There’s definitely an uptick in business.

We do a pre-theater menu before every show. Some people who are Orpheum members call us and book reservations months in advance for every show they’re going to.”

The Reillys opened their restaurant in 2006, in a 1915 building with a glazed terra cotta facade built for the Majestic theater and later home to Blue Light Studio, where generations of Memphians had their senior pictures made. Fortuitously located on South Main, the restaurant is a two-minute walk from the Orpheum.

“But we also get customers from FedExForum and the Cannon Center,” Reilly says.

“When you think of what people spend for an evening out, babysitters in some cases, gas for the car and parking or Uber fees, cocktails, dinner, maybe a nightcap after a show or concert, the economic impact is significant.”

Partnerships Needed to Meet Challenges • • •

B Y

K E V I N

D E A N

Over the last year as interim and now permanent CEO of Momentum Nonprofit Partners (formerly Alliance for Nonprofit Excellence), I’ve spent time with hundreds of nonprofit professionals, assessing their needs and developing strategies to mitigate their challenges.

One challenge became abundantly clear: Nonprofits don’t just want financial support from the business community, although money is urgently important.

Nonprofits want a seat at the table with business and a closer partnership in addressing the challenges Memphis faces. Executives at nonprofits feel like they are working in silos, fighting for systems change with minimal authentic partnerships with local business. In our research, we discovered three main requests from nonprofits to the business community in Memphis:

INVEST IN BOARD DEVELOPMENT

In a study conducted in 2016 by a local foundation, board governance was listed as the No. 1 biggest challenge that Memphis-area nonprofits face. Nationally, one in five nonprofit executive directors leaves his or her job because of their boards. Because board members are the ultimate strategists and shot-callers in an organization, ineffective boards have a huge impact on the well-being of an organization.

Since leadership training is now commonplace in corporate America, why not integrate board member training into existing leadership development within for-profit businesses? While executive level corporate staff have skill sets applicable for nonprofit boards, the knowledge of board governance, which is still urgently important, is sometimes lacking even at the C-suite level. Incorporating board training into existing corporate leadership development could reduce the burden of nonprofits to develop their own board members and prep the next generation of board members to answer the call to serve.

If learning is going to lead to growth, then leaders need to have the opportunity to practice their skills and see the payoff — and board service can make that possible. Locally, if our biggest corporations came together to work in partnership with nonprofits to develop a board member development program, we could have even better nonprofits. A strong nonprofit has a strong board of directors, and anything less has a trickledown effect on the organization’s strategy, executive leadership, and fundraising.

INCLUDE NONPROFITS IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Not only are nonprofit employees responsible for providing resources to some of our city’s poorest, most stigmatized, and most marginalized groups, the leaders of those organizations are also tasked with addressing major systems changes to deconstruct the barriers for those marginalized groups.

To work in a nonprofit is to wear many hats — and too often with a far lower salary than our for-profit counterparts. When budgeting, boards and executives often make their first cuts on the professional development line item, and this is where business could help. While Six Sigma and Franklin Covey training is readily available in our corporations, this type of development opportunity is often a luxury for nonprofits.

If corporations opened their internal trainings to their nonprofit partners, this could ease the burden of professional development costs within a nonprofit. Training in areas such as diversity/inclusion, human resources, leadership development, and sales force would be huge gifts to nonprofits lacking the funds for top-notch professional development.

DEVELOP AUTHENTIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH NONPROFITS

What if the paradigm shifted to bring business and nonprofit leaders to the table to tackle systems change together with a shared plan of action? Rather than simply funding an initiative or providing skilled volunteers, why not develop a comprehensive plan to address systemic roots of poverty and homelessness? Rather than helicoptering into an underserved community for a one-day event, why not create long-term plans of action that invite local community leaders, nonprofits, and business to the table to fight for systems change?

In cities like Detroit and Oakland, this is already happening. Corporations and nonprofits are coming together to advocate for equity in economic development, fight for criminal justice reform, and more. Everyone wants quick results, but let’s think long-term and make multi-year commitments for solving big problems rather than short or one-time efforts.

I spoke to one nonprofit CEO who said, “We like the operating support we get annually and the teddy bears our clients get at Christmas, but it’s time for something more.

We can’t do this alone.”

As we’ve seen in other communities, businesses from Angie’s List to Apple have great influence on public policy, systems change, and economic development, and together the business and nonprofit sectors could change Memphis — but only through a coordinated, strategic effort.

Kevin Dean is CEO of Momentum Nonprofit Partners, which assists nonprofit groups with programming and leadership development. He can be reached at kdean@momentumnonprofitpartners.org

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YEAR IN REVIEW

HEALTHCARE

2017 • • •

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The Landing at Lakeside Behavioral Health and Addiction

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e h av io r a l h e a lt h a n d addiction issues remain a serious national issue, particularly in the workplace. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 43.6 million (18.1 percent) Americans above the age of 18 experience some form of mental illness.

In the past year alone, 20.2 million (8.4 percent) adults had a substance abuse disorder. Of both those groups, 7.9 million people had both a mental disorder and substance abuse disorder.

Lakeside Behavioral Health System, a spe-

cialized addictive disease and behavioral health services provider, opened a new location earlier this year in March. The Landing at Lakeside is a facility designed to help in the rehabilitation of working professionals, allowing them to find a discreet treatment program that sets them on the path to healing. The treatment plan is designed to not interfere with a patient’s professional life, enabling the continuation of a career.

The Landing at Lakeside offers a wide variety of programs, including trauma resolution, suicide prevention, and bipolar disorder treatment. In addition, Lakeside has prepared a group of specific therapies for individuals and groups, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, cognitive behavior, recreational, nutritional, and equine assisted. The staff is headed by medical director Dr. Christopher

White, who is backed up by registered nurses, therapists, and client support therapists.

Populated with 24 in-patient beds, the Landing at Lakeside eases the burden on workers with access to a business center that includes internet and email access, a fitness center, a serenity garden, yoga and meditation, and a spirituality group. Each session is led by master’s and doctoral-level staff members. This type of behavioral health center is unique in the Mid-South, and came about after patients at Lakeside Behavioral Health Systems requested these types of amenities.

The new center ensures that those dealing with any type of behavioral problem won’t be forced to cut themselves off from society completely and can go about continuing at a job. Landing at Lakeside also offers resources to patients’ families.

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PHOTOGRAPH BY BG

Grand opening day at Crosstown Concourse

Church Health - Move to Crosstown Concourse

St. Jude - Dr. Sorrentino’s Gene Therapy

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hurch Health finalized its move into the newly renovated Crosstown Concourse earlier this year. The organization now has an increased capacity for all of its medical services. As a bonus, Church Health has added interactive cooking classes to its large roster of extracurricular activities for the community.

With a brand new centralized location, Church Health has a greater chance of community connection. Now the organization has the opportunity to connect with the neighborhood and teach local residents and the wider population about health and its services. “The work we do is no longer about a center, it’s about engaging the church and all people of faith about health in the world,” says founder and CEO Dr. Scott Morris. “We also see each person as one unique heartbeat at a time. I believe our new brand reflects this broader way of fulfilling our mission.”

In addition to the new space, services, and activities, Church Health partnered with YMCA to have an onsite facility for the community-focused nonprofit. Instead of the former wellness center in the medical district, the Crosstown Concourse location hosts a YMCA fitness center for employees and residents. A membership to the Crosstown center also provides access to the other YMCA Memphis locations. The move to the improved space gives Church Health a stable platform to continues its need-based treatment of 58,000 patients in the Mid-South.

evere combined Immunodeficiency (SCID), otherwise known as “bubble boy” disease, leaves a child in a perilous state. Without any immune cells, young children and newborns are left with no means of defense against infections. Even contact with another human being could lead to sickness and death, making SCID one of the most dangerous afflictions to newborns. However, at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Dr. Brian Sorrentino has been spearheading a team that last year published results for a new type of treatment for bubble boy disease.

Perfected over a ten-year period, St. Jude’s gene therapy treatment for SCID-X1, the most common strain of SCID, has proved to be an effective method for combatting the disease. Previously, gene therapy operations came with serious side effects, sometimes even leading patients to contract leukemia.

However, researchers at St. Jude developed a new process to avoid such complications.

The chemotherapy drug busulfan, combined with lentivirus gene therapy, was able to rebuild damaged immune systems and produce broader immunity in five initial patients in the study. What brought the entire process together, however, was the surprising usefulness of a dangerous virus.

“What is the AIDS virus good at?” says Dr. Sorrentino. “It’s good at infecting humans.”

St. Jude reengineered the AIDS virus into its lentivirus and used it to distribute new genes into a host’s body. After proving successful

at treating young adults, the next steps were to figure out ways to tailor busulfan doses to children and infants. An algorithm developed in conjunction with the University of San Francisco measured patients’ blood levels and correctly deduced the right dose of busulfan.

Everything required for the gene therapy treatment is developed by St. Jude, so research opportunities for studying SCID are always available. Moreover, the technology used for the gene therapy process could be used to treat other immunodeficient diseases going forward, like sickle cell anaemia.

University of Tennessee Health Science Center - Plough Center for Sterile Drug Delivery

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rphan drugs are developed to treat rare conditions. However, since the condition is rare, many of these drugs won’t be able to garner a profit, and are thus shelved by larger pharmaceutical companies. Individuals with rare diseases are then unable to fi nd effective

UTHSC — The first POD is delivered to the Plough Center

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY SAINT FRANCIS HOSPITAL

Saint Francis — New Electrophysiology Lab

treatment. University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s new addition, however, aims to remedy that gaping hole in the pharmaceutical scene.

Open for business earlier this year, the Plough Center is able to target pharmaceutical products that people desperately need, as opposed to manufacturing drugs that will turn the biggest profit. Within the center, three 800-square-foot PODS provide sterile environments for drug production, which lets the facility meet the requirements for the Good Manufacturing Practices designation. Quality is of paramount importance.

There are many drugs in the pipeline for phase one and two trials, so the Plough Center’s first efforts will focus on smallbatch drugs for those trials. “Part of this facility’s objective is to support drug discovery research and enhance the expediency with which drugs can reach the market,” says Dr. Kennard Brown, COO and executive vice chancellor of UTHSC. With orphan drugs as the main focus at the Plough Center, UTHSC positions itself to be a leader in future drug discoveries.

Chosen as director of the center is Dr. Harry Kochat, who has decades of professional experience in pharmaceuticals. Like Dr. Brown, Kochat is committed to ensuring that Memphis and the surrounding community have access to the medicine they need, regardless of a drug’s profitability, and the memory of a young patient he once saved continues to drive him through his medical career. “We are here for patients and we are here for quality,” says Kochat. “This is the right thing that we can give back to the community.”

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Gastro One - Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center

Saint Francis - New Electrophysiology Lab

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astro One aims to provide excellence in digestive health.

With the newest addition to its quiver, Gastro One now provides a unique service to the Mid-South area. Gastro One’s Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, IBD One, opened its doors in July and is currently operating in two different locations: 8000 Wolf River Blvd. in Germantown; and 1325 Eastmoreland Ave. The center’s main focus is on Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.

The center’s opening plugs a much needed hole in the American healthcare scene.

Inf lammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic inf lammation of the digestive tract, and it currently affects around 1.6 million Americans. If untreated, IBD can lead to life-threatening complications. To combat the condition, IBD One has a multi-pronged plan of attack. The center can provide a progressive treatment approach to patients already diagnosed with these diseases, as well as act as an urgent care facility for the condition. Patients can also seek out consultation services.

IBD One’s end goal is to provide its patients with a better quality of life. To that end, those aff licted with inf lammatory bowel disease can look forward to personalized treatments, new and innovative strategies for treatment, and access to upcoming clinical trials for treatment and preventive measures.

aint Francis Hospital continued its fight against heart and vascular conditions with the opening of a brand new Electrophysiology Lab. As part of the hospital’s Heart and Vascular Center, the new addition provides advanced technology and functionality for heart and vascular patients in the wider Memphis community.

The new lab runs on Innova technology created by General Electric and is prepared to handle all manner of electrophysiological procedures. A f loor mounted system gives Saint Francis personnel access to high image clarity and a greater coverage of anatomy. It is much more effective than previous models, which required more usage to get the full picture of a patient’s condition.

At the grand opening in March, members of the Greater Memphis Chamber arrived to help present the new lab alongside St. Francis employees. Audrey Gregory, Ph.D., CEO of Saint Francis Hospital - Memphis, and Saint Francis healthcare, led the procession. “We are pleased to provide this technology to assist our physicians and staff who are dedicated to providing the highest quality services and care to our patients,” says Gregory. “Our new EP Lab is part of our ongoing efforts to expand our heart and vascular services for the Memphis community.”

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GIVING GUIDE PROFILES Give back to the Mid-South this year by supporting one of many wonderful nonprofit organizations. On the following pages, you can find out more about the area’s leading nonprofits — what they do, who they help, their impact, successes, and connections. Looking to feed a passion project or aid in making a difference in our area? Opportunities abound. Start here to see how — and why — you could become involved with a worthy cause right here at home.

GIVING GUIDE

International Performers

ABOUT US

Educational Programs

ANNUAL REVENUE: $2,755,317 (FY17 audited financial) NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 12 FT and 4 PT ESTABLISHED: 1994 SOURCES OF FUNDING INDIVIDUALS: 14%

MISSION GPAC’s mission is to serve the community by presenting the highestquality artistic endeavours to educate, engage, enrich and transform.

CORPORATIONS: 16% ORGANIZATIONS: 67% FOUNDATIONS: 3% ADDRESS

1801 Exeter Rd., Germantown, TN 38138 PHONE

901-751-7500 WEBSITE

www.GPACweb.com facebook.com/gpacweb/ @gpac

GOALS Located in the heart of Shelby County, GPAC serves the greater metro Memphis area of over a million people and is accessible to all members of the community. Entering its 23rd season, the acoustically perfect 864-seat venue continues to raise the bar for artistic excellence — presenting exceptional dance and music, year-round educational activities for all ages, rotating visual arts exhibits, and multiple community events, welcoming over 100,000 visitors annually.

GPAC will host over 60 programs and performances this year; between September 2017 and June 2018, over 240 arts-related events will occur. The 2017-18 GPAC Presents season features 16 world-class shows in the International, Dance, Jazz and American Music Series. The list of local arts organizations who present at GPAC continues to grow and includes Opera Memphis, New Ballet Ensemble, IRIS Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Collage

E XECUTIVE LE ADERSHIP

Paul Chandler Executive Director Paul Turner Chief Financial Officer Parke Kennedy Development Director Liz Mulroy Venue Director Michelle Byrd Marketing Director

SPECIAL PROMOTION

BOARD MEMBERS

Kathy Simonetti President Shiela Pallerne Vinczeller Vice-President Lee Grinspan Secretary Bill Watkins Treasurer Patrick Lawton City Administrator

Dance Collective, Germantown Symphony Orchestra, GPAC Symphony Orchestra, GPAC Youth Symphony Orchestra, Children’s Ballet Theatre, Madonna Learning Circle, and others.

With the aim of building arts audiences for decades to come, GPAC has embarked on a $4 million campaign to build an outdoor performance venue, The goal is to create an unparalleled community asset — a unique place where guests will experience the power of the arts to connect and inspire. The Grove at GPAC will attract new audiences, fortify GPAC and its local arts partners, and enhance our community’s quality of life.

To learn more about supporting GPAC and The Grove, contact: Parke Kennedy, Director of Development 901-751-7505

Pam Arrindell Sam Beach Joey Beckford The Honorable George Brown Dr. Jordi Calzada Dr. Brooke Dishmon John Elkington Dr. Lynn Foley Delores Kinsolving Patrick O’Connor Matt Price Honey Scheidt Carol Ross-Spang

SPECIAL PROMOTION

GIVING GUIDE

osten

Pancreatic Cancer Support

Research

Advocacy

Education

Hope

ABOUT US ANNUAL REVENUE: $250,000

Kick It 5k

Support Group

ESTABLISHED: 2003 SOURCES OF FUNDING INDIVIDUALS: 90% CORPORATIONS: 5% ORGANIZATIONS: 5% ADDRESS

6060 Poplar Avenue, Suite 140 Memphis, Tennessee 38119 PHONE

901-606-7542 WEBSITE

www.kostenfoundation.com facebook.com/KostenFoundation/ @KostenFDN EVENTS:

Support Group: Meets on the second Saturday of every month at the Cordova Public Library from 10 am - noon Kick It 5K: The annual Kick It 5K, takes place in early April, at Shelby Farms Park and is the largest fundraiser for the Kosten Foundation. It consists of a 5K run, a one-mile family walk, food, live entertainment, team photos, a survivor ceremony and an awards ceremony.

Purple Night: In early Fall the UT Health Science Center Pancreatic Cancer Research team and the Kosten Foundation host Purple Night at the UT Health Science Center. The event gives individuals the opportunity to meet the UTHSC pancreatic cancer research team.

Symposium: Annual symposium, held in November at the UT Health Science Center, features speakers who cover the latest advances in research related to pancreatic cancer and is free and open to the public.

Tribute At Twilight: Participants celebrate and pay tribute with a balloon release and glow stick ceremony.

E XECUTIVE LE ADERSHIP

Alan L. Kosten Chairman Of The Board Jeffrey A. Goldberg President Kathryn Gilbert Craig Support Group Director

SPECIAL PROMOTION

MISSION To establish support and a forum for communication among those afflicted with pancreatic cancer via support group meetings, our website, social media channels, and events.

To assist with the training of future pancreatic cancer surgeons.

To provide funding for a yearly Memphis public lecture on pancreatic cancer delivered by a nationally and or/internationally renowned expert on the disease.

To provide funding for clinical and basic research toward improving outcomes of those afflicted with pancreatic cancer It is our sincere hope that we can provide an informative, compassionate, and humane approach toward improving the quality of life for those afflicted with pancreatic cancer and their families. Additionally, through research efforts, it is our very realistic passion to find a path to the early diagnosis and cure of pancreatic cancer in our lifetimes.

ABOUT THE HERB KOSTEN FOUNDATION: The Herb Kosten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research was founded in 2003 by the family of Herb Kosten after his death due to pancreatic cancer. Kosten’s family sought to improve community support, awareness, and funding for pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest known cancers.

As the only organization of its kind in a five -state area, the group focuses on providing access to resources and support through a combination of communication, initiatives, programs, and events. All members of the Foundation are volunteers who donate hundreds of hours each year and believe in leading by example.The organization has raised over $1,500,000 for pancreatic cancer research and hosts a very active monthly support group meeting for patients, their families, and anyone interested in learning more about pancreatic cancer.

In 2004, in honor of Kosten’s love of tennis, the Memphis-based organization began hosting annual tennis tournaments to raise money to fight pancreatic cancer and in 2011 the group held its first Kick It 5K run/walk.

The annual event has grown to include more than 2,000 participants. Money raised from

Herb Kosten the Kick It 5K and other Kosten Foundation events help fund pancreatic cancer research and support fellowship training for future pancreatic cancer surgeons at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. In addition, the Foundation presents a yearly symposium headlined by nationally recognized leaders in the field of pancreatic cancer. For more information about the Kosten Foundation, its programs, and events, visit the website at kostenfoundation.com.

SPECIAL PROMOTION

GIVING GUIDE

MISSION: Supporting the independence of vulnerable seniors and families in crisis through high-impact programs.

VISION: Uniting the community through service.

ABOUT US ANNUAL REVENUE: $9.5 million NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 100 ESTABLISHED: 1968 SOURCES OF FUNDING INDIVIDUALS: 67% CORPORATIONS: 14% ORGANIZATIONS: 8% FOUNDATIONS: 11% ADDRESS

910 Vance Avenue, Memphis, TN 38126 -2925 PHONE

(901) 527-0208 WEBSITE

www.mifa.org www.facebook.com/MIFAMemphis/ @MIFAMemphis www.linkedin.com/company/421796/

MIFA was founded in 1968 in an unprecedented cooperative effort uniting church and community leaders to confront the growing issues of poverty, hunger, and social division in Memphis. Created in the wake of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination, MIFA began as a volunteer-driven advocacy agency and has evolved into a broad-based, professional, social service nonprofit organization.

GOALS: MIFA’s FY 2017 – FY 2019 strategic plan focus areas: Serve: Continue responding to the prevailing needs of our community.

Excel: Work to continuously improve in the areas of program performance, staff achievement and training, and technology.

Sally Jones Heinz President & CEO

E XECUTIVE LE ADERSHIP

Sally Jones Heinz President & CEO

BOARD MEMBERS:

Milton Lovell, Board Chair Rev. Dorothy Wells Vice Chair Kenneth Jones Secretary & Legal Counsel Michelle Fulmer Treasurer Aarti Bowman Executive Committee At-Large Member Gregory M. Duckett Executive Committee At-Large Member

Celebrate: The plan culminates in MIFA’s milestone 50th anniversary when we will celebrate our legacy as an organization created and sustained by volunteers and uniquely interfaith in our founding and vision.

Mark Finestone Executive Committee At-Large Member Paula Jacobson Executive Committee At-Large Member Rabbi Katie Bauman Board Member Dr. Stephen Cook Board Member Lucia Crenshaw Board Member Edward Dobbs Board Member Brett Grinder Board Member Sara Hall Board Member

Margaret McLean Board Member Gretchen Wollert McLennon Board Member Norma J. Oliver Board Member Sehrish Siddiqui Board Member Joe Stewart Board Member Dr. Bianca Sweeten Board Member Tish Towns Board Member Dr. Walker Wright Board Member Scott Young Board Member

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES: MIFA Meals on Wheels – Deliver a smile and a hot lunch to homebound seniors.

Long-Term Care Ombudsman – Advocate for the rights of nursing home and assisted living facility residents.

Skilled engagement – Assist with special projects by contributing your professional expertise.

GIVING OPPORTUNITIES: Charitable gifts of cash, stock or securities from corporations, foundations, individuals, faith and civic groups provide valuable services to our neighbors.

Corporations & Foundations: Angela Bledsoe (901) 529-4571 Individuals: Dorothy Lane McClure (901) 529-4523 Faith Groups: Linda Marks (901) 529-4560 Matching Gifts: Double or triple your donation if your company has a matching gift program.

Tribute Gifts: Honor family and friends with tributes commemorating special events and occasions.

Monthly Giving: Ensure MIFA receives your ongoing support as a sustainable source of income.

Planned Giving: Name MIFA as a beneficiary of your estate.

SPECIAL PROMOTION

InsideMem

2018

MIFA’s Jubilee Year

50 years of uniting the community through service A landmark anniversary SPECIAL EVENTS — You’re invited

CommUNITY Days – September 1, 2, 3, 8 & 9

People of all faiths and backgrounds gather for a major five-day event when congregations across Shelby County partner on projects to benefit the community and help make us better neighbors to each other.

Legacy Day – September 14

The unveiling of a historical marker commemorates MIFA’s founding and pays tribute to MIFA as the city’s preeminent interfaith organization.

Golden Gala – October 11

Memphis celebrates MIFA – a leader and trusted partner in serving our city since 1968.

We’ll honor MIFA’s amazing past and vibrant future in a memorable evening at Hilton Hotel including a seated dinner, live music, inspirational presentations, and the announcement of a special anniversary gift to the community from MIFA.

Golden Gala corporate sponsorship opportunities now available.

Contact Angela Bledsoe (901) 529-4571 or abledsoe@mifa.org

Help meet the $50,000 Goldsmith Family Jubilee Challenge.

Join MIFA’s Circle of Hope with a gift of $1,000 or more and your gift will be matched with an additional $1,000. You’ll make twice the impact, we’ll be doubly grateful, and MIFA will earn $50,000 to serve even more vulnerable seniors and families in crisis.

Contact Dorothy Lane McClure at (901) 529-4523 or dmcclure@mifa.org

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GIVING GUIDE

ABOUT US ANNUAL REVENUE: $300,000 NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 3 ESTABLISHED: 2011 SOURCES OF FUNDING INDIVIDUALS: 35% CORPORATIONS: 0% ORGANIZATIONS: 6% FOUNDATIONS: 59% ADDRESS

1177 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38105-4812 PHONE

(901) 550-0906 WEBSITE

www.operationbrokensilence.org facebook.com/operationbrokensilence/ @OBSilence @OBSilence

E XECUTIVE LE ADERSHIP

Mark C. Hackett Executive Director Scovia Wilson Recruitment Director Audrey Tetzeli Fundraising Enthusiast Mark Gosney Board President Dr. Brandon Rushing Secretary Stephen Hackett Treasurer

SPECIAL PROMOTION

Education Program: Children gather for recess at Operation Broken Silence’s primary school in Yida Refugee Camp, South Sudan.

Media Program: Operation Broken Silence photographer Jacob Geyer pauses to play with children in Yida Refugee Camp.

MISSION: Operation Broken Silence is building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through innovative programs as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

GOALS: Our primary goal in 2018 is to double the size of our primary school and open the first high school in Yida Refugee Camp, South Sudan, where thousands of children who fled the war in Sudan have no classroom to attend. Should this goal be met, more than 3,500 children in Yida will be back in a classroom by the end of the year. Additionally, 36 Sudanese teachers will be back to work for the first time in six years. These ambitious goals will only be accomplished with an additional $374,000 in funding in 2018.

GIVING OPPORTUNITIES: You can support our 2018 goals to assist the Sudanese people by making a one-time donation by check, card, or stock.

FUNDRAISING EVENTS: Our organization has two rapidly growing annual events with several sponsorship and participation opportunities for companies and individuals: • Good People Good Beer Gala on June 16, 2018 • Eden’s Run 5K on October 20, 2018 To learn more about our mission, goals, and events, please reach out to us at info@operationbrokensilence.org.

And finally, you can support our work effortlessly each month by joining The Renewal, our family of automatic recurring monthly donors. Signing up takes only a minute and brings sustainability to our programs. Learn more about this unique giving opportunity at the link above.

Emmanuel Amido Community & Recruitment Robyn Neimann Community & Recruitment Jordan Vrbas Community & Recruitment Zane Hartsell Community & Recruitment

Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900, Memphis TN, 38177-0900.

To make a donation online or by stock from your portfolio, visit our website at www.operationbrokensilence.org/donate/

SPECIAL PROMOTION

GIVING GUIDE

MISSION: Save lives by meeting the most critical needs in our communities and investing in breakthrough research to prevent and cure breast cancer.

Since 1993 Susan G. Komen Memphis-MidSouth has provided almost $10.5 million in direct grants to local healthcare providers in the Mid-South and over $3 million to breast cancer research.

ABOUT US ANNUAL REVENUE PRIOR TO EXPANSION AND MERGER: $1.25 million NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 3 MEMPHIS-MIDSOUTH ESTABLISHED 1992 MEMPHIS-MIDSOUTH MS ESTABLISHED 2017 INCOME DISTRIBUTION:

For every dollar that Komen Memphis-MidSouth Mississippi raises, 75% remains in the local community for breast healthcare grants and educational programs. The remaining 25% funds breast cancer research.

Your support enables us to provide much needed healthcare funds for the local community and continue our mission to eradicate breast cancer through education, support, screenings, diagnostics, treatment, and research. The Susan G. Komen network is the largest non-profit funder of breast cancer research in the United States. Only the US Government funds more breast cancer research.

75% REMAINS LOCAL FOR OUR COMMUNITY 25% FUNDS BREAST CANCER RESEARCH

1993-2017 Granted locally almost $10.5 million 1993-2017 Funded over $3 million in breast cancer research ADDRESS

6645 Poplar Suite 211 Germantown, TN PHONE

901-757-8686 WEBSITE

www.komenmemphis.org facebook.com/komenmemphisMS/ @komenmemphis E XECUTIVE LE ADERSHIP

Raphael McInnis President Sr. Manager, Regulatory Affairs Medtronic Memphis, TN Gretchen Reaves Secretary Community Volunteer Memphis, TN Danielle Bowlin Board Treasurer Finance Director – FP&A Medtronic, Inc. Memphis, TN John Anthony Program Director Mix 98.7 fm Jackson, TN Vickie Blevins Owner/Operator James Middleton Jewelers Memphis, TN Barbara Bowman Vice President Consumer Banking Manager Regions Bank Jackson, MS

SPECIAL PROMOTION

Below are the organizations that we have supported financially since 1993 through our Local Grant Program.

Alliance Charitable Foundation, Baptist Healthcare Foundation, Baptist Medical Group, Memphis Breast Care, Baptist Memorial Hospital Cancer Center, Baptist Memorial Hospital DeSoto, Baptist Memorial Hospital East/Women’s, Baptist Memorial Hospital Tipton, Breast Cancer Institute, Carpe Diem of the Mid-South, Center for Healthcare Quality, Children and Family Services, Christ Community Health Services, Church Health Center, DeSoto Health and Wellness Center, Julie B. Baier Foundation, Memphis Cancer Foundation, Memphis Center for Reproductive Health, Memphis Chapter of Hadassah, Memphis Health Center, Memphis-MidSouth Affiliate, Methodist Healthcare, Pink Sunday, Reach for Recovery, St. Andrew AME, St. Francis Hospital, STAARS, Tennessee Men’s Health Network, The Memphis Cancer Center, Regional One Health (Regional Medical Ctr at Memphis), Tipton County Commission on Aging, TN Department of Health, total Women Body System/Necessities Bag, University of Tennessee, University of TN/West Institute for Cancer Research, Urban Health Education & Support Services, West Tennessee Area Health Education Center, Wings Cancer Foundation and YWCA of Greater Memphis.

T. Taylor Burnett Chief Executive Officer The Face & Body Center of Plastic and Hand Surgery Associates Jackson, MS Sophia Cole Director – Sales Enablement Medtronic, Inc. Memphis, TN Barbara S. Craft, MD Associate Professor of Medicine Director of Breast Cancer Treatment and Prevention Program University of Mississippi Medical Center Jackson, MS Leslie Daniel Community Volunteer Memphis, TN Mike Davis Realtor Keller Williams Realty Jackson, MS Ormonde Deallaume Attorney Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz Memphis, TN

Sandi East Senior Account Manager HUB International Jackson, MS Nikki Huffman Administrative Assistant Landers Automotive Group Memphis, TN Melody McAnally Attorney Butler Snow Memphis, TN Christy Moore Billing Administrator Specialized Physical Therapy Jackson, MS Dr. Janice Nazario Family Medicine Baptist Medical Group Memphis, TN Pooja Shah Sr. Business Application Analyst FedEx Services Memphis, TN Odessa Simon-Hawkins, MSN, RN, CFNP Clinical Administrative Supervisor Merit Woman’s Hospital, Flowood, Ms

Karen Sock President and CEO P2P Biloxi, MS Rochelle Ward Family Nurse Practitioner Family Health Care Clinic, Inc. Jackson, MS Lakesha Williams Vice President SunTrust Bank Premier Banker Memphis, TN Renee White Wills CFO Oak Hall Memphis, TN William Winstead Development Executive Memphis, TN Lorraine Wolf Compliance Associate Kelman-Lazarov, Inc. Memphis, TN Elaine Hare Ex officio Chief Executive Officer

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SPECIAL PROMOTION

GIVING GUIDE

United Way of the Mid-South is focused on our area’s most critical issue: poverty. We sit at the unique crossroads of local businesses, organized labor, academia, government, philanthropy, faith-based organizations, volunteers, and other groups – a position which gives us a tremendous insight into the root causes and results of poverty. Join us in our fight to help people escape generational poverty so they can live the life of their dreams. When we improve one person’s quality of life, we make the Mid-South an even better place to live for everyone. Please support United Way, and thank you.

ABOUT US ANNUAL REVENUE: $20 million NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 40 ESTABLISHED: 1923 ADDRESS

1005 Tillman Street, Memphis, TN 38112 PHONE

(901) 433-4300 WEBSITE

www.UWMIDSOUTH.ORG facebook.com/uwmidsouth @uwmidsouth linkedin.com/company/united-way-of-the-mid-south/

Rev. Kenneth S. Robinson, M.D. President & CEO

E XECUTIVE LE ADERSHIP

Rev. Kenneth S. Robinson, M.D. President & CEO Stephanie Butler Chief Strategy Officer Lori Spicer Robertson Chief Communications and Engagement Officer Gregg Smith Chief Financial Officer BOARD MEMBERSHIP

Jerry Collins Chairman of the Board Memphis Light, Gas & Water R. Scott Barber Horseshoe Casino and Hotel Shannon A. Brown FedEx Express

SPECIAL PROMOTION

MISSION: United Way of the Mid-South improves the quality of life for Mid-Southerners by mobilizing and aligning community resources to address priority issues.

GOALS: United Way of the Mid-South improves the quality of life for Mid-Southerners by mobilizing and aligning community resources to address priority issues.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES We’re thankful for the thousands of people who serve as United Way volunteers in our charitable donation drives, Days of Caring activities, and special events. Getting engaged as a United Way volunteer is easier than ever! Visit our “Volunteer United” site at www.uwmidsouth.org/volunteer all year and find hundreds of ways to make a difference for the Mid-South.

Irvin Calliste Memphis AFL-CIO Labor Council Darrell Cobbins Universal Commercial LLC Cathy Culnane AutoZone Mike Edwards Paragon Bank Shea Flinn Greater Memphis Chamber Scott Fountain Baptist Memorial Health Care Greg Gibson International Paper J.W. Gibson Gibson Companies Jeffery Greer FedEx Freight

FUNDRAISING EVENTS United Way donation drives and fundraising events take place at businesses across the Mid-South area. If your business is interested in starting a United Way drive or sponsoring a United Way event, please contact us at 901.433.4300.

GIVING OPPORTUNITIES You can give to United Way through payroll giving at your workplace and make gifts online at www.uwmidsouth.org/donatenow

Dr. Alisa Haushalter Shelby County Health Department Tim Haynes American Home Shield Mary Ann Jackson Baker, Donelson Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz Virzola Law Lindenwood Christian Church Sean Lee Porter-Leath Ari Litvin Wells Fargo Ursula Madden City of Memphis Bill Martin Express Scripts / Accredo David May Regions Bank

Jean M. Morton SunTrust Bank John Pettey, III Raymond James Nataline Purdy Communities In Schools Rev. Kenneth S. Robinson, M.D. United Way of the Mid-South Paul Shaffer IBEW, Local 474 Manoucheka Thermitus St. Francis Hospital Charles Thomas AT&T Chris VanSteenberg First Tennessee Craig L. Weiss Tower Ventures Richard Wright Ernst & Young, LLP

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The work of helping more people escape poverty is too big for any one person, any one organization, or even any one sector of business. This work needs everyone to roll up their sleeves and bring their time, talent, and treasure together in a "united way."

The key to the Mid-South’s economic prosperity IS poverty reduction. Every time one person escapes poverty, we all beneďŹ t.

Thank you for supporting United Way of the Mid-South!

SPECIAL PROMOTION

GIVING GUIDE

Zip Code 38126 Back to School Project.

ABOUT US ANNUAL REVENUE: $2.4 million

MISSION The mission of the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis is to encourage philanthropy and foster leadership among women, and support programs that enable women and children to reach their full potential.

NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES: 10 ESTABLISHED: 1995

SOURCES OF FUNDING INDIVIDUALS: 33%

CORPORATIONS: 49% SPECIAL EVENTS:

Title IX 45th Anniversary Girls’ Summit

18%

ADDRESS

One Commerce Square, 40 S. Main St., Suite 2380 Memphis, TN 38103 PHONE

901-578-9346 WEBSITE

www.wfgm.org facebook.com/WomensFoundation/ @@WFGM_ORG @wfgm_org www.youtube.com/wfgm1995 WFGM is one of the fastest growing women’s foundations in the country dedicated to securing and granting funds to programs that enable women and their families to become economically stable.

Building on what has been learned over the past 20 years, we collaborate with stakeholders across the city to create poverty-reducing strategies. Our vision is for all citizens in Memphis to have the opportunity to live and work in prosperity.

E XECUTIVE LE ADERSHIP

Ruby Bright Executive Director and CAO Shante K. Avant Deputy Director

E XECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Mary H. McDaniel Chair of the Board Lynne Walker Secretary Rosemarie Fair Treasurer and Finance Chair Beverly Cross Jennifer Oswalt Organizational Effectiveness, Co-Chairs Marcia Bowden-Marche’, M.D. Education, Research and Advocacy Chair SPECIAL PROMOTION

VISION FOR THE FUTURE The Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis is the agent for change committed to a community of well-being and prosperity, where women live in sufficiency, strength, and safety, sharing their leadership and empowering their children.

GOALS FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR • Enhance our Vision 2020 Strategic Plan, a model for poverty reduction and measurement through the continued coordination and allocation of grants that collectively impact the prosperity of Memphis.

• Amplify our influence as an essential driving force for a greater Memphis in building our capacity to lift women and families to self-sufficiency and eradicate multi-generational poverty.

• Increase funding and community support from individuals, foundations, government, corporations, and special events.

Teresa Dickerson Marketing and Communications Chair Nisha Powers Grants and Programs Chair Kim Alexander Policies and Procedures Chair Gretchen Wollert McLennon Board Development and Nominations Chair Shirlee M. Clark - Barber Development Chair Susan Stephenson Vision 2020 Development Chair Sharon R. Ryan At Large BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Andrea Bienstock Toni Boland-Evans

FUNDRAISING EVENTS All proceeds raised at special events are dedicated to the Vision 2020 Strategic Plan to reduce poverty in the zip code 38126. Our grant- making and and special initiatives promote economic security for nearly 16,500 women and children annually.

Listed are dates of upcoming fundraisers: Legends Award Reception- April 12, 2018 Annual Tribute Luncheon- April 26, 2018 Power of the Purse Auction- October 2018 WAYS TO GIVE We need your support to break the generational cycle of poverty in Memphis. You may give via check, credit card, or monthly automatic withdrawal. Honor or memorialize an important person in your life or send holiday cards. Designate WFGM as a beneficiary of stock, life insurance, IRA or your estate. We gratefully accept in-kind donations and sponsorships. No amount is too small or too large.

It is only important that we all participate in supporting the prosperity of Memphis.

Gina Brewer Denise D. Carpenter Gale Jones Carson Roquita Coleman - Williams Catherine Gammill Lisa Geater Sherrie K. Hollis Karen G. Johnston Evangeline Parker-Guest Heidi Ramirez, Ph. D. Marilynn S. Robinson Amy Schaefer Stephanie Simpson Leslie Lynn Smith TaJuan Stout Mitchell Stacie Waddell Ann Marie Watkins Wallace Tammy O. Young

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Becky Jones West, Trustees Chair Celie Althoff Rose Phillips Bingham, Ph.D. Kathy Buckman Gibson Barbara R. Hyde Shaila Karkera Ellen Cooper Klyce Gayle S. Rose Phyllis Scruggs Jeanne T. Varnell Anita S. Vaughn Cassandra H. Webster

Philanthropy.

Leadership.

Philanthropy.

Leadership.

Philanthropy.

Leadership.

Collaboration.

Collaboration.

Collaboration.

s, the Women’s Foundation For than the Women’s For more more than 22 22 years, years,for thea Women’sFoundation Foundationfor foraa FGM) has played major role as has ahasplayed Greater (WFGM) GreateraMemphis Memphis (WFGM) playedaamajor majorrole roleasasaa aligning people and resources, and backbone organization aligning people and resources, backbone organization aligning people and resources,and and ty-based services through the two-services coordinating community-based coordinating community-based servicesthrough throughthe thetwotwo-Goal o reduce poverty.

WFGM is to an generation approach generation approach to reduce reducepoverty. poverty.WFGM WFGMisisan an n helping women break the cycle ofwomen organization of helping organization of women women helping womenbreak breakthe thecycle cycleofof thropy, leadership and collaboration. poverty philanthropy, poverty through through philanthropy,leadership leadershipand andcollaboration. collaboration.

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PHILANTHROPY Goal PHILANTHROPY as awarded $18.2 million tohas almost 500 Since 1996, WFGM awarded $18.2 million to almost 500 Since 1996, WFGM has awarded $18.2 million to almost 500 ore than 100 programs local non-profits, involving moreincluding than 100 local non-profits, including programs involving more than 100 local non-profits, including cy and research. investments in advocacy and research. investments in advocacy and research.

Goal LEADERSHIP LEADERSHIP member Board of Directors and an Board of Directors and an WFGM is led by a 35-member WFGM is led by a 35-member Board of Directors and an rustees representing a cross section 11-member Board of Trustees representing a cross section 11-member Board of Trustees representing a cross section iness leaders, marketing professionals, of philanthropists, business leaders, marketing professionals, of philanthropists, business leaders, marketing professionals, ustry experts. entrepreneurs and industry experts.

Goal entrepreneurs and industry experts.

Goal Goal To To support families in zip in code 38126 in securing zipzip code 38126 in in securing Tosupport supportfamilies families in code 38126 securing resources to meet their basic needs. resources to meet their basic needs. resources to meet their basic needs.

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Goal Goal residents To equip with marketable To equip residents with marketablejob job skills skills toto To equip residents with marketable job skills to gain living gain wage employment. living wage employment. gain living wage employment.

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To Goal ensure that all children ageage 0-50-5living in To ensure that all children living in To ensure that all children age 0-5 living in Goal 38126 will 38126 be prepared to enter and will be prepared to enter andlearn learn 38126 will be prepared to enter and learn in kindergarten. in kindergarten. in kindergarten.

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To Goal developTo positive outcomes in youth develop positive outcomes in youth that that To develop positive outcomes in youth that Goal include competence, confidence, connection include competence, confidence, connection include competence, confidence, connection and character. and character. and character.

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Goal To help the education skills To help gain families gainfinancial the financial education skills Goalfamilies help families gain the financial education skills to help them reduce poverty. toTo help them reduce poverty. to help them reduce poverty.

N COLLABORATION COLLABORATION l and national partnerships, expanding our WFGM leverages local and national partnerships, expanding our WFGM leverages local and national partnerships, d garnering millions in grants support economic footprint and to garnering millions in grantsexpanding to support our Goal economic footprint and garnering millions in grants to security support es geared towards the economic security and implement services geared towards the economic and implement services geared security milies while of continuing conversations to the economic women and their families whiletowards continuing conversations to of women and their families while continuing conversations to s. tackle women’s issues. tackle women’s issues.

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One Commerce Square |One 40 Commerce S. Main Street, Suite 2280 Memphis, 38103 Square | 40 S. Main Street, Suite 2280 Tennessee Memphis, Tennessee 38103 One Commerce Square | 40 S. Main Street, Suite 2280 Memphis, Tennessee 38103 901.578.9346 (office) | 901.578.9446 (fax) 901.578.9346 (office) | 901.578.9446 (fax) 901.578.9346 (office) || 901.578.9446 (fax) Instagram: wfgm.org | Facebook:www.wfgm.org Women’s Foundation | Twitter: WFGM_ORG Instagram: WFGM_ORG | Facebook: Women’s Foundation Twitter: WFGM_ORG WFGM_ORG www.wfgm.org | Facebook: Women’s Foundation | Twitter: WFGM_ORG Instagram: WFGM_ORG SPECIAL PROMOTION

S O C I A L

S E R V I C E S

Meritan

Health services nonprofit finds a new home in Downtown Memphis.

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Moving to a new home is never easy. An excess of old, forgotten objects all turn up and make it hard to choose what to keep and what to get rid of. For Meritan, however, the rigors of the moving process will be long forgotten once the nonprofit organization finally moves into its new home at 345 Adams Avenue.

Founded in 1961, Meritan is a health and social services nonprofit based in Memphis, but provides services all around Tennessee, Arkansas, Georgia, and Mississippi. For the Mid-South, it offers a wide range of expansive services, including foster care, inhome care for the elderly and disabled, housing opportunities for people with AIDS, senior employment programs, and residential services for individuals with physical or intellectual disabilities.

The residential care helps with the completion of daily activities like buying groceries, shopping, doing laundry, meal preparation, and reintegration into society.

One of their more recent programs, however, has focused on solving the issue of elder abuse.

“The newest thing that we’ve been doing for a couple of years is our Coordinated Response to Elder Abuse [CREA],” says Melanie Keller, president and chief executive officer of Meritan.

“The organization itself is called CREA, but the Plough Foundation works with several organizations in Memphis to address elderly neglect, so we work with a lot of other nonprofits and local government agencies.” Meritan’s

main goal for CREA is emergency housing placement or relocation for seniors currently living in a neglectful home. While there are occasionally referrals from nursing homes, many of Meritan’s interventions are required out in the larger community. “It’s either willful neglect and abuse, maybe something like financial exploitation, or simply people who don’t know what their resources are and don’t know how to help people who are old and sick.”

While its main Poplar location has provided Meritan a stable platform almost three decades, preparations began for a move three years ago. Making sure they had the right location was imperative. “There was one property in Bartlett that we didn’t even bother to look at,” says Keller.

“I mapped it out and saw that it would take somebody from South Memphis two and a half hours through bus changes to get to it, so that wasn’t an option.” Meritan’s main focus is to care for the elderly and disabled, many of whom have to take public transportation to get around town.

After a thorough process, Meritan settled on the Adams Avenue property. Formerly owned by

Melanie Keller (fourth from right) led the groundbreaking earlier this year on the site of the organization’s new Downtown headquarters.

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Memphis Bioworks Foundation, the new space provides both functional and financial improvements over the old Poplar offices. Many of the accessibility issues that a four-story building presents for senior and disabled citizens are removed. A designated training area will be available for tech-centered classes where Meritan teaches seniors how to use iPads, tablets, and other types of modern technology to ease a transition back into the workforce. Foster parents, instead of sticking their kids at a desk or cubicle during training, will now be able to drop them off in a designated play room. It will contain entertainment amenities like a foosball table, TV, and computer, and also have comfortable furniture for relaxation.

On the financial side, owning its own building will free up Meritan to focus more on its myriad services. “It was a land lease,” says Keller, “and immediate repair needs are about $575,000. That doesn’t include ongoing maintenance or the cost of the land lease, so it made more sense to us to move and own our own building.” 345 Adams places Meritan right on the cusp of the Edge district, near Victorian Village. It had stood vacant for seven years, and required a complete gut job to be repurposed for the organization’s use. The new headquarters will measure 17,000 square feet, and Meritan is running a campaign to fund the move. “We’re trying to raise

$2 million, because every dollar we don’t have to use towards the new building is money that can go towards our services. And I would much rather spend money on helping a senior victim of elder abuse than a mortgage.”

On the fundraising front, Meritan is perhaps best known for its Midnight Classic Bike Tour. Held annually at Tiger Lane, the 15mile ride held its 18th iteration in August. For the holiday season, Meritan focuses on its Silver Bells program, which kicked off on November 7th. Silver bells are placed on a Christmas tree, each bearing the name of one of the seniors under Meritan’s care. When a donor selects a bell, they adopt a senior and gain access to the recipient’s Christmas shopping list.

“It usually includes simple items like pots, pans, towels, sheets, robes, or slippers,” says Keller. “Or, they can make a financial donation, and that goes toward anyone who wasn’t adopted. We then go out and purchase items on their Christmas wish lists.” When everyone’s holiday gifts have been paid for, the leftover money is set aside for Meritan’s other services.

The new Downtown location will give Meritan a more accessible base of operations than its previous Poplar offices, with easy highway access to the downtown area making a commute for some of Meritan’s patients much easier.

Moving an entire organization is never easy, but Keller is up for the challenge and looking forward to the new home. “Take moving your house you’ve lived in it for almost 30 years, and there’s the whole process of going through ‘what do i need, what can I keep?’” says Keller. “We have a lot of records, and there are some we are required to keep for a very long time. It’s a good kind of stress, but I’ll be happy when it’s all over.”

For more information about Meritan and its services, visit meritan.org

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY MERITAN

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INSIDE MEMPHIS BUSINESS.COM | DECEMBER 2017 / JANUARY 2018

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CRA Partners, powered by the Senior Housing Crime Prevention Foundation, is a national organization that through the Senior Crimestoppers program provides safe and secure living environments for our nation’s low-to-moderate income seniors. Triumph Bank is proud to partner with CRA Partners in supporting senior facilities in the Memphis area and providing an anonymous toll free tip line to report incidences, personal lockboxes and effective, on-going education and training for staff members and residents.

shcpfoundation.org/cra-partners/ THIS PAGE DONATED BY TRIUMPH BANK AND CONTEMPORARY MEDIA, INC. AS PART OF THE INSIDE MEMPHIS BUSINESS “DIG DEEP FOR MEMPHIS” PROGRAM.

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RISE Foundation and International Paper Partnership aims to boost financial literacy • • •

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work in conjunction with IP, are students in grades 5-12 at Booker T. Washington Middle School and High School, LaRose Elementary, Cummings Elementary, and Bellevue Middle School.”

She says there was a need to incentivize students toward acanal Paper, one of the for-profit demic achievement, school attenbusinesses with which RISE has dance, conduct, and developing collaborated, shares the foundagoal-setting skills in those areas. tion’s goal and vision of empow“Memphis has one of the highest ering people to be self-sufficient poverty rates of any metro area in by building and the nation,” Wilsustaining huliams says, “and man and finanstudents served cial assets. The THE CYCLE OF GENERATIONAL in the Goal Card Goal Card pro- POVERTY CAN BE BROKEN program tradigram that IP WITH FINANCIAL LITERACY. tionally live in public and subsupports targets inner-city youth. IP staff serve as sidized housing in the poorest volunteer coaches/mentors, overareas in Memphis. The cycle seeing each nine-week review of generational poverty can be of report cards with youth. The broken with financial literacy. mentors’ support includes giving The challenge is keeping those points to the youth based on their youth focused on high school grades, school attendance, and graduation and moving towards conduct. Students are introduced post-secondary education. Our to concepts such as purpose is to prepare them sowants versus needs cially, academically, and economand how delayed gratically to enter the work force, ification can be helpand this preparation enhances ful in meeting finanthe students’ capabilities to earn livable wages.” cial goals. Points can be redeemed for items students need or they aul Blanchard, IP’s vice prescan accumulate their ident, supply chain industrial points all year, with packaging, says, “International interest provided, like Paper strives to be a force for good in our savings accounts.

The partnership communities. between RISE and IP We make came about thanks sustainable investments to the success of Save Up, an individual deto protect and improve velopment program Paul Blanchard the lives of for adults that started in the 38126 ZIP code, our employees and mobilize our which has one of the people, products, and resources highest poverty areas to address critical needs in the in the city. It expanded communities where our employinto other areas, Wilees live and work. International liams says, and “now Paper is proud to support the our Goal Card particefforts of the RISE Foundation.”

RISE’s partnership with IP inipants, with whom we

The definition of financial literacy is “the ability to use knowledge and skills to manage financial resources effectively for a lifetime of financial well-being.” RISE Foundation, a local nonprofit, has been committed to addressing that issue since its inception in 1999 and subsequent charter in 2000.

“RISE was born to raise expectations above poverty, bankruptcy, and foreclosure; above unemployment, crime, and self-destruction; and above depression, anger, and apathy,” says the foundation’s president and CEO, Linda Williams. “RISE was initially designed to help Memphis public housing residents achieve financial self-sufficiency, thereby making the city a healthier place. Through community support, we’ve expanded tremendously over the years to serve a broader demographic.”

One of the ways RISE has been able to broaden its reach has been through cultivating community partnerships. Internatio-

P

Linda L. Williams

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volves an ongoing effort by both organizations. Williams says the hope is that their partnership will serve as a model and challenge other for-profit businesses to establish relationships with other inner-city schools. When asked about the future, Williams says RISE is planning to continue this partnership with IP, creating similar partnerships between schools and other businesses in high poverty neighborhoods.

R

icco Mitchell, senior program coordinator for the Goal Card program, says, “Since 2003, International Paper has been a primary supporter of Goal Card.

Not only does I P prov ide funding for the program and incentives but they encourage their Ricco Mitchell employees to become Goal Card coaches. Our coaches provide knowledge about the for-profit sector and lend insight and counsel beyond financial literacy to our youngest program participants.”

RISE’s goal is to transform lives by improving financial literacy. “Our most vulnerable citizens have real opportunities to change their lives when given the tools and techniques to make better choices with their financial resources,” Williams says. “It is in the best interest of our community for more people to become and remain self-sufficient. The overall goal is to make a difference in the lives of our low-income neighbors. We don’t offer a quick fix, but rather we teach skills that are intended to last a lifetime.”

For more information about the RISE Foundation, visit risememphis.org or contact Linda Williams at linda@ risememphis.org.

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GAYLE ROSE c on t i n u e d from page 2 6 its Soulfull Memphis Operation Christmas Basket. “We distribute 5,000 food baskets in one morning. We put them together in an operation that might look like a FedEx operation — it has a conveyor, all this food, and volunteers, almost like a factory. That line of people that are waiting to get that food basket, which has all the ingredients for a Christmas dinner, is about seven miles long.

Seven miles of cars.”

As Rose acknowledges, the food basket giveaway doesn’t solve poverty or hunger.

“But it’s a gesture of a community giving and receiving,” she says. “And I think it does more for the people that are serving than it does for the recipients, honestly.”

Team Max is important to Rose, but not, she says, a life mission. “I’m hoping I can get some of his friends to eventually take it on and I think they will,” she says. “Maybe it’ll be different, and that’s OK too. It’s not something I’m trying to control into being perpetuated.”

LOCAL ADVANTAGE.

As Rose acknowledges, the food basket giveaway doesn’t solve poverty or hunger. “But it’s a gesture of a community giving and receiving.”

But Rose’s interest in combatting poverty will always remain. “I’ve done a lot of research, and I think that the dialog about poverty in our community has to get a little bit more sophisticated, a little more nuanced,” she says. “Some of the latest figures that I’ve seen is that about 60 percent to 65 percent of people living in poverty are disqualified from the work strategy, if you will. They’re the elderly, permanently disabled, and students.

You have 15 percent of that population already fully employed, and about 8.5 percent are unemployed. When you see these big workforce programs and think that’s going to lift our community out of poverty, you’ve got to remember that will focus only on a very narrow part. We’ve got to address the 15 percent that are fully employed. And what do you do about those who will never benefit from those work strategies? That’s a different conversation, but it helps frame it in our community to know that we’ve got to think about policies that will help those living in poverty.”

“This is a big city with a skyline,” Rose says, “and I just fell in love with it. I choose to stay here, I’ve chosen to raise my kids here, with all of its warts, with all of its problems. I’d like to do what I can in my small way to impact the landscape here. That’s what drives me.

And I’m so grateful that I’ve been given a voice and an opportunity to play a role in the community in which I live. That is what gets me up and to the office every day.”

CBRE knows the Mid-South. Through our industry leading perspectives, scale and local connectivity, we deliver outcomes that drive business and bottom-line performance for every client we serve in the Mid-South. How can we help transform your real estate into real advantage?

For more information contact or visit: +1 901 528 1000 cbre.com/memphis

Every

HERO needs a

mentor, every mentor needs a GUIDE.

memphisparent.com

DECEMBER 2017 / JANUARY 2018 | INSIDE MEMPHIS BUSINESS.COM |

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INDUSTRY

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PERSPECTIVES 2018

Everyday steps to lower health care costs and live better lives

The Barnett Group Employee Benefits and Retirement Planning Over the years, medicine has evolved to help people improve their health, get better access to care and ultimately live longer.

Employers should encourage staff to take advantage of health benefits and be more in control of their wellness. By following these simple steps, your employees will stay healthy, lower their bills and lead productive lives.

Get annual checkups Preventive care is covered by most health insurance programs, with little or no copays. This includes physicals, blood tests and pap smears, as well as colonoscopies and mammograms for older patients. According to the CDC, 70 percent of deaths are due to chronic illness. Imagine what that number could look like if we all did annual screenings!

Visit an urgent care facility Emergency room visits are expensive. Instead, inform your staff of neighborhood urgent care centers, which normally offer remedies for patients who need non-emergency medical attention. Clinic staff can treat minor ailments like strep throat, and patients don’t have long waits unlike a hospital.

Speak to a telehealth professional The rise of telehealth changed how busy Americans engage with health care providers. Originally used for traditional diagnostic activities, telehealth is used for services such as dentistry, counseling, physical and occupational therapy, and disease

management. Virtual care means less trips and copays to the doctor, better productivity at work and more time with family.

Keep track online Digital platforms today can streamline employee benefits.

Whether through your insurance or a third-party app, enroll them online. They can view health records at first glance, receive reminders for screenings and track their improvement. Also, having everything organized online will be less overwhelming for you during open enrollment.

As 2018 nears, let’s make the resolution to be in control of our health. A healthy workplace leads to a successful company, so don’t get behind the curve.

To explore employee benefits and health insurance plans, please contact The Barnett Group at 901-365-3447 or visit gobarnett.com.

Pictured: Chirag Chauhan, partner and director of financial services; Ed Barnett, founder and president; and Wes Barnett, director of client development.

GoBarnett.com | 901.365.3447 7906 Players Forest Drive, Memphis, TN 38119

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES 2018

Human Resource Consulting:

J. Austin Baker III President & Chairman of the Board of HRO Partners I am proud of our team at HRO Partners. We are reinventing Human Resources from the outside, in. By listening to employees, diving deep into workforce and community talent data, collaborating with educational providers, and investing in community talent initiatives, we are taking a unique approach to reimagining how HR is done. We are not afraid to fail, but we are afraid of not trying. When we see a community-wide issue that is impacting our city, we study the problem and immediately start testing solutions. We are not waiting on a committee, a panel, or another study of something that has been well-documented.

Instead, we are beta testing solutions and making connections to see how partnerships can be formed to bring us all further down the road to our shared goals. We are trying to take HR from hunting and gathering to farming and harvesting. We believe in

the ability of individuals who have been lost and forgotten in our community to help us make our world a better place. This is at the heart of our mission, and we won’t stop believing and investing in our community. We can’t do this alone, as our customers and community partners are a critical component of this work. We could not do it without you. Thank you, Memphis, for supporting us as innovators and connectors in our community.

hro-partners.com | 1.866.822.0123 855 Willow Tree Circle, Suite 100, Cordova, TN 38018

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

INDUSTRY PERSPECTIVES 2018

Real Estate:

Joshua Spotts Realtor What advice would you give someone who is looking for help to buy or sell their home?

Buying or selling a home is more than a financial transaction. A successful partnership between client and Realtor means a shared passion for a common goal. Clients need someone who will listen, learn their needs and desires, and work closely with them. I strive to get the job done and be responsive to all their real estate needs, but also provide prompt service, personal guidance and professional competence from contract to closing.

How will a buyer or seller know when they’ve found the right agent to represent them?

Ideally, an agent that is passionate about their job, loves their city and region, and keeps up with the latest trends and strategies is the strongest partner for someone who is buying or selling a home. I am a native Mid-Southerner and I love Memphis. I am raising my family here and I am a passionate advocate for many organizations in our community. My goal is to share that passion with clients to help them find their dream home.

What are some of the new tools available to buyers and sellers in the real estate industry?

Our society is mobile and business transactions take place virtually everywhere. I offer my clients cuttingedge technology, including a custom app that allows mobile-device users to view real estate listings based on their location, then contact me with the single push of a button. My clients have had particularly good results with this and other services I offer.

josh@joshuaspotts.com (E) | joshuaspotts.com (W) 901.361.4211 (C) | 901.756.8900 (O) 6525 N. Quail Hollow Road, Memphis, TN 38120

INDUSTRY

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PERSPECTIVES 2018

Nearly 50 years of specialized healthcare

Lakeside Behavioral Health System Behavioral Health and Addiction Services In 1969, Lakeside Behavioral Health System opened its doors with one mission in mind: to provide specialized behavioral healthcare and addiction treatment in a welcoming environment for people in search of healing. Our 37-acre campus, located on the outskirts of Memphis, Tennessee, features a state-of-the-science, 345-bed facility designed to make recovery an accessible, effective reality in the lives of our patients In addition to providing targeted treatment for our patients, Lakeside is committed to helping our community understand and recognize the complexities associated with behavioral health issues or addictive diseases. As a clinical affiliate with the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, we also offer a variety of training classes and suicide prevention workshops to empower our community to fight this silent epidemic.

Unfortunately, the stigma surrounding mental health and substance abuse issues prevent many individuals from seeking the care that they need. Lakeside participates in numerous advocacy events throughout the year to help fight this stigma, including the Heroes in Recovery 6K and the Out of the Darkness Walk.

Heroes in Recovery is a movement fighting to break the stigma surrounding addiction and supporting those individuals in long-

term recovery. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s annual Out of the Darkness Walk gives people the courage to open up about their own struggle or loss, and the platform to change our culture’s approach to mental health. “We have worked diligently to reduce the stigma of mental illness and have stressed seeking help early enough so that we can help both the patient and the family.” says Joy Golden, CEO of Lakeside Behavioral Health System.

In every service we offer here at Lakeside, our team of experts work together to provide the very best in behavioral healthcare, full of compassion, understanding, and professionalism.

For more information on Lakeside, please contact John Fisher at 901-4813751 or john.fisher@uhsinc.com.

LakesideBHS.com | 901.377.4700 2911 Brunswick Road, Memphis, TN 38133

INDUSTRY

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PERSPECTIVES 2018

Nurse Recruitment Key to the Future of Health Care

Lisa Cox Schafer, RN, MSN, NEA-BC Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer and Chief Nursing Officer The link between nursing and clinical outcomes of hospitalized patients is substantiated in research, and is foundational to the strategic direction for nursing at Regional One Health. Transforming and sustaining a culture and model to support nursing education and nurse-patient ratios are integral for us to provide the highest standard of care. It all starts with recruiting, developing, and retaining the best nurses, whether it’s veterans who have been on the front lines of healthcare for decades or those new to the profession.

Great nurses are in high demand across the U.S. as well as here in Memphis. At Regional One Health, our nurses provide care to some of our community’s highestrisk patients with amazing commitment to our mission to provide compassionate and

exceptional care. We want every nurse at Regional One Health to be on the “A-team” list. Without that caliber of nurses, we will fall short in our ability to achieve the best outcomes, and provide the best care and experience for our patients.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates more than 2.7 million registered nurses are employed across the U.S., and it projects 26 percent growth this decade.

Gallup annually asks Americans what profession they trust the most, and for the past 15 years nursing rates as the most trustworthy profession. As a proud nurse, it’s gratifying to know people put their trust in us to care for their needs, particularly at some of their most vulnerable times. We don’t take that trust lightly.

We have a multi-prong approach to

enhance the patient experience and safety that hinges on our “A-team” nurses; we are adding nursing positions across our health system this year to better support our nurses to provide exceptional care and premier service Regional One Health wants to be known for in our community.

We are proud of our nurses at Regional One Health for making a difference in the lives of our patients and families every day.

RegionalOneHealth.org East Campus: 6555 Quince Road Memphis, TN 38119 Main Campus: 877 Jefferson Avenue Memphis, TN 38103

INDUSTRY

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

PERSPECTIVES 2018

RECRUITING AND STAFFING:

Kirk Johnston Senior Managing Partner, Vaco | Memphis How does the Mid-South job market compare to others across the country?

The opportunities are abundant here for professionals at all experience levels. There is significant hiring going on in the accounting, technology, and logistics sectors, in particular.

One great benefit for job seekers is the low cost of living in Memphis. In fact, it’s one reason Indeed.com named Memphis one of the top 10 cities for job seekers in 2017. On average, Memphis’ cost of living is more than 15 percent lower than the national average, while salaries are above average — ranking in the 63rd percentile nationwide. That’s an attractive perk for job seekers and a powerful recruiting tool for hiring managers.

What hiring trends should we look forward to in 2018?

A 2017 study showed that, as of

2016, there were 3 million more technology jobs in the United States than there were qualified workers to fill them. In 2017, we also saw numerous breaches — from major corporations like Equifax to smaller local companies who were affected by ransomware. This trend ixs going to further increase the demand for IT, digital security, risk solutions, and other technology-focused jobs.

In addition to the high demand, jobs in technology pay well, often come with flexibility other fields don’t offer and don’t always require a four-year degree. Candidates interested in entering this market should consider pursuing certifications, such as Comp TIA (at various levels), Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE), or Certified Information Systems

Security Professional (CISSP), among others.

What should hiring managers do to improve their recruiting efforts in 2018?

This year, we’ll start to see the first members of Generation Z enter the workforce. These young adults were born in the mid-1990s and have grown up with the internet. It’s still early to apply broad generalizations to this generation, but like Millennials (who will continue to move into ownership and management roles in 2018), they value technology. To take advantage of this, hiring managers should embrace technology in their industries.

It’s also worth noting that alternative benefits are becoming more and more popular with employees.

Monetary compensation, health coverage, and retirement

benefits still matter, but they’re often considered as part of a package by these generations.

This “package” may include flex time, the opportunity to telecommute, food in the office, or other perks that don’t cost the company much, but do appeal to younger generations.

Overall, consider defining your company’s culture to attract the right employees this year, and you’ll appreciate the improved office environment and the longer tenure they’re likely to have at your company.

901.333.2250 www.vaco.com 6000 Poplar Ave., Suite 216 Memphis TN, 38119

The Association of Fundraising professionals — Memphis Chapter

presents

the

2017

Crystal Awards

For a city as famously charitable as Memphis (see David S. Waddell’s column on Page 10), there might not seem any need to promote giving among the area’s corporations and foundations. But the need never stops, and neither does the giving. The Memphis chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is on a mission to nurture those who look out for the community. Its annual Crystal Awards acknowledges the wide range of people and organizations that are devoted to giving for the greater good.

To learn more about AFP Memphis and the Crystal Awards, please visit afpmemphis.org.

OUTSTANDING PHILANTHROPIST

begin to grow. Then we become open to seeing with fresh eyes. When you realize that animal societies take better Becky Wilson has long embraced philancare of their young than the wealthiest thropy. She’s made numerous contribuhuman societies the world has ever seen, tions to causes that aim to improve the it challenges you to do better. When city, one of the most notable of which you see wildlife that has more was when, in 1988, she started respect for their envithe Bridge Builders program ronment than the best at BRIDGES. She travels educated societies in extensively and is an the world, it invites active writer and you to do somephotographer, all thing differently.” of which she sees Wilson’s hope is as a way to further that through her her philanthropy. writing, photogIn recent years, raphy and work she’s been fortunate with BRIDGES that enough to photoshe can help her graph wildlife in many children, grandchildren places in the world.

Becky Wilson and others see the world Her philosophy of giving around them from a new is reflected in this statement: perspective. “The possibilities for “No matter where in this country joy in the journey are endless.” She or outside of it that I go I am continis part of the Wilson family that has ually reminded of the gracious gifts of had an enormous impact on the city diversity that our Creator has provided since Kemmons Wilson’s success with for us, whether they be among animals Holiday Inns. She is married to Spence or people, and how much richer our exWilson, Kemmons Wilson’s oldest son, periences are because of it. When we see and they have four children: Spence that we are not the center of the uniWilson Jr., Rebecca Macsovits, Lauren verse, that the way we do life is not the Young, and Webb Wilson. The couple only way nor, perhaps, not even the best also has nine grandchildren. way, it is a humbling moment. Then we

Becky Wilson

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YOUTH IN PHILANTHROPY GROUP

PARTNER IN PHILANTHROPY

One of 85 varsity chapters in the country, the MUS chapter was founded by Wyatt Berry two years ago when he was a freshman. While still relatively new, the chapter is highly competitive. Some 50 students are members, and the group had a successful philanthropic year in 2016, raising about $64,000 through two events, a banquet and a football tailgate party. Chapter members at MUS have shown persistence and enthusiasm in devoting hundreds of hours in the planning and execution of these efforts to benefit Ducks Unlimited’s conservation projects.

While Berry, now a junior, points to his love of duck hunting as the reason he founded the chapter, he says the cause is an easy one to support.

Ducks Unlimited conserves wetlands and valuable waterfowl habitat through several methods, including restoring grasslands, replanting forests, and restoring watersheds.

The foundation serves nonprofit organizations that work to improve Memphis and the Mid-South. Through its partnerships, the foundation addresses pressing challenges while also searching for root causes in order to bring about community-wide transformation. Its focus areas include health and human services, education and literacy, social justice and ethics, and cultural enrichment and the arts. The foundation invites and encourages exploration of ideas that align with its mission and improve the lives of every resident. Its guiding principles begin and end with respect, compassion, service, and stewardship for the community and one another. Since its formation in 1994 from the sale of St. Francis Hospital, the foundation has awarded more than $150 million to nonprofit organizations serving people primarily in the Greater Memphis area.

YOUTH IN PHILANTHROPY INDIVIDUAL

Ashner is Director of Philanthropy and Community Engagement for Memphis Jewish Home & Rehab (MJHR), where she has worked for almost 13 years.

Her first experience raising money for charity was as a volunteer, but when the opportunity at MJHR arose, she turned that experience and her marketing background into a career in the nonprofit world. Ashner is responsible for all fundraising and public relations for MJHR and has worked with volunteer leaders to build the organization’s annual golf tournament into one of the most successful in the city. In addition, she has secured funding for art therapy, pet therapy, the Restorative Nursing Program, weekly Shabbat luncheons, the annual Thanksgiving Family Luncheon, Alzheimer’s training for staff, and many other programs and needed equipment that benefit the patients and residents of MJHR. For the past two years, Ashner has also chaired the Senior Services Collaborative, which is working to ensure Jewish seniors in Memphis are cared for, connected, and engaged. She served on the Association of Fund-

Memphis University School’s Ducks Unlimited Chapter

Zora Person

Person, a ninth grader at The Soulsville Charter School, is deeply involved in several causes. When she is not serving her community, Person pushes herself academically and musically. She is in her school’s orchestra and women’s chorale as well as being a participant in Stax Music Academy’s Soul Nurtures Artistic Performance after-school program. Person, a lifelong Memphis resident, organized a water drive fundraiser in 2016 for Flint, Michigan.

The town’s poor water treatment process left residents potentially exposed to high levels of lead in the drinking water. “How long is Flint going to go without clean, fresh water?” Person asked herself and decided to have a school-wide bottled water drive.

Students and teachers brought bottled water donations over a two-week period. Soulsville sent more than 6,500 bottles of water to Flint residents and provided water filters through the Flint Water Fund sponsored by the United Way of Genesee County.

The Assisi Foundation of Memphis, Inc.

OUTSTANDING FUNDRAISING EXECUTIVE

Joel Ashner, CFRE

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raising Professionals Memphis board for four years, is the past chair of the Henry S. Jacobs Camp Committee, and is a past board member of Temple Israel in Memphis. Ashner received her B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Washington University in St. Louis.

She received the 2017 Association of Jewish Aging Services Professional of the Year Award and recently earned her Certified Fund Raising Executive certification.

OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER FUNDRAISER

Julie Raines

Raines is a native Memphian and graduate of the Hutchison School, who attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where she lived for 17 years. She returned to Memphis in 1978 and has been working to better the community ever since. Professionally, Raines has partnered with one of the top national agencies for the Carlisle Collection since 1983, and in 1990 she became Chair of the Board of her family’s business, Fischer Lime and Cement Co./Fischer Steel Corp. Her alliance with MIFA began in 1993 with her appointment to the Board of Directors, which she chaired from 2000 to 2002 and continued actively serving until 2007. During her tenure with MIFA, she played lead roles in the creation of Starry Nights and the capital campaign to refurbish MIFA’s headquarters. In 2015, MIFA brought Raines back from retirement to co-chair its successful $15 million endowment campaign, and she is currently working on its 50th anniversary campaign. Raines chaired the Memphis Botanic Garden board from 1995 to 1996 during construction of the $4 million Visitors’ Center and Hardin Hall, and continues to serve on its advisory board. She recently was a member of the Live at the Garden campaign. She was a founding board member of the Redbirds Baseball Foundation from 1998 to 2009, served on the Orpheum board for six years, and was one of 15 appointees to the New Memphis Arena Public Building Authority overseeing construction of FedExForum from 2002 to 2004. Raines is an ordained deacon at Idlewild

Presbyterian Church. She is married to her “biggest cheerleader,” Jim Raines, and they have three children and seven grandchildren.

OUTSTANDING FUNDRAISING EXECUTIVE LEADER

Dwayne Spencer

Spencer has worked in nonprofit management for 24 years and led Memphis Habitat since 2001. He has guided the agency through a period of significant growth and change, while maintaining and improving organizational practices, policies and strategies.

Since joining Memphis Habitat in 2001, he has expanded the organization from a nine-member staff to more than 40 employees, and from a $1 million budget to nearly $8 million. In the last several years, Memphis Habitat’s programs have expanded from serving 15 to 20 families a year to about 200-plus annually through the launch of its Aging in Place program, which recently won an Innovation Award from Inside Memphis Business magazine. Memphis Habitat ranks in the top 10 out of more than 1,300 Habitat affiliates in North America. Spencer led Memphis Habitat to host Habitat for Humanity’s 2016 Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, which brought former President Carter and his wife along with country music superstars Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood to work alongside 1,500 volunteers and 19 Habitat homebuyers to build their first homes. Spencer was named Habitat for Humanity of Tennessee’s first Leader of the Year in 2011, and earlier this year, accepted the Affiliate of the Year Award from Habitat Tennessee. He holds a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Memphis and serves on Habitat for Humanity International’s U.S. Affiliate Council.

OUTSTANDING PHILANTHROPIC ORGANIZATION

The Friends of the Pink Palace

This organization of committed women and men are dedicated to providing volunteers, financial support, and community awareness for the Pink Palace Family of Museums. For nearly 60 years, the Friends have been an innovative group, showing considerable

creativity in developing and leading fundraising events. The Pink Palace Crafts Fair is the largest juried fair in the region, now in its 45th year. Stomp in the Swamp is an annual fundraiser for Lichterman Nature Center, and volunteer docents share the region’s history through tours at the Mallory-Neely and Magevney historic homes. The dedication and commitment by individual members and the Friends of the Pink Palace as a whole are considerable.

Over nearly 60 years, $1,797,587 has been raised for the nonprofit Memphis Museums, Inc., and since 2001, 118,175 volunteer hours have been worked.

OUTSTANDING PHILANTHROPIC CORPORATION

International Paper

International Paper is one of the world’s leading producers of fiber-based packaging, pulp, and paper with manufacturing operations in North America, Latin America, Europe, North Africa, and Russia.

IP creates packaging products that protect and promote goods, enable worldwide commerce, and keep consumers safe; pulp for diapers, tissue, and other personal hygiene products that promote health and wellness; papers that facilitate education and communication; and paper bags.

With 55,000 employees in more than 24 countries, IP embraces an important responsibility to the communities in which it operates. Its global community engagement efforts include grants, financial contributions, volunteer opportunities, and product donations focused on addressing four signature causes: education, hunger, health and wellness, and disaster relief. IP takes pride for being a good neighbor, whether outside the front door of its headquarters or its backyards around the world. IP continues to be a force for good by mobilizing our people, products, and resources to address critical community needs. Each year IP provides $14 million around the globe to support hundreds of charitable organizations, with more than $4 million donated each year to Memphis-based organizations. To learn more, go to www. ipgiving.com.

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P O W E R

P L A Y E R S

Banking: Administration

When it comes to banking institutions, a strong leader is as good as gold. The POWER PLAYERS in Banking Administration have dedicated their careers to ensuring that their financial institutions run properly and that the money entrusted to them is in good hands. And these days, when it comes to our bottom lines, few things are more important than being able to trust the folks who oversee our hard-earned dollars. We have chosen administrators from local banks and from branches of national banks and from financial institutions that aren’t technically banks at all, credit unions. Regardless, their training and experience cover residential, commercial, and private banking with a strong focus on customer service. You may already know your banker or teller; now meet your financial institution’s administrator.

KIRK BAILEY Chairman of West Tennessee for Pinnacle Bank. Leadership positions in Memphis bank since 1980.

Founded Magna Bank 1999. Born in Memphis. Graduated magna cum laude from University of Memphis where he was captain of the golf team. Received a PMD degree from Harvard Business School. Very active in industry and community affairs, currently serving on the boards of five local organizations and has served in many capacities at Christ United Methodist Church.

TARA BURTON President and CEO, FedEx Employees Credit Association. B.S., Mathematics, University of Central Arkansas; M.B.A., Accounting from the University of Memphis. NAFCU Certified Compliance Officer. Recipient, 2017 Super Women in Business Award, Memphis Business Journal. Honoree, 2016 Women to Watch, Credit Union Times. Volunteer with Rachel’s Kids, Girls Scouts of America, FedEx Family House, Children’s Miracle Network hospitals, Idlewild Elementary PTO, and Central Gardens Neighborhood Association.

HAROLD BYRD President, Bank of Bartlett. B.B.A. and M.S., Business, University of Memphis. Co-Founder, Bank of Bartlett, Bartlett Mortgage, and Bartlett Travel. Former Tennessee State Representative. Former Special Assistant to U.S. Senator Jim Sasser.

President, Memphis Rebounders. Former President, University of Memphis Alumni Association, Tiger Scholarship Fund. Recipient, Partner in Education Award, SCS and Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Memphis. Board of Directors, University of Memphis, Lane College, Crescent Club.

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WILLIAM J. CHASE JR. Founding President and CEO, Triumph Bank. B.A., History and Business Administration, Vanderbilt University.

Attended University College, Oxford University. Graduate, National Commercial Lending School, American Bankers Association (ABA). Founded bank in 2005, specializing in commercial banking. Member, Economic Club of Memphis.

Former member, Community Bankers Council Division (ABA).

Former Board Member, Tennessee Bankers Association.

Former President, Chickasaw Country Club.

JAMES P. “JAKE” FARRELL Chairman, President, and CEO, Landmark Community Bank. B.S., Business Administration, University of Arkansas; National Commercial Lending Graduate School, University of Oklahoma; Stonier Graduate School of Banking; Rutgers University; and International School of Banking, University of Virginia. Former Trustee and Vice Chair, St. George’s Independent School. Co-Chair, Dishes-For-Wishes (Make-A-Wish event). Supports Holy Apostles Episcopal Church.

MOTT FORD Vice Chairman and CEO, Commercial Bank and Trust Company. Educated at University of Tennessee and Stonier Graduate School of Banking, American Bankers Association. Has been with the company 20 years.

Past President, Independent Bankers Division of the Tennessee Bankers Association. Board Member, Memphis Academy of Health Sciences (charter school), Tennessee Bankers Association, and the Memphis Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

GENE HENSON President, Memphis & North Mississippi Region, Trustmark National Bank. B.B.A., Accountancy, University of Mississippi; Graduate School of Banking, LSU. Past Board Member, Tennessee Bankers Association, Past Chairman, Government Relations Committee. Past Member, Government Relations Council Administrative Committee, American Bankers FRANK CIANCIOLA Association. Member, Board of Governors, Greater Memphis Chamber. Member and Past Chairman, Board Chairman of the Board, President, and of Regents Executive Committee, Barret School of Chief Executive Officer, Bank3. Banking career includes CEO of Victory Bank & Trust, Banking, CBU. Past Member, Board of Trustees, Memphis Museums, Inc. Past Member Campaign then Founder, CEO, and Chairman of Cabinet Executive Committee, United Way of the MidRenasant Bank. Most recently, he served South. Past Member, Board of Directors, University of as Chairman and Vice Chairman of Metropolitan Bank. Cianciola holds a Master of Science de- Mississippi Alumni Association. Member, Economic Club of Memphis. gree in Finance from the University of Memphis. He is a certificate holder/graduate of the Graduate School of International Banking (University of Virginia), the Graduate BRYAN JORDAN School of Commercial Lending (University of Oklahoma), and Chairman, President, and CEO, First The Effective Executive Program (The Wharton School, Horizon National Corporation. B.A., University of Pennsylvania).

Catawba College. Responsible for setting strategic direction for the W. CRAIG ESRAEL 4,300-employee company, managing assets, and overseeing day-to-day President and CEO, First South Financial.

B.B.A. and M.B.A., University of Wisconsin. operations. Named 2017 CEO of the Year, Inside Memphis Business; Best CEO, mid-cap category, M.S., University of Arkansas. Ph.D., Vanderbilt University. Named Executive of Institutional Investor magazine’s 2013 All-American Executive Team. Board Member, American Bankers the Year, Memphis Business Journal.

Association, American Bankers Council, AutoZone, Chairman, St. Francis Hospital-Bartlett.

Entrepreneur of the Year, Bartlett Area Chamber of Commerce. Baptist Memorial Health Care Corporation, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Governor’s Foundation for CEO of the Year, Inside Memphis Business. Profiled as one of The Fittest CEOs in America by Fortune and honored with the Health and Wellness, Memphis Tomorrow, Mid-Size Tennessee Volunteer Commendation Award by the Governor Bank Coalition of America, Operation HOPE, and Tennessee Bankers Association. Chairman, Youth of Tennessee. Also awarded the University of Wisconsin Villages and Memphis Tomorrow.

Distinguished Alumni Award.

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JOHNNY B. MOORE JR. President and CEO, SunTrust Bank, Memphis. B.B.A., Accounting, Rhodes College. Board Member and Chairman, Memphis and Shelby County Port Commission. Board Member, Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare, Memphis Tomorrow, National Civil Rights Museum, and Memphis & Shelby County EDGE. Member, Board of Trustees, Rhodes College, Memphis University School, Hutchison School, New Memphis, Promise Academy, and the Plough Foundation. Member, ALSAC/St. Jude Advisory Board.

W. SCOTT STAFFORD President, CEO, and Director, Evolve Bank & Trust. B.S., Commerce and Business, University of Alabama. Chairman of the Board of Directors, Neighborhood Christian Centers. Board Member and Treasurer, Young Presidents’ Organization (Southern 7 Chapter). Board Member, Presbyterian Day School. Member and Officer, Second Presbyterian Church.

2015 Inside Memphis Business CEO of the Year. Evolve is a sponsor of Dixon Gallery & Gardens Art on Fire, Opera Memphis, and the Cooper-Young Festival.

SUSAN S. STEPHENSON Co-Founder, Co-Chairman, and President, Independent Bank. Former Chairman, President, and CEO, Boatmen’s Bank of Tennessee. First female Chairman and CEO of a Tennessee bank. Board Member, St. Louis Federal Reserve.

Member, Memphis Society of Entrepreneurs. Former Chair, Executive Committee and Board, Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis, and New Memphis. Treasurer, Elmwood Foundation. Member, Baptist Women’s Hospital Advisory Board.

WILLIAM R. TAYLOE President, Financial Federal Bank.

Member, Financial Federal Board of Directors. Bachelor of Arts, University of Mississippi. As President and Member of the Board, responsible for oversight and management of the bank as well as having an active role in business development, risk management, and strategic planning. Bank focuses on highquality customer service and customized solutions in private banking, mortgage banking, and commercial banking.

DANIEL WEICKENAND President and CEO, Orion Federal Credit Union. M.B.A, University of Texas at San Antonio. Orion FCU is the largest credit union in West Tennessee with more than 50,000 members and $530 million in assets. Former Chief Financial Officer, FedEx Employees Credit Association.

Board Member, National Association of Federal Credit Unions, Regional One Foundation, Overton Park Conservancy, and Levitt Shell. Former Board Member, Memphis in May and Memphis Commercial Credit Association.

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The Office Dr. Kenneth S. Robinson United Way of the Mid-South

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Dr. Kenneth S. Robinson, MD, has been helping people his entire career. Whether in the field of medicine, religion, or philanthropy, Robinson has amassed considerable experience to chart an effective course for aiding a community in need.

Several decades of his efforts at social work paid off with his appointment as CEO of United Way of the Mid-South in February of 2015. In addition to bringing aboard a new leader to helm its efforts, United Way also procured a sizable new office space for free.

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Georgia-Pacific Cellulose, a pulp and paper company, donated its former 37,000-square-foot office building at 1005 Tillman St. to United Way, enabling the nonprofit enterprise to move more centrally into the heart of Memphis, as opposed to its old third-story leased space at an office building in East Memphis.

For the organization, the new location, in a neighborhood called The Heights, is a prime opportunity to further its aim of revitalizing communities. “United Way is an iconic organization, but it is iconic for us to be located here in a real community that has real needs,” says Robinson. “We brought a lot of attention to The Heights by moving here, and many of our corporate sponsors come to interface with United Way and have come to be more aware of this community as well.” In the middle of an actual neighborhood, United Way is able to be the centerpoint of community events, such as the organization’s annual Halloween Trunk or Treat event.

Beyond the location, the

1. Dr. Kenneth S. Robinson: Kenneth Robinson joined United Way in February 2015 and has since felt at home in the organization. His thirdfloor office is chock full of mementos showcasing his aptitude and impact: degrees from undergraduate, medical, and divinity schools; commemorative plaques from organizations he’s helped over the years; and personal photographs Robinson took during international travels.

The office has proved to be a good fit for United Way. “It’s welcoming and open to the community,” says Robinson. “It’s a tangible, visible statement that we are here, and we’re making an effort to help all of the families currently living in this community.”

2. Art installations: Sharon Moore-Edwards, a United Way employee, individually decorates many

building’s interior is well suited to a united and productive work environment. The three-story building is chock-full of conference rooms, offices, and extra desks for employees to navigate freely and easily collaborate on projects. The top floor, populated

by Robinson and other full-time United Way staffers, has extra desks and computers for seasonal campaign workers, and two conference rooms that look outside to spaces curated by the Memphis Botanic Garden.

The second floor prominently displays another use for United Way’s extra office space. The organization leases out offices and desks to other nonprofits and small businesses, uniting many of these charitable organizations under one roof. The spaces

are rented out for less than the going market rate. For those just needing an individual space, plenty of desks line the hallway, while there are also a few private offices available.

Finally, the ground floor hosts an auditorium, a large break room, and an executive dining room for donors and board members. For community functions and company-wide events, the auditorium can be filled with tables and chairs or cleared to have wide-open floor space for presentations.

United Way’s shared space proves the organization wants to be the functional embodiment of its name. There are many people living in poverty in and around Memphis, but United Way’s new office gives it a purposeful platform in which to help the city.

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of the rooms and office spaces to give them a more welcoming feeling. “She has put a lot of her heart into designing and creating a warm, comfortable office space for people,” says Robinson, “whether they’re looking for transient or permanent space. She picks up things from time to time and brings them to the office.”

3. “Employee of the Season” Football: Throughout campaign seasons, the football, signed by United Way staff, is awarded to a standout employee.

4. Bar-Kays Foundation Guitar: “The Bar-Kays have their gold records and guitars on the wall.” says Robinson.

“They’re a nonprofit arm of the singing group, and they keep some of their public memorabilia here.”

5. Executives: From left: Lori Spicer Robertson (Chief Communications & Engagement Officer), Gregg Smith (Chief Financial Officer), Kenneth Robinson (President & Chief Executive Officer), and Stephanie Butler (Chief Strategy Officer).

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William R. Moore

His enduring legacy was a school unlike any other in Memphis.

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Even as a Lauderdale I have to admit that my family has not left the same mark on Memphis as William R. Moore. Press-Scimitar columnist Eldon Roark described him as “perhaps the most unusual character who ever influenced the destiny of Memphis.”

Another historian called him “one of the outstanding Memphians of all time.”

Moore was indeed a remarkable fellow. Born in 1830 in Alabama, he never went to school.

In his teens he moved to Nashville and began clerking in one of that city’s largest dry goods stores. The ambitious lad then moved to New York City, where he began to prosper in the retail business, and by 1859, when he’d made enough money, he came to Memphis, at the time the fastest-growing city in the South.

He quickly became what he considered “this city’s most insulted resident.” With the Civil War looming, it didn’t help that Moore not only opposed secession but openly supported Abraham Lincoln. As historian Paul Coppock noted, “he was publicly abused, vilified, and held in contempt. The attack was so severe the Presbyterian congregation of which he was a member threw him out.”

The William R. Moore Dry Goods Co. building on Third Street is now the Toyota Center overlooking AutoZone Park.

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When the war began, Moore quietly stayed in business, and he did something rather clever. Suspecting that Confederate money would be worthless if — and when — the South lost the war, he didn’t save it. Instead, he purchased downtown property with it, and when the war was over, while his business rivals found themselves bankrupt, Moore was a wealthy landowner and one of the richest men in the city.

H i s f i r m g r ew and prospered. He opened branch offices in Atlanta and built an eight-story headquarters and warehouse building in downtown Memphis with his name carved in stone across the top. It must have been a rather curious place to work. Among other things, Moore was absolutely opposed to any of his employees drinking alcohol, claiming that even a sip would give anyone a “muddled brain.”

At the age of 58, he married a woman with the remarkable name of Charlotte Blood, and newspaper accounts describe them living in the “Blood Residence” on Union, a noble-looking edifice despite the creepy name.

Even with his wealth and success, Moore began to obsess about his legacy. When he retired in 1902, he wanted people to remember him for building one of the finest schools in the South. According to a Press-Scimitar account, “from then until his death his time was largely filled with dreaming and planning for his college.”

Moore died in 1909 and was buried in a massive stone vault in Forest Hill Cemetery. He divided his fortune two ways, with part going to his wife, and the remainder — some $500,000 — going to the school he had envisioned.

His dream was delayed. Even in those days, half a million dollars wasn’t enough to build a fine college. So plans for the school were put on hold until the death of Charlotte Blood Moore in 1919, and then it seems there still wasn’t enough money, so a group of trustees invested the funds. They actually doubled the original investment, and when it

finally reached more than a million dollars, it was finally time to build the new school — three decades after the death of its founder.

On April 11, 1939, the brandnew William R. Moore School of Technology opened at Poplar and Bellevue, and what a place it was. Perhaps because of his own lack of “book learning” Moore didn’t much care for the liberal arts. Instead, as the school’s first president explained, “He didn’t say anything about wanting academic subjects taught. He wanted boys to get training that would enable them to make a good living.” The school stood three stories high and included classrooms, an auditorium, a library, and even a museum. The technical training programs were extensive: Students could concentrate in drafting, electricity, machine shop, internal combustion engines, welding, carpentry, cabinet-making, metalworking, and much more.

“Thus students getting instruction in the shops of the William R. Moore School,” said the 1940 bulletin, “will be well prepared to go directly into positions of responsibility in industrial plants.”

And how much would students pay for this opportunity? Just a few dollars. Tuition was free; the only expense was incidental costs such as 25 cents for rental of drafting equipment, or $4.50 for uniforms.

The William R. Moore dry goods business went through various ownership changes over the years, and finally closed. The nice downtown building is still standing; it was recently converted into the Toyota Center overlooking AutoZone Park.

And the school? It’s still going strong, now called Moore Tech, which claims close to 100 percent of its graduates find jobs in such diverse fields as plumbing, welding, maintenance technology, machining technology, air conditioning and heating, and industrial electricity.

William R. Moore would be mighty proud of his legacy.

PHOTOS COURTESY SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS LIBRARIES

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