by John Wade
President
Nashville GLBT Chamber of Commerce
I am happy to greet you having ended what has to have been our most successful year yet. Our membership numbers continue to grow, creating a diverse mix of professional services, business owners and not for profit professionals. Our second annual business Expo moved to a new location, LP Field, and proved to be quite successful for many of our exhibitors. Our identity is truly becoming that of the GLBT Chamber of Commerce.
The highlight of the year, though, had to be the introduction of "unpredictable, the fashion show." This amazing show, produced by Out and About Newspaper and managed by chamber members Rick Harris and Michael Fluck was unlike any event we have seen in Nashville. It was high-profile. It was exciting. It was HOT! More importantly, proceeds put us on the financial footing we needed to help advance the interests of our members.
Having just wrapped up a "listening tour," whereby I had the opportunity to meet one on one with nearly forty of you, I know expectations for 2007 are higher than ever. I have no doubt that we have assembled a board of directors that is up to the task; who have equally high expectations.
January's meeting will give you the opportunity to hear first hand and ask questions about what is in store for 2007. I hope you will be present on January 23 as we launch another exciting year!
Finally, we have been operating for some time on out of date member data. It is time we bring our records up to date and I ask that you take a moment to help us do that. It's simple...just follow this link. Thank you for your help with this and I look forward to seeing you on the 23rd.
Congratulations Chris Sanders!On behalf of the Board of Directors, I send congratulations to our immediate past President, Chris Sanders. Chris has been named as the recipient of the 2007 Community Leadership Award, give by the Nashville HRC Steering Committee. Well deserved, indeed!New Feature for 2007
Member Spotlight
Our monthly email has for the most part been used to announce date/time/location/topic of monthly membership meetings. While that use will continue, new features will be added throughout the year. The first of these changes is our monthly member spotlight.
This feature is added to help us all learn more about members, their careers and their community involvement. If you would like to be featured, send me an email. We'll put you in the queue for an upcoming newsletter.
Space is for paid members only and limited three profiles per month on a first come basis. Profiles are subject to editing for length and appropriateness of content. Chair's edits are final. Contact John Wade for more information.
Board Member Spotlight:At Large Member, Chris Nadeau
Chris Nadeau is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His career includes service in the United States Air Force and the accounting/finance departments of various New Jersey companies prior to his move to Nashville and settling into the position of CFO for one of the country's top travel agencies.
In January 2002, Chris was approached by his now business partner to open their own flower and gift shop. They opened Blooming Boutique in February 2002 and have since acquired five other shops. Theirs is ranked in the top five shops in Nashville.
The Blooming Boutique, a full service flower and gift shop, has the theme of "Contemporary designs with classic elegance," handling everyday occasions, weddings, funerals, parties and home decorating. They recently renovated a 5,000 square foot building located at 4507 Charlotte Avenue in West Nashville. Plans are to offer more home interior choices to consumers.
Click to Visit The Blooming Boutique Online
Member Spotlight:
Lane Scoggin, SBResults, LLC
Originally from Pulaski, Tennessee, I moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University, from which I hold a degree in Business Administration with majors in Information Systems Management and Accounting.
Prior to forming SBResults, LLC, I spent over 16 years at Service Merchandise, working in distribution, accounting, inventory control and information technology. During the company's bankruptcy, I headed the company's IT department during the shutdown/liquidation process.
After a brief stint at Shop at Home TV, I formed SBResults with my partner, Shane Burkett. We have seen SBResults, LLC grow from strictly a small business web development shop to a market leader in PHP programing and software concept development and execution.
