Stephanie Coleman has been on the job as president and CEO of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce for just over a year now.
During the first few months, a lot of her time was spent developing or deepening relationships within the business community and with her staff.
kAm“%96 >2;@C:EJ @7 >J E:>6 D9@F=5 36 DA6?E 6?828:?8 H:E9 A6@A=6[” D96 D2JD] “qFE E92E’D 9@H H6 86E E9:?8D 5@?6 :? }2D9G:==6[ 2?5 D@ E92E 2DA64E @7 ]]] 9@H @FC 4@>>F?:EJ 86ED E9:?8D 5@?6 E@86E96C :? 2 4@==23@C2E:G6 H2J[ ;FDE 3642>6 6G6? >@C6 2AA2C6?E E@ >6 @G6C E96 A2DE J62C]”k^Am
kAmr@=6>2? D2JD E96 C68:@? 92D 8C@H? D@ >F49 64@?@>:42==J :? E96 A2DE 564256 E92E E96 492>36C 42??@E 4@?E:?F6 @A6C2E:?8 E96 D2>6 H2J :E 92D :? E96 A2DE 2?5 36 E96 @C82?:K2E:@? E92E :ED A2CE?6CD ?665 :E E@ 36 E@52J]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 E@ :?4C62D6 @FC 42A24:EJ] (6 92G6 E@ :?4C62D6 @FC C6D@FC4:?8] (6 92G6 E@ :?4C62D6 @FC D@A9:DE:42E:@? 2?5 9@H H6 FD6 E649?@=@8J 2?5 9@H H6 6?8286 H:E9 @FC >6>36CD 2?5 H:E9 E96 3C@256C 4@>>F?:EJ[ D@ E92E H6 42? 92G6 2 3:886C 2?5 36EE6C :>A24E :? E96 H@C< E92E H6’C6 5@:?8[” D96 D2JD[ 255:?8 E96 @C82?:K2E:@? :D 5@:?8 2== @7 E92E D:>F=E2?6@FD=J]k^Am
kAm!2CE?6CD9:A a_b_ :D 2 3:8 A2CE @7 E96 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E DEC2E68J 7@C E96 C68:@? 8@:?8 7@CH2C5[ 2?5 :>A=6>6?E2E:@? 368:?D @77:4:2==J :? yF=J] $:?46 E96 492>36C C6=62D65 E96 A=2? =2DE J62C :? yF?6[ r@=6>2? D2JD E96 @C82?:K6CD 92G6 366? >66E:?8 H:E9 :?G6DE@CD E@ C2:D6 Sb_ >:==:@? E@ DFAA@CE E96 A=2?]k^Am
kAmqFE :? 255:E:@? E@ E96 @FEH2C5 H@C< E96 492>36C :D 5@:?8[ r@=6>2? D2JD E96 8C@FA ?66565 E@ 5@ :?E6C?2= @A6C2E:@?D DEC2E68:4 A=2??:?8]k^Am
kAm“$@>6 @7 @FC E62> >6>36CD 92G6 366? 96C6 >@C6 E92? b_ J62CD[ 4=@D6 E@ c_ J62CD[ 2?5 ?@3@5J 42? A:?A@:?E 2 E:>6 H96C6 H6’G6 925 2 3C@256C :?E6C?2=[ @A6C2E:@?2= DEC2E68:4 A=2?[” r@=6>2? E6==D E96 !@DE] “(6 5@ 2??F2= A=2?D 2?5 3F586ED[ 3FE E9@D6 2C6 >@C6 D9@CE E6C>] %9:D :D 8@:?8 E@ 2==@H FD E@ E9:?< >@C6 =@?8 E6C>]”k^Am
kAm{2DE DAC:?8 E96 492>36C F?56CE@@< D@>6 C6DECF4EFC:?8 2?5 FA52E65 :ED 6>A=@J66 92?53@@<[ H9:49 r@=6>2? D2JD A6@A=6k^Am
kAmH6C6 24EF2==J 6I4:E65 23@FE 2?5 H9:49 D96 36=:6G6D H:== 96=A H:E9 E96 492>36C’D @H? C6E6?E:@? 2?5 C64CF:E>6?E]k^Am
kAm$96 D2JD 92G:?8 H@C<65 2E E96 492>36C 7@C `g J62CD 96CD6=7 92D 2==@H65 96C E@ D66 E96 @C82?:K2E:@?’D DF446DD 2?5 E96 @AA@CEF?:E:6D 7@C 492?86] $96 6>A92D:K6D E9C66 2C62Di :??@G2E:@?[ :?:E:2E:@? 2?5 DEC2E68:4 8C@HE9]k^Am
kAmr@=6>2? 56D4C:36D :??@G2E:@? 2D 3@E9 9@H E96 492>36C :D FD:?8 E649?@=@8J DF49 2D px[ 2D H6== 2D 9@H E96 @C82?:K2E:@? DFAA@CED E9@D6 E649?@=@8:42= 25G2?46>6?ED 6IE6C?2==J] $96 D2JD :E’D :>A@CE2?E E92E E96 492>36C DE2CE E@ =@@< 2E 9@H E649?@=@8J D92A6D 6G6CJ :?5FDECJ D64E@C[ ?@E ;FDE D66 E649 2D :ED @H? 7:6=5]k^Am
kAm“x? E96 962=E9 42C6 DA246[ H6’C6 <?@H? 7@C @FC AC@G:56C ?6EH@C<] (6’C6 <?@H? 7@C 9@DA:E2= >2?286>6?E[” D96 D2JD] “(6 2=D@ 92G6 2 9:89 ?F>36C @7 6?EC6AC6?6FCD 96C6[ @7 4C62E:G6 :?5:G:5F2=D 96C6[ @7 DE2CEFAD] (6 92G6 E9:D @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ C62==J :?E6?E:@?2==J 3C:?8 E@86E96C E96 A:646D @7 E92E AFKK=6 2?5 36 E92E 5:8:E2= 962=E9 9F3 7@C E96 4@F?ECJ 2?5 6G6? 8=@32==J]”k^Am
kAmx?:E:2E:@? :?G@=G6D H92E E96 492>36C 42? 5@ H:E9 E96 8@2=D @7 E96 !2CE?6CD9:A a_b_ A=2?[ r@=6>2? 6IA=2:?D]k^Am
kAm“%92E’D H96C6 J@F’== D66 E96 6=6>6?ED @7 E96 A2CE?6CD9:A A=2? 4@>6 E@ =:76 2?5 :56?E:7J:?8 H92E’D 2 82A E92E 6I:DED :? @FC 4@>>F?:EJ E92E H6’C6 F?:BF6=J A@D:E:@?65 E@ 7:==[” D96 D2JD] “xE 4@F=5 36 D@>6E9:?8 E:65 E@ E96D6 4@?46AED @7 D6CG:46[ =6256CD9:A[ AC@E64E:?8 @FC 4C62E:G6 |FD:4 r:EJ 3C2?5[ @C 9@FD:?8[ H9:49 H6’C6 H@C<:?8 24E:G6=J @? 2=C625J[ @C C68:@?2= EC2?DA@CE2E:@?[ H9:49 H6 5@?’E C62==J 92G6 2 C68:@?2= 7F?5:?8 >6492?:D>]”k^Am
kAmr@=6>2? D2JD 8C@H:?8 DEC2E68:42==J >62?D 92G:?8 492>36C >6>36CD9:A C6AC6D6?E 2 3C@256C ?6EH@C< 7@C 8C62E6C :>A24E 2?5 :?7=F6?46 E92? @E96CH:D6[ H9:=6 2=D@ 56G6=@A:?8 DE277 :?E6C?2==J E@ DFAA@CE E96:C 42C66C A2E9D]k^Am
kAm~7 E96 492>36C’D `[g__ >6>36CD[ 3FD:?6DD6D H:E9 d_ @C 76H6C 6>A=@J66D >2<6 FA fd A6C46?E @7 E96 >6>36CD9:A] pD A2CE @7 E96 492>36C C6DECF4EFC:?8[ H9:49 r@=6>2? =65[ E96C6 H2D 2 D9:7E 7C@> 7@4FD:?8 D:>A=J @? 6G6?ED 2?5 AC@8C2>>:?8 7@C D>2== 3FD:?6DD6D E@ C64@8?:K:?8 E96 64@?@>:4 42D6 7@C DFAA@CE:?8 D>2== 3FD:?6DD6D F?56C E96 64@?@>:4 56G6=@A>6?E E62>]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 :? E96 AC@46DD DE:== @7 56G6=@A:?8 H92E E92E =@@<D =:<6 =@?8 E6C>[” D96 D2JD] “%92E H:== C6BF:C6 FD E@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ =:DE6? 2?5 E@ F?56CDE2?5 H92E D>2== 3FD:?6DD6D 2C6 724:?8 E92E =2C86C 4@CA@C2E:@?D >2J ?@E 36 724:?8]”k^Am
kAmr@=6>2? D2JD D96 =:<6D E@ 7@4FD @? =@42==J @H?65 3FD:?6DD6D :? E9:D H2J 2D E96C6 :D @7E6? 2 3:E @7 @G6C=2A H:E9 E96 D>2== 3FD:?6DD6D 4@>>F?:EJ]k^Am
kAm“%96J 92G6 D<:? :? E96 82>6 :? 2 H2J E92E 2 =2C86C 4@CA@C2E:@? ;FDE 5J?2>:42==J 2?5 4F=EFC2==J >2J ?@E[” D96 D2JD] “%96J’C6 E9:?<:?8 23@FE E9:?8D :? 2 5:776C6?E H2J] p?5 E96C67@C6[ :? D@>6 H2JD[ E96J 6I6>A=:7J E9:D C:D<\E2<:?8[ 4C62E:G6[ :??@G2E:G6 6?6C8J E92E }2D9G:==6 :D <?@H? 7@C]”k^Am
kAmtG6? :? E96 3FD:?6DD C62=>[ }2D9G:==6 :D C64@8?:K65 7@C :ED G:3C2?E 6?6C8J[ 2?5 r@=6>2? D2JD E92E :D E96 >2:? 4@>A6E:E:G6 25G2?E286 E96 4:EJ 92D @G6C D:>:=2C $@FE96C? 4:E:6D H96? 3FD:?6DD6D =@@< E@ A=2?E C@@ED :? 2 ?6H 4:EJ :? E96 $@FE9] $96 255D E92E E96 C68:@?2= A6CDA64E:G6 E96 492>36C 2?5 @E96C @C82?:K2E:@?D E2<6 :D 2?@E96C 2DA64E E92E D6ED |:55=6 %6??6DD66 2A2CE 7C@> @E96C A66C C68:@?D] p?5 H9:=6 D96 D2JD “}2D9G:==6 :D E96 3C2?5 2?5 D@ E96 DF446DD @7 E96 4@C6 4C62E6D E96 DF446DD @7 2== E96 C68:@?” — E92E 4@>6D 7C@> 96C 2?5 @E96C 492>36C DE277 ?FCEFC:?8 86?F:?6 C6=2E:@?D9:AD H:E9 A6@A=6 24C@DD E96 `_ 4@F?EJ =:?6D E92E E96J C6AC6D6?E]k^Am
kAm“%96 492>36C :D `fg\J62C\@=5 @C82?:K2E:@?[ 2?5 x 766= 2 A6CD@?2= C6DA@?D:3:=:EJ E@ 42CCJ @? E92E =6824J[ 3FE 2=D@ E@ =@@< 29625[ ?@E ;FDE E@ E96 ?6IE J62C[ 3FE :? E96 ?6IE D6G6C2= 564256D 2?5 E9:?< 23@FE H92E 5@ H6 ?665 E@ 36 5@:?8 E@52J E@ 36 E92E @C82?:K2E:@? E96 4@>>F?:EJ ?665D FD E@ 36[” D96 D2JD]k^Am
