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KERRY GRAHAM NAMED CEO OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES, DIOCESE OF NASHVILLE
Longtime Business Leader to Head Important Nashville Non-profit
(Nashville, Tenn., April 28, 2026) — Nashville business leader and non-profit board director Kerry Graham will become the Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Nashville, effective June 1, 2026.
In making the announcement, Catholic Charities Board President John Rodgers pointed to Graham’s long success in the marketing and advertising profession and his broad and varied involvement in a number of non-profits, several as chair or president.
Graham’s marketing agency, The Brand Hotel, is an acclaimed center for brand creativity and a model for innovative business practices, building on Graham’s more than 35-year career in the advertising profession. In addition, he brings a long history of non-profit leadership to Catholic Charities, including more than 16 years of service on the board of directors of Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, two of them as chair. He succeeds Judy Orr, who retired after seven years at the head of the organization.
“The Search Committee – headed by former Catholic Charities Board Chair Fran Bedard – conducted a nationwide search that produced several exceptional candidates, but the committee was impressed by Kerry’s combination of business success and non-profit leadership,” Rodgers said. “That combination, along with his demonstrated heart for serving all in our community, makes him an outstanding choice to lead Catholic Charities into its next era of serving Middle Tennessee.”
The Most Reverend J. Mark Spalding, Bishop of Nashville, welcomed the news. “Catholic Charities has been an important force in our city, bringing hope, love, and healing, whether it has been in response to an emergency or to help a family in need,” Bishop Spalding said. “Kerry’s involvement in our community – the Catholic community, the business community, the Middle Tennessee community – demonstrates his devotion to Catholic Charities’ mission. His creativity and his strong Catholic faith will serve us well, and I am pleased to welcome him to this important position for the diocese and our city.”
Graham founded The Brand Hotel in 2015 and guided it to a place among the top advertising agencies in the South, serving clients in music, consumer goods, hospitality and retail services from California to Tennessee to Italy and Spain. Prior to The Brand Hotel, he was at The Buntin Group as vice chairman, chief creative officer from 1996-2005, and BOHAN Advertising in Nashville from 2006-2015, first as president and then as vice chairman and CEO. During his tenure, the agency created memorable campaigns in apparel, retail, hospitality and healthcare, including the “Nothing shall be impossible” campaign for Ascension-Saint Thomas Hospital. The agency was named Ad Age’s “Southeast Small Agency of the Year” and “Best Agency Culture,” as well as Modern Healthcare’s “Healthcare Agency of the Year,” while receiving numerous other awards for their work and their operation.
Graham reflected on his career and how it will inform this new role. “I’m excited to have this opportunity to lead the Catholic Charities team as we continue its outstanding work for our community together,” Graham said. “My advertising experience has given me a decades-long crash course in psychology and the power of compelling storytelling to influence consumer behavior on behalf of our clients’ brands, products, and services. But my favorite assignments have always been the ones that allowed us to use those marketing lessons as powerful medicine for good, outside the marketplace, especially non-profit and community initiatives. That’s why the mission of Catholic Charities is a passion project for me. With the goal of providing more medicine for good here, I look forward to working with this team to implement systems and programs that strengthen our culture internally as we expand our service in Nashville and cities throughout the diocese.”
Prior to coming to Nashville, Graham worked for Henderson Advertising in Greenville, Hill Holliday in Boston, and J. Walter Thompson and Burton Campbell, both in Atlanta. In addition, he has served on the boards of The Contributor, Cheekwood Estate and Gardens, The Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Wake Forest University School of Business, The Ensworth School, and the Adventure Science Center. He was a member of the 2008-2009 class of Leadership Nashville.
A graduate of Vanderbilt where he studied English Lit and Drama, Graham was also part of the Sewanee Writer’s Conference and studied Literature and Drama at University College at Oxford University. He and his wife, Linda, attend Saint Henry Catholic Church. Their family includes a son and daughter-in-law, two daughters and sons-in-law, and seven grandchildren.
“I’ve known and worked with Kerry for a number of years, and his talent, leadership, and collaborative spirit have always been evident to me,” said Greg Pope, chief administrative officer for the Diocese of Nashville. “I am confident he will bring those same talents to Catholic Charities, enhancing the work and the culture of this important diocesan ministry.”
Rodgers thanked Orr. “Judy’s leadership and caring spirit have guided this organization exceptionally well. Her tenure has been marked with the unique challenges of the pandemic, the Christmas bombing, and immigration issues, but during that period she has produced many of Catholic Charities’ finest moments. We are forever grateful for her stewardship of this organization, its staff, its clients, and its heart.”
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ABOUT CATHOLIC CHARITIES
For over 60 years, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Nashville has been a beacon of love, hope, and healing for Middle Tennessee. The organization and its team are committed to serving neighbors in need—regardless of their faith tradition—with compassion and care during their most challenging times, helping them regain stability and dignity. More information is available at cctenn.org
ABOUT THE DIOCESE OF NASHVILLE
Founded in 1837, the Diocese of Nashville serves the Middle Tennessee community through its 60 church parishes, 20 Catholic schools, and numerous affiliated entities. More information is available at dioceseofnashville.com.