Kaleidoscope

Advocating for our most vulnerable neighbors is important work. Catholic Charities was awarded a $15,000 grant to build a pilot program involving community outreach and education designed to increase understanding of our foreign-born neighbors and to build community. Kaleidoscope is the name we’ve given our program, which will culminate next spring with a family-friendly multicultural festival. It will celebrate the rich diversity of our local community. Food, hand-crafted items, and games will be part of the event.
We will host many of the ethnic and cultural Catholic communities in the area, as well as other organizations that focus on strengthening community bonds across Nashville’s many international groups.
Ten CC agencies across the country received the national grant from Catholic Charities USA, and each agency is addressing a specific issue in their communities and creating a program to bridge divides in their cities, reduce polarization, and enhance cohesion. CCUSA has brought together local Catholic Charities, Habitat for Humanity, YMCA, and Interfaith America in the Nation of Bridge Builders initiative. Watch for more details at https://cctenn.org/kaleidoscopefestival/

 

 

Board of Trustees for the fiscal year 2023-24

Board interns get a great opportunity to learn more about the agency, and their one-year terms often lead to a full regular board position. Here is a quick look at our new faces.

[Kyle Eason, Mark Jansen, Meg Mahon, Jeanne Marchetti, Chichi Molokwu, Justin McElroy

AND YLC interns Kristin Byrne, Connor Flaherty, John Klare, Jeremey Whitaker]

Thank you also to our Board officers: Greg Pope, President; John Rodgers, Vice President; Shandy Husman, Treasurer; and Cathy Kelly, Secretary. See details here.

Kyle Eason, Strategy and Innovation, HCA; Kyle is a New Orleans native and a graduate of Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School. His experience includes Deloitte, Ernst & Young and strategy and consulting positions.

Mark Jansen, Chief Operating Officer, Rural Healthcare Group; Mark is a healthcare operations executive. He stepped away from the corporate world and did mission work with his family in Costa Rica during the pandemic, featured in the Tennessee Register.

Meg Mahon, Magistrate, Williamson County; Former general counsel for the Archdiocese of New York, graduate of Fordham Law School. Relocated to Middle Tennessee during the pandemic.

Jeanne Burd Marchetti, Retired Public Health RN, Community Advocate; Native Nashvillian and longtime supporter of many Catholic entities. She is well connected with nonprofit and philanthropic concerns. She is a member of Christ the King parish.

Justin McElroy, Vice President, Finance and Associate CFO, Ascension Saint Thomas; MBA from Indiana Wesleyan. His experience includes work with rural Hickman county medical practice affiliated with Saint Thomas. He attends St. Matthew.

Chichi Molokwu, Financial Services Professional, World Financial Group; Immigrated from Nigeria and holds an MBA in Finance. She has experience working in State Government. She now works to develop financial plans for a variety of clients, including those not in high wealth situations.

We are involved in the 100 Day Challenge initiative!

This initiative, which began August 28 and is scheduled to wrap up on December 9.  is led by United Way of Greater Nashville, The Family Collective, and Safe Haven Family Shelter, in partnership with more than 25 community organizations. Nashville’s rapid growth has made finding housing harder than ever, and more than 400 families registered with Metro area partners are currently awaiting housing support. This challenge is an opportunity for partner organizations to braid together their expertise and move the needle for our neighbors.

Nashville Diaper Connection

We will never get tired of saying THANK YOU to our friends at the Nashville Diaper Connection, who this morning made a huge donation of 3,800 diapers for our neighbors in need. On the photo are Neyra Arguello, our basic needs case manager, and Doug Adair, president of the Nashville Diaper Connection. It is splendid to see how good deeds generates smiles and hope in thousands! #supportnonprofits #SupportYourNeighbors

 

Nashville Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster

As proud members of Nashville Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, Catholic Charities plays a key role in disaster preparedness in the area. We were excited to be a site for August’s month city-wide drill that will ensure that for future needs, volunteers can be mobilized in a central location before deployment where they are most needed. Hands On Nashville, led this portion of the training and practice exercise for Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. Catholic Charities is honored to serve our neighbors who are displaced by disasters. Being ready on a moment’s notice is one of our superpowers.

 

Leadership Nashville announces class of 2023-24

This is exciting news and a wonderful experience where a nice set of other nonprofit and business leaders of diverse backgrounds are part of. These types of community relationships help strengthen Catholic Charities’ connection to neighborhoods, businesses, government leaders and media.

It’s always an honor to share space with a diverse group of people who will challenge each other to see things differently.

 

Photo courtesy of the Tennessean.

According to Maddy Weish, from the Tennessean:

Leadership Nashville’s class of 2023-24

  • Shawn Bakker; President, Nashville Public Library Foundation
  • Lyle Beasley; Managing Partner, West End Holdings, LLC
  • Lillian Blackshear; Public Finance Partner, Bass, Berry & Sims PLC
  • Terrence Brooks; Principal, Google Cloud
  • Christiane Buggs; Board Member/Chair Emeritus, Metro Nashville Public Schools
  • John Cannon, EVP; Commercial Real Estate Manager, Pinnacle Financial Partners
  • Sidney Cherry; SVP Tax & Treasury Operations, Ryman Hospitality Properties
  • Monica Cintado; Vice President Corporate Development, HCA Healthcare
  • Michael Collier; EVP, Corporate Strategy & Development, HealthStream, Inc.
  • Alfred Dowell; Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Ingram Industries Inc.
  • Seth Feman; Executive Director and CEO, Frist Art Museum
  • Jeff Fincher; Chief Development Officer, Nashville Christian School
  • Nicole Flynn; Director, Marketing Strategy – Hotels, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center
  • Malone Gilliam; Rector, St. George’s Episcopal Church
  • Erica Gilmore; Metropolitan Trustee
  • Ben Goad; News Director, The Tennessean
  • Andrea Hart; Vice President Human Resources, Caterpillar
  • Shubhada Jagasia; President and CEO, Ascension St. Thomas Hospital
  • Lynda Jones; Judge, Metropolitan Government
  • Winston Justice; Investment Manager, Alliance Bernstein
  • Andrew Kintz; Executive Vice President, First Horizon Bank
  • Lisa Lankford; EVP, Chief Corporate Strategy Officer, Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority
  • Minh Le; Partner, Finn Partners
  • Becky Magura; President & CEO, Nashville Public Television
  • Rod McDaniel; CEO, S3 Recycling Solutions
  • John Mikos; President and CEO, YMCA of Middle Tennessee
  • Matt Nicholson; Director of Development & Operations, The Clear Blue Company
  • Judy Orr; Executive Director, Catholic Charities
  • Perri duGard Owens; President & CEO, duGard Communications
  • Lauren Lane Payne, Senior Vice President of Philanthropy, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville
  • Jamie Pfeffer; Principal, Pfeffer Torode
  • Allison Reed; President-Elect, Junior League of Nashville
  • Amani Reed; Director, University School Nashville
  • EJ Reed; CEO, Slim and Husky’s
  • Kabir Sandhu; Vice President, R.C. Mathews Contractor
  • Ashlee Sellars; Director of Restorative Justice Initiatives, Raphah Institute
  • Jeremy Swartz; Vice President, CRM Strategy, Jackson National Life, Inc.
  • Tina Tuggle; VP, DEI Officer, Tennessee Titans
  • Matt Van Epps; Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Office of the Governor
  • Chandra Vasser; VP, Chief Diversity Equity & Inclusion Officer and President of the Nissan Foundation, Nissan Group of the Americas
  • Tash Weddle; CEO, The New Beginnings Center/TNB-Fitness
  • Tommy Widener; Deputy Chief of Police, Metro Nashville Police Department
  • Sally Williams; President, Nashville Music & Business Strategy, Live Nation
  • Rick Wright; Chair Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vicki Yates, Journalist, Formerly NewsChannel 5
  • Vicky Yates, Journalist, formerly NewsChannel5
  • Russell Ziecker; EVP, Global Head of Television Music, Lionsgate/Starz