Currently, Freda Player-Peters serves on the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Board of Education representing District 7th. Freda has also served as the Chair of the Tennessee Health Care Campaign, co-founder of Fisk University Young Alumni Association, former co-founder and co-chair of Nashville New Leaders Council, former Membership Chair of Nashville League of Voters, former Member At-Large Board Member of the Tennessee League of Voters and a former Steering Committee Member of A.W.A.K.E, former Treasurer of Tennessee Citizen Action and co-founder and Vice Chair of Emerge Tennessee.

David Briley presides over the First Circuit Court in Davidson County, Tennessee. He was elected in August of 2022. Immediately prior to joining the bench, he was an attorney at Spencer Fane Bone McAllester. Judge Briley previously served as an At-Large Member, and Vice Mayor of the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County. During that service, he focused on ethics, budget, solid waste and government efficiency issues. He also served as the City’s 7th Mayor where he championed efforts to make Nashville a more equitable city, focusing on eliminating racial disparities in educational, housing, and socio-economic systems.

Edward Nathan George Jr. is a legendary American football coach and former player who is currently serving as the head coach at Tennessee State. He is a true icon in the world of sports, having played as a running back in the NFL for nine seasons. He spent the majority of his career with the Titans franchise and was a force to be reckoned with on the field. George's contributions to the sport have been immense, and his legacy as a player and coach will continue to inspire generations of football enthusiasts for years to come.

Chief John Drake was named the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department’s 8th Chief of Police on November 30, 2020. Chief Drake began his law enforcement career in his hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, as a police officer in 1988, and continues to dedicate himself to the safety of Nashville’s families and visitors.

Butch Spyridon retired as the long-time leader of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC) on June 30 2022 after 32 years as its top executive. Under Butch’s leadership, Nashville’s tourism industry has grown into an $8.8 billion juggernaut, and Davidson County typically represents 30 percent of all visitor spending in Tennessee. The city has been named a top destination in the world by major travel outlets for the past 12 years. Butch has served alongside the past six Nashville mayors on nearly every major economic development project the city has seen.

Ron Samuels is an experienced leader, executive and marketer and has been a banker in Nashville for 40 years. He was a Founder, Chairman and CEO of Avenue Bank, which merged with Pinnacle Financial Partners in July 2016. He is a highly visible and engaged community leader, having served as the Chairman of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce from 2008 – 2010 during which time he spearheaded the approval of the $550 million Music City Center convention facility. Ron has a passion for sports and has served on the boards of the Nashville Sports Council and the Nashville Predators Foundation. He is a founding member of The CMA Foundation Board and served as Chairman in 2015. Ron has also served in leadership roles on many other boards and committees in the areas of economic development, professional sports, education and music.

Max Goldberg is co-owner of Strategic Hospitality. Strategic Hospitality is responsible for dynamic destinations across Nashville, including Paradise Park, Aerial, Merchants Restaurant, The Patterson House, The Catbird Seat, Pinewood Social, The Band Box, Le Sel, Bastion and Henrietta Red. Max is active in the Nashville community by sitting on the board for the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau and the Arts and Business Council. He is also a member of Rotary Nashville, the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, and Leadership Nashville for the class of 2015-2016.

Deborah Varallo is the Owner and President of Varallo Public Relations. Deborah and her firm, Varallo Public Relations, have been involved with numerous successful projects that required building community awareness to generate positive responses. She has been recognized by the Nashville Business Journal as a “Woman of Influence” and by the Nashville Chamber of Commerce as “Volunteer of the Year.”

Alfred Degrafinreid is the CEO and President of Leadership Tennessee. Prior to Leadership Tennessee, Alfred served as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Local Government Relations and Community Partnerships at Vanderbilt University, where he worked closely with campus leaders on institutional priorities and with local policymakers on issues pertaining to zoning and land-use matters. Degrafinreid has served on dozens of boards in the past. He is currently an officer and board member of Nashville’s Convention Center Authority, the Rotary Club of Nashville, and the Nashville St. Jude Executive Leadership Council. Of note, Degrafinreid is a Class VII graduate of Leadership Tennessee.

David Ewing is a ninth-generation Nashvillian, historian, tour guide and history consultant. He frequently speaks on Nashville to locals and visiting groups and has been interviewed by the New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times for his expertise regarding Nashville history. David has served on over 30 Nashville boards. His board positions included Chairman of the Metro Board of Zoning Appeals and board member of the Metro Historical Commission and Metro Historic Zoning Commission. David has served on the boards of Cheekwood, The Nashville Symphony, The Nashville Opera, The Hermitage and Cumberland Valley Girl Scouts.

On Dec. 21, 2020, the Austin Peay State University Board of Trustees named Dr. Mike Licari as the University’s 11th president. He officially arrived at Austin Peay on March 1, 2021, and in the years that followed, the university has opened several new facilities and academic programs, secured the largest gift in the institution’s history, joined a new athletics conference, and strengthened its commitment to serving military-affiliated students and the local community. The university also developed new mission, vision, and values statements as well as a new strategic plan.

Rod Essig is a Music Agent at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency and a founder of their Music’s Nashville office, where he represents many of the world’s leading musicians, including Tim McGraw, Heart, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, REO Speedwagon, Styx, Night Ranger, and KC and the Sunshine Band, among others. Rod joined Creative Artists Agency in 1993, and has been instrumental in building Creative Artists Agency’s Nashville operations into the dominant industry leader. MusiCares, National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Nashville Association Of Talent Directors, Tennessee Film Commission, Tennessee Performing Arts Center, WO Smith School Board, Habitat for Humanity, PENCIL Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank, and the T.J. Martell Foundation.

Doug Gold joined Wilson Bank and Trust in July 1999 and is about to celebrate his 24th year. Doug is currently located at the West End Office of Wilson Bank & Trust and serves as a Senior Vice President and Nashville Market Leader with his primary responsibility in Commercial Lending and overseeing their Nashville Market. He is currently a member of the Nashville Rotary Club and the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. He has served as an advisory board member of The Housing Fund (THF) in the past. He is a graduate of the 2001 Class of Leadership Donelson-Hermitage. He is a past president (2005) of the Donelson Hermitage Chamber of Commerce. He is a current member of the Leadership Middle Tennessee (LMT) class (2023).

After a 51-year career in public libraries, Nashville Public Library Director Kent Oliver recently retired in July 2022. Kent joined the Nashville Public Library in 2012. Since then, the library has expanded its community education initiatives in health, digital, citizenship and adult literacy and has grown its nationally recognized partnership with Metro Schools. In 2017, the “Library Journal” named the Nashville Public Library the Library of the Year, the best public library in the U.S. and Canada. The Nashville Public Library also built and renovated several Metro School libraries under Kent’s leadership. Its partnership with Metro Schools, called Limitless Libraries, gives Metro students access to 2-million-plus books and materials as NPL delivers to every campus every weekday. Kent is also a three-time president of the Freedom to Read Foundation and previously chaired the Intellectual Freedom Committee of the American Library Association.

Jaynee Day joined Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee as President and CEO in July 1988. In this role, she oversaw the daily operation of the entire food bank, while providing leadership and vision in conquering the issue of hunger in our community. Jaynee has conducted various workshops for Feeding America’s national and regional conferences, the Center for Non-Profit Management in Nashville. She has been distinguished amongst her peers and community leaders with the following award recognitions: Nashville Post’s “CEO of the Year”, Feeding America’s “John van Hengel Fellowship Award”, Nashville Business Journal’s “Most Admired CEO” in the NonProfit sector in 2016, 2015 and 2012 as well as Association of Non Profit Executives’ “CEO of the Year Award” in 2001.

Harry Allen is the Co-Founder and Chief Relationship Officer of Studio Bank. In this role, Mr. Allen serves as the Bank’s lead business development officer, key point of contact for stakeholders and strategic partners, and manages the Bank’s involvement and investment in community efforts. Mr. Allen is active in the Nashville community serving on the board of directors for the Nashville Public Education Foundation, Tennessee Performing Arts Center and is a Trustee and Chair of the Nominating and Evaluation Committee of Belmont University.

Chris Holmes was named President of FirstBank in 2012 and CEO in 2013 as part of a planned transition of the bank’s executive leadership. In his role, Chris is responsible for leading and managing all facets of the bank’s operations, including establishing its long-term goals, strategies and corporate vision. Chris serves on the Governor’s Tennessee Business Leadership Council. He is also a cabinet member of Partnership2030, an organization spearheaded by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce that works to form a future regional strategy for economic development.

Jane O. MacLeod brings more than 35 years of marketing, museum and public garden experience to her role as President and CEO of Cheekwood. Since joining the nonprofit organization in 2010, Jane’s leadership and vision have been instrumental in transforming the historic estate into one of the Southeast’s premier art and garden destinations. She was at the helm of The Cheekwood Campaign, which raised $37M. She has been recognized as a Nashville Business Journal 2014 Woman of Influence; a 2019 Nashville Post Most Powerful Woman; and a 2022 Nashville Post CEO of the Year.

Tim Ozgener is Co-Founder & President of OZ Arts Nashville. Oz Arts was established in 2013 as a home for innovative, artistic voices in the region and influential, world-class artists from throughout the US and abroad. Before launching OZ Arts, Tim spent over 20 years building his family’s previous enterprise, CAO Cigars. Regarded as one of the great success stories in the cigar industry’s history, CAO ultimately reached more than 40 states and 60 countries with Tim as the public face of the brand, driving distribution.

Doug Brandon joined Cushman & Wakefield in May 2006 as Managing Principal of the Nashville office. In 2016, Doug was charged with coordinating the inclusion of 42 alliance firms with the Cushman & Wakefield global platform. He oversees strategic and day-to-day operations of Middle Tennessee’s largest full-service commercial real estate office, which includes brokerage, property management and project & development services.

Dr. Mikki Allen was appointed Director of Athletics for Tennessee State University on April 9th and officially began his tenure on June 1, 2020. Allen is a bold leader who moves forward while honoring the past. He’s a winner with roots in Middle Tennessee and understands that championships come from relentless work and a fearless vision. He comes to Tennessee State University after 11 years in sports administration, including his most recent position as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Player Relations and Development at the University of Tennessee.

Dr. Morgan Wills is the Associate Dean of Clinical Education for Belmont University’s Frist College of Medicine and is an associate professor of internal medicine. In his role as a member of the College’s leadership team, Dr. Wills builds, cultivates and maintains relationships with clinical affiliates; leads planning, implementation and oversees the medical student clinical education experience; and serves as a resource for clinical affiliate faculty recruitment and development.

Gerald McCormick joined The Ingram Group after his retirement from the Tennessee General Assembly. Representative McCormick served in several leadership positions, including his role as House Majority Leader and as Chairman of the Budget Subcommittee of House Finance, Ways and Means. His community involvement has included serving on the boards of the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Blood Assurance, Big Ridge Elementary School PTA, and the Tennessee State Museum Foundation Board. Gerald also completed the Leadership Tennessee program and remains active in the organization.

Clifton is the President and CEO of the Urban League of Middle Tennessee, a civil rights organization that collaborates at the local level with community leaders, policymakers and corporate partners across Middle Tennessee to elevate standards of living for African Americans and other historically underserved groups. Clifton is a long-time community organizer and advocate and no stranger to the nonprofit community. Prior to joining the Urban League, he successfully managed six different nonprofit agencies throughout his career. Harris’s work has made him an expert in the field of non-profit management, economic development and workforce development.

Eddie Anstey is a Nashville native who’s worked for Nashville-based Zycron since 2010 providing IT staffing and consulting services to local clients such as HCA, Deloitte, and Metro Nashville. Prior to Zycron, Eddie spent eight years in nurse recruitment, recruiting locally for one of Nashville’s largest hospitals, Centennial Medical Center, and internationally, from Manila, Philippines. Eddie is a graduate of Lipscomb University and currently works remotely from Knoxville, TN where his wife is enrolled in the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Paige Brown is currently serving her third term as Mayor of Gallatin, Tennessee (named “Nicest Place in America” in 2017 by Readers’ Digest). Ms. Brown has served on numerous non-profit and public sector boards and committees. Currently, she serves as the 2nd Vice President of the Tennessee Municipal League, Vice Chair of the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) and on the Executive Committee of the Middle Tennessee Mayors Caucus. She is Past-President of the Greater Nashville Regional Council (GNRC) and Past-Chair of the Tennessee Local Government Planning Advisory Committee. Additionally, she currently serves on the Nashville Area Transportation Policy Board (MPO), the Tennessee Local Development Authority, and the Sumner County Prevention Coalition. jeffIn 2019 she was selected to participate in the Mayors’ Institute on City Design.

Kathleen Murphy is a member of the Nashville Metro Council in Tennessee, representing District 24. Murphy assumed office in 2015. Murphy's current term ends in 2023. Murphy ran for re-election to the Nashville Metro Council to represent District 24 in Tennessee. Murphy won in the general election on August 1, 2019. Murphy is from Nashville, Tennessee. She first attended Spring Hill College, then transferred and graduated from Belmont University in 2007. Her professional experience includes working at her family's government relations firm, and working as an advocate at the Kentucky State Legislature.