UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT - Greater Memphis Chamber

Transcription

A L S O I N S I D E : N E W E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T Q U A R T E R LY U P DAT E
memphis
CROSSROADS
A publication of the Greater Memphis Chamber
FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP
UNDER NEW
MANAGEMENT
The hometown values of
Memphis Mayor A C Wharton
FACES OF THE FUTURE
Meet the city's emerging new leaders
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GREATER MEMPHIS CHAMBER STAFF LISTING
EXECUTIVE OFFICE
John W. Moore
President and CEO
[email protected]
Susan Hadley Maynor
Managing Director of Economic
Development
[email protected]
Jean Reid
Senior Executive Assistant to the President
[email protected]
Brenda Montgomery
Administrative Manager
[email protected]
ADMINISTRATION & HUMAN RESOURCES
Teresa Justus
Managing Director
[email protected]
Ernest Strickland
Existing Business Consultant
[email protected]
Connie Benderman
Receptionist
[email protected]
Monya Davis
General Information Specialist
[email protected]
J. Eric Elam
Director, Operations
[email protected]
Linda Orman
Administrative Assistant
[email protected]
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Dexter Muller
Senior Vice President
[email protected]
Jim Covington
Vice President, Logistics &
Aerotropolis Development
[email protected]
Tunga Lee
[email protected]
Alexis Rutland
Member Services Coordinator
[email protected]
Dixie Lucas
Network Administrator
[email protected]
LaVera L. Tolbert
Business Development Consultant
[email protected]
Chris Stewart
Senior Staff Accountant
[email protected]
Patti Pace Walsh
[email protected]
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS
Christina Bradway
Traffic Coordinator
[email protected]
MEMPHISED
Reid Dulberger
Vice President, MemphisED
Administration
[email protected]
Amy Argiro Daniels
Director, Communications
[email protected]
MLGW
Bill Bullock
Manager
[email protected]
John Hubbell
Senior Staff Writer
[email protected]
Tom Chamberlain
Economic Development Representative
[email protected]
Adrienne Johnson
Research Project Manager
[email protected]
Janelle Robinson
[email protected]
Kim Kent
Research Analyst II
[email protected]
Clifford Stockton
Senior Advisor, Logistics & Public Policy
[email protected]
Corey Owens
Graphic Designer
[email protected]
Delories Williams
Director, Workforce Development
[email protected]
Scott Sigman
Director, Research & Marketing
[email protected]
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Mark Herbison
Senior Vice President
[email protected]
Lori Spicer
Communications Specialist
Editor-in-Chief, Memphis Crossroads
[email protected]
Mike Demster
Vice President, International & Technology
Business Development
[email protected]
Lakisha Watson-Moore
Research Communications Specialist
[email protected]
Christina Drones
Director, Economic Development
[email protected]
Carmen Franklin
[email protected]
Kelvin Kolheim
Existing Business Consultant
[email protected]
MEMBER DEVELOPMENT
Linda Cornish
Vice President
[email protected]
Angela Michaels
Manager, Member Services
[email protected]
Ericka Milford
Event Coordinator
[email protected]
FINANCE & INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
Ted Ferris
Vice President/CFO
[email protected]
Beverly Davis
[email protected]
Leigh Anne Downes
Director, Life Science
Business Development
[email protected]
Leah Massee
[email protected]
Nancy Yarbrough
Secretary
[email protected]
MID-SOUTH QUALITY
PRODUCTIVITY CENTER
Donald C. Fisher, Ph.D.
Executive Director
[email protected]
Loretta Taylor Dale, Ed.D.
Director of Training
[email protected]
Teresa Franks
Training Assistant
[email protected]
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
David Spann
Director, Memphis USEAC
[email protected]
Jeanne Bleu
[email protected]
Nykesha H. Cole
Member Services Coordinator
[email protected]
Patricia Guy
Director, Special Events
[email protected]
Memphis Crossroads | www.memphischamber.com
1
FROM THE TOP
John W. Moore
LEADERS ALL AROUND US
Sometimes, good leadership means
the ability to follow. Just ask new
Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.
With its focus on leadership,
the final 2009 edition of Memphis
Crossroads magazine is less about the
year that is ending, and more about
the year that is dawning.
The city and county have ended
the year under highly capable, newly
installed leaders. But, while the task
of choosing them is behind us as a
community, the task of true leadership
— and supporting those we have
chosen — now begins.
I share our community’s sense of
renewed optimism for Memphis. Such
hope is grounded in reality. Amid
challenges, and during a year that
proved daunting for many, Memphis
has been planning for a robust future.
We’ve continued to plot how we’ll
grow industries especially ready to
capitalize on Memphis’s strengths,
including biotechnology, our multidynamic “aerotropolis” initiative, and
other core assets. We’ve created a new
path forward on improving public
education — and seen it validated by
funding from the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation.
The right choices have been made
in 2009 to ensure 2010 proves better
for all who live in Memphis. It’s a
good time to focus on what we respect
in, and expect from, our leaders.
Recently, I joined MemphisED
administrator and Chamber Vice
President Reid Dulberger and other
Chamber staff for an informal
meeting with Memphis Mayor A C
Wharton in his new office at City
Hall. During our talk, without
hesitation or preconditions, the mayor
readily agreed to the idea of meeting
with key Memphis business leaders
in the year ahead to simply listen to
their concerns. He also continues to
reiterate his interest in joining with
us to attract new businesses, and new
jobs, to Memphis.
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While the mayor rightly sees
himself as integral to fostering our
community’s progress, his humility
was striking during our talk. He
referenced a recent community
meeting at which people of all walks
of life, races, and backgrounds sat
with each other, sharing ideas and
enthusiasm on how the city can be
safer, healthier, and more vibrant for
all.
To the mayor, it’s clear: The true
leaders of Memphis are all of us.
As Memphis School Board Member
Tomeka Hart puts it in our article
(page 18) about Mayor Wharton’s
roots: “I’m excited, because he gets it
on all levels. The question is going
to be: Are we going to support him?
Because he’s not going to get there by
himself.”
In this issue, we also meet others
who are actively leading the charge
to become a better city — selected
for us by organizations and groups
across Memphis. At the University
of Tennessee College of Pharmacy,
we meet Student Body President
Melaina Perry who works to provide
leadership even while undertaking
demanding studies. We also feature
Jackie Nichols, the executive director
of Playhouse on the Square, who has
managed the construction of a new
state-of-the-art theatre in less than
ideal times.
Also in this issue, Crossroads
begins moving to a format that will
better enable us to report on economic
progress in Memphis. New sections
on logistics, bioscience and personal
finance appear, as well as a quarterly
update on Memphis ED — the
economic development initiative that’s
part of the wide-reaching Memphis
Fast Forward plan and guided by the
Chamber. We debut new features
highlighting our excellent Chamber
staff, this time featuring Donn Fisher
and Beverly Davis. Look for more new
features in 2010, as well as on our
Web site at memphischamber.com.
We hope this issue serves as
a testament to the great strengths
of Memphis. The Chamber
looks forward to advancing our
partnerships with those sharing our
goal of economic development and
opportunity for all.
memphis
CROSSROADS
PUBLISHER - John Moore
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF - Lori Spicer
CREATIVE DIRECTOR - Corey Owens
SENIOR EDITORS - Amy Daniels and John Hubbell
2010 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
Mr. Tom Schmitt, Chairman
Mr. Nick Clark, Vice Chairman
Mr. Arnold Perl, Secretary & Counsel
Ms. Martha L. Perine Beard, Vice Chair, Finance/Treasurer
Mr. John W. Moore, President & CEO
DIRECTORS
Mr. Calvin Anderson
Mr. Steven Bares, Ph.D.
Mr. Charles S. Blatteis
Mr. Doug Browne
Mr. Greg Campbell
Mr. Kriner Cash, Ed.D.
Mr. Jerry Collins
Mr. Larry Cox
Mr. Joseph DeVivo
Mr. Joe DiNicolantonio
Ms. Alandas Dobbins
Mr. Mike Edwards
Ms. Julie Ellis
Mr. Nathan Essex, Ed.D.
Mr. Ryan Fleur
Mr. Steve Fracchia
Ms. Desi Franklin
Mr. John Frazer
Mr. Johnny B. Moore
Mr. Mark Giannini
Ms. Dotty Summerfield Giusti
Mr. Bob Gordon
Mr. Bill Griffin
Ms. Carolyn Hardy
Mr. Charles Hill
Mr. Kevin Kane
Mr. Greerson McMullen
Ms. Valerie Morris
Mr. Patrick Neely
Mr. Ray Pohlman
Ms. Beverly Robertson
Ms. Gayle Rose
Mr. Richard Shadyac, Jr.
Ms. Leigh Shockey
Mr. Jack Soden
Ms. Blair Taylor
Mr. Charlie “Chuck” Thomas
Mr. Phil Trenary
Mr. Roby Williams
Mr. Luke Yancy
MEMPHIS AREA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN
CONTENTS
Leadership Edition
20
What ‘A C’ Stands For
Aggressive recruiting and retention of businesses. Transparency, efficiency and a tone of respect.
To understand where Memphis is headed, it helps to know where newly elected Memphis City
Mayor A C Wharton comes from.
28
New Leaders with a New Agenda
We are introduced to a dynamic group of individuals who are all making significant contributions
towards the advancement of this city. Meet these New Lades with a New Agenda.
42
Behind the New Curtain, There’s Nothing to Hide
Through lean times, Jackie Nichols fashioned a new Playhouse on the Square with no debt
and a team mindset. Now his new theater is about to become the gem of Midtown.
44
Schooling the Next Generation of Leaders
Local organizations provide ‘a conduit for emerging talent.’
46
True Marks of a Leader
At UT’s College of Pharmacy, officials say Student Body President Melaina Perry is governing
her class with vision and a hands-on style.
Chamber Business
1 Chamber Staff Listing
2 From the Top: Letter from the Publisher
4 My Perspective: Letter from the Editor
5 Contributors
Economic Development
6 The Corner Office: Questions for Tom Schmitt
8 Small Business: You’ve Got Mail
9 MemphisED Quarterly Update: Fueled for Success
12 Entrepreneurship: Mid-South Drug Testing
14 Logistics: All Boxed Up
16 Bioscience: The Online Coupon Clipper
17 Personal Finance: Now, Every Cent Counts
18 A Look at the New…U of M Law School: Coming to Order
Member Development
49 The Human Spirit: Leveraging Leadership Transition
50 On the Frontlines with Dr. Donn Fisher
52 On the Clock, Off the Clock with Beverly Davis
53 Ribbon Cuttings
54 Calendar
56 New Members
Special Feature
48 The Arts: Dance Works, Inc. In the Art Revolution
3
MY PERSPECTIVE
Lori Spicer
As the year comes to a close, I
first take a moment and reflect on
all the lessons learned and goals I
achieved. Then, I anticipate the start
of the new year by laying out a new
foundation to guide me through the
forthcoming twelve months. With
the beginning of each year, I claim
it as my year — a year where I will
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excel personally,
professionally
and civically. I
am not one to
sit down and
formally write
out New Year’s
resolutions, but
I outline the
things that are
important for
me to achieve in
the year ahead
and that will
ultimately serve
as stepping
stones for my
future success.
To ensure
accountability,
this year I am
publishing my
goals for 2010
in the hope that
this will serve
as a constant
reminder of
what I plan to
accomplish. I plan
to free some of
my time to give
more attention
to our area
youth through
mentorship
programs; to
further enhance my
professional skills;
become more
knowledgeable
about my craft; to
be a better person
in all the fulfilling
relationships in my life;
and to continue to share
my time and efforts with people and
causes that create positive changes in
the city of Memphis.
These are huge goals. But I think
they will help me fulfill this incessant
void of not being more of service to
those in need. These are the type of
aspirations that can change you as a
person, and fundamentally change
your life.
In the same vein, Memphis needs
some huge goals, and action steps to
follow, from us all. We are the ones
who can make Memphis a great city…
you and me. In the final quarter of
2009, Memphis elected A C Wharton
as mayor. Following his victory came
an air of optimism. Citizens realized
that it will take each one of us to
stand as leaders, believe in our city,
and work together to create what our
new mayor sees as “One Memphis” – a
city united by its people, its future,
and its aspirations of greatness.
There is no better time to step
forward and work for positive change
in Memphis.
John Quincy Adams said, “If
your actions inspire others to dream
more, learn more, do more and
become more, you are a leader.” It is
our time to lead, to reach out and be
an example to our children, and to
help our young people realize their
potential. I believe we are all given
a divine purpose, and mine includes
serving those in need. This year I will
be more instrumental in developing
and working with programs that offer
our youth exposure and that position
them to better lead our city. All that
we wish for is in our hands to create; it
is just a matter of us acting on it.
It is my hope that the leaders
you meet in this leadership edition of
Memphis Crossroads will inspire you
to see the leader in yourself. We all
need you and there is no better time
than the present. With our city in
transition, it is vitally important for
strategic and innovative leaders to
emerge who will deliver a vision that
will allow our city and its citizens
thrive.
Make 2010 the year you step
forward to make Memphis even
greater!
CONTRIBUTORS
Richard J. Alley is a native Memphian, husband, brother, reader,
frustrated sailor, jazz enthusiast, infrequent runner, and father
of four. He owned and operated downtown’s historic Memphis
Tobacco Bowl from 1998-2008. In addition to writing short stories
and a novel that is half-full (or half-empty, depending on his
mood), he is a freelance journalist, columnist and creator of the
blog, “Urf!”. Keep up with Richard at richardalley.com.
From an early age, Troy Glasgow has had a natural eye for catching the moment capturing the emotion of real life and freezing it in time. Glasgow has worked with
the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek and many more. As a
freelance photographer, he has traveled throughout Europe, Asia, North America,
South America and Central America on assignment. When he’s not out snapping
pictures, he hangs his hat in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.
Trey Heath owns more hats than pairs of socks, has a now worthless
John Calipari bobble head collection, and loves the city of Memphis.
Heath has held staff positions at both Memphis Business Journal
and The Commercial Appeal, and currently freelances for various
publications. Heath is also currently the Vice President of Memphisbased Magnetic SEO, an Internet marketing firm.
John Hubbell is a senior editor at Crossroads, and
is on the staff of the Marketing, Research and
Communications staff of the Greater Memphis
Chamber. He interviewed Al Bell for the fall edition.
Regis Lawson, a native of France, had an
undeniable love for art even at an early age.
From the sketching pad to the painting
canvas, each of his skills lends relevance to
Lawson’s passion for photography. Today, an
internationally known photographer, his work is
sought after by both private and public sectors.
Andria Lisle, a Midtown-based journalist, covers topics ranging from Southern food and travel to American music and pop
culture for multiple publications, including the Memphis Flyer and The Commercial Appeal. She’s chronicled the life and
death of soul legend Isaac Hayes for London’s Guardian newspaper and followed the Mississippi Blues Trail for Northwest
WorldTraveler. Most recently, Lisle co-wrote a children's sewing book slated to be published in 2010.
Jennifer Lefkowitz is a nationally published entertainment
and media writer. A graduate of Academy of Art University,
Motion Pictures and Television, Screenwriting in San Francisco,
California, Lefkowitz served as production assistant on
television’s No.1 hit series American Idol. Also the Arts and
Entertainment Editor of Jewish Scene Magazine, Jennifer lives
in Memphis, Tennessee and enjoys good kosher BBQ.
Lance Murphey is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker.
He has 20 years experience including The Commercial Appeal, The
Naples (Fla.) Daily News, the Associated Press, New York Times and
Bloomberg. His work has been published worldwide and has earned
dozens of national photojournalism awards.
Photo Credit Correction
In the last issue of Memphis
Crossroads, we regrettably
omitted the photo credit of
Ben Fant for the picture found
on page 18 for the “True Story
Pictures” piece of the Arts 2009
Edition of Memphis Crossroads.
Jon W. Sparks is a journalist, actor and filmmaker in Memphis.
He writes feature stories, reviews performing arts and has done
more than his share of Elvis stories. He has appeared in several
indie films, notably as a very bad man in "Nothing But the Truth"
directed by Rod Lurie. Those who know him say he is really not
a “bad man” at all. He is also a documentarian and an award
winning maker of short films.
5
CORPORATE LIFE
THE CORNER OFFICE
Questions for Tom Schmitt
FedEx executive and Chamber
Board President Tom Schmitt says
his parents “gave me confidence
to go and explore.”
6
Signed, sealed, delivered
Tom Schmitt on the importance of his iPod,
managing 20 gas stations and why great parks are good for business.
by Trey Heath
Along with his 11 years of service at FedEx, Tom Schmitt,
Senior Vice President of FedEx Solutions, has devoted his time
and energy outside of work to helping improve Memphis as the
first Greater Memphis Chamber Chairman to serve two two-year
consecutive terms. We sat down with Schmitt to get his insights
on the future of the Chamber, his hometown in Germany and
barbecue.
You have been called a great problem solver at FedEx. After
two consecutive terms as the Greater Memphis Chamber
Chairman, what challenges do you think you have helped the
Chamber overcome?
The first thing is we’ve started to run the Chamber like a first-class
business. That sounds basic, but it is a big deal. We have objectives
that matter in terms of job creations and quality of jobs. We also
have metrics for site visits and we manage those for performance
the same way any first-class business would. In the last year,
despite the hard economic times, Chamber membership has gone
up, not down. Small- and medium-sized businesses see the benefit
of being part of an economic engine. We have a very compelling
game plane for Memphis Fast Forward. That is a multi-year
journey, not a one-year journey.
Tell us about your family.
I'm married to my college sweetheart, Petra. We have no children
but we have nieces and nephews. The rest of my family is still back
in my hometown in Biberach, Germany.
What do you miss about Biberach the most?
I am an American citizen, and this is home for me. In terms of
missing things, German towns are amazingly picturesque and
walkable. You take that for granted when you are growing up.
When you go back 20 years later, you really see how beautiful it is.
That strikes me every time.
Explain what you do at FedEx.
FedEx Solutions brings all the services and partners of FedEx to
the customers to meet their needs. Most customers are not looking
at FedEx to sell them a specific service. Most customers come to
FedEx and say, ‘Help me run this aspect of my supply chain better.’
We work with all the [FedEx] companies to get the best of FedEx
to answer those needs.
What was your first job?
My first real job out of college was for BP. I managed 20 BP
gas stations in Cleveland, Ohio. I had the 3:00 a.m. calls with
a burglary at one of my stations and everything else you can
imagine with running gas stations in an urban area. It was truly
interesting, and I enjoyed it and learned a lot.
Every Memphian has a favorite barbecue joint. What's your
favorite place for ribs or pulled pork?
I do actually love barbecue. We ship Corky's all across the U.S.
and we have been growing with them. I often take customers from
FedEx there. I also shouldn't fail to mention Neely's. Patrick Neely
is on the Chamber board and has been a great representative for
world-class barbecue but also a great ambassador for Memphis.
What’s one of your biggest professional challenges at either
FedEx or the Chamber?
Fundamentally, there is something about good intentions and
competence. I sternly believe that if you bring both to the table
passionately, most of the time it is contagious and others will
want to work with you. This is true for the Chamber and FedEx.
Sometimes you have business challenges that are talent challenges.
Sometimes you have to upgrade the team and we've had to do that
at the Chamber. Some of the leaders are still there from five years
ago and we have added others to enhance the team.
We know you love music. What's on your iPod right now?
I am very passionate about music. Music takes my mind into
different things. I actually have to carry more than one iPod with
me because I load them up. There are three artists I play most
right now: Conor Oberst, Ryan Adams from North Carolina and
indie rock band Beirut. I have pretty eclectic taste.
You have been able to achieve a fair amount of success at
FedEx. What goals or ambitions do you have now?
I have a very simple proposition that I try to focus on and that’s
making people and places better. One thing I always thought
would be cool would be running a university. You can have a huge
impact on the students and their lives and what they are going
to take away. Whenever I graduate from corporate business, I
think that would be cool to have an impact by leading thousands
of students and make them better. I think that would be pretty
awesome.
Besides your work at FedEx and the Chamber, you’ve also
been active by raising awareness and money for the $100
million expansion of Shelby Farms. What was it about that
project that inspired you to get involved?
If you look around, great cities have great parks. We have the
potential for having a great park. If you go out there, you can
see more people using the park than five years ago. It’s business
rationale. We have the largest urban park so we need to use it.
There is also something about putting effort foreword that your
job description doesn't include. I love the people who are involved
there and it is really a combination of a cause that matters and
working with people you like personally.
What person or persons have had the biggest influence on you
and your career?
It really goes back to my parents. They didn't make a career
decision for me, but I grew up in an environment where I got the
confidence so I could accomplish things. They never said 'Harvard
business school is well out of your league' even though my parents
didn't go to college. They gave me confidence to go and explore
and it gives you energy over decades. There are clearly people in
different stages of my career, but the foundation and engine of my
confidence is my parents and they gave me that in abundance.
7
SMALL
SMALLBUSINESS
BUSINESS
You've got mail — and opportunity
Delivered daily to Chamber members, RFP Central
has already helped businesses snag $24 million in bids.
by Richard J. Alley
Since April of 2009, the RFP
Central service offered by the
Greater Memphis Chamber has
been helping its members generate
business more quickly and efficiently.
The total revenue generated from
bids by Chamber members using
RFP Central has amounted to more
than $24 million.
With an active paid
membership in the Chamber,
companies can register to receive
a daily e-Newsletter with requests
for proposals (RFPs) from
government agencies and businesses
representing disparate industries in
the Memphis Metro Statistical Area
(MSA). About 1,500 RFPs, powered
by leading bid researcher Onvia Inc.,
are sent out each day. In addition
to receiving RFPs, members
seeking proposals can submit their
own requests to Onvia for other
companies to bid on. A free webinar
is provided by the Chamber to train subscribers on the service.
“The feedback from members has been very positive,”
said Angela Michaels, Manager of Member Services for the
Chamber. The RFP Central amenity is offered to any individual
company from Onvia, though the cost is over $900 and viable
for only one specific industry. “The service we provide is for all
industries and seems to be more user-friendly because of that,”
Michaels said.
American Paper & Twine (AP&T) is a 90-year-old supplier
of products including packaging supplies, cleaning equipment,
restaurant consumables, safety apparel and office products and
furniture. Its customers include “most any business you can
think of,” said Brad Walker, General Manager of the Memphis
branch of this Nashville-based company. AP&T has been
using RFP Central since its inception and Walker says that
subscribing to the service is “like having an additional sales
person.” While he can’t specifically identify which bids he has
won that he might not have without the aid of RFP Central, he
can say for sure that “it’s helping our business.”
The ability to have RFPs come to the office via e-mail
is a helpful time-saving tool for Walker and his five outside
sales representatives. Without the service, they have to rely on
mailed requests or in-person pick-up of RFPs from a central
location, such as government offices. RFP Central, however,
allows a sales manager to quickly and conveniently identify
8
open opportunities in a specific industry without ever leaving
their desks.
“I usually see about two to three requests a week that
pertain to us,” Walker said.
The wide geographic reach of the Chamber’s MSA is
also a benefit to subscribers, especially those like AP&T, whose
sales region covers West Tennessee, Northeast Arkansas and
the entire state of Mississippi. RFPs currently come in from
eight counties around Memphis: Shelby, Tipton and Fayette, in
Tennessee; Crittenden in Arkansas; and Desoto, Marshall, Tate
and Tunica, in Mississippi.
The e-mails that come in each morning like clockwork
also detail what companies have won specific bids, and this
feedback helps a company like American Paper & Twine better
prepare when that bid opportunity reappears in the future.
“When there’s an award, you can better rank yourself,” Walker
said. “You know what to work on the next time the bid comes
around.”
Industry leads for bids include architecture and
engineering, operations and maintenance, printing and mailing,
vehicles, construction, heavy equipment, power generation
utilities and many others.
Michaels places the RFP Central newsletter’s importance
in member retention, and that “we’ve been able to gain some
new members on just that service alone.”
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
MEMPHISED
Economic Development
Quarterly Update
Sandra Walls, who took over AVPOL in
2004, says she’s “not interested in just
making money” but also providing “a
quality name and service.”
Fueled for success
How a minority-focused small-business incubator
helped Sandra Walls chart her own course.
By Jon W. Sparks
MemphisED’s focus on innovation and entrepreneurship
is all about opening doors. One measure of success in
providing meaningful opportunity is through its relationship
with the Mid-South Minority Business Council, the region’s
top minority economic development organization.
Luke Yancy III, President and CEO of MMBC, points
to the organization’s business incubator known as the Center
for Emerging Entrepreneurial Development (C.E.E.D.),
which has provided assistance to a number of companies.
“The whole purpose of the incubator is to help minorities
Continued on page 10
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Continued from page 9
get into industries where barriers are fairly high," Yancy
says. “And we want to help those businesses grow through
strategic partnerships.”
In Memphis and Shelby County, there are areas vital to a
healthy economy in which minority firms are under-represented.
“We’ve got Memphis as a major cargo airport, and with FedEx
and MATA using a lot of petroleum products and jet and diesel
fuel — but with scant minority participation,” Yancy says. “But
one glowing exception provides a case study of how to take a
small minority firm with potential and grow it.”
That exemplar is AVPOL International, with expertise in
depot maintenance, logistics, assistance and advisory services and
engineering. Sandra K. Walls, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant
colonel, is the firm’s owner and, by any definition, a force to be
reckoned with.
Her 22 years as a logistics officer in the military provided her
with the knowledge and expertise to run AVPOL International.
Her savvy includes knowing when to use available resources to
keep her business strong, such as the incubator.
“I thought it was a great opportunity for me to … position
my company to move in the direction of my personal and
corporate goals,” Walls says.
AVPOL International started in 1997 and Walls has been
the sole owner since 2004. She worked out of her home until
about three years ago, when she connected with C.E.E.D. “Most
of my business is outside of Memphis and I worked from home
doing federal contracts,” she said. But growth brings growing
pains, and soon she needed better space.
“At MMBC, we help with best practices, getting connected,
planning, marketing and the whole nine yards,” Yancy says.
“We provide a facility within the incubator with a live person
who answers the phone, and we provide clerical services, a fully
furnished office, strategic planning activities, paid parking and
Internet. She took advantage of those services, and you see a
growing business that’s helping within our community.”
For Walls, it was about combining the advantages of the
incubator with her already well-honed business sense. “I thought
it was a good opportunity to set up a presence in the city rather
than work out of home,” she says from her office on Peabody
Avenue. Since then her firm was awarded a contract with Shelby
County government to deliver fuel -- another victory added to
her already solid list of national clients.
MEMPHIS AREA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN
MemphisED is a collaboration of 19 organizations implementing a broad-based plan to grow the economy of
Memphis and Shelby County. MemphisED is one component of the Memphis Fast Forward initiative, which
also includes: People1st! (education and workforce development), Operation Safe Community, and City/County
Government Efficiency. Memphis Fast Forward is governed by a Steering Committee comprised of private sector
leaders and local elected officials. The Greater Memphis Chamber is one of the 19 MemphisED Partners and has
responsibility for coordinating the initiative. The following are the 2009 current results to date.
New Jobs
3,518
A number of the MemphisED strategies
contribute directly or indirectly to new
job creation. During the July-September
timeframe, activities at the UT-Baptist
Research Park and efforts to grow the local
music industry contributed to the total, but
the largest impact came from the retention
and expansion of existing firms. Ten local
firms announced projects totaling 938 new
jobs – and the retention of another 939 jobs
that might otherwise have been lost. In
addition, two companies announced their
move to Shelby County bringing 80 new
jobs with them.
10
Capital Investment
549,266,616
$
Virtually all the reported 1st quarter capital
investment -- $371.7 million – came from
existing companies investing and expanding
in Shelby County. Those 10 firms added 3/4
of a million square feet of building space, as
well as new capital equipment and inventory.
In addition, firms moving to Shelby County
added $1.1 million of new capital investment,
while activities to grow the bioscience
sector contributed almost $600,000.
“I want to take the company to where we can stand toe-totoe with the best,” she adds. “I’m not interested in just making
money. I want to provide a quality name and service.”
She is indeed making money, though. “Our revenues have
tripled since 2005,” she says. “We’re averaging about $2 million
growth a year and this year we expect to exceed $8 million.”
Walls was born and raised in Memphis. She graduated from
Manassas High School and LeMoyne-Owen College. While
she did not plan for a military career, “at the time people didn’t
want to hire me because of my ethnicity, gender and having no
experience,” she says.
But she is by nature someone who faces the negatives
head-on. “I look at negatives and see how I can turn them into
positives,” Walls says. “I thought about the military as a place
to get experience and get a master’s degree and make myself
marketable in four years. But I was having fun and just ended up
doing 22 years.”
Soon after joining, she received a master’s in business
administration and found herself working with executives
in large firms. “My level of responsibility in the military was
equivalent to many of those vice presidents,” she says.
Since retiring from the military in 1995, she’s been making
the most of her business knowledge. Part of her plan for the
company is to bring in her son, Timothy Walls, who graduates
in January from Tennessee State University with a degree in
economics and finance.
“There is a legacy here to come home and do what needs
to be done,” she says. “He’ll have a title, but he’ll have to work
his way up, learn federal acquisition regulations and learn the
business.” It’s that sort of work ethic that brought her into the
MMBC incubator and propelled her to ongoing success.
“We’re continuing to work with other companies and maybe
we’ll be able to go international,” she says. “The people I work
with respect us and where we are.”
To learn more about MemphisED and what the plan means for Memphis, go to
www.memphisfastforward.com/the-plan/economic-development
Minority
Business Receipts
Talent Retention
Attraction
71,668,780
5,771
$
All MemphisED Partners share responsibility
for growing minority-owned business
receipts in Shelby County. During the 1st
quarter, the Supplier Diversity program
that matches local minority/women-owned
firms (potential suppliers) with larger local
corporate and government entities (buyers)
accounted for $22.4 million of new activity.
Financial support from the construction
industry revolving loan fund made a $4.2
million contract possible, while the growth
of companies at the Center for Emerging
Entrepreneurial
Development
(CEED)
incubator and construction activity at the
UT-Baptist Research Park accounted for the
balance.
Talent is a driver for the local economy –
successful firms need talented individuals.
The MemphisConnect.com blog reached
people in 819 cities spanning 52 countries,
over 200 of whom were considering a move
to Memphis. All together, the blog helped
354 existing and Memphians and new
Memphians get connected. The Connections
program, which works 1-on-1 with talented
individuals new to the area accounted for
293 successes, while the Fast Track, Fellows,
Uniquely Memphis and Outlet programs
accounted for the balance.
Other Successes
Innova was one of six entities awarded new State tax credits, which can be sold to the insurance industry for approximately $13 million of investment
capital. The $13 million will be invested in early-stage companies with significant job growth potential.
EmergeMemphis received a $500,000 federal grant to assist with the $1.3 million build-out of their incubator’s 4th floor. The additional 15,000
square feet of additional tenant space should be available by mid-2010.
As part of the Aerotropolis initiative, Memphis City Council approved $1.6 million to improve Plough Boulevard, gateway to the Memphis International
Airport. In addition, City staff contributed roadway and landscape improvements, and the State provided a $45,000 Forestry grant.
11
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Kelly Dobbins took a chance and now owns
the growing Mid-South Drug Testing company.
Tried, tested, on the move
Drug screening firm rolls to clients — and new success
By Trey Heath
Kelly Dobbins admits that just 10 years ago, she never
would have considered it possible to operate a business just
by providing drug testing. But the 48-year-old Memphian
and owner of Mid-South Drug Testing has now cast those
doubts aside, operating a booming pre-employment drug
testing business.
The onetime banking professional has grown her
business to include a branch in Arkansas. In all, the
flourishing company will provide more than 11,000 drug
tests for clients this year. “Drug testing is a weird venture,”
Dobbins says. “It's not something you wake up one day and
say 'I want to do drug testing.’”
However unattractive the field may seem to outsiders,
Dobbins says it was the science part of testing that first
sparked her interests in drug testing while serving as the
CFO of Memphis-based Justice Network, Inc., a private
probation company. Although her duties went beyond just
managing the drug testing program, Dobbins said she saw
a need to expand the company's drug testing business to
private companies that were looking for pre-employment
screenings.
“My boss and I had a long conversation about growing
the company in employment drug testing,” she says. “But it
was his company and that's not what he wanted to do. I had
been there 11 years and we had a great relationship, but I
left and basically started my own company with very little
money.” After getting loans from family and friends, cashing
out her 401(k) and receiving a $25,000 Small Business
12
Association loan, Dobbins founded Mid-South Drug Testing
Center in 2004 with hopes that she could carve out a niche in
Memphis.
While she saw ample opportunities to grow right out
of the gate, Dobbins’ push to expand the company beyond
just Memphis almost closed her business before it could
get started. Just seven months after founding the company,
Dobbins opened another office in Paragould, Ark. Although
Mid-South Drug Testing had only eight part-time employees
at the time, Dobbins said she wanted to expand in the
Paragould area to serve many of the large manufacturers
who have mandatory drug testing policies.
“I grew too fast and ran out of capital and didn't know
what to do,” she said. “I was scared that I was going to lose
everything so I threw my business plan out the window.”
Instead of opening expensive new branches in other
locations to grow her client base, Dobbins created a service
offering that allows her to reach new customers at their own
office. Because many companies and municipal governments
require that any employee who is involved in an accident be
drug tested, Dobbins created a mobile service, which allows
her customers 24-hour access to testing.
Whenever there is a need to administer a test, Mid-South
Drug Testing can dispatch certified technicians to perform
the test onsite. That service alone has made Mid-South Drug
Testing an attractive alternative to other providers.
“(Dobbins) has a quality program,” says Ray Douglas,
Millington police chief and Mid-South Drug Testing client.
“If we need her, we make a phone call and she provides the
service no matter if it’s day or night, 7 days a week.”
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of Memphis business know
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13
SMALLLOGISTICS
BUSINESS
Burlington Northern Sante Fe Yard cranes
opened in October and are accomplishing
one million lifts per year.
14
All boxed up
New Chamber-commissioned study shows Memphis
is poised to benefit as containers dominate the shipping industry.
By Trey Heath
Jim Covington, the Greater Memphis Chamber’s Vice
President of Logistics and Aerotropolis Development, thumbs
through a 215-page Memphis infrastructure study, quickly
locating the highlights.
First there are the findings on the capital investment that
railroad companies have made in Memphis. Then a chapter on
airport improvements. And it is followed by the classification of
the city’s port as the fourth largest inland harbor in the United
States.
“Memphis is a large, important transportation distribution
center,” Covington says, pausing somewhere between the chapter
on intermoadal shipping and Memphis’ great warehouse capacity.
“Logistics and distribution of goods is our strength. That's our
job, and because transportation truly is the job of Memphis, the
Bluff City is about to get a lot busier.”
If transportation truly is the “job” of Memphis, then
the Bluff City is about to get a lot busier, according to a study
performed by IHS Global Insight Inc. and commissioned by the
Chamber.
The Chamber enlisted Global Insight for the study mainly to
determine whether the city’s current transportation partnerships
are sound and to find out where Memphis should look to improve
on its infrastructure. The in-depth analysis of the city’s transportation
infrastructure outlines Memphis’s assets, what benefits can be
expected due to recent investments and what improvements are
needed to ensure the area remains a hub for the world.
“We wanted to identify our strengths in relation to the
global economy,” Covington said. “Memphis is in a great position
to take advantage of our strengths.”
One key to the forecasted increase of activity in Memphis
stems from predictions on how the world’s economy will rebound
following the recession.
South America, Eastern Europe and parts of Asia are
expected to bounce back first, creating an increase in demand for
imports in the United States. How those goods will make it to
market, according to the report, will be through container traffic
— which makes Memphis an attractive distribution point.
“When the recession ends, there is going to be a big upsurge
in container traffic,” said Joseph Waldo, Global Insight Chief
Consultant. “Essentially, there is going to be growth in container
traffic because the economy is growing and many shippers want
the lower cost of water and rail. And they will find that those
modes work for them in terms of their supply chain.”
In 2007 alone, 11 million tons of freight terminated or
originated in Memphis via truck, barge and train. Those numbers
are expected to increase thanks to more than $500 million in
recent investments for new or expanded intermodal facilities by
Class I railroad companies.
Some examples include Canadian National Railway Co.’s
newly renovated, $100 million Memphis rail yard, which is the
second largest CN facility of its kind in the United States.
Then there is the $129 million Norfolk Southern Corp.
facility, scheduled to be built in Rossville in coming months.
Additionally, a $200 million expansion of Burlington Northern
Santa Fe Corp.’s intermodal facility near Lamar and Shelby Drive
was recently completed in October.
“The railroad companies have put a significant amount of
investment in their rail system, and they’ve also put a significant
amount of investment in Memphis,” Waldo says. “Obviously the
railroads anticipate a large increase in rail in the future.”
In summarizing just how important the recent investment
is for the city’s future, the report made a bold comparison to the
potential of rail and the city’s largest employer. “Intermodal rail
has the potential to impact Memphis similar to that of FedEx...
bolstering the citys attractiveness as a national distribution hub,”
it concluded.
Besides rail, the study noted other infrastructure strong
points in Memphis that should pay future dividends.
The nearly $1 billion in improvements made by Memphis
International Airport over the past 15 years should continue to
be key to economic development, the study says.
Also, a planned expansion of the Panama Canal should
create an increase in traffic in the Gulf of Mexico, subsequently
increasing river traffic in the area. Memphis distributed 21
million tons of freight through its port in 2007. But even though
signs point to a bright future in Memphis in the coming years,
the study pointed to challenges and needs.
Chief among these concerns are 25 improvements that the
study said are needed to improve the area’s highways and roads.
At the top of that list is the I-22 corridor, which sits near Lamar
Avenue and Shelby Drive. The highway connects Memphis to
Atlanta and Birmingham and has long been a main thoroughfare
for trucks. The recent expansion of the nearby BNSF intermodal
yard is expected to only make congestion in the area worse.
Typically, intermodal facilities depend on trucks to deliver
container freight to its final destination. This means that even
though rail cars may have replaced the need for some long-haul
truck deliveries, more trucks will be driving into the city to pick
up freight from intermodal facilities.
According to the study, 88 percent of freight coming into
Memphis travels on highways like I-40, I-55 and US 78 proving
that trucks will continue to be a vital role in Memphis.
“If we double our intermodal activity we won't be able to
take advantage of it if trucks can't make connections through
our highways,” Covington says. “It is critical that we make those
connections, especially in the Lamar/I-22 corridor and around
the airport.”
To read the Chamber’s logistics study in full, go to
www.memphischamber.com/newsroom
15
SMALL
BIOSCIENCE
BUSINESS
The online coupon clipper
Bioworks incubator hatches a new way to save at the store.
By Ralph Berry
w
hen LaMon Evans of Hickory,
Mississippi, took an old concept and
brought it into the digital age, he knew
Memphis would be the ideal place to
start his business.
Using the old-school concept of
discount coupons, Evans developed
a unique process attractive to many
kinds of businesses. Centiba, located in
the Memphis Bioworks Foundation’s
incubator, is an online company that
offers a variety of digital coupons for
numerous grocery stores, convenience
stores, and gas stations. The
revolutionary digital coupon system
is different in that the consumer is
not required to print the coupons and
redeem them at their local grocery
store. Instead, the system, called Q-Pass,
allows the consumer to select coupons
on the Q-Pass website and load them
When LaMon Evans' wife heard his business plan, "she told me to go for it," he says.
directly onto their loyalty or Q-Pass
card.
As Centiba’s founder and chief technology officer, Evans
While launching Centiba, Evans also found the majority
has a hand in everything, including programming, business
of his resources were located in Memphis. Marketing firms,
plans, sales, and marketing.
computer programmers, and system designers were crucial
Evans toyed with his business design for a few years,
to the development of Centiba, and Evans had no problem
sketching out the mechanics of the plan on pieces of paper.
finding qualified professionals within the city.
Gathering input from his colleagues at the University of
For the small number of out-of-town professionals with
Mississippi, Evans drafted a fresh and creative proposal for
whom Evans collaborated, Memphis’s geographical location
an online company but did not seriously pursue it, as his
was key. “Memphis has easy access and is a huge resource,”
hometown did not have the resources to support it.
Evans says. “You can get a flight from Memphis to anywhere.
Once his wife, Brigitte, learned of the idea, she
The central location of Memphis makes business travel
encouraged him to follow through with his plan. “She found
easier.”
the paper that had all the details of the company I had
Evans is glad Memphis provided him with all the
worked out, and she told me to go for it,” Evans says.
necessary resources to build his company, and, with his family
Evans soon found that many of his interested investors
here, too, he is happy to be in the Bluff City.
were located in Memphis. Having held a position with FedEx
prior to returning to school, he was familiar with the area
and not surprised by the entrepreneurial opportunities for
Centiba there.
This article appeared originally in
“There (are) a large amount of investment dollars
Bioworks, a Greater Memphis Chamber
in Memphis,” Evans says. “Investors here do not want to
publication devoted to the coverage
invest in older, established companies. If you have a startup
and advancement of Memphis’s bioscience
company with a good, efficient business plan, Memphis is
industry, available at area newsstands.
great.”
For more articles, see
16
Now, every
cent counts
Checkbook not adding up?
Area programs provide a
crash course in managing your
money and getting ahead.
By Andria Lisle
Like many people these days, Memphian Angela
Davis-Meeks couldn’t seem to get a grip on her
finances. “I’d spend every little dime I tried to keep,”
says the 33-year old First Tennessee Bank employee,
who is also a wife and mother of two.
Then the RISE Foundation intervened. DavisMeeks first heard of the organization’s Common Cents
program via a mention on the evening news. After
learning more online, she enrolled in Common Cents at
the University of Memphis’ Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for
Social Change. The weekly crash course in financial literacy
quickly got Davis-Meeks on track.
“One thing we learned in class was that you can’t keep
up with the Joneses,” she says. “You see your coworker with
a nice car and you’re riding in a little hooptie, and you’re
going to want what they have. But those people might have
a $200,000 home and nothing in the refrigerator! With
this class, you see what you’re bringing in and what you’re
spending. And nine times out of ten, you’re spending a lot
more than you’re making.”
Founded in 1999 from a collaboration of the Community
Foundation of Greater Memphis, the Memphis Housing
Authority and the United Way of the Mid-South, RISE
strives to raise the financial I.Q. of local citizens.
Its incentive-based I.P. Village and Goal Card programs
focus on elementary, middle school and high school students
from low income families. The Responsible Lending
Collaborative shines a light on predatory lending practices,
and teaches the city’s lowest wage earners about affordable
options from grocery shopping to banking. And through
its newest program, Common Cents, RISE pairs with area
employers to battle the skyrocketing bankruptcy rate.
Common Cents participants learn how to create – and
stick to – a budget, says Alisha Tillery, the program’s
facilitator. They raise their credit scores and build self-worth.
“These lessons are so valuable,” Tillery says, emphasizing
that, despite the importance of financial literacy, few
Memphians are taught about money by their parents or
schools.
Angela Davis-Meeks’ participation in the Common Cents program
“was so valuable,” she says. She learned that “nine times out of ten,
you’re spending more than you’re making.”
Count Davis-Meeks in that group. Raised in North
Memphis, she and her husband purchased their first home in
Raleigh in 2002. Yet, like so many families, money is tight,
and Davis-Meeks would often worry about how she would
cope if her Nissan Altima broke down, or what might happen
when her husband’s Honda Accord, which has over 200,000
miles on it, finally goes kaput. That’s why Davis-Meeks
enrolled in RISE’s Save Up program last March, four months
after graduating from Common Cents.
In Save Up, eligible participants (who are employed
residents of traditional public housing or Section Eight
voucher holders) open a savings account with a partner bank
along a specific goal – anything from college course fees or
a computer to reliable transportation or a starter home. All
account maintenance fees are waived, and, once one-third of
the goal is reached, RISE matches the account balance twofor-one.
Since the program’s inception in 2000, 376 Save Up
participants have purchased 48 homes and 32 vehicles. “That
match is the biggest incentive,” say Davis-Meeks. “The
hardest part was putting in the initial $75, but once I did it,
it was okay from there. Now, I’m going for the max.” She
expects to complete Save Up in March, when she purchases a
new car. Make that a gently used car.
“No debt, no note,” Davis-Meeks clarifies. “Something
with low mileage that will get me from point A to point B!”
17
A LOOK AT THE NEW... LAW SCHOOL
Artists' rendering of the new Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Courtesy Nixon Askew Ferguson
Coming to order
At the foot of downtown, a huge, once-dormant structure is transformed
into the new University of Memphis law school.
By Jon W. Sparks
The leaky, cramped and flood-prone building was tired.
Since 1966, the University of Memphis's Cecil C. Humphreys
School of Law had been turning out waves of lawyers. But
the facility had become subpar and in 2005, the American Bar
Association was threatening to pull accreditation.
Plans were already underway to make changes.
Renovation was unlikely although building a new facility
elsewhere on campus was possible. The option that captured
the greatest interest, however, was moving downtown to
No. 1 Front Street. Completed in 1885 as a U.S. Customs
House with a federal court, the structure had grown over
the decades, become a postal service center and achieved the
distinction of being on the National Register of Historic
Places.
Turning the august complex into a law school
was daunting. Approval had to come from the federal
government, the state, the city and the university. But there
was a lot going for it. Downtown officials -- including
merchants -- loved the idea. The Postal Service was
prepared to move out. There would be twice the space. Most
important, however, was that the law school would be at the
region's legal center.
“Beyond the proximity of being close to the bench
and bar and the opportunities for students, the legal
community would also have access to the law library and our
technology,” says Shawna G. Engel, the law school's director
of development. The barriers fell — and the $42 million
makeover of the 140,000 square foot space will be ready for
18
the grand opening celebration on Jan. 16. Meanwhile, the
faculty will start moving offices and some 250,000 volumes
and microfilm into the new library in December.
The new digs will have a five-story library, a 300-seat
classroom and auditorium, three state-of-the-art courtrooms
for moot court, mock trials and visiting appellate courts,
space for a legal clinic, a student lounge, seismic protection,
60 security cameras and a campus police officer. The added
population – close to 500 students, staff and faculty – brings
welcome benefits downtown.
An economic impact study prepared for the U of M
said direct spending downtown – retail, dining, and parking
– would increase between $2.4 million to $4.8 million
annually. The total impact of alternative spending on the
entire community would be between $5 million and $10
million. Developers have welcomed the law school’s pending
downtown presence. The $28 million conversion of the old
Union Planters Bank at 67 Madison has brought about Metro
67 luxury apartments. The building, vacant for 15 years and a
priority for redevelopment by the Center City Commission, is
another plus for downtown.
The $2 million promenade project coordinated by
the Riverfront Development Corporation will provide
a walkway behind the law school with landscaping and
lighting improvements. “The law school is always referenced
whenever there are stories of openings downtown,” says
Engel. “People recognize that it will change the footprint
downtown. There will be more pedestrian traffic on Main
Street. What’s more, law school students say it’s great for
them – they can look for a place to live downtown, and some
ask if they even need a car.”
Photo by Lance MurPhey
“When you’ve been paddling and finding your way through the cypress trees
and get together and have an ice cold
Ghost river beer on the Ghost river,
it probably doesn’t
ever taste better.”
chuck SkyPeck
Memphis small business owner
In Memphis, success has a sound of its own.
memphischamber.com/soundtrack
FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP
By John Hubbell | Photos by Lance Murphey
In Lebanon, Tenn., Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.
walks toward the grocery store once owned by his
family. The store has been relocated to the Wilson
County Fairgrounds as part of a historical exhibit.
Aggressive recruiting and retention of businesses.
Transparency, efficiency and a tone of respect.
To understand where Memphis is headed, it helps
to know where newly elected city mayor
A C Wharton Jr. has been.
What
‘A C’
stands for
Wharton, inside his
family’s grocery store,
recalls learning the
ways of business from
his father. “When my
dad had something
to offer, the world just
opened up,” Wharton
says. “This is America.
You are judged on
what you produce.”
On the wall of his
family grocery store,
A C Wharton Jr. points
to a picture of his father,
A C Wharton Sr.
F
or fun, ask residents of Midtown Memphis where they
last saw A C Wharton Jr.
“On the news,” some might say. “At a meeting,” others
might answer.
But the most common replies would go something like
this: “He was in line behind me at Starbucks.” Or “I saw him
getting his groceries yesterday at Schnuck’s.”
Wharton sightings in the heart of the city are legion,
emblematic of his high profile in the neighborhood he calls
home. It is not difficult to spot the newly elected Memphis
mayor, in between intense glances at his Blackberry PDA,
grabbing a cup of coffee with the rest of us — or somewhat
incongruously picking up a loaf of bread at the grocery
store, the jacket of his three-piece suit often still buttoned
at the end of a day.
In other large American cities, the frequency of such
occurrences might itself be remarkable. With Wharton,
observers say, there’s something more: an unflappable
countenance and an always-on-the-clock willingness to
engage everyone from the barista to the grocery bagger.
“If you convey a sense of greeting and welcome, that’s
the way people will respond,” Wharton says in his downtown
office during a lengthy, wide-ranging interview this fall.
“What I see here in Memphis is, as a big city, far too many
of us assume the worst of every person we speak to… as
opposed to my daddy, who assumed the best of everybody.”
Agrees Tomeka Hart, a Memphis native and city school
board member serving as a member of Wharton’s transition
team: “You see him out in the community, wanting to be a
22
part. His heart is so into it. He really wants to help make
this… such a great city.”
So begins the Wharton era — the first change in
Memphis leadership since 1992.
Wharton, who served as Shelby County’s first AfricanAmerican mayor from 2002 to 2009, succeeded longtime
Memphis city mayor W. W. Herenton on Oct. 26. Wharton’s
ascension came in a commanding special-election victory held
after Herenton announced he would vacate the seat, citing
plans to seek congressional office in 2010. Shelby County
commissioners recently appointed their peer Joe Ford to
replace Wharton.
To many, it is hard to overstate what Wharton’s
relentless work ethic, charisma and intricate grasp of public
policy issues bode for the future of Memphis. Contrasting
Wharton with past administrations is essentially irrelevant,
they say. The point is the future — and Wharton and his
admirers can’t stop talking about how much better the future
can be.
“It’s like everything is teed up for him to provide the
leadership and make it successful,” says Dexter Muller,
the Greater Memphis Chamber’s senior vice president for
community development. “We seem to have this feeling that
we never measure up. Memphis has no reason to think of
itself that way. I feel like we’re about to get over it.”
A lot sits before Wharton. On the short list: improving
education, continuing the city’s aggressive fight against crime
and working with organizations such as the Chamber to
spearhead additional economic development.
“It’s not enough just to say ‘We’re a good place,’”
Wharton says. “Everybody’s saying that. We’ve got to reach
out and fight. We’ve got to pull and push. And I’m up to
that.”
But to understand how Wharton will tackle it all, it’s
helpful to first head to the grocery store with him. Not the
Schnuck’s in Midtown, however. This grocery trip takes a
three-and-a-half hour drive — and a trip back in time.
• ‘A basic sense of fairness’
Nashville can claim its country music, but far east of
its gleaming skyscrapers in little Lebanon, Tenn., it’s just
country, period. This is walking horse country, a place where
a statue of a rifle-cradling soldier stands guard over a town
square ringed with antique stores and the spot where the
Cracker Barrel restaurants began. And it’s also the place
where, in 1944, A C Wharton Jr. was born.
As Wharton and his driver ease down a gravel road at
the Wilson County Fairgrounds, largely dormant this late
into the year, WSM-AM (“Nashville’s Country Legend”)
warbles from the dashboard. Wharton likes country music
— a fact that, had it been revealed a few days before in his
office, would have been unexpected to say the least. As the
fairground gates swing open and Wharton scans the distance
eagerly for a piece of his past, though, the music fits.
His shiny black government sedan stops down the road
a bit from a piece of Wilson County history — and Wharton
family history, too. Inside a kind of county fair vintage
village, a place of meticulously arranged storefronts designed
to cheerfully evoke bygone times, a gleaming sign is affixed
to the façade of a simple country store. In bold letters, to the
left of the door, it declares: WHARTON.
Wharton shakes hands with Samuel Figgins, a boyhood friend who helps
tend to the Wilson County Fairgrounds where the Wharton family store now stands.
The store has been moved here a few miles from its
original location. Wharton steps inside and begins looking at
the old family photographs and the old-time products lining
the shelves — pre-embargo Cuban cigars, flour, a laxative
called “Black Draught.” A grocery store receipt mounted to
the cash register, bears his own name as well as that of his
deceased father.
“You notice there are no periods after the ‘A’ and ‘C’
because that was the actual name — it’s not an abbreviation
— which was quite common around Wilson County,” he says.
Turning back to the grocery store, Wharton explains:
“My dad had always wanted to own a business. So they
bought (the store) across from the black high school. We’d
keep it open late at night. There was an elderly gentleman
who had a store across the street from us. We pretty well put
him out of business. So my dad bought it.”
The Wharton children worked in the store alongside
their mother and father. And it was here that Wharton says
he received his first lessons not only in human nature and
economics — but fairness as well.
“Everybody had a credit account,” he says. “Invariably,
people would get credit and they wouldn’t pay you. But
you know what? We never sued one of them. Each one of
those people would end up sending other customers to us, or
helping my dad in some way. It came back to you. Legally,
we could have sued them. But morally, we would have been
dead wrong.”
Wharton says this balance test — weighing agency
against equity, power against powerlessness — shaped his
early days as a criminal defense lawyer. (Wharton’s legal
career preceded his relatively recent transition to political life,
including stints as director of the legal aid clinic Memphis
Area Legal Services, as Shelby County’s public defender, and
time in private practice.)
“I never sued a client,” he says. “But some of my best
cases came from clients who had absconded and didn’t pay
me. So I believe in that natural sense of fairness. The way
you treat people always comes back to you.”
A C Wharton Sr. did more than just run a
grocery store; he raised and sold livestock, and
was also, in the parlance of the time, a “jobber.”
“Let me give you an example,” the mayor
says. “If you’re running a small restaurant, you
cannot afford to buy a case of milkshake cups.
Small businesses… would call him on Sundays at
night and say, ‘We’re out of milkshake cups.’ My
daddy… would go to Nashville, buy two or three
cases. Then when you called, he would sell what
you called a ‘sleeve’ ” — a smaller portion. “Of
course,” he says, “there was a pretty good markup when you broke a case. And he did that with
candy and everything.”
“I always noticed that when my dad had
something to offer, the world just opened up,”
Wharton says. “He always said, ‘You’ve always
got to have something to sell.’ It didn’t hit me
then what he was saying, but it has hit me now.
This is America. You are judged on what you
produce.”
see page 24
23
Inside her Lebanon, Tenn. home, Mary Wharton receives a hug from her son.
• ‘She always placed a value in education’
In Memphis, it’s “mayor.” But at the family home in
Lebanon, A C Wharton Jr. is known as “Brother.” Having
finished showing his family store on this rainy autumn
weekday, Wharton has driven about 10 minutes away to visit
his 93-year-old mother Mary. She lives not far from where
the original Wharton store once stood, and a few hundred
yards from a gas station and convenience store still bearing
the family name.
Sitting beneath pictures of her family, her mayoral son
having strolled off to look at something in the backyard,
Mary Wharton is asked to summarize A C’s childhood.
Smiling, she says: “He got more spankings than any of
‘em, but he had plenty of friends.”
Speaking generally of her children, she adds: “They
always wanted to work. I tried to let them know (that), to
have anything that they wanted, they’d have to work for it.
You just want children to live (a) life they could be proud of.
That’s what I tried to get in their heads all the time. Behave
yourself and take care of yourself.”
After a few minutes inside the Wharton family home,
the road that leads from Lebanon to a prominent legal and
political career in Memphis seems a lot less foreordained. A
triumph over codified racism and inequity, so distant from
Wharton’s everyday demeanor, comes roaring into view. Like
hearing WSM’s country ballads drift from the mayor’s car
stereo, his climb from Lebanon to Tennessee State University
to the University of Mississippi Law School suddenly takes
on new dimension.
24
Referring to a simple struggle to buy high school
band uniforms for her daughters, Mary Wharton recalls:
“Then, they didn’t furnish black people a lot of things that’s
furnished now. We had to work hard to get their little
uniforms. We had to do it on our own.”
She continues, recalling a conversation about her
children decades ago: “One of the richest ladies here in town
told me I was crazy. She said, ‘Momma, how many young
ones you got in college now?’ I said three. (She said), ‘You
and A C (Sr.) must be crazy, sending all them young ones to
school.’ I said, ‘If we get hungry or cold, they’ll just have to
come home and suffer with us.’ That’s the way I left it. Yeah,
it wasn’t easy. But we made it.”
The Wharton family encyclopedias.
Wharton walks to a meeting at the state Legislature in Nashville.
After Wharton
pops back into
the house, his
eyes catch a row
of encyclopedias
referenced in an
earlier talk.
“We were the
first family to have
a set of Funk and
Wagnall’s,” he says.
“She had to buy
them one volume at
a time. And if you
were a little late on
paying for volume
‘F,’ they would hold
up until they got
(money) before you’d
get ‘G.’ My mother
never did have to
set us down in the
corner and say,
‘Read, read, read.’
It was by example,
which stuck with me
to this day.”
Nowadays, at nearby Cumberland University in
Lebanon, an A C Wharton Family Scholarship exists
to aid a Wilson County student majoring in business
and in need of financial support.
This theme of transformation bears on both
Wharton’s own personal journey and his plans for
Memphis.
“I turned down judgeships, state Supreme Court
judgeship, all that stuff,” he says later. “I would have
been operating in the confines of the judicial system,
which does not, as its role, (take) you as a poor person
and (turn) you into middle-income. That wasn’t
going to come about by way of lawsuits. You have to
do that by way of legislation. If I wanted to impact
Wharton votes on Oct. 26. Later that day, he would overwhelmingly be elected mayor of Memphis.
social change on an economic front, (I would have to)
move to another venue, which happened to be the
“It’s not about me, it’s about our city,” he says from the
political venue.
podium. “I can see the sun breaking through the clouds, and
“My wife (Ruby) and I still feel that no election cycle
I can feel the light streaming down on this great city… and
should come around that we’re not involved. We have an
shining down on one Memphis.”
obligation to lead by example, by getting out and getting
Weeks later in his first speech after taking the oath of
involved, and not asking anything in return for your
office, Wharton speaks more pragmatically, hinting at plans
involvement.”
to make City Hall more “customer-friendly,” bring a renewed
Wharton gives his mother a departing hug and soon his
transparency and efficiency in government and place an
car is off to Nashville through the late-morning rain, trying
emphasis on civility and respectful debate.
to make an 11 a.m. meeting.
Such highly individual and personal efforts, he tells a
crowd gathered in City Hall’s rotunda, are tied directly to
• ‘That all starts from the top’
economic development that will drive the city forward.
“If we are to be a magnet for talent and industry, if we
On Election Night in mid-October, Wharton strides
aspire to keep pace and surpass other cities that seem to have
to the stage at Midtown’s Minglewood Hall amid patriotic
gone so far,” he said, “we all must demand better of ourselves,
decorations and cheering supporters. His resounding
and we must reflect an optimism in our nature that speaks to
victory, with more than 60 percent of the vote, has come
see page 26
the hope in the hearts of every citizen.”
after a campaign extolling themes of unity and progress —
of a united future framed by the premise of a fast-fading
divisiveness.
25
from page 25
It is here, at the nexus between conduct and commerce,
where Wharton’s supporters center their optimism toward
how Memphis can change.
“The focus on innovation... is renewed,” says Eric
Matthews, co-founder of Mercury Technology Labs and
Launch Memphis, a nonprofit organization in support of
local entrepreneurship. “There is a new accessibility to
the mayor’s office. I think it’s wonderful to see they have
embraced the Facebook and Twitter era and are engaging
with the community there. Because we’re seeing these types
of changes occurring, I imagine and anticipate they will
trickle into (asking): ‘How do we influence the economy?’ ”
Paul Morris, a Memphis attorney and city native who
presides over the board of the legal services clinic Wharton
once ran, agrees that the new mayor’s principles and
reliability will serve as economic catalysts.
“The biggest thing that the business community is
excited about is his customer-driven governance style,” he
says. Wharton “offers a hand to (them) and says, ‘How can we
work together?’ When they need an audience and partner in
city government… they can count on him.”
26
At the Chamber, Dexter Muller agrees. Having worked
over decades with several elected officials throughout
Memphis and Shelby County, he ranks Wharton’s enthusiasm
for economic development at the top. “When he hears
something going on in business, he says ‘Set it up and I’ll go
out and talk to them,’ ” Muller says.
Muller draws a contrast between the mayor’s other
comparably hands-off tasks — overseeing a city agency
such as the fire department, for instance — and the deeply
complicated efforts of attracting businesses to the city.
“The mayor doesn’t need to be there when they’re
putting out a fire,” he says. “With economic development,
you do. The best thing he can deliver for his constituents is
the opportunity to secure a job.”
He continues: “A willingness to travel to a corporate
headquarters in Tokyo and Belgium is important. I see him
as going on those trips. It really does make a difference when
a mayor goes in those rooms.”
Meanwhile, businesses already in Memphis will receive
“more of a sense of confidence that they’re in the right
community,” Muller predicts.
Addressing the public for the first time as city mayor, Wharton says: “If we
aspire to keep pace and surpass other cities that seem to have gone so far,
we all must demand better of ourselves.”
“The community’s like a bucket. You’re putting
new companies in the bucket, but if you have a hole in
the bucket, you’re losing more and more. The easiest
community to get to and communicate about an
expansion is the one that’s already here. I see that as a
big part of… what he will do.”
Muller hopes Wharton will also focus on education
as a top priority of his administration. “There’s been
a disconnect between the business community and
education. Now you have a superintendent being a
collaborator,” he says. Wharton “can be the glue that
brings people together.”
Hart, of the city school board, agrees. She harbors
little doubt that Wharton can deliver. At the same time,
she cautions his rise to mayor does not signal a time for
the community to relax or be passive.
“I’m excited, because he gets it on all levels,” she
says. “The question is going to be: Are we going to
support him? Because he’s not going to get there by
himself.”
As for Wharton — quick to deflect praise during
these nascent days of his administration — he in
turn sees the community as its own best resource and
strength.
“Certainly, we have challenges,” he says, sitting at his
office conference table amid piles of papers, two buzzing
Blackberrys and a litany of clocks. (He collects them.)
“But for every challenge you show me, I will show you
five or six… groups of goodwill (that) have rolled up their
sleeves, put down their guard and said, ‘By George, we’re
going to tackle this.’ ”
In a fell swoop, he connects the city’s most painful
memory with his commitment to equality and social justice,
and the promise of Memphis’s future.
“We know that, in the eyes of America, this is the place
where Dr. King died,” Wharton says. “But we don’t wallow in
the misery that flows from that. Instead, we go overboard to
set up a Leadership Memphis, to set up an MPACT Memphis,
to set up Urban League Young Professionals. We know we
have to do that. That chip on our shoulder makes me wake
up every morning and say, ‘Be on guard. Don’t let racism rear
its head again — not from either side of the street.’ ”
“Memphis is about opportunity,” he says, growing
animated. “We’re the big dog! We’re the biggest city in this
region. We’re the capital of this region. And now, with the
biotech and all that we’re going into, there are opportunities
that abound.”
Looking ahead to 2010, “We’re going to be so much
more innovative and aggressive when it comes to bringing
businesses in here,” he says. “But we’re also
going to be innovative and aggressive in
keeping our talent here.
“If I trust you, even though I don’t know
you, if I assume the best of you and I show it
in the way I greet you, that’s the way you’re
going to come back to me. And that all starts
from the top, by example. Not by some creed
written on a wall somewhere: ‘We are all
friends, we dwell in harmony here…’ Those are
words etched in stone.
“The best way to bring those hometown
values to a big city is to lead by example. I
find that it works just as well in Memphis as it
does in my hometown of Lebanon.” • Email John Hubbell at
[email protected]
To view a short documentary on the life of
Memphis Mayor C Wharton Jr., go to
27
FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP
NEW
LEADERS
with a
NEW
AGENDA
New Leader - a person with novel, innovative or original ideas.
New Agenda - a plan of action that strays from the status quo and that
New Agenda - goes beyond the norm to achieve fresh, effective results.
How many of you have been moved by a person’s ability to mobilize large groups of
people; or maybe even taken aback by the incredible vision a person possessed to move an
organization forward…or even the humility of someone who has accomplished great things
without the expectation of recognition?
Well in this edition of Memphis Crossroads, we are introduced to a group of dynamic
individuals who are all making significant contributions towards the advancement of this
city in their on respective industries and community endeavors. The title New Leaders
with a New Agenda refers to those individuals who often go under the radar, but who are
introducing novel and innovative ideals and practices to traditional processes. Selecting
such an esteemed group of leaders was a task too arduous for the Crossroads team, so we
enlisted the assistance of local organizations, such as CEOs for Cities, Memphis Tomorrow,
Leadership Academy, Leadership Memphis , Hyde Family Foundations, Smart City Live,
MPACT Memphis, Memphis Urban League Young Professionals, Diversity Memphis, MidSouth Minority Business Council, Emerge Memphis, and LaunchMemphis. Take a moment,
and meet our New Leaders with a New Agenda…
Venues: Metro 67 Apartments, University of Memphis Law School | Photos by Regis Lawson
Steven BARES, Ph.D.
President and Executive Director
Memphis Bioworks Foundation
What does leadership mean to you?
Leadership is a progression of three important steps. First, is building a great
team. Next is working in collaboration with the team to set an aspirational bar.
Finally, leadership means giving the team the room to execute.
What’s the one thing you would do to improve our city?
Jobs.
What would you most like to be remembered for?
I would like my personal legacy to be that of realizing the vision of Memphis
Bioworks – to be part of the team that made Memphis a place to thrive in the
21st century.
What did the best leader you’ve ever encountered do to exemplify their
excellent leadership skills? And who was it?
The best leader I have encountered unselfishly gives his time, his energy and his
resources to create a vision for our community. He works with a diverse group
of talented people to develop shared responsibility for that vision and then
allows them the room to execute. That leader is Pitt Hyde.
What gives your life meaning?
Giving Back. Having a meaningful positive impact.
What gets you excited about the future?
The future itself is what gets me excited. I am excited by our agenda for
Memphis, and the potential we have to build on our core competencies,
create jobs and develop and attract the talent to fill them. Anticipating being
a part of that future is exciting.
How do you stay positive?
I stay positive by walking the halls of MASE (Memphis Academy of Science
and Engineering) and seeing such potential being nurtured and developed.
I stay positive by walking the halls of our Bioworks Incubator and seeing the
potential in the entrepreneurs and their ideas and companies. I stay positive
by expecting us to live up to our potential.
How do you measure success?
Job creation; organizationally in the sectors where Memphis has a
competitive advantage.
What do you do just for fun?
I look back – I enjoy reading history. I look forward – working on things that are
on the leading edge of science. I look sideways – trying to find my golf ball.
Nominating Organization: Memphis Tomorrow
Kristee BELL
Director of MemphisConnect; The Leadership Academy
Leadership means having the ability to selflessly
serve and positively influence others, make tough
decisions, build people up, and accept change.
Along with that, all leaders should accept the
responsibility, joy, and hard work that it takes to
actually move the needle in the right direction.
What agenda would you put in place to propel
Memphis to the upper echelons of successful
metropolitan cities?
• I would pour money into educating our
children. It sounds cliche, but a good education
will help address some of our most pressing
societal issues such as poverty, crime, higher
wages and responsible parenting.
• I would make Memphis more attractive and
sustainable by tackling the need for a superior
form of public transportation.
• I would do away with some of the red tape
that businesses go through to actually move a
company to the city.
• I would fill the halls of government with young,
progressive thinkers burning to make a change
and move Memphis forward.
My faith and my family.
Ordinary young people with extraordinary ideas.
Knowing that I have a purpose in life.
I measure success by competing with myself. I
am driven by setting goals, forming new ideas,
and having the ability to effectively accomplish
them.
I love spending time with my husband and three
boys. I also enjoy reading self-help books, long
distance running (when I’m not on the injured
list), and sampling new cuisine.
Nominating Organization:
Leadership Academy
Spencer DILLARD
Senior Product Manager
Viasim Solutions
First and foremost, leadership is about inspiring others and being
open and willing to be inspired yourself. Great leaders get others
to buy into their vision of how things could be and help others
make that vision their own. It is the act of showing others what
can be achieved, through individual action, communication,
and collaboration. For me personally, leadership involves
communicating an alternate vision of reality -- how things could
be if we would just stop accepting how they are. Once you get
people to realize that things can change, then you not only excel
as a leader but you are helping to create other leaders. Leadership
is never about the individual, and some of the greatest leaders
think of themselves last.
My family and helping others to achieve their dreams. I think
having kids makes one learn how to put themselves last in a way
that is incredibly rewarding. Seeing others believe in themselves
and venture into a new area is also inspiring and rewarding. Put
them together, and it is about seeing a brighter future ahead for
the city and for those closest to me.
From a financial perspective, success is simply peace of mind. It's
not about the things you have but whether you have enough to
not spend all your time thinking about it. More importantly, from a
personal perspective, success to me is internal -- if you know that
you have done the best you can and that you made a difference
to a person or a group of people, then you have succeeded. It's
about leaving things better than you found them and doing as
little harm along the way as you can. When success becomes
about things or titles, then I believe it is a shallow form of success
that is all about the self. True success is about how you are viewed
by others that are close to you and whether you made a difference
in someone else's life.
Spend time with my friends and family, try to get some golf
in here or there, and develop software. I accepted that I had
geeky tendencies a long time ago, and I am glad to have found
some people with similar tendencies through LaunchMemphis.
Whatever you are doing can be fun, as long as you choose to stop
and live in the moment.
Nominating Organization: LaunchMemphis
John
DUGAN
President,
Coroutine, LLC
Co-Founder &
Organizer of
MemBrain
Being a good leader often means
sacrificing your personal interests in favor
of the organization's interests. I learned
that making that sacrifice is often more
rewarding than what you had initially hoped
to do.
What’s the one thing you would do to
improve our city?
As someone who advocates using software
to solve complex problems, I'd like the
city to completely rethink the way it uses
the Internet. I don't see any realistic way
for Memphis to move forward without
coordinated collaboration between citizens,
businesses, and government. We need
a platform that connects the city and its
projects with ordinary citizens who want to
be a part of the solution. If the Internet isn't
the answer to this problem, I can't imagine
what is.
Seeing my wife smile. Hearing my
son laugh. Finding joy in one's work is
important, but it's not what gives life
meaning.
Memphis is a city with great potential. I'm
fortunate to move in a circle of bright,
talented people who have chosen to make
Memphis their long-term home. I'm excited
to see what this group of young, dedicated
leaders can build in our community.
I enjoy reading literature, solving puzzles,
and learning Spanish with my wife and son.
EmergeMemphis
Tim LOWRIMORE
Chief Technical Officer,
Coroutine, LLC
Co-Founder of MemBrain
Leadership means understanding the needs and aspirations of a
community and using that knowledge to help guide it toward a
set of common goals.
What did the best leader you’ve ever encountered do to
exemplify their excellent leadership skills? And who was it?
The best leader I’ve had the pleasure of working with was Don
Tatum, a manager at FedEx Services. He is the type of leader
that clears the path ahead of his team so they can perform their
duties unimpeded. By doing this, he provides the opportunity
for members of his team to function at their best.
What work would you like to be doing in five years to help
advance this city?
I would like to continue working toward the goal of making
Memphis the high-tech hub of the Mid-South. I hope that in five
years, we see a more forward-thinking and agile technological
community in Memphis.
I really enjoy spending time with my wife and two children. I also
enjoy programming, cycling, playing drums, reading and solving
logic puzzles. I’ve been accused of having too many
interests. I suppose I’m just a curious person.
In my profession, I measure success based upon customer
satisfaction. When we deliver a piece of software that not
only fulfills the need of our customer, but is also a pleasure for
them to use, we’ve succeeded. On a personal level, success is
persistently taking the initiative, and seizing the opportunity to
better oneself.
Everything! I think the world is a fascinating place and that
interesting things happen every second. However, to be
specific, I am particularly excited by the rapid technological
advancements being made all over the world – advancements
that improve living conditions in impoverished areas, and those
that create a better quality of life for everyone.
Nominating Organization: EmergeMemphis
Liz HOUGH
Area General Manager
Cricket Communications
I feel leadership is a process. It is the influence
earned by gaining respect, confidence and trust of an
organization or team through selfless service.
My agenda would be to improve public education;
improve our public transportation system; encourage
and develop a new generation of political leaders;
and continue to encourage the development of the
biomedical research corridor.
In my career life, community life, or home life, I would
like to be remembered as someone with high ethics,
genuine sincerity and a great sense of humor.
What did the best leader you’ve ever encountered
do to exemplify their excellent leadership skills? And
who was it?
The best leader I have ever encountered was actually
a past supervisor. He created an environment of
innovation and accountability, while focusing on
people’s individual strengths to propel the company’s
initiatives and drive a sense of ownership within his
teams.
I try and appreciate how my past experiences have
shaped me, I work every day to try and appreciate my
life in the present, and I daydream about my future.
I measure my success through my own predetermined
and personal goals.
I am the mother of two young active children that have
helped create a fun and meaningful life.
Diversity Memphis
Darryl
JACKSON
President and CEO
Centiba, Inc.
Leadership begins with a strategic vision that
can inspire others beyond expectations. It’s
about setting clear goals, trusting your team,
and holding them accountable to deliver
results. Leadership also means identifying and
preparing personnel within your team for bigger
opportunities. Finally, leadership is about being
willing to perform the most thankless jobs in your
organization.
My agenda would include a comprehensive
action plan for providing quality education
for all children; reducing crime; maximizing
entrepreneurial business growth; increasing the
focus on health/wellness through full use of parks
and recreation; and promoting access to quality
cultural enrichment and the arts.
What did the best leader you’ve ever
encountered do to exemplify their excellent
leadership skills? And who was it?
The best leader I‘ve ever encountered was a
visionary who had the ability to make you feel
that without your contribution, the company
could not succeed. From the janitor to the
Vice President, he made everyone he came in
contact with believe that their job was the most
important one in the company. He was also
a great listener and change agent. He drove
diversity and “Leadership Through Quality”
throughout the company before they became
corporate buzz words. I spent a substantial part
of my career working for him. His name is David
Kearns, former CEO at Xerox Corporation.
I stay positive by refusing to engage in
conversations about what’s wrong with
Memphis and by surrounding myself
with positive people pursuing positive
interests to move our city forward.
Mid-South Minority Business Council
Tarrin McGHEE
Co-Owner, Pique Creative Agency
Director, Common Ground Memphis
Leadership to me can be defined as the capability to influence
attitudes and actions to direct a positive outcome in any
situation and/or environment. Leadership requires the ability to
establish a clear vision for your role as a leader and to recognize
that true leadership involves working to strengthen the talents
of others in order to maximize effectiveness and impact.
What did the best leader you’ve ever encountered do to
exemplify their excellent leadership skills? And who was it?
The best leader that I’ve ever encountered was Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. Early on, I learned from his teachings that it is
possible for one person to make a difference and change the
world through simple means of communicating and caring. As
a recognized leader in civil and human rights, Dr. King’s legacy
displays the power that individuals have to play a direct role in
ensuring a brighter future for oneself and for others. A phrase
that guides my life’s work is “people don’t care what you know
until they know that you care.” To me, Dr. King embodies this
statement and his contributions to improving society and
building consensus across racial, social and political boundaries
are examples that I aspire to live up to.
There are many things that give my life meaning. I live for an
opportunity to make my Mother proud of me; being a positive
role model for my nieces and nephews; and contentment in
knowing that I put 100% effort into making a meaningful impact
with every situation, individual or circumstance that I encounter.
While recognizing the importance of remaining grounded in
reality, I stay positive by being caught up in what can be.
Memphis Urban League Young Professionals
Leadership is having a mix of skills in the following
abilities: identifying a challenge or opportunity;
communicating and advocating a vision or
goal that addresses it; convincing people to work
with you towards the goal; and managing a process
that effectively utilizes available resources to
reach the goal.
How do you feel about being nominated as a
“New Leader with a New Agenda?”
I am honored to be nominated. Since moving back
to Memphis, I have been involved with organizations
and efforts that are focused on both expanding
leadership opportunities and creating new agendas
for our community. This nomination is gratifying in
recognizing those efforts, and reminds me that we still
have a ways to go toward fulfilling the vision.
What’s the one thing you would do to improve
our city?
I would connect the dots. We have many people
working and building programs across the community
to address the challenges we face, but we don't
always see or organize the connections between these
efforts. To do that effectively, we need an overarching
vision of where we want to go as a city/county and
an understanding of the interrelatedness of our
challenges and opportunities (i.e., education, poverty,
safety, workforce, sustainability, etc.).
I feel most alive when I'm involved in helping to
transform the community into a place where all its
citizens can thrive. Staying connected to the local
arts and cultural scene as well as spending time with
my family and friends keeps me grounded and
renews my energy.
I try to keep in mind that we are all, as individuals
and a community, in our own process of developing
and learning. Also, a good dose of cynical optimism
doesn't hurt.
Is there forward movement? Even failure can
be success if, within it, you can find the seeds of
opportunity for your next endeavor.
I enjoy reading good science fiction novels. When
I'm vacationing, I like to do anything adventurous,
from scuba diving and surfing to skydiving and
whitewater rafting.
Nominating Organization: Smart City Live
Cardell ORRIN
Principal, Linx Consulting
Co-Founder, New Path
Letitia "Tish" ROBERTSON
Vice President of Operations
Leadership Memphis
It’s not easy to be a leader. Leadership means having
the ability to create a common vision and effectively
communicate that vision to others. Through humility and
focus, a great leader is then able to mobilize and inspire
others toward the realization of that common vision.
What’s the one thing you would do to improve our city?
The one thing I would do today to improve our city is
open the channels of communication in our community.
There is still a stirring undercurrent of racial tension that
seems to peak at predictable times. I would vigorously
promote the program Common Ground and encourage
citizens from every neighborhood to participate. I
believe that once we have healed and everyone has
been heard, we can focus our attention on pressing
issues facing the city.
My children inspire and give my life meaning everyday.
It is up to me to help create a community for my children
that is inclusive, vibrant and innovative.
I believe our city is positioned for a major rebirth. We
have new energy, we have a new focus and we have
competitive advantages on several fronts.
It’s easy for me to stay positive. I love my city and I love
the small part I play in helping to make Memphis great.
First, I visualize ahead of time what success looks like
to me. Then I set realistic goals and chart a path to
achieving them.
I have developed a love and respect for riding a
motorcycle. With complete reluctance, I bought my
husband a motorcycle for his birthday a few years ago.
It was with the stipulation that it would not be a fast
sports bike, but a cruiser. We have gone on several
road trips and have even joined a motorcycle club – the
Easy Riders. Now, I have my own bike. Yes, it’s hard
to believe that I am officially a “biker”.
Nominating Organization: Leadership Memphis
Jenny SHARPE
Senior Account Executive
Smash Experiential,
a service of archer>malmo
Immediate Past
Chair, MPACT
Memphis
To me, the basis of good leadership is a
balance of: humility, which allows for strong
listening skills, respect for various perspectives,
and enthusiasm for encouraging others with
their talents; courage, which leads to trying
new things, asking good questions, and
managing resources according to priorities; and
collaboration, which fosters open and continual
dialogue, improving and adjusting with growth,
and clarifying and communicating roles
and the mission.
The top five items on our agenda should
include: government efficiency; crime
prevention/reduction; neighborhood and family
support programs; attraction and retention of
talent, from programs like MPACT to projects
like the Memphis Arts Park; and minority
business development, which, of course, must
include entrepreneurial education.
Every day presents opportunities to ask,
learn, think and create. The future is full of
fresh, new possibilities!
I tend to think of success as a way of life and a
state of being rather than a destination or goal.
I have to ask myself what success means to
me in certain situations all the time, in order to
make true progress and enjoy the journey.
MPACT Memphis
Lauren TAYLOR
Program Officer for Greening Initiatives,
Hyde Family Foundations
Compassionately listening to people, truly
understanding their needs, and helping them take
positive action.
Connecting people, forming collaborations, and
building consensus to achieve great things. Building
partnerships is one of our critical functions at the
Foundation. If I can do that well, I will be happy.
My family and friends. I have met so many wonderful
people through my community and my work in the 10
or so years I have lived in Memphis. Because of the
people and this work, I really feel like I belong here and I
am part of something. I don’t think everyone has that.
The interconnected system of parks and greenways
that we seek is emerging. The Shelby Farms Greenline
will tie Midtown Memphis with Shelby Farms Park
and the park will connect to the first section of the
Wolf River Greenway trail that the city is about to
construct. The University of Memphis and Riverfront
Development Corporation are completing a project
on the Promenade downtown to link an improved
Confederate Park to a public green space behind the
new law school. The Urban Land Institute has
initiated a project to plan and connect our regional
greenways. These various pieces will ultimately
create an incredible system.
The list. It’s my extremely detailed, color-coded system
of big, long-term goals that I’ve set for my work and
the shorter-term tasks that help me achieve them.
If I am checking off those daily items, I know that I
am making progress.
Hyde Family Foundations
41
FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP
Behind the new curtain,
there’s nothing to hide
Through lean times, Jackie Nichols fashioned a new Playhouse on
the Square with no debt and a team mindset. Now his new
theater is about to become the gem of Midtown.
J
by Richard J. Alley
ackie Nichols could be considered the father of live
theatre in Memphis. Jackie, executive producer for Playhouse
on the Square and by his own admission an overachiever, sees
his latest and largest production as more than what it seems
on the outside.
“The new theatre is more than a home for Playhouse on
the Square. It’s going to be a major Midtown redevelopment
initiative that’s going to involve other arts groups in the
community,” he said, speaking proudly of the new building
going up at the corner of Union Avenue and Cooper Street.
The very nexus of Midtown is destined to become the
crossroads of performing arts for the Memphis area.
As founder and artistic director of Ballet Memphis,
Dorothy Gunther Pugh is excited about the performances her
company has planned for the new Playhouse on the Square.
As a Midtowner herself, she said, “Jackie is thinking about
the neighborhood, which is a very tangible symbol going up.
I’m so thrilled to see it on the corner every time I drive by.”
Ballet Memphis will perform “Sleeping Beauty” on the
new stage in April of 2010.
Nichols has worn the guise of actor, dancer, director
and producer in his career, yet it may be his role as the father
of live theatre in Memphis and fundraiser for which he is
remembered. He has his fiduciary lines memorized and has
his budgeting blocking down to the inch.
“The organization has no
debt and owns all its property
outright, that’s $3 million
worth of property,” he said.
Current property includes
the Circuit Playhouse with its
educational building next door,
TheatreWorks in Overton
Square and Playhouse on the
Square; the new building will
be another $12 million in
property assets.
So far, $12 million has
been raised, secured before the
economy went south, and with
most of the money pledged
in hand by last Fall. The
Playhouse donors include the
Jeniam Foundation, the Arthur
Jackie Nichols (left) “would wake
up in the middle of the night,
wondering if I can do this.”
Inset: Scaffolding inside the main
Playhouse performance space.
F. & Alice E. Adams Foundation, Hyde Foundation, Plough
Foundation, Assisi Foundation and the Kresge Foundation.
Those involved in sponsorships and donations were
excited and eager to fund the building, excited especially
about the expansion of community outreach of which there
are currently 13 programs, Nichols said.
“We still have to raise another $3 million for an
endowment to secure the operation of the new building,
but we feel confident that when people see this space they’ll
realize what a jewel it is and come forward to support it,”
Nichols said. “They’ll see that this is happening and this is
good.”
Having worked with Nichols for 20 years, associate
producer Michael Detroit knows where his boss’s strengths
lie. “He’s a visionary, he sees things that could be years from
now and I think he pursues that,” Detroit said, adding, “He’s
also very fiscally conservative and he doesn’t waste people’s
money. He uses every cent we bring in.”
The planning began about four and a half years ago,
the idea growing out of a strategic planning session held by
the board and staff. “We sat down and tried to examine what
the future of Playhouse on the Square would look like, and
we realized that the theatre couldn’t really grow anywhere
unless we had a new state-of-the-art facility.”
Nichols and his team toured theatres around the
country, but it was the Steppenwolf theatre in Chicago that
struck a chord. He asked the staff, technical directors and
stage managers at that theatre what they would change in the
5-year-old building if they could, and they all said “nothing.”
“We knew that Steppenwolf was exactly what we
wanted. It was a larger theatre with state of the art facilities,”
he said.
Nichols exudes the confidence of the experienced actor
on stage, a leading man who gets the girl every time. In
this case, the dame is a new theatre, almost identical to the
venerable Steppenwolf in every detail save a few fewer seats
and larger, brighter lobby.
“Jackie has made such a commitment to this city,” Pugh
said, “and I think [his donors] know of his commitment to
this community and to art. They’re inseparable to him.”
“There are always nay-sayers, people saying you can’t
possibly do this for the money you’re seeking,” Jackie says
now as the sound of construction hums across the street
from his office. “Even friends said we couldn’t, and I would
wake up in the middle of the night at times wondering
if I can do this. But then I’d remember that it’s for the
community. This isn’t just for me, and so it must be done.”
43
FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP
Schooling the next generation of leaders
Local organizations provide 'a conduit for emerging talent'
by Andria Lisle
Jon Burchfield of Leadership Memphis speaks
to a crowd of aspiring leaders.
A
clean and green Memphis. An authentic city that’s
safe, fun and tolerant. According to the numerous local
organizations that work to attract and retain new, young
talent, if we build it, our next generation of leaders will
come.
Young talent must “find their place in this community
where they feel connected, where they feel anchored
and valued, where they can feel that they’re making a
difference, where they’re part of the solution,” says David
Williams, President of Leadership Memphis, a civic minded
organization that, through various programs and workshops,
accelerates the leadership process.
“People want to know what the issues are here and also
what’s being done, what’s working,” he says. “They don’t
want it sugarcoated. But a lot of people still don’t know
how they can be part of the solution. That’s what makes
programs like ours — where they do get a chance to get
plugged in — so important.”
At Leadership Memphis, that means walking potential
leaders through the legislative and educational systems
that shape the city via programs in community, grassroots
and executive leadership. Its FastTrack Program, geared
specifically toward young leaders, has graduated about 160
leaders over four semesters.
“They better understand how they can identify and
mobilize people within their spheres of influence to be more
44
connected, or to be able to deliver more to the community,”
Williams says. “And, if they feel like they’re making a
difference, that’s one more tie to keep them here.”
The Leadership Academy also strives to empower young
leaders, mainly by building synergy. “We’re very diligent
about making sure our classes are as diverse as possible,” says
Elizabeth Lemmonds, its Communications Director. “We’ve
got members from Fortune 500 companies, people who run
nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and people who work within
community groups.”
“The Academy’s yearlong Fellows Program is a conduit
for emerging talent,” Lemmonds says. “It offers various
seminars, including first-person glimpses of the city’s history
via a workshop called Memphis 101.”
“We provide the place for people who have excitement,
skills, willingness and drive, yet need help with their focus.
A lot of it comes down to networking and finding mentors
within the community,” she says of the program. Before
graduation, fellows team up for work on the Leadership
Academy’s 75 ongoing community action projects, which
range from a temporary housing program for the families of
patients at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center to raising
awareness about diabetes prevention.
In March, the Academy launched Memphis Connect — a
community blog that Lemmonds calls “life in Memphis, as
told by different Memphians.” With posts about community
organizations, events, and volunteer activities from a pool of 25
bloggers who cover a cross-section of Memphis, the Web site
has quickly become an invaluable recruiting tool for the city.
“There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to attracting
young leaders to Memphis,” Lemmonds says. “Some are
going to be interested in the Peabody’s rooftop parties.
Others are going to be attracted to Gonerfest. Through
Memphis Connect, they can get a colorful and diverse view
of the options.”
In June, Leadership Memphis inaugurated the free
Memphis Connect Summer Experience. The program
included networking parties at the Memphis Music
Foundation’s headquarters on South Main and at the
National Ornamental Metal Museum, as well as crash
courses in personal branding and communication skills and a
lunch meeting with Mayor A C Wharton.
“We had over 200 interns and graduate students
participate,” says Lemmonds. “At a key time when they’re
about to make big decisions, we were able to give them a
chance to interact with community leaders and get some
career advice.”
For Allison Scott, an intern at First Horizon, it was
a life-changing experience. “What little knowledge I had
of Memphis before my arrival consisted of its musical
history, barbecue, and without fail, its notorious reputation
for crime and racial tensions,” Scott wrote in an August 23
Commercial Appeal op-ed piece. “However, in my short time
here I have experienced a very different kind of Memphis
– one that features a thriving culture, a corporate landscape
that presents unique opportunities and an active community
pursuing change.”
Gwyn Fisher, Executive Director of MPACT Memphis,
underwent a similar experience. While Fisher was born and
raised here, the years she spent in London, Paris and New
Orleans had dimmed her appreciation of Memphis, she says.
Yet when she moved back in 2000, she discovered that her
hometown had new life.
“The Memphis I’d left wasn’t the one I returned to,”
Fisher says. “I immediately noticed a sense of hope, a key
shift in the vibe of the entire city, and I was very impressed.”
Like Williams and Lemmonds, Fisher says that attracting and
retaining talent requires a proactive approach.
“Part of the reason I love MPACT is because when I
moved to all of those other cities, I was alone, and it was
hard to meet people outside of work,” she says. “People want
to be taken places and introduced to people, not just told
about them. MPACT helps them put down roots.” Among
her group’s efforts are the Uniquely Memphis campaign and
the MPACT Outlet event series, which shine a light on local
movers-and-shakers, nonprofits and events for the city’s 650
MPACT members.
Tarrin McGhee, the 27-year-old President of Memphis
Urban League Young Professionals, says that providing a
wide array of programming is key… A self-described “nerd
who has fun going to community events,” she recognizes that
the organization’s members — who range in age from 21 to
40 — have diverse interests and different needs.
“Many of our younger members are looking for a
way to enhance their networking skills, and they’re getting
acclimated to city life after college,” McGhee says. “And
typically, our older members are looking for structured ways
to volunteer or for ways to get more involved with the Urban
League’s mission. But with everything we do, our end goal
is to help our members become more astute, both personally
and professionally.”
McGhee, a transplant from Omaha, Neb., decided to put
down roots here after she graduated from the University of
Memphis in 2006.
“There’s a real sense of community here,” she says. “Our
biggest challenge is improving our reputation locally. We
need to put more emphasis on the positive initiatives, and
do more on a community-wide level to celebrate the success
stories that are happening here.”
“Memphis has so much potential,” says McGhee, who
also serves as Director of Common Ground, a three-year,
community-based initiative on race relations. “The city
is so rich in history and culture, but race relations have
unfortunately hindered our progress in some areas. The
only way we can strengthen our city is to celebrate our
differences.”
Tom Jones, co-founder of the Smart City Memphis blog,
says that Memphis is currently losing 24 - to 30-year-olds at
the rate of five per day. With thirteen to fifteen of the top 50
U.S. cities siphoning the majority of the talent, Jones muses,
how can Memphis compete with those cities to attract college
educated young people?
His solution: invest in the youth who already live
here. “Parents want their children to go wherever the best
opportunities are,” Jones says. “Why shouldn’t that place be
Memphis? While other cities are fighting for talent, we have
our own. There’s no lack of ambition. We just have to figure
out how to develop it, how to create more avenues to move
the talent that we have into future jobs.”
“Talent development is key,” Jones says. He cites a recent
study by CEOs for Cities, which calculated the potential
$1 billion impact on the Memphis economy if the number
of college graduates in the city could be increased by one
percent.
In underscoring that Memphis talent is not restricted
to any class or color, it is worth remembering that two of
the city’s most notable Memphis music millionaires — Elvis
Presley and Isaac Hayes — began life in the city’s housing
projects.
“The real question is: How do we inspire that culture of
creativity without forcing it?” Jones says.
The answer, he says, lies in potential projects that are
happening “from the ground up, not from the top down.”
“I’m really excited about the idea of a skateboard park
on Mud Island, and an art park on Front Street — the kinds
of things that speak the language of young professionals
and say something about Memphis and its priorities,” he
says. “They’re being done by imaginative young people. As a
community, we need to embrace them.”
For more information on these organizations visit:
Leadership Memphis:
www.leadershipmemphis.org
Leadership Academy:
www.leadershipacademy.org and
www.memphisconnect.com
MPACT Memphis: www.mpactmemphisorg
Memphis Urban League Young Professional (MULYP):
www.mulyp.org
Smart City Blog: www.smartcitymemphis.com
45
FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP
'True marks
of a leader'
At UT’s College of
Pharmacy, officials
say Student Body
President Melaina Perry
is governing her class
with vision and a
hands-on style.
By Jon W. Sparks
M
elaina Perry is the future, which
we know because she’s happening right
this minute in the present.
She’s in her third year at the
University of Tennessee College of
Pharmacy, looking ahead to an eventual
residency and then a career in the field.
But she is also irrepressibly drawn to
civic involvement. For the 23-year-old
Perry, her service takes the form of being
president of the Student Government
Association Executive Council of the UT
Health Science Center.
It’s an indication that we will be
hearing a lot more from this Pulaski,
Tenn., native, who is all about seizing
opportunities.
How did she become SGAEC president?
“The position rotates among
colleges and it was Pharmacy’s year and
would be someone out of my class,” she
says. “I’d served as class president and
developed communication skills with
professors. Also, my scheduling and time
management had improved to where I
thought I could take it on.”
46
Melaina Perry “was always the one getting [other students] motivated,”
says UT pharmacy professor Dr. Lawrence Brown.
Perry wanted to meet the people who made decisions.
And that she has. She's met with the UTHSC chancellor and
recently spoke with the president of UT. “This opens up
networking and lets me see the bigger scheme of how UT
works,” she says.
Perry says that there are about 800 pharmacy students
on a campus of some 2,500. “We interact with few of those
from the other schools, so this lets me form relationships
with medical, dental and nursing people I would haven't
been able to know otherwise.” And it’s allowing her
perspectives to change.
“On our executive council, the Graduate Health Sciences
are represented," she says. “It’s a relatively small number
of students but they have different issues to address.” Perry
also has been energized by seeing what the other colleges are
doing. “The College of Medicine has amazing community
service activities,” she cites as an example.
Community service is a big priority for her.
“We have teamed up with medical students on a Zion
Cemetery cleanup project, going out and cleaning the historic
site to be more accessible,” she says. “And the Pharmacy
College has health fairs on a regular basis offering blood
pressure and glucose testing, and keeping the general
population informed on risks for heart disease and asthma
and risk factors to improve health.”
Her tenure so far has been satisfying as she tries to
make a difference. “I want to make life easier for students
on campus,” she says. “As president of the council I enjoy
representing all areas. For example, if Nursing has an issue,
such as parking, we can address appropriate faculty or staff
to correct it. We’re here to make it easier on students to solve
conflicts and put them in direct contact with appropriate staff
and faculty.”
Perry went to undergraduate school at UT Martin,
so making the leap to UTHSC was a fairly uncomplicated
choice. “I’d been in the UT family, and UTHSC always
appealed to me,” she says. “It was also an in-state school,
so that made it easier on finances.” Beyond the practical
and sensible considerations, however, was one of quality.
“I did research and realized it was ranked higher nationally
than other competitors in the area.”
But why pharmacy?
“I always knew I wanted to be in the health profession,
but as I got older and explored options, I realized I hated the
sight of blood,” Perry confides. “So that ruled out medical
school. I looked at pharmacy and saw that was something I’d
like. I did job shadowing, made the decision and here I am.”
Beyond school and service, Perry pursues other hobbies
and builds a life with her husband, Jaymond Perry.
“I like to run and have done several half-marathons,”
she says. “My husband and I go on adventures — skydiving,
scuba diving and we like to travel.” She's still not sure which
area of pharmacy she’ll go into. “In a couple of years I’ll be
doing a residency. I’ll graduate in May 2011 and will keep my
options open.”
But Perry is certain that she’ll continue to develop as
a leader. She’s interested in an eventual leadership position
in the Tennessee Pharmacy Association, and she’d like to
continue another activity she’s involved in: “I now get to
serve on the UT Alumni Board of Governors and I’d like
to pursue that, interacting with other members who serve,”
she says. “And I’d like to shape the way that the Alumni
Association doles out scholarships.”
She shouldn’t have any trouble getting references.
Dr. Lawrence Brown, a professor of pharmacy at
UTHSC, has observed Perry’s leadership in action among
students. Dr. Brown, who holds several leadership positions
himself, teaches Medication Therapy Management to second
year pharmacy students.
“She exhibits what I consider the true marks of a leader.
She has a great ability to share her vision on where the
organization ought to go and is able to work with
others rather than dictating.”
The proof, Dr. Brown says, was seen in Perry’s
work with other lab students. “In her group, she was
always the one getting them motivated and directed to
get the work done.”
About UTHSC
• It is the flagship statewide academic
• health system, offering three
• undergraduate programs, more than 20
• graduate degrees, and three professional
• programs.
• In fiscal year 2009, faculty and staff
• received more than $88 million in research
• funding.
• Campuses include colleges of Allied
• Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Health
• Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy.
• Contributes about $2 billion to the Memphis
• area economy annually.
• Economic impact accounts for 5.6% of the
• $30 billion of total personal income
• earned in the Memphis area.
• The state of Tennessee appropriated nearly
• $133 million in fiscal year 2008. For every $1
• of state appropriation, the university and •
• its related operations generate a total of
• $20 of economic contribution to the local
• economy.
47
ARTS - ORGANIZATION PROFILE
Dance Works, Inc.
in the art revolution
By Jennifer Lefkowitz
There is something more in this
angelic place located in the heart of
our thriving mid-town Memphis arts
community. On the corner of Union
Avenue and Cooper, in the historic
United Methodist Church, is a cherished
aspiration among children.
Dance Works, Inc. is a nonprofit
organization providing children of
disadvantaged families an affordable and
accredited, quality dance education. Karen
Zissoff is the organization’s founder
and CEO. She saw the need for a unique
and affordable dance program exclusively designed for
Memphis youth. “I want to give children the opportunity to
learn dance,” she says. Zissoff founded the organization in
the 1980s and holds a BFA in dance from York University
in Toronto, Canada, and a teaching diploma from Royal
Academy of Dance in London, England. She regularly
participates in extensive dance education seminars and
honors the Judith Woodruff Professional Development
Award from The Tennessee Association of Dance (TAD). In
addition, Zissoff celebrates several grants and awards for her
humanitarian efforts throughout the Memphis community.
ArtsMemphis sponsors Dance Works, Inc. while
fundraisers help support it. Ballet is the foundation of the
education and curriculum. Arts such as dance are fueling
a new kind of economic boom. ArtsMemphis reports the
recent economic impact on the arts creates 5.7 million
jobs nationwide and 7,000 plus jobs in Memphis. Arts also
promote tourism by attracting new visitors who experience
the arts and culture amenities the city has to offer.
In vibrant and ever-changing Memphis, arts remain
a vital source for economic growth and development.
Mayor A C Wharton says, “No city has a richer culture than
Memphis, and city government must lead the development
of a plan to leverage our arts and culture into a competitive
advantage.” In his new city plan he explains, “Elements could
include Memphis Art Park, expansion of the National Civil
Rights Museum, the South Forum development plan, and
Triangle Noir.”
Creativity remains a powerful source of inspiration
and influence on our lives and the arts are helping to build
bridges and shape our community.
48
Two fourth-year
Dance Works students
trained under Karen
Zissoff, perform a
project.
Dance Works,
Inc. offers classes
to children as
early as prekindergarten and
continues to high
school. Creative
movement such as
Jazz and Hip-hop
is the curriculum
of young children.
Classical ballet,
creative movement,
modern and
African dance are offered to children ages seven and up.
The art of dance inspires minds, encourages expression,
and fosters creativity. Creativity is a powerful form in
organizing our communities. The “creative stimulus” caused
President Obama to create a new White House position on
culture and the arts. The economic crisis gave us a chance to
evaluate the role of creativity in making a healthy economy
and peaceful society.
Like Zissoff, artists and community organizers enrich
new forms of understanding and consciousness in our
communities. Artists in residence are frequently brought to
Dance Works, Inc. though the Tennessee Arts Commission.
Distinguished guests include Judith Davies (Director and
Founder of the Ottawa Dance Centre Schools), Wayne
Smith (Professor of Dance at Spelman College), and Dr. Mel
Tomlinson (New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey, and Dance
Theater of Harlem).
Zissoff ’s students often compete at national dance levels.
The students’ skill level is evaluated on an international scale
by a national examiner from the Royal Academy of Dance
in London. They are judged on a scale of incomplete, pass,
merit, and distinction.
Students who are serious about a career in dance can
compete at national dance university programs. Students
have received scholarships from the The Julliard School,
Virginia Commonwealth University, and the Interlochen
Center for the Arts.
Zissoff conveys the approach of dance on her students
is of greater merit than the final result.
with Joel Myers
Principal, The Centre Group
INSIDE THE
CHAMBER
CHAMBER
BIZ
THE HUMAN SPIRIT
LEVERAGING
LEADERSHIP
TRANSITIONS
As they take over, a new leader should be clear,
get to know everyone, and above all, communicate.
Leadership transitions are often
anxious times. New leaders bring new
agendas. There are high expectations
for the newly-promoted or newly-hired
executive; self-imposed and placed there
by the hiring authority. Employees have
expectations of their new leader, too.
After all, the organization is counting
on the new leader to make good things
happen, quickly!
All too often, these transitions are
made more difficult by role ambiguities
and cultural/style differences.
Organizations spend a considerable
amount of time and money to recruit
and hire leaders. It makes sense to pay
attention to the leadership transition
process so that the company will receive
the maximum return on its investment.
What should a new leader do to
help ensure success?
• Understand the role and
expectations
The new leader must have clarity about
his/her role, scope of authority, and key
objectives. Having a clear path brings
focus.
• Plan the transition process and
work the plan
Allocate time for the on-boarding
process. Unless an organization is in
crisis, a new leader should take the time
to learn the culture and the key players
and develop a plan for change.
• Eat the elephant one bite at a time
“Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Leaders
cannot expect to change everything at
once. Early victories will help build a
leader’s credibility for the long run.
• Invest time in building relationships
A newly hired leader should get to know
his/her team quickly, learning each team
member’s view of the organization’s
culture, strengths and weaknesses.
Familiarity with recent performance
reviews and development plans is also
valuable. New leaders should get to
know other, peer executives within the
organization.
What are some tactics to employ?
• Communications Meetings
Hold regular open-forum sessions. Be
open and transparent. Invite questions.
Make nothing “off-limits”. Build trust by
disclosing personal and professional
information. Get to the bottom of
internal conflicts quickly, engaging an
outside facilitator if necessary.
• Use instruments & inventories
Utilize assessment instruments for team
development, managerial selection,
and succession-planning processes.
Assessments provide valuable insight
and can shortcut the discovery process.
Use multi-rater (360o) feedback to learn
perceptions of leadership strengths and
weaknesses.
• Use coaching
Engage a coach or practice coaching
techniques to help address staff
development needs. Assessment tools
and performance feedback provide the
data for the coaching relationship.
Putting Thoughts into Action
Patrick Spainhour, CEO of The
ServiceMaster Company, is successfully
filling the role of a transformational
leader at ServiceMaster as he has
done in previous leadership positions.
Spainhour believes that the success of
an organization is all about culture. “An
organization can be loaded with great
minds and technical expertise, but if
the culture is not right, the organization
will not ever reach its full potential,”
Spainhour said.
For Spainhour, having the right
culture means sharing best practices
across functional and business unit
lines, having a passion for continuous
improvement and learning, engaging
in open communications, and building
personal relationships where problems
can be solved quickly and intentions are
not questioned.
When Spainhour brought the
ServiceMaster corporate headquarters
to Memphis, many senior executives did
not make the move. He had to “re-talent”
the corporate staff. In the selection
process, he searched for people who
embraced ServiceMaster’s culture. He
believes that technical capabilities are
revealed in the resume and a candidate’s
accomplishments, but making sure a
person’s values match the ServiceMaster
culture takes more discussion.
In addition to his selection
process, Spainhour engages in a
number of practices that demonstrate
his commitment. He holds Town Hall
meetings where he and other leaders
share business news and goals, where
all employees are encouraged to “ask
anything”. To strengthen the talent
pool, he is moving more people across
organizational lines. He uses crossfunctional/cross-business unit teams to
work on issues. He conducts frequent
skip-level meetings called “Chats with
Pat” to keep his finger on the pulse of
the organization. Spainhour sees his
most important responsibility as that of
developing people.
Considering ServiceMaster’s
culture and operating values, some may
believe that the company is laid-back,
touchy-feely. Not so! They set high
standards. “Our approach has been to
perform while we transform,” Spainhour
said. “We believe that successful, effective
employees will create satisfied customers
who then become loyal, lifelong
clients and that will enhance company
profitability and value in the long run.”
The Human Spirit aims to help
individuals maximize their potential
in the workplace.
49
ON THE FRONTLINES
with Donn Fisher
Dr. Fix-It
How's your business or organization running?
This expert has answers.
by Richard J. Alley
More than 30 years ago, the son
of a jeweler came to Memphis from
his home in Kentucky and went to
work repairing watches and setting
gems for Dreyfus Jewelry.
These days, as the Executive
Director and CEO of the Mid-South
Quality Productivity Center, Donn
Fisher’s mission is to take the hard
black lumps in many businesses and
transform them into diamonds of
industry.
The Mid-South Quality
Productivity Center is a Baldrigebased center in partnership with
the Greater Memphis Chamber and
Southwest Tennessee Community
College, and is the only such center
in the country to be partnered with a
Chamber of Commerce.
The Malcolm Baldrige National
Quality Award is a performance
excellence award given by the
President of the United States
to businesses based on seven
criteria: leadership; strategic
planning; customer and market
focus; measurement, analysis, and
knowledge management; workforce
focus; process management; and
results. When evaluating, Fisher’s
team will interview the various levels
of an organization including top
leadership, middle management and
the front line of employees. They will
ask about 90 questions against the
Baldrige standard and then come back
with a strategic review of the most
important strengths, opportunities
for improvement and strategic issues
that they need to do to turn the
organization around to be the best
class in their industry.
“I think a lot of folks in Memphis
don’t know that we’re one of the
50
leading global Baldrige centers,”
Fisher said. “We’ve done over 100
assessments for Memphis City
Schools over seven years. We’ve done
assessments for St. Jude, Le Bonheur
Children’s Medical Center, Shelby
County government, and we’ve
assessed most of the infrastructure in
Memphis over the last 18 years.”
Fisher received an undergraduate
degree in business and journalism,
and a master’s degree in speech and
communications, from Murray State
University in Murray, Ky. The only
job he could find immediately after
college was as a trainee with Dreyfus
Jewelry, having learned watch making
and diamond setting at an early age.
Among his customers, he counted
Elvis and Vernon Presley and Jerry
Lee Lewis, and rose to director of
stores for the chain while still in his
early 20s.
Upon leaving Dreyfus, he went
to a good customer, Dr. Gene Smith,
then Vice President of Memphis State
University over business finance, for
a reference. Dr. Smith hired Fisher
as manager of staff and faculty and
encouraged him to get his doctorate,
which he did in organizational
dynamics from University of
Mississippi. “After getting my Ph.D., I
wanted to do something else,” Fisher
explained, “so I said, ‘I think I’ll
become a consultant’ and I discovered
the Baldrige Awards and ended up
getting on their national board.”
Fisher has developed and
copyrighted the Process Activated
Training System, which is based
on the Baldrige model. PATS is
a behavioral-based teaching and
learning process that creates an
environment of continuous learning
and cycle-time reduction at the job
site. “Formalizing on-the-job training
is what PATS does,” explains Fisher.
Nearly 40 companies worldwide
use PATS, yet the first organization
to purchase and take advantage of
the program helped to put it on the
map, Fisher said. The United States
Post Office became the first to use
the system to do random sampling of
data and set its pricing accordingly.
Currently, MSQPC is working with
the Memphis City School System and
its 400 administrative assistants to
develop legendary practices based on
the Ritz Carlton’s system.
Pam Doss, director of
institutional effectiveness for Baptist
College of Health Sciences, has
known Fisher for 25 years. She had
the opportunity to work with Fisher
in 2008 when he and his team were
asked to assess the college. “Donn
knows how to ask the right questions
and is extremely passionate about
his work,” Doss said, “I admire him
tremendously.”
Not only did MSQPC conduct
the first round of questioning, but
they worked with the college to
develop their own questioning for
yearly assessments to be conducted
with in-house personnel. “We were
very pleased with the process, it was
very useful, and the goal now is to
continue the work on our own, though
he is continuing to coach us during
the process,” Doss said.
Fisher recently traveled to
Thailand, funded through the nonprofit Asian Pacific Organization, to
speak to business leaders and present
his 8th book, Corporate Sustainability,
which includes the Global Reporting
Initiative (GRI) Index. As one of
nine people invited by the Royal
Thai Government out of Miami to
represent the Chamber and visit 28
industries, Fisher conducted five
seminars and visited the Thailand
stock exchange. “It was a whirlwind
trip,” he said.
He has traveled to every
continent on behalf of the Chamber
and MSQPC, speaking to leaders of
state and industry, and the learning
has become a two-way street. “We are
definitely an ambassador for Memphis,
that’s what our role is. I think that’s
what our mission is,” Fisher said.
“We’re trying to make our business in
Memphis global, and we’re bringing
global best practices back into our
city.”
The father of three, a son and
two daughters, has been married
to his wife, Kathleen, a Guidance
Counselor at Riverdale Elementary
School, for 35 years. His passions are
writing and travel, and he hopes to
take Kathleen with him on his next
trip to Thailand.
The irony of it all is that Fisher
was fired from his job at the jewelry
store for suggesting that management
could improve. He’s been working and
thinking outside of that jewelry box
to help improve business practices
ever since. “If I hadn’t gotten fired,”
he laughs now, “I never would have
written eight books, traveled around
the world many times and become an
expert in what I do.”
On The Frontlines gives you a closer
look at Greater Memphis Chamber
executives.
INSIDE THE CHAMBER
Donn Fisher, Executive Director & CEO of the
Mid-South Quality Productivity Center, may have
lost his position at the jewelry store, but now
helps other businesses to run more effectively.
INSIDE THE CHAMBER
ON THE CLOCK, OFF THE CLOCK
with Beverly Davis
How long have you been with the
Chamber?
In December of 2009, I will have
been with the Chamber for ten years.
Every day has been a new learning
experience since the very first day I
was hired. With the Chamber being
a member organization composed
of the various business leaders and
businesses, we are always called
upon to meet multiple deadlines
while working with city and county
governments, our Chamber members
and the community at large. Thanks
to my time here at the Chamber, I
have learned more about Memphis
and I have grown to appreciate the
things this city has to offer.
How would you describe your role
in the Chamber?
I was hired as an Administrative
Assistant and began in Workforce
Development, an area of the Chamber
that I truly enjoy. I have worked
in various departments here at the
Chamber and my role has evolved over
the years. I have gone from learning
what a Chamber of Commerce
actually is to offering input and
Beverly Davis at work at the Greater Memphis Chamber.
helping to execute what the Chamber
does. I have tried to fill in when given
the opportunity, wherever there was a
need. Fortunately, we all pretty much
work as a team.
What gives your life fulfillment
outside the Chamber walls?
I find my greatest fulfillment
through the time I spend with
friends and by participating in
whatever the favorite thing is at
the time. I have been a secondhand
girl most of my life, meaning yard
sales, thrift stores, and secondhand
shops are favorite haunts. I also enjoy
a great mystery, autobiographies,
and short stories. I sometimes get a
chance to see an occasional play. I am
thrilled with amusement parks, and I
love to ride on any roller coaster!
Lisa Alex (left) listens to Beverly Davis during a session of Common Ground,
an ongoing city-wide conversation on race and class, that both participate in regularly.
52
What is one of your favorite
hobbies?
My favorite hobby includes a long
stretch of highway where I can drive
fast and play loud music! I am also
very intrigued by the world of Art!
Okay, that’s two things.
INSIDE THE CHAMBER
RIBBON CUTTINGS
Mid –South Drug Testing
Owner/Manager: Kelly Dobbins, Chief Manager
3294 Poplar Avenue, Suite 250, Memphis, TN 38111
Diamond International
Owner/Manager: Dick Sweebe, President/CEO
1710 Brooks Road, Memphis, TN 38116
On the River Seafood And More
Owner/Manager: Willie Belle Scott, Owner / Don Scott, Manager
51 South Main Street, Memphis, TN 38103
MPACT Memphis
Owner/Manager: Gwyn Fisher, Executive Director
Jenny Sharpe, Chairman, Board of Directors
Shante K. Avant, Chairman-Elect Board of Directors
506 South Main Street, Memphis, TN 38103
Physicians Billing Solutions
Owner/Manager: Debbie Schafer, President
201 South Center Street, Suite 210, Collierville, TN
Peacock - McCarty Travel
Owner/Manager: Trisha Peacock, Owner / Beth McCarty, Owner
101 South Main Street, Suite 102, Memphis, TN 38103
State Farm Insurance/Parker Rhett
Owner/Manager: Parker Rhett, Agent
4515 Poplar Avenue, Suite 416, Memphis, TN 38117
53
CALENDAR
Special Events
UPCOMING
2010
Spring
11
10
07
01
08
MSQPC - Lean
Six Sigma Green
Belt
MONDAY
25
24 31
SUNDAY
18
17
MSQPC Understanding
ISO 13485
MARTIN LUTHER
KING JR.
04
MONDAY
03
SUNDAY
02
09
MSQPC - Lean
Six Sigma Green
Belt
TUESDAY
26
19
MSQPC ISO - Internal
Quality System
Auditing
12
05
TUESDAY
10
MSQPC - Lean
Six Sigma Green
Belt
03
WEDNESDAY
FRIDAY
11
MSQPC - Lean
Six Sigma Green
Belt
04
12
MSQPC - Lean
Six Sigma Green
Belt
05
FRIDAY
MSQPC Leading Others
to Higher Levels
of Productivity
THURSDAY
29
22
15
08
01
NEW YEAR’S DAY
Breakfast Forum
28
21
14
07
THURSDAY
February
27
20
MSQPC ISO - Internal
Quality System
Auditing
13
06
WEDNESDAY
January
13
06
SATURDAY
30
23
16
09
02
SATURDAY
Janelle Robinson:
Frontline Politics
Teresa Franks:
MSQPC training events
Brenda Montgomery:
International Business Council &
Tech Council events
Member Services:
Orientation &
Lunch & Learn Series
Tunga Lee:
Breakfast Forum Series,
Leadership Luncheon,
Metro Mixers,
Golf Invitational &
Small Business Council
or contact:
call 901-543-3500 or visit our
online calendar at
www.memphischamber.com
To RSVP for upcoming
Chamber Special Events,
visit our website
21
14
07
28
PALM SUNDAY
DAYLIGHT
SAVINGS TIME
BEGINS
SUNDAY
28
21
14
VALENTINE’S DAY
01
22
15
29
22
15
08
MSQPC - Lean
Six Sigma Green
Belt
MONDAY
PRESIDENT’S
DAY
16
PASSOVER
30
23
Lunch & Learn
16
09
MSQPC - Lean
Six Sigma Green
Belt
02
MSQPC - 7
Habits
Fundamentals
TUESDAY
23
Small Business
Council Breakfast
Chamber
Orientation
In the Mix
Reception
ST. PATRICK’S
DAY
31
24
17
10
MSQPC - Lean
Six Sigma Green
Belt
03
25
MSQPC -Root
Cause Analysis
18
11
MSQPC - Lean
Six Sigma Green
Belt
04
Breakfast Forum
THURSDAY
25
18
FRIDAY
26
19
26
MSQPC -Root
Cause Analysis
19
12
MSQPC - Lean
Six Sigma Green
Belt
05
March
24
17
WEDNESDAY
ASH
WEDNESDAY
27
FIRST DAY OF
SPRING
27
20
13
06
SATURDAY
MOVE IT
MEMPHIS
10K
20
NEW
MEMBERS
Welcome
A
A B Business Brokers
BUSINESS BROKERS
Mr. Larry Peavy, President
5587 Murray Road, Suite 208
Memphis, TN 38119
(901) 374-0044
Fax: (901) 374-0046
Email: [email protected]
www.abbusinessbrokers.com
Alzheimer’s Association West TN Regional Office
HEALTH AGENCY NON PROFIT
Ms. Lisa Bobal, Regional
Development Director
326 Ellsworth
Memphis, TN 38111
(901) 565-0011
Fax: (901) 565-9550
www.alz.org/altn
American General Life
& Accident Insurance
LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
Mr. Shawn Parry,
General Manager
5860 Ridgeway Center Parkway,
Suite 210
Memphis, TN 38120
(901) 680-0152
Fax: (901) 680-9624
www.agla.com
B
Bateman, Gibson & Childers, LLC
Law Firm
Mr. Ralph Gibson, Attorney
P.O. Box 3351
Memphis, TN 38173
(901) 526-0412
Fax: (901) 525-8466
www.batemangibson.com
56
C
F
Career Talent
TECHNOLOGY & HEALTHCARE
STAFFING RECRUITING
CONSULTING FIRM
Mr. Lee Booth, CEO
8121 Walnut Run Road, Suite 101
Cordova, TN 38018
(901) 473-4770
Fax: (901) 755-3299
www.careertalent.com
Furniture Medic by Dallas
Commercial and residential
furniture repair and
refinishing, commercial image
enhancement.
Mr. Dallas Hensley, Owner
6815 Whippoorwill Drive
Olive Branch, MS 38654
(901) 267-4849
Fax: (662) 890-5692
www.fmbydallas.com
Chiropractic Memphis
CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC
Dr. Jayme Gipson, Chiropractic
Physician
7870 Winchester Road
Memphis, TN 38125
(901) 795-6363
Fax: (901) 795-0465
www.chiropractic-memphis.com
Covenant Dove LLC
NURSING & REHABILITATION
Mrs. Sarah Dickey, Office
Manager
2723 Summer Oaks Drive
Bartlett, TN 38134
(901) 937-7994
Fax: (901) 937-1516
Crichton College
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES
Dr. Larry Linamen,
255 North Highland
Memphis, TN 38111
(901) 320-9700
Fax: (901) 320-9709
www.crichton.edu
Datacomm Services Corporation
LOW VOLTAGE CABLING AND
SYSTEMS CONTRACTOR
Mr. Chuck Jennings,
Vice President
318 Collins Street
Memphis, TN 38112
(901) 591-8900
Fax: (901) 452-7332
www.dscdatacomm.com
G
Geico
Auto and Personal Lines
insurance
Ms. Anastasia Mixson, Owner
923 South Yates Road
Memphis, TN 38120
(901) 761-5240
Fax: (901) 761-5241
GraniteDealer LLC
Granite Importer
Mr. Brian Hodges, Owner
810 Walnut Street
Memphis, TN 38126
(901) 774-8074
Fax: (901) 774-8075
www.granitedealer.com
Group Benefits, LLC
GROUP INSURANCE &
BENEFITS
Mr. Timothy J. Finnell, President
3400 Players Club Parkway,
Suite 110
Memphis, TN 38125
(901) 259-7999
www.groupbenefitsllc.com
Gwatney Companies
AUTOMOBILE DEALERS NEW
Mr. Russell Gwatney, President
7300 Winchester Road
Memphis, TN 38125
(901) 751-7300
Fax: (901) 385-4060
www.gwatney.com
D
H
Diversified Copy Products
OFFICE EQUIPMENT SALES,
SERVICE & SUPPLIES
Ms. Courtney Kirton,
Director of Marketing
1835 Nonconnah Boulevard, #137
Memphis, TN 38132
(901) 382-8300
Fax: (901) 345-8308
Email: sales@
diversifiedcopyproducts.com
www.diversifiedcopyproducts.com
Hearn Wealth Management, LLC
ASSET MANAGEMENT,
FINANCIAL PLANNING
Mr. Martin Hearn, President
7981 Dexter Road, Suite 103
Cordova, TN 38016
(901) 473-9379
www.hearnwm.com
E
Express Employment
Professionals
Temporary Staffing
Company
Mr. Watt Daniel, Owner
6100 Primacy Parkway,
Suite 1100
Memphis, TN 38119
(901) 680-1933
Fax: (901) 680-1937
www.expresspros.com
I
Integrity Office Solutions
OFFICE SUPPLIES
Mr. Bill Burton, President
P.O. Box 19292
Jonesboro, AR 72403
(501) 993-2426
J
Jabil
CONTRACT MANUFACTURERS
Mr. Jorge Rodriguez, General
Manager
5238 Lamar Avenue
Memphis, TN 38118
(901) 202-7427
Fax: (901) 202-6588
www.Jabil.com
John Pruett Architects
ARCHITECTS
Mr. John Pruett, Owner/
Principal In Charge
1869 Madison Avenue
Memphis, TN 38104-2626
(901) 721-9062
Fax: (901) 721-9063
Email: pruettarchitects@
bellsouth.net
www.pruettarchitects.com
K
Kipp Memphis
CHARTER SCHOOL
Ms. Keva L. Duckett, Director of
Marketing and
Development
2670 Union Avenue Extended,
Suite 1100
Memphis, TN 38112
(901) 452-2682
Fax: (901) 452-2753
www.kippmemphis.org
M
Malaria Prevention Mission
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION
Ms. Marie Winters, President/
Organizer
P.O. Box 11552
Memphis, TN 38111
(901) 239-4254
Email: contact@
whatisawinafrica.com
www.whatisawinafrica.com
Many Neat Things Candy
Wrappers
CUSTOMIZED CANDY
WRAPPERS
Ms. Marynelle Taylor, Owner
7208 Stonegate Boulevard
Southaven, MS 38671
(901) 486-5340
Memphis College Prep
Charter School
PROPOSED ELEMENTARY
CHARTER SCHOOL
Mr. Michael Whaley, Lead
Founder
404 South Reese Street
Memphis, TN 38111
(901) 857-8030
www.memphiscollegeprep.org
Memphis Medical
Redevelopment Group, LLC
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS
Ms. Anna Martin, Vice President,
Marketing - Property
Operations
14444 Gillham Drive Stuite 100B
Memphis, TN 38134
(901) 523-0068
Fax: (901) 523-0063
Email: sales@
parktowermemphis.com
Mid-South Area Carpet Care, Inc.
CARPET CLEANING
Mr. Glenn A. Hill, President
P.O. Box 41161
Memphis, TN 38174
(901) 485-4213
Fax: (901) 276-9892
www.msacarpetcare.com
N
R
T
National Kidney Foundation of
West Tennessee
NON-PROFIT HEALTH
ORGANIZATION
Ms. Mable Barringer, Executive
Director
857 Mt. Moriah, Suite 201
Memphis, TN 38117
(901) 683-6185
Fax: (901) 683-6189
www.nkfwtn.org
Regal Stephah, LLC
MANUFACTURER OF
EXERCISE EQUIPMENT
Mr. Chris Johnson, Co-owner
P.O. Box 771326
Memphis, TN 38177
(901) 606-4300
Fax: (901) 763-4249
www.ultrafastcrosstrainer.com
The Blue Group
INSURANCE & FINANCIAL
SERVICES
Mr. Stanley J. Blue, President
4006 Otter Drive
Memphis, TN 38128
(901) 237-3760
Fax: (901) 388-5326
NYK Logistics
TRANSPORTATION,
Mr. Joe Salinas, Director of
Operations
8295 Tournament Drive
Memphis, TN 38125
(901) 794-2225
www.nyklogistics.com
Rusken Packaging
CORRUGATED BOXES,
CONTAINERS, AND PACKAGING
Mr. Matthew Brewer, Sales
Representative
452 Tenacity Court, Apartment 102
Cordova, TN 38018
(205) 296-7995
Fax: (731) 423-4616
www.rusken.com
P
S
Peacock - McCarty Travel
TRAVEL CONSULTANTS
Ms. Tricia Peacock, Owner
101 South Main Street, Suite 102
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 527-1991
Fax: (901) 527-1623
www.peacockmccartytravel.com
Semmes-Murphey Clinic
NEUROSURGERY, PAIN
MANAGEMENT AND
NEUROPSYCHOLOGY
Mr. John Lewis,
Administrator & CEO
6325 Humphreys Boulevard
Memphis, TN 38120
(901) 522-2615
Fax: (901) 259-2023
www.semmes-murphey.com
Performancepoint, LLC
MANAGEMENT CONSULTING
Mr. Brad Federman, President
8999 Jenna Road
Germantown, TN 38138
(901) 737-3468
Fax: (901) 205-0661
Email: info@
performancepointllc.com
www.performancepointllc.com
Philips Emergency Lighting
MANUFACTURER OF
EMERGENCY LIGHTING
Mr. John Levesque, General
Manager
P.O. Box 460
Collierville, TN 38027
(901) 853-7211
Fax: (901) 853-5009
www.philips.com/bodine
Praxair, Inc.
GAS LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM
BOTTLES BULK
Mr. David Huggins, Plant
Manager
5055 Old Millington Road
Memphis, TN 38127
(901) 357-8690 Ext:202
Fax: (901) 357-8453
www.praxair.com
Protection One
INSTALLATION SERVICE
MONITOR ALARM SECURITY
SYSTEMS
Mr. Mark Hart, General Manager
5175 Elmore Road, Suite 23
Memphis, TN 38134
(901) 385-4900
Fax: (901) 385-4904
www.protectionone.com
Pyramid Grill and Buffett
INDIAN PAKISTANI
& MEDITERRANEAN
RESTAURANT
Ms. Iffat Tameez, Owner
6090 Macon Cove
Memphis, TN 38134
(901) 380-7814
Skanska USA Building, Inc.
CONSTRUCTION
MANAGEMENT
Mrs. Mendy C. Mazzo, Vice
President of Business
Development
865 Poplar Avenue
Memphis, TN 38105
(901) 620-2708
Fax: (901) 620-2701
www.skanska.com
Southern Growth Studio
BRAND MARKETING AND
PRODUCT
Mrs. Jocelyn Atkinson, Chief
Strategist
119 South Main Street
Memphis, TN 38103
(901) 522-9875
Fax: (901) 522-9878
Speak Creative
WEB DESIGN AND
DEVELOPMENT
Ms. Christy Leake, Office
Manager
8337 Cordova Road, Suite 102
Memphis, TN 38016
(901) 757-5855
Fax: (901) 757-5955
www.speakcreative.com
Splash Creative
ADVERTISING, DESIGN, PUBLIC
RELATIONS
Mr. David W. Brown, President
2574 Sam Cooper Boulevard,
Suite 100
Memphis, TN 38112
(901) 378-3603
Fax: (901) 590-3739
www.splashcreativeink.com
The Brand Squad
BRAND DEVELOPMENT &
MANAGEMENT
Mr. Jerry Ehrlich, President
6000 Poplar Avenue, Suite 250
Memphis, TN 38120
(901) 866-9402
www.thebrandsquad.com
The Superior Bar of Memphis
RESTAURANT, BAR, CATERING
Mr. Danny Reynolds, Owner
P.O. Box 3247
Memphis, TN 38173
(901) 523-1940
Fax: (901) 523-1962
www.superiorbealestreet.com
U
Urban Family Ministries
CHURCH, ALCOHOL AND
DRUG RECOVERY,
Pastor Jerry Ivery, Executive
Director
2174 Lamar Avenue
Memphis, TN 38114
(901) 323-8400
Fax: (901) 405-1235
www.wroc.us
Urban Health & Education
Support Services
HEALTH EDUCATION
Mrs. Gwendolyn Brown,
Executive Director
P.O. Box 41484
Memphis, TN 38174
(901) 484-9624
www.carinsharin.org
Z
Zayo Enterprise Networks
Mr. Garner Bailey,
General Manager
7670 Appling Center
Memphis, TN 38133
(901) 881-9788
Fax: (901) 371-0829
22 N. Front Street, Suite 200
Memphis, TN 38103
Photo by Lance MurPhey
“I never wanted
to say ‘What if?’
I thought: ‘I’m 27 years old, and if
I’m ever going to do it, this is the
time to do it.’ ”
MathIs young
Memphis small business owner
In Memphis, success has a sound of its own.
memphischamber.com/soundtrack

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT - Greater Memphis Chamber

Transcription

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