COMMUNITY CELEBRATION HONORING COMMISSIONER MARY MILLS
Mary Mills
If you have lived in Franklin for any length of time, then you have met or at least heard of Mary Mills. She has been a teacher, a principal, board member, church leader, sorority sister, humanitarian, and currently a county commissioner. Her contributions to Williamson County are too numerous to name and for this reason the United Community Resource Foundation has selected her as this year’s Community Roast recipient.
The Franklin organization will honor her at the Cool Springs Marriott on March 20, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. The afternoon will feature the family and friends of Mary Elisabeth Mills sharing special moments shared with her during her public service.
“Williamson County is very dear to me, and I am indeed honored to be of service to UCRF”, Mills expresses.
United Community Resource Foundation is a local not-for-profit agency serving the needs of the community through affordable housing programs, academic scholarships, and neighborhood redevelopment.
The cost for the event will be $50 and can be purchased at UCRF offices located at 233 Natchez Street, Franklin, TN 37064. Office hours: Tuesday through Friday 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
For more information, contact UCRF office at 615.794.1116 or email ucrfoundation@comcast.net.
NASHVILLE - Metro Parks’ Regional Community Centers will re-open on Saturdays. The announcement came last night from Metro Parks’ Interim Director Tommy Lynch during the mid-year budget review for the department.
“I am pleased that I can announce to this group that on March 6, we will re-open regional centers on Saturdays. We have been able to identify some scheduling adjustments that will allow these facilities to re-open without adversely affecting our budget goals,” Lynch told members of the Council’s Budget Review Committee.
Last fiscal year, these regional community centers logged almost 305,000 visits, with nearly 21,000 of those visits made on Saturdays. The re-opening of the centers from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays will allow residents to conveniently use the facilities. Lynch said, “The ability to make this positive adjustment so quickly is based on assessing our work schedules in certain areas, as well as applying internal requirements and controls to reduce expenses.” The department’s operates 4 regional centers and 19 neighborhood centers throughout the city. These facilities provide a wide range of programs and services to all members of the community.
The regional centers offer enhanced amenities, programs and extended hours. Coleman, East, Hadley and Hartman Community Regional Centers offer state-of-the-art fitness equipment as well as organized group fitness classes. Daily rates for fitness centers are $1.00 for seniors and teens, and $2.00 for adults. Monthly rates are $15.00 for seniors and teens, and $25.00 for adults. Fees for group fitness classes range from $2.00 to $3.00 per session. Neighborhood centers have fitness rooms and offer informal programs at no cost.
Most of the department’s centers offer recreation programs specifically tailored for senior patrons, while Coleman, East, Elizabeth and Hadley have dedicated facilities and specialized staff offering programs and activities exclusively for seniors. Some programs also offer a free lunch service on weekdays. Hartman Community Center is home to a Disabilities Recreation program which provides activities specifically designed for patrons with special needs.
During the school year, a primary focus of community centers is after-school programming, while during the summer, the focus shifts to youth enrichment programs. Children can also participate in organized programs that include: competitive sports, organized games, cultural arts, environmental awareness, fitness activities and homework help.
(MIDDLE) Assistance to Haiti Victims (BOTTOM) Relief for a mother and child
By Alvin Singh II
As relief continues to enter Haiti after the devastating earthquake of January 12 the largest caribbean telecommunication company, Digicel, is slowly recovering its Haiti coverage. Nearly three weeks after the enormous quake they have restored 92% of their cell sites in Haiti. As part of their effort to bring more immediate relief to those in need, the company has sent 91,000 lbs of supplies and 20,000 lbs of medicine.
Digicel is a mobile phone company that has a huge presence in the Caribbean, Central American and Oceania markets. Digicel became the largest investor in Haiti in 2006 with a total cumulative investment of $300 million and a customer base of two million Haitian customers before the earthquake.
The company was first established in Jamaica in 2001 growing to 100,000 users in just 100 days. Seven years later Digicel’s Jamaican base has grown to over 2 million users in a island population of only 2.8 million people. Owned by an Irish entrepreneur named Denis O’Brien, Digicel has become the major player in digital communications in countries like Panama, Virgin Islands, Honduras, Trinidad & Tobago, and the Solomon Islands. I came across Digicel after reading an article about entrepreneurs in Haiti using generators to charge cell phones, noticing the company’s logo on a t shirt in a picture. Upon further research, I discovered a company that is relatively unknown internationally but which has a lion’s share of a market that targets 37.5 million people in the Caribbean, 41 million people in Central America and a aggressive aim for the Pacific Islands. Digicel is staying innovative through the crisis connecting with many Haitians and those seeking to help Haiti by using social media tools such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Digicel has promised $5 million dollars in Aid relief to Haiti which was its largest single market of subscribers, next to Jamaica. With 92% of the cell towers working in Haiti many of the victims can now contact their relatives abroad or receive information on money transfers, food and relief alerts. At crucial times like this where information must be distributed to the people who are in a dire situation, their should be more collaboration between NGOs, governments, and telecommunications operators in developing nations to provide real time resources via text messaging or voice mail. With companies like Digicel which operates in 23 markets there is a necessity to provide users in each market with informative emergency alerts during times of hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, tsunamis or educational messages. Cell phones can play a dual role, helping raise funds via text in the U.S. and elsewhere while also providing critical information and connectivity to the people on the ground. With the government and aid agencies having lost most of their resources, partnership is essential to stay connected with people who are isolated from information and much needed services.
Film about divinely inspired builders to be screened at Vanderbilt
(TOP) Zack Godshall, Director and Producer of God’s Architects (MIDDLE) Reverend H.D. Dennis of Vicksburg, Mississippi (MIDDLE) Leonard Knight of Niland, California
Five artists who believe that God has inspired them to build structures are featured in the film God’s Architects, to be screened at Vanderbilt University as part of the International Lens Film series.
The 7 p.m. March 18 screening at Sarratt Cinema on the Vanderbilt campus is free and open to the public. It is part of the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers.
Director Zachary Godshall will introduce his film and lead a question and answer session following the screening.
The film documents the efforts of builders in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee who worked independently and for decades with neither blueprints nor funding to create structures including three castles.
“The stories of these builders speak to people from all walks of life,” Godshall said. “At its core, the film is about inspiration and commitment to a task, no matter how strange or outrageous the circumstances might seem.”
Godshall was named the Louisiana Filmmaker of the year in 2009 for God’s Architects.
John Seigenthaler, Jr. to Keynote Gathering of Area Executives
Nashville, TN – The Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters (CPCU) today announced that John Seigenthaler , Jr., CEO of Seigenthaler Public Relations-New York, will provide the keynote address at the organization’s 2010 All-Industry Day, Thursday, March 18, 2010 at the Richland Country Club in Nashville.
Industry executives from throughout Middle Tennessee are invited to attend the event, which also includes presentations on corporate governance, employment practices and liability exposure. All-Industry Day (also called I-Day) is co-sponsored by Insurors of Tennessee, the Cumberland Chapter of the Risk & Insurance Management Society, and Nashville Insurance Professionals.
“We are thrilled with the line-up at our All-Industry Day this year,” said Tom Cunningham, CPCU, President of the Middle Tennessee Chapter of CPCU. “Everyone in industry today is grappling with our changing world and how to do business in it. The speakers at our I-Day event will guide us through some of the thorniest issues – from governance to new media. We invite anyone who is interested to join the conversation.”
Seigenthaler’s luncheon address, titled “The New Media Revolution,” will focus on how social networks and technology have created informational and reputational risks for business. As CEO of Seigenthaler Public Relations- New York , John Seigenthaler, Jr. specializes in crisis and reputational management, media strategy and the new media. Prior to this role, Seigenthaler spent more than a decade as an NBC News Special Correspondent and an anchor of the top-rated Nightly News Weekend Edition.
In addition to Seigenthaler’s address, the All-Industry Day includes the following morning seminars:
• “Management Liability Issues for the Next Decade”: A panel highlighting the exposures that companies face from the activities of their directors and officers. Panel members include:
• Moderator Christie Reeves, Area Senior Vice President of Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services.
• Gary M. Brown, Esq., Shareholder, Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz will discuss corporate governance issues and Directors’ and Officers’ Liability. Mr. Brown also served as Special Investigator to the U.S. Senate Enron investigation, and is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Vanderbilt School of Law.
• Andrew S. Naylor, Esq., Partner, Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, and head of the firm’s FLSA Wage & Hour group, will examine the key exposures facing firms today as a result of their employment practices.
• “Media and Cyber Liability Issues for ‘ Main Street ’ P&C Accounts”: An address by Leib Dodell, CEO of ThinkRisk Underwriting Agency. Dodell will explain how media and cyber liability exposures are increasingly relevant even for small, “ Main Street “ businesses, as well as the types of insurance coverage that respond to these evolving risks.
The Richland Country Club is located at 1 Club Drive , Nashville , TN 37215 . The cost of the morning seminars and luncheon is $110; the cost of the luncheon and keynote only is $75. For more information contact Richard Richard (615)692-6442 or Deb Ropelewski at (615)373-4593.
Small-business Owners Complete Building Blocks Program
(TOP) Left to right: Gary Cooper, Skanska; Joey Hatch, Skanska; Sharon Reynold, Reynolds and Reynolds; DeMarco Reynold, Reynolds and Reynolds; Ralph Schulz, Nashville Chamber of Commerce; James Threalkill, Skanska (BOTTOM) Left to right: Maritza Burgos, Skanska; James Threalkill, Skanska; Linda Boyd, Excel Real Estate and Development Co.; Dwayne Bell, Excel Real Estate and Development Co.; Gary Cooper, Skanska. Photo credit: Kelvin Braxton
Twenty-five participants recently graduated from a Skanska USA building program that teaches small, minority- and women-owned businesses how to compete for subcontracts on large construction projects.
Graduates participated in the Construction Management Building Blocks (CMBB) training program, a free, 12-month program taught by Skanska employees. Courses address topics that can be challenging for small contractors, including construction accounting, how to structure a joint venture, business development and more.
“The goal of this program is to help small, minority- and women-owned businesses grow and ensure that this growth is sustained,” said James Threalkill, Skanska’s senior national diversity director.
“You are all community leaders,” said Ralph Schulz, president and CEO of the Greater Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. “You are of the 20 percent of people in Nashville who own their own businesses, and this really distinguishes you and strengthens this local economy.”
Anita Dixon of Concrete Elegance spoke on her experience in the class. “This great program has given me a way to reach out to a larger company to get advice. I’ve learned a lot of new things that I will use to help grow my business.”
Vanderbilt University named to the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll
This award recognizes the university’s commitment to service and civic engagement on campus and in the nation
Vanderbilt University has been named to the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.
The Corporation for National and Community Service, which administers the annual Honor Roll award, recognized more than 700 colleges and universities for their impact on issues from poverty and homelessness to environmental justice.
“At Vanderbilt, our students are committed to using what they learn both inside and outside of the classroom to transform the world around them. This honor goes to each person on this campus that identified a challenge, organized a group of committed individuals and worked to be part of the solution,” said Provost Richard McCarty. “We believe that service is how we will meet the challenges of our time, and we are proud that our students exhibited the leadership needed to make an impact on the future direction of our nation.”
Vanderbilt students started Alternative Spring Break programs to encourage students to volunteer instead of vacation. ASB has now spread to hundreds of universities. Students also support the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in many ways, including an annual all-night dance-a-thon to raise money for the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.
Students at Vanderbilt are active with local students volunteering through Vanderbilt Student for Students to encourage high school children to go to college and through Vanderbuddies providing weekly tutoring services to at-risk students. Vanderbilt Students Volunteering for Science present science lessons at area middle schools, and students at the Blair School of Music teach free private music lessons at the W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School.
For a complete listing of Vanderbilt University student service activities and organizations, visit the Dean of Students Office Web site at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/studentorganizations/view.php.
The Honor Roll includes six colleges and universities that are recognized as Presidential Awardees, with an additional 115 named to the Distinction List and 621 schools named as Honor Roll members. Honorees are chosen based on a series of selection factors including the scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses. Visit http://www.nationalservice.gov/honorroll for a full list of Honor Roll recipients.
“Our nation’s students are a critical part of the equation and vital to our efforts to tackle the most persistent challenges we face,” said Patrick Corvington, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service. They have achieved impactful results and demonstrated the value of putting knowledge into practice to help renew America through service.”
College students make a significant contribution to the volunteer sector; in 2009, 3.16 million students performed more than 300 million hours of service, according to the Volunteering in America study released by the Corporation. Each year, the Corporation invests more than $150 million in fostering a culture of service on college campuses through grants awarded by its programs; the education awards that AmeriCorps members receive at the conclusion of their term of service to pay for college; and through support of training, research, recognition, and other initiatives to spur college service.
The Corporation oversees the Honor Roll in collaboration with the Department of Education, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Campus Compact and the American Council on Education. The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more five million Americans in service through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit www.nationalservice.gov.
Mentor TennisSee provides tutoring, life-skills training and tennis instruction to at-risk children in Nashville
Tennis provides many life lessons that senior Jeff Berry hopes the at-risk kids coming through the Mentor TennisSee program he established while a student at Vanderbilt will carry with them for years to come.
“There are many crossover skills between tennis and life,” Berry said. For example, in most tennis matches, there are no officials and the players enforce the rules alone. “You’ve got to learn how to be civil, how to be cordial, how to make proper line calls. We teach the kids the right way to be a good competitor.”
Mentor TennisSee links tennis instruction with academic tutoring and life-skills development for children who would otherwise have no exposure to the game. The students, mostly middle-school aged from Metro Nashville Schools, meet three times weekly for two-and-a-half hours.
During the tutoring sessions, participants get one-on-one help with homework and prep-work for standardized testing. Tutors communicate with teachers and parents, and progress is logged after each session.
Although Mentor TennisSee is staffed primarily through Vanderbilt students and community volunteers, some of the tennis instruction is provided by amateur coaches, local tennis professionals, Vanderbilt coaches and, occasionally, touring professional coaches.
The life-skills mentoring comes through a program called First Serve Life Skills. The best students have the opportunity to participate in the First Serve National Student Athlete Competition.
Berry grew up playing tennis competitively in Philadelphia and dreamed of one day helping kids who didn’t have the same good fortune of private lessons and top-quality instruction.
“When I got to Vanderbilt, I saw that Nashville did not have a strong tennis and academic program for inner city kids. And given the resources we have at Vanderbilt and the resources we have in the city, it made a lot of sense to bring a program like that to Nashville,” he said.
Initially, the program was centered at Vanderbilt in the Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Tennis Center, but during the winter the students met and played at Metro Nashville’s Hadley Park, which has a “bubble” for climate control and an existing tennis program targeted toward the type of at-risk youths served by Mentor TennisSee.
“The partnership with Hadley has allowed us to reach out to more kids,” Berry said. Partnering with LEAD Academy, a local public charter school, was a good fit, too, since LEAD seeks community partnerships to advance educational goals.
All of the kids in the program are at risk socially or economically. LEAD helps identify those who would benefit from the program as does another partner, YMCA Urban Services. A third program, Vanderbuddies, helps connect the kids with willing tutors.
In recent months, Berry has been working feverishly to ensure Mentor TennisSee’s long-term survival, establishing a board and securing grants, in part to endow a Vanderbilt scholarship for a professional or graduate student to oversee the program. “In order to make this work long-term, we need someone to champion this and focus on bringing it to the next level,” he said.
Berry is not a college-level tennis player nor is he an education major. He graduates in May with a degree in history and is headed to an investment banking job with Morgan Stanley in New York City. He plans to stay on the Mentor TennisSee board after graduation.
“I’m confident this is going to continue to be a strong local partnership,” he said. “My role is to make sure this coalition that we worked so hard to build remains.”
For more information, visit www.mentortennissee.org. Additional contact information is listed on the web site.
