2019 Most Powerful Women

2019

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FROM THE EDITORS Welcome to this recap of our Most Powerful Women luncheon!

Our teams at Nfocus and the Nashville Post were thrilled to partner for the first time to unite two of our flagship programs showcasing the power of leadership and service.

It’s a natural fit, really. Since early this decade, the Post’s Most Powerful Women panels have convened top executives to share insights into their paths to success, their approach to leadership and the secrets to great mentoring. And over the course of its 15-year history, Nfocus’ Model Behavior issue has showcased the work of key volunteers for nearly 200 nonprofits around Middle Tennessee.

The goal of both programs is essentially the same: Shine a light on those who have succeeded in bettering the organizations they help lead. Nashville’s open, collaborative and benevolent spirit is a key reason why the region continues to grow and prosper, and we were proud to play the role of convener for a terrific group of women.

We hope you enjoy this special supplement and are inspired by these leaders and the entities they represent. You can learn much more about our respective honorees under the magazine tabs of the Nfocus and Post websites.

Thanks for reading and have a great end to 2019!

Nancy Floyd Editor of Nfocus

Geert De Lombaerde Editor of Nashville Post

4025 Hillsboro Pike #505, Nashville, TN 37215 Marketing and PartnershiPs

Halle Pinkham | 270-312-8460

meet the panelists

Maneet Chauhan Founding Partner and President Morph Hospitality

Celebrity chef and restaurateur Maneet Chauhan was already well known in the culinary world when she opened her first restaurant in Nashville in 2014. After beginning her career studying in India’s top restaurants, Chauhan moved to the U.S. and graduated with honors from The Culinary Institute of America. She went on to lead fine-dining kitchens in Chicago and New York City, where she earned exceptional reviews for her Indian-fusion style. Chauhan competed on multiple Food Network shows and is now a regular judge on Chopped. A part-time Nashvillian, Chauhan operates four restaurants in the city – Chauhan Ale & Masala House, Tànsuŏ, The Mockingbird and Chaatable.

meet the panelists

Jane MacLeod President and CEO Cheekwood Estate & Gardens

Since joining Cheekwood in 2010, Jane MacLeod has steadily grown the reach of the nonprofit estate and gardens, with increases in memberships and admissions, historic fundraising and the introduction of major art exhibitions and events. Under her leadership, the Cheekwood mansion underwent extensive refurnishing, and Cheekwood in Bloom, Cheekwood Harvest and Holiday LIGHTS became regular programs at the gardens. Prior to stepping into her current role, MacLeod served in leadership roles at the Nasher Sculpture Garden in Dallas and The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. She is currently a national board member for the American Public Gardens Association.

Recognizing your accomplishments.

And all they’ve meant to Nashville.

Congratulations to the 2019 Most Powerful Women in Nashville! Thank you for inspiring others to step up and make a difference.

Š2019 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. PNC Bank, National Association. Member FDIC CON PDF 0618-0106

meet the panelists

Mekesha Montgomery Member Frost Brown Todd

For the past 20 years since graduating from the University of Kentucky College of Law, Mekesha Montgomery has been a key member of the Frost Brown Todd team.

She joined the law firm’s Nashville branch in late 2006, then as a senior associate, before going on to be named partner in the labor and employment practice group and later to lead the Nashville office as member-in-charge.

Most recently, she assumed leadership of the firm’s manufacturing team. Montgomery specializes in employment discrimination litigation, representing management in areas of union negotiations and arbitration, wage-and-hour violations, and class actions.

We celebrate

this year’s

nominees. You’re not just changing the world, you’re influencing lives for good every day while you do it.

Congratulations! Power on. Power through. Power upward. And thanks for being an example for all of us.”

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meet the panelists

Sharon Roberson President and CEO YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee

Longtime Nashville area resident Sharon Roberson began her tenure as president and CEO of the YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee in 2016 after serving two terms on the YWCA board of directors. A graduate of both Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Law School, Roberson has had a lengthy career in leadership and counsel positions for groups like the State of Tennessee Department of Commerce, AIG and Direct General. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Nashville Symphony, YMCA, Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee and the Nashville chapter of the Link Inc. In 2011, Roberson was inducted into the Academy for Women of Achievement.

meet the panelists

Carol Yochem President First Horizon Bank, Middle Tennessee Region

In 2014, as what was then First Tennessee Bank was recovering from recession-caused losses, the company named Carol Yochem Middle Tennessee region president. Since then, she has used her decades of experience in wealth management and corporate banking to lead the bank’s growth in and around Nashville and assist in the rebranding — in the wake of the acquisition of Capital Bank Financial — of First Tennessee to First Horizon.

Prior to her role with First Horizon, Yochem worked for the southern branches of SunTrust, First Citizens and TD Wealth. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois.

meet the moderator

Tracy Kornet News Anchor WSMV NewsChannel 4

Tracy Kornet is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning news anchor, host and writer, who co-anchors several of News 4’s broadcasts. Named Best News Anchor three times by the Tennessee Associated Press, Tracy came to WSMV from Dallas/Fort Worth, where she anchored the city’s first two-hour prime-time evening newscast. She also spent six years in Phoenix anchoring morning newscasts and hosting the city’s first morning magazine show. She started her career as a morning news anchor in Lexington, Kentucky.

Among her other professional highlights are co-hosting The View, field anchoring the 2010 and 2011 World Series and interviewing Will Ferrell in the Saturday Night Live costume closet.

FROM OUR PARTNERS AT AWIN Advancing Women in Nashville launched early this year to support and empower women in business and make Nashville the best city in the country for women leaders. The group recently commissioned Middle Tennessee State University’s Data Science Institute to compile a report analyzing gender representation in managerial occupations for the Nashville metropolitan area and comparing the region to the state and nation. Here are a few snippets from the report.

GROWTH IN MANAGERIAL JOBS FROM 2013 TO 2018 Nashville MSA

Tennessee

United States

31% 21% 17% FEMALE REPRESENTATION IN MANAGERIAL OCCUPATIONS Nashville MSA

Tennessee

United States

41.8% 41.5% 39.3% The study also highlighted occupations with high compensation and low female representation. Among them are CEOs, engineering managers, computer and information systems managers and general and operations managers.

For more info on AWIN, go to advancingwomeninnashville.com.

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model behavior HONOREES

DarKenya Waller

YWCA NASHVILLE & MIDDLE TENNESSEE DarKenya Waller’s commitment to the YWCA — and women and children in need — is both a personal and a professional one. As an attorney and the executive director of Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, DarKenya’s initial involvement with the YWCA began on a professional level. As a lawyer, she has worked tirelessly to represent women and children escaping domestic violence who have ended up in the YWCA’s shelters, but it didn’t take long for her to begin partnering with the organization in a volunteer capacity as well.

“I took pleasure in seeing many of our mutual clients grow and flourish after the legal representation I was able to provide and the services the YWCA was able to offer,” she says. As a result, she joined the YWCA’s board, where she continues to serve as a member.

And although DarKenya is providing a vital service to survivors of abuse, she has received as much as she has given. “My involvement with the organization has taught me to be fearless,” she says.

“The strength and determination of the women and children I represented put everything into perspective. Many overcame insurmountable odds to attain the level of safety and independence they were able to achieve. It is no small task to uproot your children with only meager resources with the hope that whatever else is out there is better than the abuse they endured.”

model behavior HONOREES

Laura Chavarria

NASHVILLE HUMANE ASSOCIATION Laura Chavarria has only been the executive director of the Nashville Humane Association for a year and a half, but she’s already had a big impact both inside and outside its walls. And although the nonprofit is technically committed to serving Davidson County, under Laura’s leadership, the organization’s reach stretches far beyond county lines.

“Nashville Humane is one of the oldest nonprofits in Nashville, and we have the ability to impact both two-legged and four-legged friends regionally, state-wide, and across the country,” she says.

Working alongside a staff of 32, a board of 30, and hundreds of volunteers and fosters, Laura has used her position to support the efforts of other animal welfare organizations near and far. She led her staff in a two-day service project doing building repairs at the Cheatham County Animal Control, and she recently created the Middle Tennessee Shelter Director Coalition comprised of 15 local animal shelter directors.

Additionally, the NHA’s already impressive numbers were way up in 2018. The nonprofit achieved a 99 percent save rate (an all-time record), placed 3,334 pets in homes and launched a new foster program that provided fostering to over 500 animals. Last year also saw a greater commitment to the organization’s transport program, which allows the NHA to rescue at-risk or displaced animals from puppy mills, medical testing facilities and natural disasters. In 2018, more than 1,200 animals were rescued.

“This organization has taught me that it takes a village to make a difference,” Laura says.

Fortunately, this village has an incredibly capable and passionate leader at the helm.

model behavior HONOREES

Tracy Kornet

SEXUAL ASSAULT CENTER Five years ago, Tracy Kornet had barely finished unpacking moving boxes when she learned about the Sexual Assault Center. Today, she has been a volunteer there almost as long as she’s been a news anchor at WSMV-TV. She joined the board in 2015 and has served in various capacities— currently as secretary.

“My involvement with SAC is the most meaningful work I’ve ever done, giving great purpose to my day job,” says Tracy, explaining how she uses her unique platform to educate and inform viewers.

She’s produced and reported segments about the nonprofit, including one on the SAFE Clinic, the first stand-alone forensic rape exam clinic in Nashville. For her, it is a privilege to “counter the horrific stories of abuse we report nightly with positive solutions and ways to help victims, making our community safer along the way.”

Tracy points out that after 40 years, SAC remains the only place in Middle Tennessee dedicated solely to victims of sexual assault and was uniquely prepared to manage the increased number of calls and clients in the wake of the #MeToo movement. Always a passionate supporter, Tracy will again emcee at Mad Hatter, the nonprofit’s annual fundraiser, which will take place Saturday, Sept.

21, at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel.

model behavior HONOREES

Betty Dickens THE NEXT DOOR

The Next Door is on track to offer services to more than 1,600 Middle Tennessee women in crisis this year. Fifteen years ago, it opened to meet the needs of transitional housing and support for female ex-offenders, and programs have since expanded to include those impacted by addiction, mental illness and trauma. The organization’s excellence in providing evidence-based programming is empowering clients for lifetime recovery.

“What a blessing it has been in my life to be a very small part of TND’s effort to bring hope and healing to women in crisis!” Betty Dickens says. Actually, her role in its success has been anything but small. She is a founder of the nonprofit and longtime board member, ardently focused on fundraising efforts like annual giving and the inspiring fall luncheon. She and her husband, Marty, even host events in their home for the board, staff and community. Recently, they welcomed a group to hear Sam Quinones, who authored a book about the opioid crisis. At TND, 85 percent of the women are caught in the widespread epidemic. Betty is always there to help because she knows no other organization is as effective in addressing their needs, as well as those of their families, as The Next Door.

model behavior HONOREES

Jaimie Robinson JDRF

“Often a family doesn’t have [Type 1 diabetes] in its history, and you tend to feel alone,” recalls Jaimie Robinson about the day her daughter Taylor received the diagnosis—April 8, 2012. That’s when she became involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Boston chapter.

She’s remained active in local chapters through moves to Tampa and to Nashville in 2014, when her husband, Jon, accepted a job with the Tennessee Titans, where he is currently executive vice president and general manager.

In each city, Jaimie gladly took on bigger volunteer roles—raising money and helping T1D families.

Here, she sits on the board and chaired the auction committee for the 2017 Promise Gala, JDRF’s signature fundraiser. Her biggest accomplishment by far was as 2018 gala co-chair with Jon. The record-breaking event at Nissan Stadium raised a staggering $1.825 million!

Jaimie is grateful to the JDRF community for the help it’s given her and Taylor and for the strength they have to help others who struggle with the disease. “When someone is newly diagnosed, I say ‘welcome to the family.’ You don’t always want to be in this type of family, but that’s what JDRF is to us: family.” It’s reassuring to know passionate volunteers like Jaimie are here to help.

model behavior HONOREES

Llew Ann King

OWL’S HILL NATURE SANCTUARY When Llew Ann King tells you an interesting tidbit about Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary, rest assured it’s true. For more than 20 years, she’s actively volunteered at the preserve, watching it go from farmland to flourishing wildlife sanctuary and grow to 300 acres of protected green space.

A longtime board member with a knack for recruiting donors, Llew Ann’s work at Owl’s Hill has run the gamut from caring for the gardens to co-chairing the first and second Dinner in the Forest, the nonprofit’s first-ever fundraiser. She was inspired to earn her Tennessee Naturalist certification and gained a deeper appreciation for the importance of Owl’s Hill’s conservation, preservation and education efforts. Visiting school children get an insightful lesson on the wonders of nature when Llew Ann is leading their hikes.

As one who’s always been drawn to the outdoors, Llew Ann values how “Owl’s Hill embraces and protects the essence of Middle Tennessee’s natural environment and presents it in a way that engages the first-time visitor or longtime volunteer.” As the region continues to grow, Owl’s Hill will provide outdoor experiences for new and old residents of all ages and for generations to come, thanks to volunteers like Llew Ann.

model behavior HONOREES

Laurie Seabury

NASHVILLE SYMPHONY AND OZ ARTS NAHVILLE One thing is certain: Laurie Seabury loves the arts — classical and contemporary. Both the Nashville Symphony and Oz Arts Nashville nominated her for Model Behavior. With her last child in college, she’s generously devoted her time, energy and resources to these two beloved nonprofits. “Also,” she admits, “being busy helps me stay out of trouble.”

Laurie and her husband, Jim, have been patrons of the Nashville Symphony for more than 30 years, but lately she’s taken a more hands-on approach. She co-chaired the 2018 Symphony Ball with Katie Crumbo and raised a record amount. Planning the white-tie gala gave her a new appreciation for the nonprofit’s leadership and musicians, and she feels fortunate to call the hardworking staff her friends.

As for Oz Arts, Laurie has known the Ozgener family for years and endorsed their concept for the city’s first contemporary arts center from the start. A current board member, she’s worked on its two major fundraisers: CigArt and Conversations at Oz. Her definition of “art” and understanding of it has expanded considerably, and she’s grateful to Oz Arts for presenting multiple disciplines for all people to enjoy.

Laurie’s learned a lot about the Nashville Symphony and Oz Arts in the past few years — the organizations’ histories, the people who paved the way for success and those who keep them going. Now she’s ready and willing to share her knowledge and passion with the next generation of supporters.

model behavior HONOREES

Sherri Neal

BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS AND THISTLE FARMS “The kids. It’s those amazing children that make me want to serve,” says Sherri Neal. She’s been on the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs for more than seven years, and seeing the impact the organization has on Nashville’s younger citizens only fuels her involvement. “Being a board member has taught me that young people benefit from our involvement in their lives. The more we care, the more we support, the more we mentor, the more we will see an impact in our community.”

But it’s not just the youth of Nashville that Sherri so diligently serves — she’s also an active supporter of Thistle Farms, where she volunteers on the board and the HR Task Force and, really, wherever Thistle Farms can use her. “These women have inspired me — to want to do better, give more and work harder. I can’t find enough ways to give to Thistle Farms,” Sherri says. Working with the organization has convinced her that love is truly the most powerful force in the world, and she says seeing that love at work in the lives of Thistle Farms’ women has taught her to “walk the talk.”

model behavior HONOREES

Connie Bradley

SAINT THOMAS HEALTH FOUNDATION Connie Bradley can’t remember a time when Saint Thomas Health wasn’t her family’s hospital of choice. She’s always been impressed by the commitment of the doctors and nurses to caring for patients. “In fact,” she says, “my father received his care at Saint Thomas, and I credit the physicians and nurses for keeping him alive 10 years longer than we all expected.”

In 2002, she was invited to join the Board of Directors of the Saint Thomas Health Foundation, and that opportunity gave her the chance to give back to the hospital she had grown so fond of. Since joining the board, she has been a proponent for raising funds within the foundation and has helped connect those funds directly to needs, like when she held an event to raise money for the latest digital technology for breast cancer screenings. She was also an active part of launching the Rock the Cradle fundraiser in 2010, which helps fund the Beaman Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to support premature babies and their families.

Through the years, Connie has continued to support the Saint Thomas Health mission. “It is a wonderful and deserving organization to support,” she says. “They do so much good in our community and have a much bigger mission than people realize.”

model behavior HONOREES

Rankin McGugin

ADVENTURE SCIENCE CENTER As a neuroscientist at Vanderbilt and the mother of four children under the age of 6, it’s a wonder that Rankin McGugin has time for anything extra, but her busy personal and professional life hasn’t kept her from volunteering. For 12 years, she’s been an ardent supporter of the Adventure Science Center. She officially joined the Board of Trustees in 2015, and she has co-chaired the museum’s signature fundraiser, Mad Bash, for the past three years. Rankin’s involvement with the organization is a natural fit, at first because of her career in the sciences and later because of her role as a mother.

“Having children and considering the education they would get in Nashville inspired me to become more involved with the Adventure Science Center,” she says. “I saw the ASC as an incredible resource to science education in Tennessee, one with great history yet much room for advancement.

For as long as I can remember, science has been a huge part of my life, and I believe strongly in the importance of an early introduction into the mysteries of the mind, the universe and technology. The ASC is a place where children (of all ages!) learn through play — a mother’s dream!”

Thanks to the ongoing commitment of Rankin and others like her, kids — and kids at heart — will continue to have the opportunity to explore what she calls “a place where curiosity knows no bounds.”

Joey Locke, General Manager Ethan Shane, Lead Designer

2 1 5 6 T H AV E N NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 37219 615-254-6744 INFO@OSHINASHVILLE.COM

PAST HONOREES 2011 Sharon Hurt, Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership Ellen Lehman, Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Jenneen Kaufman, Tennessee Titans Linda Rebrovick, Consensus Point Claire Tucker, CapStar Bank 2012 Megan Barry, Premier Agenia Clark, Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee Aileen Katcher, Katcher Vaughn & Bailey Dawn Rudolph, Saint Thomas Health 2013 Jacky Akbari, Nashville Career Advancement Center Sherry Stewart Deutschmann, LetterLogic Stacey Garrett, Bone McAllester Norton Janet Miller, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce 2014 Lisa Boggs, Bridgestone Americas Glenda Glover, Tennessee State University Heather Rowan, TriStar Centennial Medical Center Sally Williams, Ryman Auditorium 2015 Paula Lovell, Lovell Communications Joelle Phillips, AT&T Renata Soto, Conexiรณn Americas Christie Wilson, The Wilson Group Real Estate Services 2016 Tammy Hawes, Virsys12 Beth Hoeg, Trinisys Nicole Tremblett, HCA Healthcare Rachel Werner, Built Technologies

model behavior PAST HONOREES 2005 Lisa Campbell (Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee) Sandra Lipman (United Way of Metro Nashville) Barbara Burns (Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital) Katy Varney (YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee) Jennifer Frist (Nashville Zoo) Robin Patton (Nashville Humane Association) Eilene Maupin (Tennessee Performing Arts Center) Lisa Beasley (Second Harvest Food Bank) Laura Chadwick (Frist Art Museum) Judy Turner (Nashville Public Library Foundation) Julie Boehm (Nashville Symphony) Anne Russell (Cheekwood Estate & Gardens)

2006 Sarah Ingram (Saddle Up) Claire Tucker (Nashville Ballet) Betsy Wills (Belle Meade Plantation) Ann Tidwell (Land Trust for Tennessee) Ann Jenkins (The Junior League of Nashville) Carlana Harwell (Magdalene House/Thistle Farms) Natasha Metcalf (Renewal House) Phyllis Fridrich (Friends of Warner Parks) Mary Lee Bryant (Travellers Rest) Paula Roberts (Nashville Opera)

2007 Linda Biek (Junior League of Nashville) Lake Eakin (Cumberland Heights) Meredith Sullivan (Hands On Nashville) Gigi Grimstad (Sexual Assault Center) Priscilla Garcia (T.J. Martell Foundation) Fran Hardcastle (Canby Robinson Center) Julie Boswell (Nashville Wine Auction) Rita Mitchell (Girl Scout Council of Cumberland Valley) Clare Armistead (Tennessee State Museum) Tinti Moffit (W.O. Smith Music School)

2008 Genma Holmes (Oasis Center) Allison Cutler (National Council of Jewish Women) Demetria Kalodimos (Multiple Sclerosis Society) Teresa Bolton (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation) Mary Perkins (Cumberland Heights) Emily Zerfoss (St. Luke’s Community House) Janet Ayers (Centerstone) Angie Stewart (American Liver Foundation) Mary Herbert Kelly (FiftyForward) Donna Richards (Family and Children’s Service)

2009 Stacey Andrews (Jade Pasley Foundation) Susan Lanigan (American Red Cross) Shelley Harwell (Cumberland River Compact) Ginny Panoff (Make-A-Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee) Sperry Stadler (Centerstone) Lisa Harless (T.J. Martell Foundation)

model behavior PAST HONOREES

René Copeland (Nashville Repertory Theatre) Kay West (Nashville Cares) Amy Marsalis (Saint Thomas Foundation) Susannah Scott-Barnes (Nashville Public Television) Dick Cowart (Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage)

2010 Andrea Lindsley (Multiple Sclerosis Society) Meredith Griffith (Centerstone) Amy Marsalis (Saint Thomas Health Foundation) Piper Burch (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation) Libby Sieveking (Nashville Humane Association) Leslie Dabrowiak (Cumberland Heights) Barbara Bovender (Tennessee Performing Arts Center) Sarah Ann Ezzell (Family and Children’s Service) Irwin Fisher (The Women’s Fund) Sondra Cruickshanks (The Land Trust for Tennessee)

2011 Nichole Huseby (Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital) Pat Shea (YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee) Holly Hoffman (Belcourt Theatre) Babs Oglesby (Family Faith Medical Clinic) Nancy Hiatt (Harpeth River Watershed Association) Eileen Campbell (JDRF) Monica McDougall (Cumberland Heights) Cassie Kelley (Oasis Center) Nina Kuzina-Farr (Gilda’s Club) Dawn Rudolph (Saint Thomas Health Foundation)

2012 Aylin Ozgener (Family and Children’s Service) Jillian Waters (Junior League of Nashville) Susan Basel (Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital) Crissy Welhoelter (Nashville Public Television) Paula Lovell (Nashville Public Radio) Sharon Roberson (Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee) Julie Rounsaville (Friends of Warner Parks) Liz Beavers (Fannie Battle Day Home) Dee Anna Smith (Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation) Jana Davis (Boys & Girls Clubs of Middle Tennessee)

2013 Theresa Menefee (Rochelle Center) Trayte Peters (Nashville Children’s Theatre) Liz Schatzlein (Alive Hospice) Emily Magid (Heritage Foundation) Lisa Cheek (Monroe Harding) Barbara Daane (Park Center) Frannie Corzine (Conservancy for the Parthenon and Centennial Park) Courtney Cuden (Eating Disorders Coalition of Tennessee) Megan Turner (Greenways for Nashville) Connie Cathcart-Richardson (Fashion Forward Fund)

2014 Cara Jackson (Nashville Opera) Helen Kennedy (Belmont Mansion)

model behavior PAST HONOREES

Stacia Freeman (Abolition International) Judy Wright (Nashville Food Project) Jill Howard (Mental Health America of Middle Tennessee) Connie Ford (Nashville Cares) Katie Crumbo (American Red Cross) Julie Walker (Nashville Zoo) Trudy Clark (CASA) Nan Adams (Friends of Radnor Lake)

2015 Sue Ann Hemphill (Make-A-Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee) Marissa Benchea (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation) Marjorie Feltus Hawkins (Nashville Wine Auction) Joelle Phillips (Nashville Repertory Theatre) Grace Awh (The Women’s Fund) Jennifer Puryear (Nashville Symphony) Brenda Corbin (Tennessee Performing Arts Center) Meredith Crowley (Linda’s Hope) Sandy Madsen (Sexual Assault Center) Sylvia Roberts (Second Harvest)

2016 Joan Cheek (Cheekwood Estate & Gardens) Rachel Stutts (Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence) Julie Doochin (Tennessee Higher Education Initiative) Michael Spalding (Equal Chance for Education) Michael W. Smith (Rocketown) James Greer (Big Brothers Big Sisters) Christine Karbowiak (Tennessee State Museum) Sandra Lipman (Nashville Ballet) Frances Spradley (Andrew Jackson Foundation) Nan Flynn (Belcourt Theatre)

2017 Stephanie and Joseph Walker (Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee) Marci Houff (T.J. Martell Foundation) Matt Logan (Studio Tenn) Aly Greer (Diaper Connection) Ellen Martin, Hope Stringer and Clare Armistead (Conservancy for Parthenon and Centennial Park) Steve Sirls (Greenways for Nashville) Laura Binkley (Faith Family Medical Center) Joe Rambo and Herschel Stewart (Abe’s Garden) Krystal Clark (Junior League of Nashville) Chris Blair (Multiple Sclerosis Society)

2018 Pam Wilder (Assistance League of Nashville) Danita Marsh (100 Club) Susanne Post (Shear Haven) Rob Turner (Nashville Repertory Theatre) Elizabeth Papel (Pencil Foundation) Nina Lindley (Saddle Up) Lee Molette (Nashville Public Library Foundation) Allison Reed (Nashville Symphony Crescendo Club)

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the event

life begins at the end of your comfort zone Our 2019 Most Powerful Women share inspiring stories of growth, leadership and team-building

PARTNERING WITH our colleagues at Nfocus, the Post team this summer assembled a panel of extraordinary leaders: Maneet Chauhan of Morph Hospitality, Jane MacLeod of Cheekwood, Mekesha Montgomery of Frost Brown Todd, Sharon Roberson of the YWCA of Middle Tennessee and Carol Yochem of First Horizon Bank. Four members of that group — Montgomery was called away by a client at the last minute — gathered at the JW Marriott downtown to share insights about how they’ve grown during their careers, how they manage to maintain a work-life balance, what they do to build up their teams and much more. On the following pages are lightly edited excerpts from their discussion, which was moderated by Channel 4 anchor Tracy Kornet.

the conversation KORNET: OK, let’s get into our work here. In the last five years, what’s a new belief, behavior or habit that has most improved your life?

CHAUHAN: One of my biggest lessons has been when my son was born. My son was a preemie born the day we opened the restaurant — three months early. And what he taught me was that there is always a positive in each and every situation. You have to just open your eyes and look for it. That has been a very valuable lesson for me.

KORNET: Here’s another: What are some of the key things you’ve done in building a successful team that would work for everyone in this room?

YOCHEM: When I came back to Nashville, I was hired to run this market for First Tennessee. First Tennessee’s been in this market about 45 years. In the first 40 years, they reached a point of about $2.3 billion in loans and about $2.5 billion in deposits. They came to me and said, “We want to double that in the next five years.”

That’s a pretty aggressive goal.

I did sign up for that assignment, and the good news is we accomplished that — and not in five years, but in four. How I approach most goals is to start with the end in mind and then work back and figure out what it’s going to take to get there.

KORNET: Sharon, can you jump in there? How do you foster a team-building empowered culture in your workplace?

ROBERSON: What I always advise my team is to stay true to the mission. And no matter what business you’re in, the mission is your key. I invite everyone to look at the actual written mission of your company. Our mission is eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. There are times in my professional life where I actually have had to pull out that mission statement to keep myself true to the mission.

I worked for AIG. It’s a wonderful company, a wonderful company. Those were some of the best years of my life, but people can stray from the mission. But once you move back to the mission — the ideals of your company — and once your team buys into that, then you’ll be successful.

Maneet Chauhan

KORNET: Maneet?

CHAUHAN: Each and every person works because they want to be acknowledged and they also want basic respect — which you yourself want. To me, the most important thing is the entire team feels that I value them as much as they value me. And I absolutely do. Because I wouldn’t be sitting over here if it wasn’t for my team.

They are the ones who make everything happen.

MACLEOD: I think you have to really empower your team and give them the responsibilities and let them carry through and do it. As a leader and the CEO of an institution, people really listen to you. I know I have to be really careful sometimes because I think out loud and I might say, “What would that tree look like if it was over there?”

If I’m not careful, I’ll come in the next day and it will be moved.

Several years ago, I started referring to Team Cheekwood, and that just has become really part of our culture now. We never use the word “department.” We don’t really use “staff.” We say “team.” When we talk about the garden team or we talk about the art team or the visitor services team, we always use the word team. It’s just really important to acknowledge that you are not necessarily an organization but you are a team, and you’re made up of a lot of other teams.

KORNET: Going with the tree theme, let’s talk about growing and stretching. How do you continue to grow and stretch as a leader?

MACLEOD: I’ve always been looking for what’s next. I think part of being a leader is what’s ahead. From the time I was a little kid, I always had annual goals I would write. What’s the next opportunity? That changes as your career grows.

At this juncture in my career, I keep thinking about who’s going to take the reins from me and what do I need to make sure that is solid in this institution for when I leave? Because I think the sign of a really good leader is that when that leader leaves, that institution doesn’t miss a beat. It just keeps right going.

‘It’s just really important to acknowledge that you are not necessarily an organization but you are a team.’

JANE M a c LEOD

YOCHEM: A few years ago, I was in the grocery store and I saw a card that said, “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” I bought the card and I display that card in my home office and look at it frequently. That really motivates me. Change is inevitable, whether it’s professionally or personally, and growth is optional.

We need to be thinking about that at all times.

CHAUHAN: People who know me know that I can be quite persistent. But also when opportunities come my way, I rarely say no.

If I had said no, I wouldn’t be here in Nashville.

Randomly, I was in New York and I got a call: “Hey, would you like to go to open that restaurant in Nashville?” My first reaction was, “Who the beep goes to Nashville?” I’d never been out here, and it literally was love at first landing.

My mantra in life has always been, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” If I don’t put myself out there and experience life, I’m not going to learn anything.

Tracy Kornet

KORNET: All right. Next topic: Describe a turning point when you went from a lack of confidence to putting yourself out there, taking that step.

YOCHEM: When I look back over my career, early on I had an opportunity to lead a loan production office for another bank in another city. Nobody else wanted the assignment. I ultimately was hired and took it on and grew it pretty substantially from zero to about $600 million.

I would say to a lot of women and men in the audience to be sure that you step up to opportunities. Walk up to them, try them on, challenge yourself. Figure out what resources are needed to be successful and surround yourself with people like coaches and mentors and things that can really help you achieve what you think you can do.

That was a real turning point for me and a huge confidence builder — which then led to a promotion to take on even greater responsibility. And then you can kind of use the playbook that you used from the time before. They’re a series of confidence builders that help build your career over time.

‘Change is inevitable, whether it’s professionally or personally, and growth is optional.’

CAROL YOCHEM

ROBERSON: I’m not going to lie to you. Even when I was a very young girl, I always felt a level of confidence in myself. I’m not going to say I was a — you know. I’m just not going to even go there.

However, in my adult life, this was really a turning point: A man by the name of Jim Mallon is a fantastic leader and I model myself after Jim. I was general counsel of one of American General companies for eight years. I was comfortable. I was good to go. “This is easy, this is wonderful. Family is great.” You know? Just fabulous.

He came to me and he said, “I’m going to be traveling a lot. I need someone to be the chief operating officer for the Nashville-based companies.” And he didn’t even ask if I would be interested. He said, “I want you to do that.” And I guess the turning point was when he said, “You’ll get a very lucrative package.” I’m not going to lie to you.

However, being a lawyer, I was used to law. And even though I had helped in other roles and had been assistant commissioner of insurance, that was lawyer-ish. But to move into that purely business role, it was intimidating. Not only that: For him to choose me above all these other men in the company … His vote of confidence meant the world to me, but that was one time when even I was really, “Oof, can I do this?” And it was the most fabulous experience I ever had. But I had to move outside that comfort zone. I really did.

CHAUHAN: You know, I grew up in this really small town in India.

And until my 10th grade, I went to an all-girl school. In India, it was rarely acceptable to be a girl or a woman. It was me and my sister, and people would come and ask my mom, “How many kids do you have?” And she’s like, “These two daughters.” “No, no, no, no.

Kids.” Because daughters don’t count, right?

I used to be petrified just to stand up in my class and even introduce myself. My dad was an HR manager, and he would be giving these talks in front of thousands of people. One day, I asked him, “How do you do it? Aren’t you afraid? Because just for me to stand in front of my class of 30 people, I am petrified.”

Jane MacLeod

I’ve always been a drama queen, in case you guys haven’t realized yet. And he told me, he’s like, “You know what? If you take a little bit of that acting and act like you’re really confident, it will come to you.”

That was my turning point, and it has been something which has been with me since. I mean, earlier we were talking and someone asked if, before these events, I am worked up. Of course I’m worked up. Because if I’m not worked up, then I will become passive and I will become stagnant — and that is the one thing that I’m most afraid of — of not growing.

KORNET: Jane?

MACLEOD: I don’t think it was any one moment where all of a sudden I had confidence moving on. I think it’s just a series of steps. The definition of courage is basically feeling the fear and doing it anyway. And I think every time you push through it and you do it and you do succeed, that builds a little bit of confidence.

And it’s just something that really sort of happens over time.

I remember one time earlier in my career, when I was director of marketing for an institution and I had decided to make a major

shift. We were moving into a different area — like billboards as opposed to something else. I was pretty young in my career and it was an important decision.

My boss that night left a message on my phone. I picked up the message in the morning. She said, “Well, I understand you’re going with this new strategy and I certainly hope it’ll be successful.

Because if you’re not, no one in this team is going to get a bonus this year.” No pressure, right? Well, it was the right move and everybody got, oh, the biggest bonus they ever got that year.

So the next time I was faced with a decision, it was like, “OK. Am I going to do this? Am I going to take the risk?” That’s a big part of being a leader: taking a risk. And I’m thinking, “Well, you know, it worked out that time, so maybe it’ll work out this time.” I think it’s just a matter of doing it over and over and over again and you’ll start to get more confident.

KORNET: OK. Now, some questions where I’m hoping you’ll just give me your gut response. When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you do?

MACLEOD: I have a policy in my institution where we all have a top three. Everybody does their job, everybody has their job description, but I ask everybody to find their top three for the year.

And yes, sometimes I’ll be looking at this huge list of things to do and the phone’s ringing and emails are coming and people are lining up. And at that moment, I always stop and say, “OK, what’s my top three? What am I really supposed to be focusing on?”

And that always brings me back. And not only do I have a top three for the year, I always have a top three for the day. So no matter what craziness happens, I’m not going to leave until I get those three things done. And they might just be three phone calls.

KORNET: That’s great help, thank you.

YOCHEM: One of the things that someone told me early on in my career is, “If you don’t control your schedule, it’ll control you.”

So I work every Sunday afternoon, looking at the schedule for the upcoming week and month, and I make sure that the things that are on my calendar are aligned with the goals and objectives that I want to achieve, either professionally or personally. And when things do get out of whack, it’s typically because something has come in from left field that you really cannot control.

Sharon Roberson

I think it’s important that — and I do try to do this — [I] schedule me time on that calendar, blocks of time. Because you will have these left field events come in, and it can really get away from you.

ROBERSON: Even before I was in the nonprofit world, I always did something for someone else when I ever felt overwhelmed.

Now that I’m in this nonprofit space at the YW, I always love to do something with children. I know that sounds a little strange. But children really keep me focused.

So when I think, “I cannot do this. This is just too much. There are too many problems. There’s too much going on.” If I spend some time with the wonderful, resilient children of the Weaver Domestic Violence Center or the Girls Inc. or the men/boys in the club, then all of that fades away because I know that that’s my purpose for getting up in the morning.

CHAUHAN: A young lady gave me this book, Inspirational Quotes From Women, and whenever I feel overwhelmed, I let myself take the luxury of enjoying that moment for five minutes. I mean, we are human after all. But after five minutes, I open that book.

I shut my office and I open that book and I look at these incredible women who have laid a path for us. It’s because of them we have a voice and we can sit here and have this conversation — and what they faced is 100 times tougher than what we are facing. So I just take 10 minutes, read a couple of these quotes, press the reset button. Then I plaster a big smile on my face and open the door and I’m like, “OK, come on, world. Let’s face you.”

KORNET: You were all sent this quote from a psychologist [Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic of ManpowerGroup] who told Harvard Business Review: “What we need is not for women to lead in, but for women and men who are capable of questioning themselves, capable of empathy, of some degree of self-doubt and who understand that they might not be the center of the universe. And all of those traits are inherently feminine.” How does this resonate with you? Let’s start with you, Jane.

MACLEOD: I think what’s happening is that people are starting to realize that traits like empathy and listening and social skills, emotional intelligence, are better predictors of a successful leader than other traits that have been oftentimes considered masculine but aren’t necessarily just masculine — assertive, overly confident, aggressive. And so I think it’s really about being well-rounded.

And I think it’s just the idea of humility — and I think women do tend to be pretty humble and that’s a good thing. Because when you do have a little bit of self-doubt, that’s a good thing to stock. Because then you’re going to ask some other people’s opinions. You’re going to take some time to think. When you get too full of yourself, you’re not thinking. You’re just making decisions when you have a thought.

Everybody can benefit from a little bit of humility. Nobody likes anybody that’s arrogant. I think everybody can relate to someone who’s a little more humble. It’s just something we should all aspire toward.

YOCHEM: Not that this is a man-versus-woman thing, but I think that men typically process information from a left-brained, more analytical perspective. Women, I believe, are able to process things with both sides of their brain, the analytical side as well as the right side, which is soft skills. Look, there are men that fall in this camp and women that fall in that camp. But what it boils down to is that women are more intuitive, which I would define as a combination of education, experience and observation.

Carol Yochem

And so women are able to get to perception sometimes a lot quicker. Intuitiveness plays in this space pretty well for women and I think it’s something that we need to lean into. I’ve been in the workforce — I hate to say this — 38 years and I think that the more education, experience and observation I’m able to accumulate, the more I can really dial into that intuition. It’s given me an opportunity to kind of see the future. I can see things coming. And I know many of you women out there know what I’m talking about.

And so I think that’s also a confidence builder, which is what we talked about a bit earlier.

ROBERSON: I’m a lifetime learner. I love philosophy. I love history. And I have moved my own self beyond the male-female dynamic to a “we.” Because whatever leaders are here in this community, and even in this country, it has to be a “we.” How can we work together in order to solve some of the things that we need to solve? And so, therefore, I agree that women and men may lead differently, but I want to get to how we can lead better.

CHAUHAN: I agree. I think there needs to be a balance. And that is very, very critical. There are some things that men do very well; there are some things that women do very well. It’s not that you do everything, right? That makes for the poorest of all leaders. If you think that you can do everything, then you’re kidding yourself and you’re setting yourself up for failure.

The fact is that each and every person in your team has strong points and they have negative points. Right? It’s you, as a leader, who has to make sure that the strong points are brought to the forefront. And it completely doesn’t make a difference if you are a man or a woman. You have to work together to create a balance.

I mean, the one thing about women is that we are so amazing at multitasking, right? My husband goes crazy when I’m working. I have the TV on, I have the computer, I’m on the phone and probably have the iPad going on. There is food cooking, and I’m keeping an eye on the kids, and he’s like, “Why can’t you do one thing at a time?” I’m like, “Why are you so jealous of me?”

But then there are things such as business problems which come out, and he very analytically looks at those things in a way I would never be able to see. And that’s why I think a balance between the two genders when you’re working is very, very critical for success.

KORNET: OK. We have a lot of young people in this room and the energy out there in the hallway was so exciting and invigorating. I want to open this up to questions right now. Does anyone have a question for our panelists?

QUESTION: Obviously you have had successful careers. Have you ever had to move on from an opportunity? Where your brain said, “This is the right thing,” but your heart just wasn’t in it anymore. How do you know when you need to just challenge yourself because this is just a time of pushing through and when it’s a time to listen to your heart and move on?

MACLEOD: I had to make that decision one time where I absolutely loved a position I was in, but it wasn’t the right place to be any longer. It was just really hard. But I think you have to really think about it and try to take the emotions out in that case. And it was a very wise decision that I made.

ROBERSON: I would agree. I think that you’ll know if you keep your mind, body and spirit in balance. You’ll really know. There

have been things that I have walked away from that were actually from another perspective things that made sense for me. But I knew there was something else that I was destined to do. So you’ll know it. If you’re there, you’ll know it.

YOCHEM: To the young people out there, there are going to be a lot of forks in the road. And you’re going to have to decide, “Do I go left or do I go right?” Don’t try to make that decision by yourself. Plug into some mentors, hire an executive coach if you need to. There are resources out there that can help you go through the decision process and to make the best decision for you.

KORNET: OK. Another question, please.

QUESTION: Hi. I’m looking for some advice on empowerment.

We talk about leading each other and empowering women, about how we react. So, for instance, if I have a male figure here with me and we act what I think is the same way, we can be perceived completely differently, right? One positive, one negative. What’s your advice in trying to overcome that, the perception that women are emotional reactors. We’re passionate but how can it been seen as passion versus emotion?

KORNET: Great question.

YOCHEM: I’ll start off. Over the past few years, I’ve received a lot of questions from women asking me questions about, “How did you do it? How did you get where you are now?” And through those series of questions, I started writing things down and ultimately created a presentation on gender communication for women in the workplace.

I haven’t looked at it for a while, but it has things that apply to both men and women in terms of how you want to invest in your career.

Things you want to do to give yourself the best chance. But there are some specific things — their mannerisms, behaviors, speaking patterns — that women do unconsciously that are OK outside the workplace, but inside the workplace, they’re not as well accepted.

You talked about emotions. Women tend to listen for things and process things more emotionally. And I would say a piece of advice is to try to process things more from an analytical perspective and not from an emotional perspective. Because you can really get yourself in trouble and sometimes you can’t pull yourself back out.

We’re known for being very verbal and so we like to tell everything about it. But short sounds confident. Use headline communications, support it with a couple of facts and then shut up. Say, “Have I answered your question?” for example.

And I’ll just say one other thing. Sometimes, we issue a lot of disclaimers or apologies on the front end. Like, “Oh, I’m so sorry” or “You probably won’t think this is a very good presentation, but … ” and we just need to stop that. These are things, again, that we do outside the workplace that seem to be accepted in society.

But inside the workplace, you really need to think differently and speak differently.

KORNET: Maneet, you’re nodding your head a lot. Do you want to jump in?

CHAUHAN: I’m guilty of it. Of starting a conversation with, “I’m sorry.” Why? And regarding your question: I’m still trying to figure out what is the question. What is the problem if we are emotional?

That is our strongest point and that’s why we put our heart and soul in what we do.

‘Once I became value-added, I was an addition to the bottom line of that company by the work that I did. After that, they didn’t care if I was waving my arms.’

SHARON ROBERSON

I do agree with your points, Carol. We have to be more precise and we have to be more focused. But each and every person has a completely different style of management, right? Be it a female or be it a man. It’s a completely different style. How you make your traits work for you, that is something which comes with age.

You should have seen me 10 years back. You would walk into the kitchen and there would be pans flying out. But then over the years, you figure out what you are looking for. You are here to serve your guests. You are here to work with your servers. You have to make an environment which is conducive for everyone. So you will come up with a style, but don’t look at these as disadvantages; look at these as advantages for you.

MACLEOD: Everyone always has to be true to who they are. Don’t try to be somebody else. To thine own self be true. A lot of times, I’ll be nervous about something and my husband will say, “Just be yourself, Jane.” And I think that’s true for everybody. Just be who you are.

ROBERSON: That’s true. Because you could look at someone like me from the outside and say, “She has had a really good corporate career.” I was sitting there, a black woman back in the days when I was the only black person and the only woman in the room, and the only thing I could do to survive was not become someone other than myself. I just had to be myself.

I said, “Your job is to make this the most successful company that it can be. And everything else flows from that.” Once I became value-added, I was an addition to the bottom line of that company by the work that I did. After that, they didn’t care if I was waving my arms. They didn’t care if I had on spike heels. They didn’t care if I said, “Well, I’ve got to go get my hair done.” They didn’t care about any of that because I was doing something for them. So be value-added and then the rest of it is just excuses for not letting you get ahead.

QUESTION: We women are such great multitaskers and we take on so much. We take on so much, but then we can’t always do it all and that comes with feelings of guilt. What are some tools that you have to tackle those feelings of guilt?

ROBERSON: Molly Maid and takeout. I tell anyone this: Whenever you get any extra change in your pocket, get someone to do those things that you’re doing on your weekend. If you’re a professional woman and you’re spending your weekend cleaning your house, I feel sorry for you. Because I would rather for it to be dirty than to be exhausted.

That’s something I learned very early. As my mother said, “Someone else can clean your house. Someone can take care of your kids. Someone else can cook your food.” Now, if you happen to like to cook, that’s fine. But some of those tasks you’re not going to be able to do yourself.

Even stay-at-home moms. I once had a colleague with a wife who stayed at home. They had four children. You know what that is? That’s a full-time job. And he could not understand why his wife wanted a maid service to come in every other week. So I explained this to him — which was my charge, to make him understand. I saw her and she thanked me.

You just can’t do it. There’s not enough energy in the world. You could be an Olympic athlete and couldn’t keep up with that kind of schedule. So just anything you can let someone else do — this is for the men and women — let someone else do those things for you when you can. Now, when you can’t, you’re just going to have to let it go. If the floor is dirty, just let it go.

YOCHEM: I would just say one other thing is get a support system. So, in my case, I have this really amazing spouse that I’ve been married to for 37 years and he’s here today. But for other people, it might be parents. It might be aunts, uncles. It might be really good friends or neighbors. And that support system can really help with balancing everything, all the demands that you have on you.

CHAUHAN: As soon as you have kids, guilt becomes a bond of living. At least for me it was. When I was with the kids, I would feel that I wasn’t spending enough time at work. When I was at work, I would think, “Oh, my God. My kids.” Every time I would travel — and I travel a lot — that guilt would follow me.

‘I am not compromising my work, I’m not compromising my kids, I’m not compromising anything in this entire mixture of life.

But the guilt is there, and I’m fine with it.’

MANEET CHAUHAN

I have reached the stage where I accept the guilt. It’s absolutely fine. It’s a thought, it’s a feeling, it’s an emotion. I am not compromising my work, I’m not compromising my kids, I’m not compromising anything in this entire mixture of life. But the guilt is there, and I’m fine with it. And it is not stopping me from doing anything.

At times, I feel happy, I feel sad, I feel guilt. It’s fine. We’re humans.

Of course we are going to feel emotions.

KORNET: Guilt is good sometimes.

CHAUHAN: Absolutely.

KORNET: All right, we have time for maybe one more.

QUESTION: I’m curious what you want your leadership legacies to be. What do you want to be known for as leaders in your business?

KORNET: That’s a nice way to end. Ladies?

YOCHEM: Building high-performance teams and delivering great results.

ROBERSON: That I worked very hard and improved the community.

CHAUHAN: That I leave an entire team of leaders who have learned how to lead people very fairly.

MACLEOD: I think everybody wants to be remembered for being successful. But when you no longer have the title that goes with your name and it’s just your name, I think I just want to be remembered as someone who was kind and thoughtful and took the time to talk to you regardless of what your role is in your organization.

KORNET: And I’m sitting here choking back tears. Thank you so much for giving us your time and attention today.

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