Leadership Edition - Greater Memphis Chamber

A L S O I N S I D E : N E W E C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T Q U A R T E R LY U P DAT E

memphis

CROSSROADS A publication of the Greater Memphis Chamber

FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT

The hometown values of Memphis Mayor A C Wharton

FACES OF THE FUTURE Meet the city's emerging new leaders

PLUS

Uncontained melodies Why shipping trends bode well for Memphis

Adding it up Help from a money management crash course

Millions for Memphians How small businesses are netting big deals

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GREATER MEMPHIS CHAMBER STAFF LISTING EXECUTIVE OFFICE John W. Moore President and CEO [email protected]

Susan Hadley Maynor Managing Director of Economic Development [email protected]

Jean Reid Senior Executive Assistant to the President [email protected]

Brenda Montgomery Administrative Manager [email protected]

ADMINISTRATION & HUMAN RESOURCES Teresa Justus Managing Director [email protected]

Ernest Strickland Existing Business Consultant [email protected]

Connie Benderman Receptionist [email protected] Monya Davis General Information Specialist [email protected] J. Eric Elam Director, Operations [email protected] Linda Orman Administrative Assistant [email protected] COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Dexter Muller Senior Vice President [email protected] Jim Covington Vice President, Logistics & Aerotropolis Development [email protected]

Tunga Lee Administrative Assistant [email protected]

Alexis Rutland Member Services Coordinator [email protected]

Dixie Lucas Network Administrator [email protected]

LaVera L. Tolbert Business Development Consultant [email protected]

Chris Stewart Senior Staff Accountant [email protected]

Patti Pace Walsh Business Development Consultant [email protected]

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Christina Bradway Traffic Coordinator [email protected]

MEMPHISED Reid Dulberger Vice President, MemphisED Administration [email protected]

Amy Argiro Daniels Director, Communications [email protected]

MLGW Bill Bullock Manager [email protected]

John Hubbell Senior Staff Writer [email protected]

Tom Chamberlain Economic Development Representative [email protected]

Adrienne Johnson Research Project Manager [email protected]

Janelle Robinson Administrative Assistant [email protected]

Kim Kent Research Analyst II [email protected]

Clifford Stockton Senior Advisor, Logistics & Public Policy [email protected]

Corey Owens Graphic Designer [email protected]

Delories Williams Director, Workforce Development [email protected]

Scott Sigman Director, Research & Marketing [email protected]

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Mark Herbison Senior Vice President [email protected]

Lori Spicer Communications Specialist Editor-in-Chief, Memphis Crossroads [email protected]

Mike Demster Vice President, International & Technology Business Development [email protected]

Lakisha Watson-Moore Research Communications Specialist [email protected]

Christina Drones Director, Economic Development [email protected] Carmen Franklin Administrative Assistant [email protected] Kelvin Kolheim Existing Business Consultant [email protected]

MEMBER DEVELOPMENT Linda Cornish Vice President [email protected]

Angela Michaels Manager, Member Services [email protected] Ericka Milford Event Coordinator [email protected]

FINANCE & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Ted Ferris Vice President/CFO [email protected]

Beverly Davis Administrative Assistant [email protected]

Leigh Anne Downes Director, Life Science Business Development [email protected]

Leah Massee Business Development Consultant [email protected]

Nancy Yarbrough Secretary [email protected] MID-SOUTH QUALITY PRODUCTIVITY CENTER Donald C. Fisher, Ph.D. Executive Director [email protected] Loretta Taylor Dale, Ed.D. Director of Training [email protected] Teresa Franks Training Assistant [email protected] U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE David Spann Director, Memphis USEAC [email protected]

Jeanne Bleu Business Development Consultant [email protected] Nykesha H. Cole Member Services Coordinator [email protected] Patricia Guy Director, Special Events [email protected] Memphis Crossroads | www.memphischamber.com

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FROM THE TOP John W. Moore

LEADERS ALL AROUND US Sometimes, good leadership means the ability to follow. Just ask new Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. With its focus on leadership, the final 2009 edition of Memphis Crossroads magazine is less about the year that is ending, and more about the year that is dawning. The city and county have ended the year under highly capable, newly installed leaders. But, while the task of choosing them is behind us as a community, the task of true leadership — and supporting those we have chosen — now begins. I share our community’s sense of renewed optimism for Memphis. Such hope is grounded in reality. Amid challenges, and during a year that proved daunting for many, Memphis has been planning for a robust future. We’ve continued to plot how we’ll grow industries especially ready to capitalize on Memphis’s strengths, including biotechnology, our multidynamic “aerotropolis” initiative, and other core assets. We’ve created a new path forward on improving public education — and seen it validated by funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The right choices have been made in 2009 to ensure 2010 proves better for all who live in Memphis. It’s a good time to focus on what we respect in, and expect from, our leaders. Recently, I joined MemphisED administrator and Chamber Vice President Reid Dulberger and other Chamber staff for an informal meeting with Memphis Mayor A C Wharton in his new office at City Hall. During our talk, without hesitation or preconditions, the mayor readily agreed to the idea of meeting with key Memphis business leaders in the year ahead to simply listen to their concerns. He also continues to reiterate his interest in joining with us to attract new businesses, and new jobs, to Memphis. 2

While the mayor rightly sees himself as integral to fostering our community’s progress, his humility was striking during our talk. He referenced a recent community meeting at which people of all walks of life, races, and backgrounds sat with each other, sharing ideas and enthusiasm on how the city can be safer, healthier, and more vibrant for all. To the mayor, it’s clear: The true leaders of Memphis are all of us. As Memphis School Board Member Tomeka Hart puts it in our article (page 18) about Mayor Wharton’s roots: “I’m excited, because he gets it on all levels. The question is going to be: Are we going to support him? Because he’s not going to get there by himself.” In this issue, we also meet others who are actively leading the charge to become a better city — selected for us by organizations and groups across Memphis. At the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy, we meet Student Body President Melaina Perry who works to provide leadership even while undertaking demanding studies. We also feature Jackie Nichols, the executive director of Playhouse on the Square, who has managed the construction of a new state-of-the-art theatre in less than ideal times. Also in this issue, Crossroads begins moving to a format that will better enable us to report on economic progress in Memphis. New sections on logistics, bioscience and personal finance appear, as well as a quarterly update on Memphis ED — the economic development initiative that’s part of the wide-reaching Memphis

Memphis Crossroads | www.memphischamber.com

Fast Forward plan and guided by the Chamber. We debut new features highlighting our excellent Chamber staff, this time featuring Donn Fisher and Beverly Davis. Look for more new features in 2010, as well as on our Web site at memphischamber.com. We hope this issue serves as a testament to the great strengths of Memphis. The Chamber looks forward to advancing our partnerships with those sharing our goal of economic development and opportunity for all.

memphis

CROSSROADS PUBLISHER - John Moore EDITOR-IN-CHIEF - Lori Spicer CREATIVE DIRECTOR - Corey Owens SENIOR EDITORS - Amy Daniels and John Hubbell

2010 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS Mr. Tom Schmitt, Chairman Mr. Nick Clark, Vice Chairman Mr. Arnold Perl, Secretary & Counsel Ms. Martha L. Perine Beard, Vice Chair, Finance/Treasurer Mr. John W. Moore, President & CEO DIRECTORS Mr. Calvin Anderson Mr. Steven Bares, Ph.D. Mr. Charles S. Blatteis Mr. Doug Browne Mr. Greg Campbell Mr. Kriner Cash, Ed.D. Mr. Jerry Collins Mr. Larry Cox Mr. Joseph DeVivo Mr. Joe DiNicolantonio Ms. Alandas Dobbins Mr. Mike Edwards Ms. Julie Ellis Mr. Nathan Essex, Ed.D. Mr. Ryan Fleur Mr. Steve Fracchia Ms. Desi Franklin Mr. John Frazer Mr. Johnny B. Moore Mr. Mark Giannini

Ms. Dotty Summerfield Giusti Mr. Bob Gordon Mr. Bill Griffin Ms. Carolyn Hardy Mr. Charles Hill Mr. Kevin Kane Mr. Greerson McMullen Ms. Valerie Morris Mr. Patrick Neely Mr. Ray Pohlman Ms. Beverly Robertson Ms. Gayle Rose Mr. Richard Shadyac, Jr. Ms. Leigh Shockey Mr. Jack Soden Ms. Blair Taylor Mr. Charlie “Chuck” Thomas Mr. Phil Trenary Mr. Roby Williams Mr. Luke Yancy

MEMPHIS AREA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN

CONTENTS

Leadership Edition

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What ‘A C’ Stands For

Aggressive recruiting and retention of businesses. Transparency, efficiency and a tone of respect. To understand where Memphis is headed, it helps to know where newly elected Memphis City Mayor A C Wharton comes from.

28

New Leaders with a New Agenda

We are introduced to a dynamic group of individuals who are all making significant contributions towards the advancement of this city. Meet these New Lades with a New Agenda.

42

Behind the New Curtain, There’s Nothing to Hide

Through lean times, Jackie Nichols fashioned a new Playhouse on the Square with no debt and a team mindset. Now his new theater is about to become the gem of Midtown.

44

Schooling the Next Generation of Leaders

Local organizations provide ‘a conduit for emerging talent.’

46

True Marks of a Leader

At UT’s College of Pharmacy, officials say Student Body President Melaina Perry is governing her class with vision and a hands-on style. Chamber Business 1 Chamber Staff Listing 2 From the Top: Letter from the Publisher 4 My Perspective: Letter from the Editor 5 Contributors Economic Development 6 The Corner Office: Questions for Tom Schmitt 8 Small Business: You’ve Got Mail 9 MemphisED Quarterly Update: Fueled for Success 12 Entrepreneurship: Mid-South Drug Testing 14 Logistics: All Boxed Up 16 Bioscience: The Online Coupon Clipper 17 Personal Finance: Now, Every Cent Counts 18 A Look at the New…U of M Law School: Coming to Order Member Development 49 The Human Spirit: Leveraging Leadership Transition 50 On the Frontlines with Dr. Donn Fisher 52 On the Clock, Off the Clock with Beverly Davis 53 Ribbon Cuttings 54 Calendar 56 New Members Special Feature 48 The Arts: Dance Works, Inc. In the Art Revolution Memphis Crossroads | www.memphischamber.com

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MY PERSPECTIVE Lori Spicer

As the year comes to a close, I first take a moment and reflect on all the lessons learned and goals I achieved. Then, I anticipate the start of the new year by laying out a new foundation to guide me through the forthcoming twelve months. With the beginning of each year, I claim it as my year — a year where I will 4

excel personally, professionally and civically. I am not one to sit down and formally write out New Year’s resolutions, but I outline the things that are important for me to achieve in the year ahead and that will ultimately serve as stepping stones for my future success. To ensure accountability, this year I am publishing my goals for 2010 in the hope that this will serve as a constant reminder of what I plan to accomplish. I plan to free some of my time to give more attention to our area youth through mentorship programs; to further enhance my professional skills; become more knowledgeable about my craft; to be a better person in all the fulfilling relationships in my life; and to continue to share my time and efforts with people and causes that create positive changes in the city of Memphis. These are huge goals. But I think they will help me fulfill this incessant void of not being more of service to those in need. These are the type of aspirations that can change you as a person, and fundamentally change your life.


In the same vein, Memphis needs some huge goals, and action steps to follow, from us all. We are the ones who can make Memphis a great city… you and me. In the final quarter of 2009, Memphis elected A C Wharton as mayor. Following his victory came an air of optimism. Citizens realized that it will take each one of us to stand as leaders, believe in our city, and work together to create what our new mayor sees as “One Memphis” – a city united by its people, its future, and its aspirations of greatness. There is no better time to step forward and work for positive change in Memphis. John Quincy Adams said, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” It is our time to lead, to reach out and be an example to our children, and to help our young people realize their potential. I believe we are all given a divine purpose, and mine includes serving those in need. This year I will be more instrumental in developing and working with programs that offer our youth exposure and that position them to better lead our city. All that we wish for is in our hands to create; it is just a matter of us acting on it. It is my hope that the leaders you meet in this leadership edition of Memphis Crossroads will inspire you to see the leader in yourself. We all need you and there is no better time than the present. With our city in transition, it is vitally important for strategic and innovative leaders to emerge who will deliver a vision that will allow our city and its citizens thrive. Make 2010 the year you step forward to make Memphis even greater!

CONTRIBUTORS

Richard J. Alley is a native Memphian, husband, brother, reader, frustrated sailor, jazz enthusiast, infrequent runner, and father of four. He owned and operated downtown’s historic Memphis Tobacco Bowl from 1998-2008. In addition to writing short stories and a novel that is half-full (or half-empty, depending on his mood), he is a freelance journalist, columnist and creator of the blog, “Urf!”. Keep up with Richard at richardalley.com.

From an early age, Troy Glasgow has had a natural eye for catching the moment capturing the emotion of real life and freezing it in time. Glasgow has worked with the Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek and many more. As a freelance photographer, he has traveled throughout Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Central America on assignment. When he’s not out snapping pictures, he hangs his hat in his hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

Trey Heath owns more hats than pairs of socks, has a now worthless John Calipari bobble head collection, and loves the city of Memphis. Heath has held staff positions at both Memphis Business Journal and The Commercial Appeal, and currently freelances for various publications. Heath is also currently the Vice President of Memphisbased Magnetic SEO, an Internet marketing firm.

John Hubbell is a senior editor at Crossroads, and is on the staff of the Marketing, Research and Communications staff of the Greater Memphis Chamber. He interviewed Al Bell for the fall edition.

Regis Lawson, a native of France, had an undeniable love for art even at an early age. From the sketching pad to the painting canvas, each of his skills lends relevance to Lawson’s passion for photography. Today, an internationally known photographer, his work is sought after by both private and public sectors.

Andria Lisle, a Midtown-based journalist, covers topics ranging from Southern food and travel to American music and pop culture for multiple publications, including the Memphis Flyer and The Commercial Appeal. She’s chronicled the life and death of soul legend Isaac Hayes for London’s Guardian newspaper and followed the Mississippi Blues Trail for Northwest WorldTraveler. Most recently, Lisle co-wrote a children's sewing book slated to be published in 2010. Jennifer Lefkowitz is a nationally published entertainment and media writer. A graduate of Academy of Art University, Motion Pictures and Television, Screenwriting in San Francisco, California, Lefkowitz served as production assistant on television’s No.1 hit series American Idol. Also the Arts and Entertainment Editor of Jewish Scene Magazine, Jennifer lives in Memphis, Tennessee and enjoys good kosher BBQ. Lance Murphey is an award-winning photographer and filmmaker. He has 20 years experience including The Commercial Appeal, The Naples (Fla.) Daily News, the Associated Press, New York Times and Bloomberg. His work has been published worldwide and has earned dozens of national photojournalism awards.

Photo Credit Correction In the last issue of Memphis Crossroads, we regrettably omitted the photo credit of Ben Fant for the picture found on page 18 for the “True Story Pictures” piece of the Arts 2009 Edition of Memphis Crossroads.

Jon W. Sparks is a journalist, actor and filmmaker in Memphis. He writes feature stories, reviews performing arts and has done more than his share of Elvis stories. He has appeared in several indie films, notably as a very bad man in "Nothing But the Truth" directed by Rod Lurie. Those who know him say he is really not a “bad man” at all. He is also a documentarian and an award winning maker of short films.


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CORPORATE LIFE

THE CORNER OFFICE Questions for Tom Schmitt

FedEx executive and Chamber Board President Tom Schmitt says his parents “gave me confidence to go and explore.”

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Signed, sealed, delivered Tom Schmitt on the importance of his iPod, managing 20 gas stations and why great parks are good for business. by Trey Heath

Along with his 11 years of service at FedEx, Tom Schmitt, Senior Vice President of FedEx Solutions, has devoted his time and energy outside of work to helping improve Memphis as the first Greater Memphis Chamber Chairman to serve two two-year consecutive terms. We sat down with Schmitt to get his insights on the future of the Chamber, his hometown in Germany and barbecue. You have been called a great problem solver at FedEx. After two consecutive terms as the Greater Memphis Chamber Chairman, what challenges do you think you have helped the Chamber overcome? The first thing is we’ve started to run the Chamber like a first-class business. That sounds basic, but it is a big deal. We have objectives that matter in terms of job creations and quality of jobs. We also have metrics for site visits and we manage those for performance the same way any first-class business would. In the last year, despite the hard economic times, Chamber membership has gone up, not down. Small- and medium-sized businesses see the benefit of being part of an economic engine. We have a very compelling game plane for Memphis Fast Forward. That is a multi-year journey, not a one-year journey. Tell us about your family. I'm married to my college sweetheart, Petra. We have no children but we have nieces and nephews. The rest of my family is still back in my hometown in Biberach, Germany. What do you miss about Biberach the most? I am an American citizen, and this is home for me. In terms of missing things, German towns are amazingly picturesque and walkable. You take that for granted when you are growing up. When you go back 20 years later, you really see how beautiful it is. That strikes me every time. Explain what you do at FedEx. FedEx Solutions brings all the services and partners of FedEx to the customers to meet their needs. Most customers are not looking at FedEx to sell them a specific service. Most customers come to FedEx and say, ‘Help me run this aspect of my supply chain better.’ We work with all the [FedEx] companies to get the best of FedEx to answer those needs. What was your first job? My first real job out of college was for BP. I managed 20 BP gas stations in Cleveland, Ohio. I had the 3:00 a.m. calls with a burglary at one of my stations and everything else you can imagine with running gas stations in an urban area. It was truly interesting, and I enjoyed it and learned a lot. Every Memphian has a favorite barbecue joint. What's your favorite place for ribs or pulled pork? I do actually love barbecue. We ship Corky's all across the U.S. and we have been growing with them. I often take customers from FedEx there. I also shouldn't fail to mention Neely's. Patrick Neely is on the Chamber board and has been a great representative for world-class barbecue but also a great ambassador for Memphis.

What’s one of your biggest professional challenges at either FedEx or the Chamber? Fundamentally, there is something about good intentions and competence. I sternly believe that if you bring both to the table passionately, most of the time it is contagious and others will want to work with you. This is true for the Chamber and FedEx. Sometimes you have business challenges that are talent challenges. Sometimes you have to upgrade the team and we've had to do that at the Chamber. Some of the leaders are still there from five years ago and we have added others to enhance the team. We know you love music. What's on your iPod right now? I am very passionate about music. Music takes my mind into different things. I actually have to carry more than one iPod with me because I load them up. There are three artists I play most right now: Conor Oberst, Ryan Adams from North Carolina and indie rock band Beirut. I have pretty eclectic taste. You have been able to achieve a fair amount of success at FedEx. What goals or ambitions do you have now? I have a very simple proposition that I try to focus on and that’s making people and places better. One thing I always thought would be cool would be running a university. You can have a huge impact on the students and their lives and what they are going to take away. Whenever I graduate from corporate business, I think that would be cool to have an impact by leading thousands of students and make them better. I think that would be pretty awesome. Besides your work at FedEx and the Chamber, you’ve also been active by raising awareness and money for the $100 million expansion of Shelby Farms. What was it about that project that inspired you to get involved? If you look around, great cities have great parks. We have the potential for having a great park. If you go out there, you can see more people using the park than five years ago. It’s business rationale. We have the largest urban park so we need to use it. There is also something about putting effort foreword that your job description doesn't include. I love the people who are involved there and it is really a combination of a cause that matters and working with people you like personally. What person or persons have had the biggest influence on you and your career? It really goes back to my parents. They didn't make a career decision for me, but I grew up in an environment where I got the confidence so I could accomplish things. They never said 'Harvard business school is well out of your league' even though my parents didn't go to college. They gave me confidence to go and explore and it gives you energy over decades. There are clearly people in different stages of my career, but the foundation and engine of my confidence is my parents and they gave me that in abundance.


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SMALL SMALLBUSINESS BUSINESS

You've got mail — and opportunity Delivered daily to Chamber members, RFP Central has already helped businesses snag $24 million in bids. by Richard J. Alley

Since April of 2009, the RFP Central service offered by the Greater Memphis Chamber has been helping its members generate business more quickly and efficiently. The total revenue generated from bids by Chamber members using RFP Central has amounted to more than $24 million. With an active paid membership in the Chamber, companies can register to receive a daily e-Newsletter with requests for proposals (RFPs) from government agencies and businesses representing disparate industries in the Memphis Metro Statistical Area (MSA). About 1,500 RFPs, powered by leading bid researcher Onvia Inc., are sent out each day. In addition to receiving RFPs, members seeking proposals can submit their own requests to Onvia for other companies to bid on. A free webinar is provided by the Chamber to train subscribers on the service. “The feedback from members has been very positive,” said Angela Michaels, Manager of Member Services for the Chamber. The RFP Central amenity is offered to any individual company from Onvia, though the cost is over $900 and viable for only one specific industry. “The service we provide is for all industries and seems to be more user-friendly because of that,” Michaels said. American Paper & Twine (AP&T) is a 90-year-old supplier of products including packaging supplies, cleaning equipment, restaurant consumables, safety apparel and office products and furniture. Its customers include “most any business you can think of,” said Brad Walker, General Manager of the Memphis branch of this Nashville-based company. AP&T has been using RFP Central since its inception and Walker says that subscribing to the service is “like having an additional sales person.” While he can’t specifically identify which bids he has won that he might not have without the aid of RFP Central, he can say for sure that “it’s helping our business.” The ability to have RFPs come to the office via e-mail is a helpful time-saving tool for Walker and his five outside sales representatives. Without the service, they have to rely on mailed requests or in-person pick-up of RFPs from a central location, such as government offices. RFP Central, however, allows a sales manager to quickly and conveniently identify 8


open opportunities in a specific industry without ever leaving their desks. “I usually see about two to three requests a week that pertain to us,” Walker said. The wide geographic reach of the Chamber’s MSA is also a benefit to subscribers, especially those like AP&T, whose sales region covers West Tennessee, Northeast Arkansas and the entire state of Mississippi. RFPs currently come in from eight counties around Memphis: Shelby, Tipton and Fayette, in Tennessee; Crittenden in Arkansas; and Desoto, Marshall, Tate and Tunica, in Mississippi. The e-mails that come in each morning like clockwork also detail what companies have won specific bids, and this feedback helps a company like American Paper & Twine better prepare when that bid opportunity reappears in the future. “When there’s an award, you can better rank yourself,” Walker said. “You know what to work on the next time the bid comes around.” Industry leads for bids include architecture and engineering, operations and maintenance, printing and mailing, vehicles, construction, heavy equipment, power generation utilities and many others. Michaels places the RFP Central newsletter’s importance in member retention, and that “we’ve been able to gain some new members on just that service alone.”

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

MEMPHISED

Economic Development Quarterly Update

Sandra Walls, who took over AVPOL in 2004, says she’s “not interested in just making money” but also providing “a quality name and service.”

Fueled for success How a minority-focused small-business incubator helped Sandra Walls chart her own course. By Jon W. Sparks

MemphisED’s focus on innovation and entrepreneurship is all about opening doors. One measure of success in providing meaningful opportunity is through its relationship with the Mid-South Minority Business Council, the region’s top minority economic development organization.

Luke Yancy III, President and CEO of MMBC, points to the organization’s business incubator known as the Center for Emerging Entrepreneurial Development (C.E.E.D.), which has provided assistance to a number of companies. “The whole purpose of the incubator is to help minorities Continued on page 10 Memphis Crossroads | www.memphischamber.com

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Continued from page 9

get into industries where barriers are fairly high," Yancy says. “And we want to help those businesses grow through strategic partnerships.” In Memphis and Shelby County, there are areas vital to a healthy economy in which minority firms are under-represented. “We’ve got Memphis as a major cargo airport, and with FedEx and MATA using a lot of petroleum products and jet and diesel fuel — but with scant minority participation,” Yancy says. “But one glowing exception provides a case study of how to take a small minority firm with potential and grow it.” That exemplar is AVPOL International, with expertise in depot maintenance, logistics, assistance and advisory services and engineering. Sandra K. Walls, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, is the firm’s owner and, by any definition, a force to be reckoned with. Her 22 years as a logistics officer in the military provided her with the knowledge and expertise to run AVPOL International. Her savvy includes knowing when to use available resources to keep her business strong, such as the incubator. “I thought it was a great opportunity for me to … position my company to move in the direction of my personal and

corporate goals,” Walls says. AVPOL International started in 1997 and Walls has been the sole owner since 2004. She worked out of her home until about three years ago, when she connected with C.E.E.D. “Most of my business is outside of Memphis and I worked from home doing federal contracts,” she said. But growth brings growing pains, and soon she needed better space. “At MMBC, we help with best practices, getting connected, planning, marketing and the whole nine yards,” Yancy says. “We provide a facility within the incubator with a live person who answers the phone, and we provide clerical services, a fully furnished office, strategic planning activities, paid parking and Internet. She took advantage of those services, and you see a growing business that’s helping within our community.” For Walls, it was about combining the advantages of the incubator with her already well-honed business sense. “I thought it was a good opportunity to set up a presence in the city rather than work out of home,” she says from her office on Peabody Avenue. Since then her firm was awarded a contract with Shelby County government to deliver fuel -- another victory added to her already solid list of national clients.

MEMPHIS AREA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLAN

MemphisED is a collaboration of 19 organizations implementing a broad-based plan to grow the economy of Memphis and Shelby County. MemphisED is one component of the Memphis Fast Forward initiative, which also includes: People1st! (education and workforce development), Operation Safe Community, and City/County Government Efficiency. Memphis Fast Forward is governed by a Steering Committee comprised of private sector leaders and local elected officials. The Greater Memphis Chamber is one of the 19 MemphisED Partners and has responsibility for coordinating the initiative. The following are the 2009 current results to date.

New Jobs

3,518 A number of the MemphisED strategies contribute directly or indirectly to new job creation. During the July-September timeframe, activities at the UT-Baptist Research Park and efforts to grow the local music industry contributed to the total, but the largest impact came from the retention and expansion of existing firms. Ten local firms announced projects totaling 938 new jobs – and the retention of another 939 jobs that might otherwise have been lost. In addition, two companies announced their move to Shelby County bringing 80 new jobs with them.

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Capital Investment

549,266,616

$

Virtually all the reported 1st quarter capital investment -- $371.7 million – came from existing companies investing and expanding in Shelby County. Those 10 firms added 3/4 of a million square feet of building space, as well as new capital equipment and inventory. In addition, firms moving to Shelby County added $1.1 million of new capital investment, while activities to grow the bioscience sector contributed almost $600,000.

“I want to take the company to where we can stand toe-totoe with the best,” she adds. “I’m not interested in just making money. I want to provide a quality name and service.” She is indeed making money, though. “Our revenues have tripled since 2005,” she says. “We’re averaging about $2 million growth a year and this year we expect to exceed $8 million.” Walls was born and raised in Memphis. She graduated from Manassas High School and LeMoyne-Owen College. While she did not plan for a military career, “at the time people didn’t want to hire me because of my ethnicity, gender and having no experience,” she says. But she is by nature someone who faces the negatives head-on. “I look at negatives and see how I can turn them into positives,” Walls says. “I thought about the military as a place to get experience and get a master’s degree and make myself marketable in four years. But I was having fun and just ended up doing 22 years.”

Soon after joining, she received a master’s in business administration and found herself working with executives in large firms. “My level of responsibility in the military was equivalent to many of those vice presidents,” she says. Since retiring from the military in 1995, she’s been making the most of her business knowledge. Part of her plan for the company is to bring in her son, Timothy Walls, who graduates in January from Tennessee State University with a degree in economics and finance. “There is a legacy here to come home and do what needs to be done,” she says. “He’ll have a title, but he’ll have to work his way up, learn federal acquisition regulations and learn the business.” It’s that sort of work ethic that brought her into the MMBC incubator and propelled her to ongoing success. “We’re continuing to work with other companies and maybe we’ll be able to go international,” she says. “The people I work with respect us and where we are.”

To learn more about MemphisED and what the plan means for Memphis, go to

www.memphisfastforward.com/the-plan/economic-development

Minority Business Receipts

Talent Retention Attraction

71,668,780

5,771

$

All MemphisED Partners share responsibility for growing minority-owned business receipts in Shelby County. During the 1st quarter, the Supplier Diversity program that matches local minority/women-owned firms (potential suppliers) with larger local corporate and government entities (buyers) accounted for $22.4 million of new activity. Financial support from the construction industry revolving loan fund made a $4.2 million contract possible, while the growth of companies at the Center for Emerging Entrepreneurial Development (CEED) incubator and construction activity at the UT-Baptist Research Park accounted for the balance.

Talent is a driver for the local economy – successful firms need talented individuals. The MemphisConnect.com blog reached people in 819 cities spanning 52 countries, over 200 of whom were considering a move to Memphis. All together, the blog helped 354 existing and Memphians and new Memphians get connected. The Connections program, which works 1-on-1 with talented individuals new to the area accounted for 293 successes, while the Fast Track, Fellows, Uniquely Memphis and Outlet programs accounted for the balance.

Other Successes Innova was one of six entities awarded new State tax credits, which can be sold to the insurance industry for approximately $13 million of investment capital. The $13 million will be invested in early-stage companies with significant job growth potential. EmergeMemphis received a $500,000 federal grant to assist with the $1.3 million build-out of their incubator’s 4th floor. The additional 15,000 square feet of additional tenant space should be available by mid-2010. As part of the Aerotropolis initiative, Memphis City Council approved $1.6 million to improve Plough Boulevard, gateway to the Memphis International Airport. In addition, City staff contributed roadway and landscape improvements, and the State provided a $45,000 Forestry grant. Memphis Crossroads | www.memphischamber.com

11

ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Kelly Dobbins took a chance and now owns the growing Mid-South Drug Testing company.

Tried, tested, on the move Drug screening firm rolls to clients — and new success By Trey Heath

Kelly Dobbins admits that just 10 years ago, she never would have considered it possible to operate a business just by providing drug testing. But the 48-year-old Memphian and owner of Mid-South Drug Testing has now cast those doubts aside, operating a booming pre-employment drug testing business. The onetime banking professional has grown her business to include a branch in Arkansas. In all, the flourishing company will provide more than 11,000 drug tests for clients this year. “Drug testing is a weird venture,” Dobbins says. “It's not something you wake up one day and say 'I want to do drug testing.’” However unattractive the field may seem to outsiders, Dobbins says it was the science part of testing that first sparked her interests in drug testing while serving as the CFO of Memphis-based Justice Network, Inc., a private probation company. Although her duties went beyond just managing the drug testing program, Dobbins said she saw a need to expand the company's drug testing business to private companies that were looking for pre-employment screenings. “My boss and I had a long conversation about growing the company in employment drug testing,” she says. “But it was his company and that's not what he wanted to do. I had been there 11 years and we had a great relationship, but I left and basically started my own company with very little money.” After getting loans from family and friends, cashing out her 401(k) and receiving a $25,000 Small Business 12


Association loan, Dobbins founded Mid-South Drug Testing Center in 2004 with hopes that she could carve out a niche in Memphis. While she saw ample opportunities to grow right out of the gate, Dobbins’ push to expand the company beyond just Memphis almost closed her business before it could get started. Just seven months after founding the company, Dobbins opened another office in Paragould, Ark. Although Mid-South Drug Testing had only eight part-time employees at the time, Dobbins said she wanted to expand in the Paragould area to serve many of the large manufacturers who have mandatory drug testing policies. “I grew too fast and ran out of capital and didn't know what to do,” she said. “I was scared that I was going to lose everything so I threw my business plan out the window.” Instead of opening expensive new branches in other locations to grow her client base, Dobbins created a service offering that allows her to reach new customers at their own office. Because many companies and municipal governments require that any employee who is involved in an accident be drug tested, Dobbins created a mobile service, which allows her customers 24-hour access to testing. Whenever there is a need to administer a test, Mid-South Drug Testing can dispatch certified technicians to perform the test onsite. That service alone has made Mid-South Drug Testing an attractive alternative to other providers. “(Dobbins) has a quality program,” says Ray Douglas, Millington police chief and Mid-South Drug Testing client. “If we need her, we make a phone call and she provides the service no matter if it’s day or night, 7 days a week.”

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SMALLLOGISTICS BUSINESS

Burlington Northern Sante Fe Yard cranes opened in October and are accomplishing one million lifts per year.

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All boxed up New Chamber-commissioned study shows Memphis is poised to benefit as containers dominate the shipping industry. By Trey Heath

Jim Covington, the Greater Memphis Chamber’s Vice President of Logistics and Aerotropolis Development, thumbs through a 215-page Memphis infrastructure study, quickly locating the highlights. First there are the findings on the capital investment that railroad companies have made in Memphis. Then a chapter on airport improvements. And it is followed by the classification of the city’s port as the fourth largest inland harbor in the United States. “Memphis is a large, important transportation distribution center,” Covington says, pausing somewhere between the chapter on intermoadal shipping and Memphis’ great warehouse capacity. “Logistics and distribution of goods is our strength. That's our job, and because transportation truly is the job of Memphis, the Bluff City is about to get a lot busier.” If transportation truly is the “job” of Memphis, then the Bluff City is about to get a lot busier, according to a study performed by IHS Global Insight Inc. and commissioned by the Chamber. The Chamber enlisted Global Insight for the study mainly to determine whether the city’s current transportation partnerships are sound and to find out where Memphis should look to improve on its infrastructure. The in-depth analysis of the city’s transportation infrastructure outlines Memphis’s assets, what benefits can be expected due to recent investments and what improvements are needed to ensure the area remains a hub for the world. “We wanted to identify our strengths in relation to the global economy,” Covington said. “Memphis is in a great position to take advantage of our strengths.” One key to the forecasted increase of activity in Memphis stems from predictions on how the world’s economy will rebound following the recession. South America, Eastern Europe and parts of Asia are expected to bounce back first, creating an increase in demand for imports in the United States. How those goods will make it to market, according to the report, will be through container traffic — which makes Memphis an attractive distribution point. “When the recession ends, there is going to be a big upsurge in container traffic,” said Joseph Waldo, Global Insight Chief Consultant. “Essentially, there is going to be growth in container traffic because the economy is growing and many shippers want the lower cost of water and rail. And they will find that those modes work for them in terms of their supply chain.” In 2007 alone, 11 million tons of freight terminated or originated in Memphis via truck, barge and train. Those numbers are expected to increase thanks to more than $500 million in recent investments for new or expanded intermodal facilities by Class I railroad companies. Some examples include Canadian National Railway Co.’s newly renovated, $100 million Memphis rail yard, which is the second largest CN facility of its kind in the United States.

Then there is the $129 million Norfolk Southern Corp. facility, scheduled to be built in Rossville in coming months. Additionally, a $200 million expansion of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.’s intermodal facility near Lamar and Shelby Drive was recently completed in October. “The railroad companies have put a significant amount of investment in their rail system, and they’ve also put a significant amount of investment in Memphis,” Waldo says. “Obviously the railroads anticipate a large increase in rail in the future.” In summarizing just how important the recent investment is for the city’s future, the report made a bold comparison to the potential of rail and the city’s largest employer. “Intermodal rail has the potential to impact Memphis similar to that of FedEx... bolstering the citys attractiveness as a national distribution hub,” it concluded. Besides rail, the study noted other infrastructure strong points in Memphis that should pay future dividends. The nearly $1 billion in improvements made by Memphis International Airport over the past 15 years should continue to be key to economic development, the study says. Also, a planned expansion of the Panama Canal should create an increase in traffic in the Gulf of Mexico, subsequently increasing river traffic in the area. Memphis distributed 21 million tons of freight through its port in 2007. But even though signs point to a bright future in Memphis in the coming years, the study pointed to challenges and needs. Chief among these concerns are 25 improvements that the study said are needed to improve the area’s highways and roads. At the top of that list is the I-22 corridor, which sits near Lamar Avenue and Shelby Drive. The highway connects Memphis to Atlanta and Birmingham and has long been a main thoroughfare for trucks. The recent expansion of the nearby BNSF intermodal yard is expected to only make congestion in the area worse. Typically, intermodal facilities depend on trucks to deliver container freight to its final destination. This means that even though rail cars may have replaced the need for some long-haul truck deliveries, more trucks will be driving into the city to pick up freight from intermodal facilities. According to the study, 88 percent of freight coming into Memphis travels on highways like I-40, I-55 and US 78 proving that trucks will continue to be a vital role in Memphis. “If we double our intermodal activity we won't be able to take advantage of it if trucks can't make connections through our highways,” Covington says. “It is critical that we make those connections, especially in the Lamar/I-22 corridor and around the airport.” To read the Chamber’s logistics study in full, go to

www.memphischamber.com/newsroom


15

SMALL BIOSCIENCE BUSINESS

The online coupon clipper Bioworks incubator hatches a new way to save at the store. By Ralph Berry

w

hen LaMon Evans of Hickory, Mississippi, took an old concept and brought it into the digital age, he knew Memphis would be the ideal place to start his business. Using the old-school concept of discount coupons, Evans developed a unique process attractive to many kinds of businesses. Centiba, located in the Memphis Bioworks Foundation’s incubator, is an online company that offers a variety of digital coupons for numerous grocery stores, convenience stores, and gas stations. The revolutionary digital coupon system is different in that the consumer is not required to print the coupons and redeem them at their local grocery store. Instead, the system, called Q-Pass, allows the consumer to select coupons on the Q-Pass website and load them When LaMon Evans' wife heard his business plan, "she told me to go for it," he says. directly onto their loyalty or Q-Pass card. As Centiba’s founder and chief technology officer, Evans While launching Centiba, Evans also found the majority has a hand in everything, including programming, business of his resources were located in Memphis. Marketing firms, plans, sales, and marketing. computer programmers, and system designers were crucial Evans toyed with his business design for a few years, to the development of Centiba, and Evans had no problem sketching out the mechanics of the plan on pieces of paper. finding qualified professionals within the city. Gathering input from his colleagues at the University of For the small number of out-of-town professionals with Mississippi, Evans drafted a fresh and creative proposal for whom Evans collaborated, Memphis’s geographical location an online company but did not seriously pursue it, as his was key. “Memphis has easy access and is a huge resource,” hometown did not have the resources to support it. Evans says. “You can get a flight from Memphis to anywhere. Once his wife, Brigitte, learned of the idea, she The central location of Memphis makes business travel encouraged him to follow through with his plan. “She found easier.” the paper that had all the details of the company I had Evans is glad Memphis provided him with all the worked out, and she told me to go for it,” Evans says. necessary resources to build his company, and, with his family Evans soon found that many of his interested investors here, too, he is happy to be in the Bluff City. were located in Memphis. Having held a position with FedEx prior to returning to school, he was familiar with the area and not surprised by the entrepreneurial opportunities for Centiba there. This article appeared originally in “There (are) a large amount of investment dollars Bioworks, a Greater Memphis Chamber in Memphis,” Evans says. “Investors here do not want to publication devoted to the coverage invest in older, established companies. If you have a startup and advancement of Memphis’s bioscience company with a good, efficient business plan, Memphis is industry, available at area newsstands. great.” For more articles, see www.memphischamber.com/newsroom

16


Now, every cent counts Checkbook not adding up? Area programs provide a crash course in managing your money and getting ahead. By Andria Lisle

Like many people these days, Memphian Angela Davis-Meeks couldn’t seem to get a grip on her finances. “I’d spend every little dime I tried to keep,” says the 33-year old First Tennessee Bank employee, who is also a wife and mother of two. Then the RISE Foundation intervened. DavisMeeks first heard of the organization’s Common Cents program via a mention on the evening news. After learning more online, she enrolled in Common Cents at the University of Memphis’ Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change. The weekly crash course in financial literacy quickly got Davis-Meeks on track. “One thing we learned in class was that you can’t keep up with the Joneses,” she says. “You see your coworker with a nice car and you’re riding in a little hooptie, and you’re going to want what they have. But those people might have a $200,000 home and nothing in the refrigerator! With this class, you see what you’re bringing in and what you’re spending. And nine times out of ten, you’re spending a lot more than you’re making.” Founded in 1999 from a collaboration of the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, the Memphis Housing Authority and the United Way of the Mid-South, RISE strives to raise the financial I.Q. of local citizens. Its incentive-based I.P. Village and Goal Card programs focus on elementary, middle school and high school students from low income families. The Responsible Lending Collaborative shines a light on predatory lending practices, and teaches the city’s lowest wage earners about affordable options from grocery shopping to banking. And through its newest program, Common Cents, RISE pairs with area employers to battle the skyrocketing bankruptcy rate. Common Cents participants learn how to create – and stick to – a budget, says Alisha Tillery, the program’s facilitator. They raise their credit scores and build self-worth. “These lessons are so valuable,” Tillery says, emphasizing that, despite the importance of financial literacy, few Memphians are taught about money by their parents or schools.

Angela Davis-Meeks’ participation in the Common Cents program “was so valuable,” she says. She learned that “nine times out of ten, you’re spending more than you’re making.”

Count Davis-Meeks in that group. Raised in North Memphis, she and her husband purchased their first home in Raleigh in 2002. Yet, like so many families, money is tight, and Davis-Meeks would often worry about how she would cope if her Nissan Altima broke down, or what might happen when her husband’s Honda Accord, which has over 200,000 miles on it, finally goes kaput. That’s why Davis-Meeks enrolled in RISE’s Save Up program last March, four months after graduating from Common Cents. In Save Up, eligible participants (who are employed residents of traditional public housing or Section Eight voucher holders) open a savings account with a partner bank along a specific goal – anything from college course fees or a computer to reliable transportation or a starter home. All account maintenance fees are waived, and, once one-third of the goal is reached, RISE matches the account balance twofor-one. Since the program’s inception in 2000, 376 Save Up participants have purchased 48 homes and 32 vehicles. “That match is the biggest incentive,” say Davis-Meeks. “The hardest part was putting in the initial $75, but once I did it, it was okay from there. Now, I’m going for the max.” She expects to complete Save Up in March, when she purchases a new car. Make that a gently used car. “No debt, no note,” Davis-Meeks clarifies. “Something with low mileage that will get me from point A to point B!” Memphis Crossroads | www.memphischamber.com

17

A LOOK AT THE NEW... LAW SCHOOL

Artists' rendering of the new Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. Courtesy Nixon Askew Ferguson

Coming to order At the foot of downtown, a huge, once-dormant structure is transformed into the new University of Memphis law school. By Jon W. Sparks

The leaky, cramped and flood-prone building was tired. Since 1966, the University of Memphis's Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law had been turning out waves of lawyers. But the facility had become subpar and in 2005, the American Bar Association was threatening to pull accreditation. Plans were already underway to make changes. Renovation was unlikely although building a new facility elsewhere on campus was possible. The option that captured the greatest interest, however, was moving downtown to No. 1 Front Street. Completed in 1885 as a U.S. Customs House with a federal court, the structure had grown over the decades, become a postal service center and achieved the distinction of being on the National Register of Historic Places. Turning the august complex into a law school was daunting. Approval had to come from the federal government, the state, the city and the university. But there was a lot going for it. Downtown officials -- including merchants -- loved the idea. The Postal Service was prepared to move out. There would be twice the space. Most important, however, was that the law school would be at the region's legal center. “Beyond the proximity of being close to the bench and bar and the opportunities for students, the legal community would also have access to the law library and our technology,” says Shawna G. Engel, the law school's director of development. The barriers fell — and the $42 million makeover of the 140,000 square foot space will be ready for 18


the grand opening celebration on Jan. 16. Meanwhile, the faculty will start moving offices and some 250,000 volumes and microfilm into the new library in December. The new digs will have a five-story library, a 300-seat classroom and auditorium, three state-of-the-art courtrooms for moot court, mock trials and visiting appellate courts, space for a legal clinic, a student lounge, seismic protection, 60 security cameras and a campus police officer. The added population – close to 500 students, staff and faculty – brings welcome benefits downtown. An economic impact study prepared for the U of M said direct spending downtown – retail, dining, and parking – would increase between $2.4 million to $4.8 million annually. The total impact of alternative spending on the entire community would be between $5 million and $10 million. Developers have welcomed the law school’s pending downtown presence. The $28 million conversion of the old Union Planters Bank at 67 Madison has brought about Metro 67 luxury apartments. The building, vacant for 15 years and a priority for redevelopment by the Center City Commission, is another plus for downtown. The $2 million promenade project coordinated by the Riverfront Development Corporation will provide a walkway behind the law school with landscaping and lighting improvements. “The law school is always referenced whenever there are stories of openings downtown,” says Engel. “People recognize that it will change the footprint downtown. There will be more pedestrian traffic on Main Street. What’s more, law school students say it’s great for them – they can look for a place to live downtown, and some ask if they even need a car.”

Photo by Lance MurPhey

“When you’ve been paddling and finding your way through the cypress trees and get together and have an ice cold Ghost river beer on the Ghost river,

it probably doesn’t ever taste better.” chuck SkyPeck Memphis small business owner

In Memphis, success has a sound of its own. memphischamber.com/soundtrack

FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP

By John Hubbell | Photos by Lance Murphey

In Lebanon, Tenn., Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. walks toward the grocery store once owned by his family. The store has been relocated to the Wilson County Fairgrounds as part of a historical exhibit.

Aggressive recruiting and retention of businesses. Transparency, efficiency and a tone of respect. To understand where Memphis is headed, it helps to know where newly elected city mayor A C Wharton Jr. has been.

What

‘A C’

stands for

Wharton, inside his family’s grocery store, recalls learning the ways of business from his father. “When my dad had something to offer, the world just opened up,” Wharton says. “This is America. You are judged on what you produce.”

On the wall of his family grocery store, A C Wharton Jr. points to a picture of his father, A C Wharton Sr.

F

or fun, ask residents of Midtown Memphis where they last saw A C Wharton Jr. “On the news,” some might say. “At a meeting,” others might answer. But the most common replies would go something like this: “He was in line behind me at Starbucks.” Or “I saw him getting his groceries yesterday at Schnuck’s.” Wharton sightings in the heart of the city are legion, emblematic of his high profile in the neighborhood he calls home. It is not difficult to spot the newly elected Memphis mayor, in between intense glances at his Blackberry PDA, grabbing a cup of coffee with the rest of us — or somewhat incongruously picking up a loaf of bread at the grocery store, the jacket of his three-piece suit often still buttoned at the end of a day. In other large American cities, the frequency of such occurrences might itself be remarkable. With Wharton, observers say, there’s something more: an unflappable countenance and an always-on-the-clock willingness to engage everyone from the barista to the grocery bagger. “If you convey a sense of greeting and welcome, that’s the way people will respond,” Wharton says in his downtown office during a lengthy, wide-ranging interview this fall. “What I see here in Memphis is, as a big city, far too many of us assume the worst of every person we speak to… as opposed to my daddy, who assumed the best of everybody.” Agrees Tomeka Hart, a Memphis native and city school board member serving as a member of Wharton’s transition team: “You see him out in the community, wanting to be a

22


part. His heart is so into it. He really wants to help make this… such a great city.” So begins the Wharton era — the first change in Memphis leadership since 1992. Wharton, who served as Shelby County’s first AfricanAmerican mayor from 2002 to 2009, succeeded longtime Memphis city mayor W. W. Herenton on Oct. 26. Wharton’s ascension came in a commanding special-election victory held after Herenton announced he would vacate the seat, citing plans to seek congressional office in 2010. Shelby County commissioners recently appointed their peer Joe Ford to replace Wharton. To many, it is hard to overstate what Wharton’s relentless work ethic, charisma and intricate grasp of public policy issues bode for the future of Memphis. Contrasting Wharton with past administrations is essentially irrelevant, they say. The point is the future — and Wharton and his admirers can’t stop talking about how much better the future can be. “It’s like everything is teed up for him to provide the leadership and make it successful,” says Dexter Muller, the Greater Memphis Chamber’s senior vice president for community development. “We seem to have this feeling that we never measure up. Memphis has no reason to think of itself that way. I feel like we’re about to get over it.”

A lot sits before Wharton. On the short list: improving education, continuing the city’s aggressive fight against crime and working with organizations such as the Chamber to spearhead additional economic development. “It’s not enough just to say ‘We’re a good place,’” Wharton says. “Everybody’s saying that. We’ve got to reach out and fight. We’ve got to pull and push. And I’m up to that.” But to understand how Wharton will tackle it all, it’s helpful to first head to the grocery store with him. Not the Schnuck’s in Midtown, however. This grocery trip takes a three-and-a-half hour drive — and a trip back in time. • ‘A basic sense of fairness’

Nashville can claim its country music, but far east of its gleaming skyscrapers in little Lebanon, Tenn., it’s just country, period. This is walking horse country, a place where a statue of a rifle-cradling soldier stands guard over a town square ringed with antique stores and the spot where the Cracker Barrel restaurants began. And it’s also the place where, in 1944, A C Wharton Jr. was born. As Wharton and his driver ease down a gravel road at the Wilson County Fairgrounds, largely dormant this late into the year, WSM-AM (“Nashville’s Country Legend”) warbles from the dashboard. Wharton likes country music — a fact that, had it been revealed a few days before in his office, would have been unexpected to say the least. As the fairground gates swing open and Wharton scans the distance eagerly for a piece of his past, though, the music fits. His shiny black government sedan stops down the road a bit from a piece of Wilson County history — and Wharton family history, too. Inside a kind of county fair vintage village, a place of meticulously arranged storefronts designed to cheerfully evoke bygone times, a gleaming sign is affixed to the façade of a simple country store. In bold letters, to the left of the door, it declares: WHARTON.

Wharton shakes hands with Samuel Figgins, a boyhood friend who helps tend to the Wilson County Fairgrounds where the Wharton family store now stands.

The store has been moved here a few miles from its original location. Wharton steps inside and begins looking at the old family photographs and the old-time products lining the shelves — pre-embargo Cuban cigars, flour, a laxative called “Black Draught.” A grocery store receipt mounted to the cash register, bears his own name as well as that of his deceased father. “You notice there are no periods after the ‘A’ and ‘C’ because that was the actual name — it’s not an abbreviation — which was quite common around Wilson County,” he says. Turning back to the grocery store, Wharton explains: “My dad had always wanted to own a business. So they bought (the store) across from the black high school. We’d keep it open late at night. There was an elderly gentleman who had a store across the street from us. We pretty well put him out of business. So my dad bought it.” The Wharton children worked in the store alongside their mother and father. And it was here that Wharton says he received his first lessons not only in human nature and economics — but fairness as well. “Everybody had a credit account,” he says. “Invariably, people would get credit and they wouldn’t pay you. But you know what? We never sued one of them. Each one of those people would end up sending other customers to us, or helping my dad in some way. It came back to you. Legally, we could have sued them. But morally, we would have been dead wrong.” Wharton says this balance test — weighing agency against equity, power against powerlessness — shaped his early days as a criminal defense lawyer. (Wharton’s legal career preceded his relatively recent transition to political life, including stints as director of the legal aid clinic Memphis Area Legal Services, as Shelby County’s public defender, and time in private practice.) “I never sued a client,” he says. “But some of my best cases came from clients who had absconded and didn’t pay me. So I believe in that natural sense of fairness. The way you treat people always comes back to you.” A C Wharton Sr. did more than just run a grocery store; he raised and sold livestock, and was also, in the parlance of the time, a “jobber.” “Let me give you an example,” the mayor says. “If you’re running a small restaurant, you cannot afford to buy a case of milkshake cups. Small businesses… would call him on Sundays at night and say, ‘We’re out of milkshake cups.’ My daddy… would go to Nashville, buy two or three cases. Then when you called, he would sell what you called a ‘sleeve’ ” — a smaller portion. “Of course,” he says, “there was a pretty good markup when you broke a case. And he did that with candy and everything.” “I always noticed that when my dad had something to offer, the world just opened up,” Wharton says. “He always said, ‘You’ve always got to have something to sell.’ It didn’t hit me then what he was saying, but it has hit me now. This is America. You are judged on what you produce.” see page 24 Memphis Crossroads | www.memphischamber.com

23

Inside her Lebanon, Tenn. home, Mary Wharton receives a hug from her son.

• ‘She always placed a value in education’

In Memphis, it’s “mayor.” But at the family home in Lebanon, A C Wharton Jr. is known as “Brother.” Having finished showing his family store on this rainy autumn weekday, Wharton has driven about 10 minutes away to visit his 93-year-old mother Mary. She lives not far from where the original Wharton store once stood, and a few hundred yards from a gas station and convenience store still bearing the family name. Sitting beneath pictures of her family, her mayoral son having strolled off to look at something in the backyard, Mary Wharton is asked to summarize A C’s childhood. Smiling, she says: “He got more spankings than any of ‘em, but he had plenty of friends.” Speaking generally of her children, she adds: “They always wanted to work. I tried to let them know (that), to have anything that they wanted, they’d have to work for it. You just want children to live (a) life they could be proud of. That’s what I tried to get in their heads all the time. Behave yourself and take care of yourself.” After a few minutes inside the Wharton family home, the road that leads from Lebanon to a prominent legal and political career in Memphis seems a lot less foreordained. A triumph over codified racism and inequity, so distant from Wharton’s everyday demeanor, comes roaring into view. Like hearing WSM’s country ballads drift from the mayor’s car stereo, his climb from Lebanon to Tennessee State University to the University of Mississippi Law School suddenly takes on new dimension. 24


Referring to a simple struggle to buy high school band uniforms for her daughters, Mary Wharton recalls: “Then, they didn’t furnish black people a lot of things that’s furnished now. We had to work hard to get their little uniforms. We had to do it on our own.” She continues, recalling a conversation about her children decades ago: “One of the richest ladies here in town told me I was crazy. She said, ‘Momma, how many young ones you got in college now?’ I said three. (She said), ‘You and A C (Sr.) must be crazy, sending all them young ones to school.’ I said, ‘If we get hungry or cold, they’ll just have to come home and suffer with us.’ That’s the way I left it. Yeah, it wasn’t easy. But we made it.”

The Wharton family encyclopedias.

Wharton walks to a meeting at the state Legislature in Nashville.

After Wharton pops back into the house, his eyes catch a row of encyclopedias referenced in an earlier talk. “We were the first family to have a set of Funk and Wagnall’s,” he says. “She had to buy them one volume at a time. And if you were a little late on paying for volume ‘F,’ they would hold up until they got (money) before you’d get ‘G.’ My mother never did have to set us down in the corner and say, ‘Read, read, read.’ It was by example, which stuck with me to this day.” Nowadays, at nearby Cumberland University in Lebanon, an A C Wharton Family Scholarship exists to aid a Wilson County student majoring in business and in need of financial support. This theme of transformation bears on both Wharton’s own personal journey and his plans for Memphis. “I turned down judgeships, state Supreme Court judgeship, all that stuff,” he says later. “I would have been operating in the confines of the judicial system, which does not, as its role, (take) you as a poor person and (turn) you into middle-income. That wasn’t going to come about by way of lawsuits. You have to do that by way of legislation. If I wanted to impact Wharton votes on Oct. 26. Later that day, he would overwhelmingly be elected mayor of Memphis. social change on an economic front, (I would have to) move to another venue, which happened to be the “It’s not about me, it’s about our city,” he says from the political venue. podium. “I can see the sun breaking through the clouds, and “My wife (Ruby) and I still feel that no election cycle I can feel the light streaming down on this great city… and should come around that we’re not involved. We have an shining down on one Memphis.” obligation to lead by example, by getting out and getting Weeks later in his first speech after taking the oath of involved, and not asking anything in return for your office, Wharton speaks more pragmatically, hinting at plans involvement.” to make City Hall more “customer-friendly,” bring a renewed Wharton gives his mother a departing hug and soon his transparency and efficiency in government and place an car is off to Nashville through the late-morning rain, trying emphasis on civility and respectful debate. to make an 11 a.m. meeting. Such highly individual and personal efforts, he tells a crowd gathered in City Hall’s rotunda, are tied directly to • ‘That all starts from the top’ economic development that will drive the city forward. “If we are to be a magnet for talent and industry, if we On Election Night in mid-October, Wharton strides aspire to keep pace and surpass other cities that seem to have to the stage at Midtown’s Minglewood Hall amid patriotic gone so far,” he said, “we all must demand better of ourselves, decorations and cheering supporters. His resounding and we must reflect an optimism in our nature that speaks to victory, with more than 60 percent of the vote, has come see page 26 the hope in the hearts of every citizen.” after a campaign extolling themes of unity and progress — of a united future framed by the premise of a fast-fading divisiveness. Memphis Crossroads | www.memphischamber.com 25

from page 25

It is here, at the nexus between conduct and commerce, where Wharton’s supporters center their optimism toward how Memphis can change. “The focus on innovation... is renewed,” says Eric Matthews, co-founder of Mercury Technology Labs and Launch Memphis, a nonprofit organization in support of local entrepreneurship. “There is a new accessibility to the mayor’s office. I think it’s wonderful to see they have embraced the Facebook and Twitter era and are engaging with the community there. Because we’re seeing these types of changes occurring, I imagine and anticipate they will trickle into (asking): ‘How do we influence the economy?’ ” Paul Morris, a Memphis attorney and city native who presides over the board of the legal services clinic Wharton once ran, agrees that the new mayor’s principles and reliability will serve as economic catalysts. “The biggest thing that the business community is excited about is his customer-driven governance style,” he says. Wharton “offers a hand to (them) and says, ‘How can we work together?’ When they need an audience and partner in city government… they can count on him.” 26


At the Chamber, Dexter Muller agrees. Having worked over decades with several elected officials throughout Memphis and Shelby County, he ranks Wharton’s enthusiasm for economic development at the top. “When he hears something going on in business, he says ‘Set it up and I’ll go out and talk to them,’ ” Muller says. Muller draws a contrast between the mayor’s other comparably hands-off tasks — overseeing a city agency such as the fire department, for instance — and the deeply complicated efforts of attracting businesses to the city. “The mayor doesn’t need to be there when they’re putting out a fire,” he says. “With economic development, you do. The best thing he can deliver for his constituents is the opportunity to secure a job.” He continues: “A willingness to travel to a corporate headquarters in Tokyo and Belgium is important. I see him as going on those trips. It really does make a difference when a mayor goes in those rooms.” Meanwhile, businesses already in Memphis will receive “more of a sense of confidence that they’re in the right community,” Muller predicts.

Addressing the public for the first time as city mayor, Wharton says: “If we aspire to keep pace and surpass other cities that seem to have gone so far, we all must demand better of ourselves.”

“The community’s like a bucket. You’re putting new companies in the bucket, but if you have a hole in the bucket, you’re losing more and more. The easiest community to get to and communicate about an expansion is the one that’s already here. I see that as a big part of… what he will do.” Muller hopes Wharton will also focus on education as a top priority of his administration. “There’s been a disconnect between the business community and education. Now you have a superintendent being a collaborator,” he says. Wharton “can be the glue that brings people together.” Hart, of the city school board, agrees. She harbors little doubt that Wharton can deliver. At the same time, she cautions his rise to mayor does not signal a time for the community to relax or be passive. “I’m excited, because he gets it on all levels,” she says. “The question is going to be: Are we going to support him? Because he’s not going to get there by himself.” As for Wharton — quick to deflect praise during these nascent days of his administration — he in turn sees the community as its own best resource and strength. “Certainly, we have challenges,” he says, sitting at his office conference table amid piles of papers, two buzzing Blackberrys and a litany of clocks. (He collects them.) “But for every challenge you show me, I will show you five or six… groups of goodwill (that) have rolled up their sleeves, put down their guard and said, ‘By George, we’re going to tackle this.’ ” In a fell swoop, he connects the city’s most painful memory with his commitment to equality and social justice, and the promise of Memphis’s future. “We know that, in the eyes of America, this is the place where Dr. King died,” Wharton says. “But we don’t wallow in the misery that flows from that. Instead, we go overboard to set up a Leadership Memphis, to set up an MPACT Memphis,

to set up Urban League Young Professionals. We know we have to do that. That chip on our shoulder makes me wake up every morning and say, ‘Be on guard. Don’t let racism rear its head again — not from either side of the street.’ ” “Memphis is about opportunity,” he says, growing animated. “We’re the big dog! We’re the biggest city in this region. We’re the capital of this region. And now, with the biotech and all that we’re going into, there are opportunities that abound.” Looking ahead to 2010, “We’re going to be so much more innovative and aggressive when it comes to bringing businesses in here,” he says. “But we’re also going to be innovative and aggressive in keeping our talent here. “If I trust you, even though I don’t know you, if I assume the best of you and I show it in the way I greet you, that’s the way you’re going to come back to me. And that all starts from the top, by example. Not by some creed written on a wall somewhere: ‘We are all friends, we dwell in harmony here…’ Those are words etched in stone. “The best way to bring those hometown values to a big city is to lead by example. I find that it works just as well in Memphis as it does in my hometown of Lebanon.” • Email John Hubbell at [email protected] To view a short documentary on the life of Memphis Mayor C Wharton Jr., go to

www.memphischamber.com/newsroom Memphis Crossroads | www.memphischamber.com

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NEW LEADERS with a NEW AGENDA New Leader - a person with novel, innovative or original ideas. New Agenda - a plan of action that strays from the status quo and that New Agenda - goes beyond the norm to achieve fresh, effective results. How many of you have been moved by a person’s ability to mobilize large groups of people; or maybe even taken aback by the incredible vision a person possessed to move an organization forward…or even the humility of someone who has accomplished great things without the expectation of recognition? Well in this edition of Memphis Crossroads, we are introduced to a group of dynamic individuals who are all making significant contributions towards the advancement of this city in their on respective industries and community endeavors. The title New Leaders with a New Agenda refers to those individuals who often go under the radar, but who are introducing novel and innovative ideals and practices to traditional processes. Selecting such an esteemed group of leaders was a task too arduous for the Crossroads team, so we enlisted the assistance of local organizations, such as CEOs for Cities, Memphis Tomorrow, Leadership Academy, Leadership Memphis , Hyde Family Foundations, Smart City Live, MPACT Memphis, Memphis Urban League Young Professionals, Diversity Memphis, MidSouth Minority Business Council, Emerge Memphis, and LaunchMemphis. Take a moment, and meet our New Leaders with a New Agenda…

Venues: Metro 67 Apartments, University of Memphis Law School | Photos by Regis Lawson

Steven BARES, Ph.D. President and Executive Director Memphis Bioworks Foundation

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership is a progression of three important steps. First, is building a great team. Next is working in collaboration with the team to set an aspirational bar. Finally, leadership means giving the team the room to execute. What’s the one thing you would do to improve our city? Jobs. What would you most like to be remembered for? I would like my personal legacy to be that of realizing the vision of Memphis Bioworks – to be part of the team that made Memphis a place to thrive in the 21st century. What did the best leader you’ve ever encountered do to exemplify their excellent leadership skills? And who was it? The best leader I have encountered unselfishly gives his time, his energy and his resources to create a vision for our community. He works with a diverse group of talented people to develop shared responsibility for that vision and then allows them the room to execute. That leader is Pitt Hyde. What gives your life meaning? Giving Back. Having a meaningful positive impact. What gets you excited about the future? The future itself is what gets me excited. I am excited by our agenda for Memphis, and the potential we have to build on our core competencies, create jobs and develop and attract the talent to fill them. Anticipating being a part of that future is exciting. How do you stay positive? I stay positive by walking the halls of MASE (Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering) and seeing such potential being nurtured and developed. I stay positive by walking the halls of our Bioworks Incubator and seeing the potential in the entrepreneurs and their ideas and companies. I stay positive by expecting us to live up to our potential. How do you measure success? Job creation; organizationally in the sectors where Memphis has a competitive advantage. What do you do just for fun? I look back – I enjoy reading history. I look forward – working on things that are on the leading edge of science. I look sideways – trying to find my golf ball. Nominating Organization: Memphis Tomorrow

Kristee BELL

Director of MemphisConnect; The Leadership Academy What does leadership mean to you? Leadership means having the ability to selflessly serve and positively influence others, make tough decisions, build people up, and accept change. Along with that, all leaders should accept the responsibility, joy, and hard work that it takes to actually move the needle in the right direction. What agenda would you put in place to propel Memphis to the upper echelons of successful metropolitan cities? • I would pour money into educating our children. It sounds cliche, but a good education will help address some of our most pressing societal issues such as poverty, crime, higher wages and responsible parenting. • I would make Memphis more attractive and sustainable by tackling the need for a superior form of public transportation. • I would do away with some of the red tape that businesses go through to actually move a company to the city. • I would fill the halls of government with young, progressive thinkers burning to make a change and move Memphis forward. What gives your life meaning? My faith and my family. What gets you excited about the future? Ordinary young people with extraordinary ideas. How do you stay positive? Knowing that I have a purpose in life. How do you measure success? I measure success by competing with myself. I am driven by setting goals, forming new ideas, and having the ability to effectively accomplish them. What do you do just for fun? I love spending time with my husband and three boys. I also enjoy reading self-help books, long distance running (when I’m not on the injured list), and sampling new cuisine. Nominating Organization:

Leadership Academy

Spencer DILLARD Senior Product Manager Viasim Solutions What does leadership mean to you? First and foremost, leadership is about inspiring others and being open and willing to be inspired yourself. Great leaders get others to buy into their vision of how things could be and help others make that vision their own. It is the act of showing others what can be achieved, through individual action, communication, and collaboration. For me personally, leadership involves communicating an alternate vision of reality -- how things could be if we would just stop accepting how they are. Once you get people to realize that things can change, then you not only excel as a leader but you are helping to create other leaders. Leadership is never about the individual, and some of the greatest leaders think of themselves last. What gives your life meaning? My family and helping others to achieve their dreams. I think having kids makes one learn how to put themselves last in a way that is incredibly rewarding. Seeing others believe in themselves and venture into a new area is also inspiring and rewarding. Put them together, and it is about seeing a brighter future ahead for the city and for those closest to me. How do you measure success? From a financial perspective, success is simply peace of mind. It's not about the things you have but whether you have enough to not spend all your time thinking about it. More importantly, from a personal perspective, success to me is internal -- if you know that you have done the best you can and that you made a difference to a person or a group of people, then you have succeeded. It's about leaving things better than you found them and doing as little harm along the way as you can. When success becomes about things or titles, then I believe it is a shallow form of success that is all about the self. True success is about how you are viewed by others that are close to you and whether you made a difference in someone else's life. What do you do just for fun? Spend time with my friends and family, try to get some golf in here or there, and develop software. I accepted that I had geeky tendencies a long time ago, and I am glad to have found some people with similar tendencies through LaunchMemphis. Whatever you are doing can be fun, as long as you choose to stop and live in the moment. Nominating Organization: LaunchMemphis

John DUGAN

President, Coroutine, LLC Co-Founder & Organizer of MemBrain What does leadership mean to you? Being a good leader often means sacrificing your personal interests in favor of the organization's interests. I learned that making that sacrifice is often more rewarding than what you had initially hoped to do. What’s the one thing you would do to improve our city? As someone who advocates using software to solve complex problems, I'd like the city to completely rethink the way it uses the Internet. I don't see any realistic way for Memphis to move forward without coordinated collaboration between citizens, businesses, and government. We need a platform that connects the city and its projects with ordinary citizens who want to be a part of the solution. If the Internet isn't the answer to this problem, I can't imagine what is. What gives your life meaning? Seeing my wife smile. Hearing my son laugh. Finding joy in one's work is important, but it's not what gives life meaning. What gets you excited about the future? Memphis is a city with great potential. I'm fortunate to move in a circle of bright, talented people who have chosen to make Memphis their long-term home. I'm excited to see what this group of young, dedicated leaders can build in our community. What do you do just for fun? I enjoy reading literature, solving puzzles, and learning Spanish with my wife and son. Nominating Organization:

EmergeMemphis

Tim LOWRIMORE Chief Technical Officer, Coroutine, LLC Co-Founder of MemBrain

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership means understanding the needs and aspirations of a community and using that knowledge to help guide it toward a set of common goals. What did the best leader you’ve ever encountered do to exemplify their excellent leadership skills? And who was it? The best leader I’ve had the pleasure of working with was Don Tatum, a manager at FedEx Services. He is the type of leader that clears the path ahead of his team so they can perform their duties unimpeded. By doing this, he provides the opportunity for members of his team to function at their best. What work would you like to be doing in five years to help advance this city? I would like to continue working toward the goal of making Memphis the high-tech hub of the Mid-South. I hope that in five years, we see a more forward-thinking and agile technological community in Memphis. What do you do just for fun? I really enjoy spending time with my wife and two children. I also enjoy programming, cycling, playing drums, reading and solving logic puzzles. I’ve been accused of having too many interests. I suppose I’m just a curious person. How do you measure success? In my profession, I measure success based upon customer satisfaction. When we deliver a piece of software that not only fulfills the need of our customer, but is also a pleasure for them to use, we’ve succeeded. On a personal level, success is persistently taking the initiative, and seizing the opportunity to better oneself. What gets you excited about the future? Everything! I think the world is a fascinating place and that interesting things happen every second. However, to be specific, I am particularly excited by the rapid technological advancements being made all over the world – advancements that improve living conditions in impoverished areas, and those that create a better quality of life for everyone.

Nominating Organization: EmergeMemphis

Liz HOUGH

Area General Manager Cricket Communications What does leadership mean to you? I feel leadership is a process. It is the influence earned by gaining respect, confidence and trust of an organization or team through selfless service. What agenda would you put in place to propel Memphis to the upper echelons of successful metropolitan cities? My agenda would be to improve public education; improve our public transportation system; encourage and develop a new generation of political leaders; and continue to encourage the development of the biomedical research corridor. What would you most like to be remembered for? In my career life, community life, or home life, I would like to be remembered as someone with high ethics, genuine sincerity and a great sense of humor. What did the best leader you’ve ever encountered do to exemplify their excellent leadership skills? And who was it? The best leader I have ever encountered was actually a past supervisor. He created an environment of innovation and accountability, while focusing on people’s individual strengths to propel the company’s initiatives and drive a sense of ownership within his teams. What gives your life meaning? I try and appreciate how my past experiences have shaped me, I work every day to try and appreciate my life in the present, and I daydream about my future. How do you measure success? I measure my success through my own predetermined and personal goals. What do you do just for fun? I am the mother of two young active children that have helped create a fun and meaningful life. Nominating Organization:

Diversity Memphis

Darryl JACKSON

President and CEO Centiba, Inc.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership begins with a strategic vision that can inspire others beyond expectations. It’s about setting clear goals, trusting your team, and holding them accountable to deliver results. Leadership also means identifying and preparing personnel within your team for bigger opportunities. Finally, leadership is about being willing to perform the most thankless jobs in your organization. What agenda would you put in place to propel Memphis to the upper echelons of successful metropolitan cities? My agenda would include a comprehensive action plan for providing quality education for all children; reducing crime; maximizing entrepreneurial business growth; increasing the focus on health/wellness through full use of parks and recreation; and promoting access to quality cultural enrichment and the arts. What did the best leader you’ve ever encountered do to exemplify their excellent leadership skills? And who was it? The best leader I‘ve ever encountered was a visionary who had the ability to make you feel that without your contribution, the company could not succeed. From the janitor to the Vice President, he made everyone he came in contact with believe that their job was the most important one in the company. He was also a great listener and change agent. He drove diversity and “Leadership Through Quality” throughout the company before they became corporate buzz words. I spent a substantial part of my career working for him. His name is David Kearns, former CEO at Xerox Corporation. How do you stay positive? I stay positive by refusing to engage in conversations about what’s wrong with Memphis and by surrounding myself with positive people pursuing positive interests to move our city forward. Nominating Organization:

Mid-South Minority Business Council

Tarrin McGHEE

Co-Owner, Pique Creative Agency Director, Common Ground Memphis

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership to me can be defined as the capability to influence attitudes and actions to direct a positive outcome in any situation and/or environment. Leadership requires the ability to establish a clear vision for your role as a leader and to recognize that true leadership involves working to strengthen the talents of others in order to maximize effectiveness and impact. What did the best leader you’ve ever encountered do to exemplify their excellent leadership skills? And who was it? The best leader that I’ve ever encountered was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early on, I learned from his teachings that it is possible for one person to make a difference and change the world through simple means of communicating and caring. As a recognized leader in civil and human rights, Dr. King’s legacy displays the power that individuals have to play a direct role in ensuring a brighter future for oneself and for others. A phrase that guides my life’s work is “people don’t care what you know until they know that you care.” To me, Dr. King embodies this statement and his contributions to improving society and building consensus across racial, social and political boundaries are examples that I aspire to live up to. What gives your life meaning? There are many things that give my life meaning. I live for an opportunity to make my Mother proud of me; being a positive role model for my nieces and nephews; and contentment in knowing that I put 100% effort into making a meaningful impact with every situation, individual or circumstance that I encounter. How do you stay positive? While recognizing the importance of remaining grounded in reality, I stay positive by being caught up in what can be. Nominating Organization:

Memphis Urban League Young Professionals

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership is having a mix of skills in the following abilities: identifying a challenge or opportunity; communicating and advocating a vision or goal that addresses it; convincing people to work with you towards the goal; and managing a process that effectively utilizes available resources to reach the goal. How do you feel about being nominated as a “New Leader with a New Agenda?” I am honored to be nominated. Since moving back to Memphis, I have been involved with organizations and efforts that are focused on both expanding leadership opportunities and creating new agendas for our community. This nomination is gratifying in recognizing those efforts, and reminds me that we still have a ways to go toward fulfilling the vision. What’s the one thing you would do to improve our city? I would connect the dots. We have many people working and building programs across the community to address the challenges we face, but we don't always see or organize the connections between these efforts. To do that effectively, we need an overarching vision of where we want to go as a city/county and an understanding of the interrelatedness of our challenges and opportunities (i.e., education, poverty, safety, workforce, sustainability, etc.). What gives your life meaning? I feel most alive when I'm involved in helping to transform the community into a place where all its citizens can thrive. Staying connected to the local arts and cultural scene as well as spending time with my family and friends keeps me grounded and renews my energy. How do you stay positive? I try to keep in mind that we are all, as individuals and a community, in our own process of developing and learning. Also, a good dose of cynical optimism doesn't hurt. How do you measure success? Is there forward movement? Even failure can be success if, within it, you can find the seeds of opportunity for your next endeavor. What do you do just for fun? I enjoy reading good science fiction novels. When I'm vacationing, I like to do anything adventurous, from scuba diving and surfing to skydiving and whitewater rafting. Nominating Organization: Smart City Live

Cardell ORRIN Principal, Linx Consulting Co-Founder, New Path

Letitia "Tish" ROBERTSON Vice President of Operations Leadership Memphis

What does leadership mean to you? It’s not easy to be a leader. Leadership means having the ability to create a common vision and effectively communicate that vision to others. Through humility and focus, a great leader is then able to mobilize and inspire others toward the realization of that common vision. What’s the one thing you would do to improve our city? The one thing I would do today to improve our city is open the channels of communication in our community. There is still a stirring undercurrent of racial tension that seems to peak at predictable times. I would vigorously promote the program Common Ground and encourage citizens from every neighborhood to participate. I believe that once we have healed and everyone has been heard, we can focus our attention on pressing issues facing the city. What gives your life meaning? My children inspire and give my life meaning everyday. It is up to me to help create a community for my children that is inclusive, vibrant and innovative. What gets you excited about the future? I believe our city is positioned for a major rebirth. We have new energy, we have a new focus and we have competitive advantages on several fronts. How do you stay positive? It’s easy for me to stay positive. I love my city and I love the small part I play in helping to make Memphis great. How do you measure success? First, I visualize ahead of time what success looks like to me. Then I set realistic goals and chart a path to achieving them. What do you do just for fun? I have developed a love and respect for riding a motorcycle. With complete reluctance, I bought my husband a motorcycle for his birthday a few years ago. It was with the stipulation that it would not be a fast sports bike, but a cruiser. We have gone on several road trips and have even joined a motorcycle club – the Easy Riders. Now, I have my own bike. Yes, it’s hard to believe that I am officially a “biker”. Nominating Organization: Leadership Memphis

Jenny SHARPE

Senior Account Executive Smash Experiential, a service of archer>malmo Immediate Past Chair, MPACT Memphis

What does leadership mean to you? To me, the basis of good leadership is a balance of: humility, which allows for strong listening skills, respect for various perspectives, and enthusiasm for encouraging others with their talents; courage, which leads to trying new things, asking good questions, and managing resources according to priorities; and collaboration, which fosters open and continual dialogue, improving and adjusting with growth, and clarifying and communicating roles and the mission. What agenda would you put in place to propel Memphis to the upper echelons of successful metropolitan cities? The top five items on our agenda should include: government efficiency; crime prevention/reduction; neighborhood and family support programs; attraction and retention of talent, from programs like MPACT to projects like the Memphis Arts Park; and minority business development, which, of course, must include entrepreneurial education. What gets you excited about the future? Every day presents opportunities to ask, learn, think and create. The future is full of fresh, new possibilities! How do you measure success? I tend to think of success as a way of life and a state of being rather than a destination or goal. I have to ask myself what success means to me in certain situations all the time, in order to make true progress and enjoy the journey. Nominating Organization:

MPACT Memphis

Lauren TAYLOR

Program Officer for Greening Initiatives, Hyde Family Foundations

What does leadership mean to you? Compassionately listening to people, truly understanding their needs, and helping them take positive action. What would you most like to be remembered for? Connecting people, forming collaborations, and building consensus to achieve great things. Building partnerships is one of our critical functions at the Foundation. If I can do that well, I will be happy. What gives your life meaning? My family and friends. I have met so many wonderful people through my community and my work in the 10 or so years I have lived in Memphis. Because of the people and this work, I really feel like I belong here and I am part of something. I don’t think everyone has that. What gets you excited about the future? The interconnected system of parks and greenways that we seek is emerging. The Shelby Farms Greenline will tie Midtown Memphis with Shelby Farms Park and the park will connect to the first section of the Wolf River Greenway trail that the city is about to construct. The University of Memphis and Riverfront Development Corporation are completing a project on the Promenade downtown to link an improved Confederate Park to a public green space behind the new law school. The Urban Land Institute has initiated a project to plan and connect our regional greenways. These various pieces will ultimately create an incredible system. How do you measure success? The list. It’s my extremely detailed, color-coded system of big, long-term goals that I’ve set for my work and the shorter-term tasks that help me achieve them. If I am checking off those daily items, I know that I am making progress. Nominating Organization:

Hyde Family Foundations


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Behind the new curtain, there’s nothing to hide Through lean times, Jackie Nichols fashioned a new Playhouse on the Square with no debt and a team mindset. Now his new theater is about to become the gem of Midtown.

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by Richard J. Alley

ackie Nichols could be considered the father of live theatre in Memphis. Jackie, executive producer for Playhouse on the Square and by his own admission an overachiever, sees his latest and largest production as more than what it seems on the outside. “The new theatre is more than a home for Playhouse on the Square. It’s going to be a major Midtown redevelopment initiative that’s going to involve other arts groups in the community,” he said, speaking proudly of the new building going up at the corner of Union Avenue and Cooper Street. The very nexus of Midtown is destined to become the crossroads of performing arts for the Memphis area. As founder and artistic director of Ballet Memphis, Dorothy Gunther Pugh is excited about the performances her company has planned for the new Playhouse on the Square. As a Midtowner herself, she said, “Jackie is thinking about the neighborhood, which is a very tangible symbol going up. I’m so thrilled to see it on the corner every time I drive by.” Ballet Memphis will perform “Sleeping Beauty” on the new stage in April of 2010. Nichols has worn the guise of actor, dancer, director and producer in his career, yet it may be his role as the father of live theatre in Memphis and fundraiser for which he is remembered. He has his fiduciary lines memorized and has his budgeting blocking down to the inch. “The organization has no debt and owns all its property outright, that’s $3 million worth of property,” he said. Current property includes the Circuit Playhouse with its educational building next door, TheatreWorks in Overton Square and Playhouse on the Square; the new building will be another $12 million in property assets. So far, $12 million has been raised, secured before the economy went south, and with most of the money pledged in hand by last Fall. The Playhouse donors include the Jeniam Foundation, the Arthur

Jackie Nichols (left) “would wake up in the middle of the night, wondering if I can do this.” Inset: Scaffolding inside the main Playhouse performance space.

F. & Alice E. Adams Foundation, Hyde Foundation, Plough Foundation, Assisi Foundation and the Kresge Foundation. Those involved in sponsorships and donations were excited and eager to fund the building, excited especially about the expansion of community outreach of which there are currently 13 programs, Nichols said. “We still have to raise another $3 million for an endowment to secure the operation of the new building, but we feel confident that when people see this space they’ll realize what a jewel it is and come forward to support it,” Nichols said. “They’ll see that this is happening and this is good.” Having worked with Nichols for 20 years, associate producer Michael Detroit knows where his boss’s strengths lie. “He’s a visionary, he sees things that could be years from now and I think he pursues that,” Detroit said, adding, “He’s also very fiscally conservative and he doesn’t waste people’s money. He uses every cent we bring in.” The planning began about four and a half years ago, the idea growing out of a strategic planning session held by the board and staff. “We sat down and tried to examine what the future of Playhouse on the Square would look like, and we realized that the theatre couldn’t really grow anywhere unless we had a new state-of-the-art facility.” Nichols and his team toured theatres around the country, but it was the Steppenwolf theatre in Chicago that struck a chord. He asked the staff, technical directors and stage managers at that theatre what they would change in the 5-year-old building if they could, and they all said “nothing.” “We knew that Steppenwolf was exactly what we wanted. It was a larger theatre with state of the art facilities,” he said. Nichols exudes the confidence of the experienced actor on stage, a leading man who gets the girl every time. In this case, the dame is a new theatre, almost identical to the venerable Steppenwolf in every detail save a few fewer seats and larger, brighter lobby. “Jackie has made such a commitment to this city,” Pugh said, “and I think [his donors] know of his commitment to this community and to art. They’re inseparable to him.” “There are always nay-sayers, people saying you can’t possibly do this for the money you’re seeking,” Jackie says now as the sound of construction hums across the street from his office. “Even friends said we couldn’t, and I would wake up in the middle of the night at times wondering if I can do this. But then I’d remember that it’s for the community. This isn’t just for me, and so it must be done.”


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FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP

Schooling the next generation of leaders Local organizations provide 'a conduit for emerging talent' by Andria Lisle Jon Burchfield of Leadership Memphis speaks to a crowd of aspiring leaders.

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clean and green Memphis. An authentic city that’s safe, fun and tolerant. According to the numerous local organizations that work to attract and retain new, young talent, if we build it, our next generation of leaders will come. Young talent must “find their place in this community where they feel connected, where they feel anchored and valued, where they can feel that they’re making a difference, where they’re part of the solution,” says David Williams, President of Leadership Memphis, a civic minded organization that, through various programs and workshops, accelerates the leadership process. “People want to know what the issues are here and also what’s being done, what’s working,” he says. “They don’t want it sugarcoated. But a lot of people still don’t know how they can be part of the solution. That’s what makes programs like ours — where they do get a chance to get plugged in — so important.” At Leadership Memphis, that means walking potential leaders through the legislative and educational systems that shape the city via programs in community, grassroots and executive leadership. Its FastTrack Program, geared specifically toward young leaders, has graduated about 160 leaders over four semesters. “They better understand how they can identify and mobilize people within their spheres of influence to be more

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connected, or to be able to deliver more to the community,” Williams says. “And, if they feel like they’re making a difference, that’s one more tie to keep them here.” The Leadership Academy also strives to empower young leaders, mainly by building synergy. “We’re very diligent about making sure our classes are as diverse as possible,” says Elizabeth Lemmonds, its Communications Director. “We’ve got members from Fortune 500 companies, people who run nonprofits, entrepreneurs, and people who work within community groups.” “The Academy’s yearlong Fellows Program is a conduit for emerging talent,” Lemmonds says. “It offers various seminars, including first-person glimpses of the city’s history via a workshop called Memphis 101.” “We provide the place for people who have excitement, skills, willingness and drive, yet need help with their focus. A lot of it comes down to networking and finding mentors within the community,” she says of the program. Before graduation, fellows team up for work on the Leadership Academy’s 75 ongoing community action projects, which range from a temporary housing program for the families of patients at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center to raising awareness about diabetes prevention. In March, the Academy launched Memphis Connect — a community blog that Lemmonds calls “life in Memphis, as told by different Memphians.” With posts about community organizations, events, and volunteer activities from a pool of 25 bloggers who cover a cross-section of Memphis, the Web site has quickly become an invaluable recruiting tool for the city.

“There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to attracting young leaders to Memphis,” Lemmonds says. “Some are going to be interested in the Peabody’s rooftop parties. Others are going to be attracted to Gonerfest. Through Memphis Connect, they can get a colorful and diverse view of the options.” In June, Leadership Memphis inaugurated the free Memphis Connect Summer Experience. The program included networking parties at the Memphis Music Foundation’s headquarters on South Main and at the National Ornamental Metal Museum, as well as crash courses in personal branding and communication skills and a lunch meeting with Mayor A C Wharton. “We had over 200 interns and graduate students participate,” says Lemmonds. “At a key time when they’re about to make big decisions, we were able to give them a chance to interact with community leaders and get some career advice.” For Allison Scott, an intern at First Horizon, it was a life-changing experience. “What little knowledge I had of Memphis before my arrival consisted of its musical history, barbecue, and without fail, its notorious reputation for crime and racial tensions,” Scott wrote in an August 23 Commercial Appeal op-ed piece. “However, in my short time here I have experienced a very different kind of Memphis – one that features a thriving culture, a corporate landscape that presents unique opportunities and an active community pursuing change.” Gwyn Fisher, Executive Director of MPACT Memphis, underwent a similar experience. While Fisher was born and raised here, the years she spent in London, Paris and New Orleans had dimmed her appreciation of Memphis, she says. Yet when she moved back in 2000, she discovered that her hometown had new life. “The Memphis I’d left wasn’t the one I returned to,” Fisher says. “I immediately noticed a sense of hope, a key shift in the vibe of the entire city, and I was very impressed.” Like Williams and Lemmonds, Fisher says that attracting and retaining talent requires a proactive approach. “Part of the reason I love MPACT is because when I moved to all of those other cities, I was alone, and it was hard to meet people outside of work,” she says. “People want to be taken places and introduced to people, not just told about them. MPACT helps them put down roots.” Among her group’s efforts are the Uniquely Memphis campaign and the MPACT Outlet event series, which shine a light on local movers-and-shakers, nonprofits and events for the city’s 650 MPACT members. Tarrin McGhee, the 27-year-old President of Memphis Urban League Young Professionals, says that providing a wide array of programming is key… A self-described “nerd who has fun going to community events,” she recognizes that the organization’s members — who range in age from 21 to 40 — have diverse interests and different needs. “Many of our younger members are looking for a way to enhance their networking skills, and they’re getting acclimated to city life after college,” McGhee says. “And typically, our older members are looking for structured ways to volunteer or for ways to get more involved with the Urban League’s mission. But with everything we do, our end goal is to help our members become more astute, both personally and professionally.”

McGhee, a transplant from Omaha, Neb., decided to put down roots here after she graduated from the University of Memphis in 2006. “There’s a real sense of community here,” she says. “Our biggest challenge is improving our reputation locally. We need to put more emphasis on the positive initiatives, and do more on a community-wide level to celebrate the success stories that are happening here.” “Memphis has so much potential,” says McGhee, who also serves as Director of Common Ground, a three-year, community-based initiative on race relations. “The city is so rich in history and culture, but race relations have unfortunately hindered our progress in some areas. The only way we can strengthen our city is to celebrate our differences.” Tom Jones, co-founder of the Smart City Memphis blog, says that Memphis is currently losing 24 - to 30-year-olds at the rate of five per day. With thirteen to fifteen of the top 50 U.S. cities siphoning the majority of the talent, Jones muses, how can Memphis compete with those cities to attract college educated young people? His solution: invest in the youth who already live here. “Parents want their children to go wherever the best opportunities are,” Jones says. “Why shouldn’t that place be Memphis? While other cities are fighting for talent, we have our own. There’s no lack of ambition. We just have to figure out how to develop it, how to create more avenues to move the talent that we have into future jobs.” “Talent development is key,” Jones says. He cites a recent study by CEOs for Cities, which calculated the potential $1 billion impact on the Memphis economy if the number of college graduates in the city could be increased by one percent. In underscoring that Memphis talent is not restricted to any class or color, it is worth remembering that two of the city’s most notable Memphis music millionaires — Elvis Presley and Isaac Hayes — began life in the city’s housing projects. “The real question is: How do we inspire that culture of creativity without forcing it?” Jones says. The answer, he says, lies in potential projects that are happening “from the ground up, not from the top down.” “I’m really excited about the idea of a skateboard park on Mud Island, and an art park on Front Street — the kinds of things that speak the language of young professionals and say something about Memphis and its priorities,” he says. “They’re being done by imaginative young people. As a community, we need to embrace them.”

For more information on these organizations visit: Leadership Memphis: www.leadershipmemphis.org Leadership Academy: www.leadershipacademy.org and www.memphisconnect.com MPACT Memphis: www.mpactmemphisorg Memphis Urban League Young Professional (MULYP): www.mulyp.org Smart City Blog: www.smartcitymemphis.com


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FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP

'True marks of a leader' At UT’s College of Pharmacy, officials say Student Body President Melaina Perry is governing her class with vision and a hands-on style. By Jon W. Sparks

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elaina Perry is the future, which we know because she’s happening right this minute in the present. She’s in her third year at the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy, looking ahead to an eventual residency and then a career in the field. But she is also irrepressibly drawn to civic involvement. For the 23-year-old Perry, her service takes the form of being president of the Student Government Association Executive Council of the UT Health Science Center. It’s an indication that we will be hearing a lot more from this Pulaski, Tenn., native, who is all about seizing opportunities. How did she become SGAEC president?

“The position rotates among colleges and it was Pharmacy’s year and would be someone out of my class,” she says. “I’d served as class president and developed communication skills with professors. Also, my scheduling and time management had improved to where I thought I could take it on.”

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Melaina Perry “was always the one getting [other students] motivated,” says UT pharmacy professor Dr. Lawrence Brown.

Perry wanted to meet the people who made decisions. And that she has. She's met with the UTHSC chancellor and recently spoke with the president of UT. “This opens up networking and lets me see the bigger scheme of how UT works,” she says. Perry says that there are about 800 pharmacy students on a campus of some 2,500. “We interact with few of those from the other schools, so this lets me form relationships with medical, dental and nursing people I would haven't been able to know otherwise.” And it’s allowing her perspectives to change. “On our executive council, the Graduate Health Sciences are represented," she says. “It’s a relatively small number of students but they have different issues to address.” Perry also has been energized by seeing what the other colleges are doing. “The College of Medicine has amazing community service activities,” she cites as an example. Community service is a big priority for her.

“We have teamed up with medical students on a Zion Cemetery cleanup project, going out and cleaning the historic site to be more accessible,” she says. “And the Pharmacy College has health fairs on a regular basis offering blood pressure and glucose testing, and keeping the general population informed on risks for heart disease and asthma and risk factors to improve health.” Her tenure so far has been satisfying as she tries to make a difference. “I want to make life easier for students on campus,” she says. “As president of the council I enjoy representing all areas. For example, if Nursing has an issue, such as parking, we can address appropriate faculty or staff to correct it. We’re here to make it easier on students to solve conflicts and put them in direct contact with appropriate staff and faculty.” Perry went to undergraduate school at UT Martin, so making the leap to UTHSC was a fairly uncomplicated choice. “I’d been in the UT family, and UTHSC always appealed to me,” she says. “It was also an in-state school, so that made it easier on finances.” Beyond the practical and sensible considerations, however, was one of quality. “I did research and realized it was ranked higher nationally than other competitors in the area.” But why pharmacy?

“I always knew I wanted to be in the health profession, but as I got older and explored options, I realized I hated the sight of blood,” Perry confides. “So that ruled out medical school. I looked at pharmacy and saw that was something I’d like. I did job shadowing, made the decision and here I am.” Beyond school and service, Perry pursues other hobbies and builds a life with her husband, Jaymond Perry.

“I like to run and have done several half-marathons,” she says. “My husband and I go on adventures — skydiving, scuba diving and we like to travel.” She's still not sure which area of pharmacy she’ll go into. “In a couple of years I’ll be doing a residency. I’ll graduate in May 2011 and will keep my options open.” But Perry is certain that she’ll continue to develop as a leader. She’s interested in an eventual leadership position in the Tennessee Pharmacy Association, and she’d like to continue another activity she’s involved in: “I now get to serve on the UT Alumni Board of Governors and I’d like to pursue that, interacting with other members who serve,” she says. “And I’d like to shape the way that the Alumni Association doles out scholarships.” She shouldn’t have any trouble getting references.

Dr. Lawrence Brown, a professor of pharmacy at UTHSC, has observed Perry’s leadership in action among students. Dr. Brown, who holds several leadership positions himself, teaches Medication Therapy Management to second year pharmacy students. “She exhibits what I consider the true marks of a leader. She has a great ability to share her vision on where the organization ought to go and is able to work with others rather than dictating.” The proof, Dr. Brown says, was seen in Perry’s work with other lab students. “In her group, she was always the one getting them motivated and directed to get the work done.”

About UTHSC • It is the flagship statewide academic • health system, offering three • undergraduate programs, more than 20 • graduate degrees, and three professional • programs. • In fiscal year 2009, faculty and staff • received more than $88 million in research • funding. • Campuses include colleges of Allied • Health Sciences, Dentistry, Graduate Health • Sciences, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. • Contributes about $2 billion to the Memphis • area economy annually. • Economic impact accounts for 5.6% of the • $30 billion of total personal income • earned in the Memphis area. • The state of Tennessee appropriated nearly • $133 million in fiscal year 2008. For every $1 • of state appropriation, the university and • • its related operations generate a total of • $20 of economic contribution to the local • economy.


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ARTS - ORGANIZATION PROFILE

Dance Works, Inc. in the art revolution By Jennifer Lefkowitz

There is something more in this angelic place located in the heart of our thriving mid-town Memphis arts community. On the corner of Union Avenue and Cooper, in the historic United Methodist Church, is a cherished aspiration among children. Dance Works, Inc. is a nonprofit organization providing children of disadvantaged families an affordable and accredited, quality dance education. Karen Zissoff is the organization’s founder and CEO. She saw the need for a unique and affordable dance program exclusively designed for Memphis youth. “I want to give children the opportunity to learn dance,” she says. Zissoff founded the organization in the 1980s and holds a BFA in dance from York University in Toronto, Canada, and a teaching diploma from Royal Academy of Dance in London, England. She regularly participates in extensive dance education seminars and honors the Judith Woodruff Professional Development Award from The Tennessee Association of Dance (TAD). In addition, Zissoff celebrates several grants and awards for her humanitarian efforts throughout the Memphis community. ArtsMemphis sponsors Dance Works, Inc. while fundraisers help support it. Ballet is the foundation of the education and curriculum. Arts such as dance are fueling a new kind of economic boom. ArtsMemphis reports the recent economic impact on the arts creates 5.7 million jobs nationwide and 7,000 plus jobs in Memphis. Arts also promote tourism by attracting new visitors who experience the arts and culture amenities the city has to offer. In vibrant and ever-changing Memphis, arts remain a vital source for economic growth and development. Mayor A C Wharton says, “No city has a richer culture than Memphis, and city government must lead the development of a plan to leverage our arts and culture into a competitive advantage.” In his new city plan he explains, “Elements could include Memphis Art Park, expansion of the National Civil Rights Museum, the South Forum development plan, and Triangle Noir.” Creativity remains a powerful source of inspiration and influence on our lives and the arts are helping to build bridges and shape our community.

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Two fourth-year Dance Works students trained under Karen Zissoff, perform a project.

Dance Works, Inc. offers classes to children as early as prekindergarten and continues to high school. Creative movement such as Jazz and Hip-hop is the curriculum of young children. Classical ballet, creative movement, modern and African dance are offered to children ages seven and up. The art of dance inspires minds, encourages expression, and fosters creativity. Creativity is a powerful form in organizing our communities. The “creative stimulus” caused President Obama to create a new White House position on culture and the arts. The economic crisis gave us a chance to evaluate the role of creativity in making a healthy economy and peaceful society. Like Zissoff, artists and community organizers enrich new forms of understanding and consciousness in our communities. Artists in residence are frequently brought to Dance Works, Inc. though the Tennessee Arts Commission. Distinguished guests include Judith Davies (Director and Founder of the Ottawa Dance Centre Schools), Wayne Smith (Professor of Dance at Spelman College), and Dr. Mel Tomlinson (New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey, and Dance Theater of Harlem). Zissoff ’s students often compete at national dance levels. The students’ skill level is evaluated on an international scale by a national examiner from the Royal Academy of Dance in London. They are judged on a scale of incomplete, pass, merit, and distinction. Students who are serious about a career in dance can compete at national dance university programs. Students have received scholarships from the The Julliard School, Virginia Commonwealth University, and the Interlochen Center for the Arts. Zissoff conveys the approach of dance on her students is of greater merit than the final result.

with Joel Myers Principal, The Centre Group

INSIDE THE CHAMBER CHAMBER BIZ

THE HUMAN SPIRIT

LEVERAGING LEADERSHIP TRANSITIONS

As they take over, a new leader should be clear, get to know everyone, and above all, communicate. Leadership transitions are often anxious times. New leaders bring new agendas. There are high expectations for the newly-promoted or newly-hired executive; self-imposed and placed there by the hiring authority. Employees have expectations of their new leader, too. After all, the organization is counting on the new leader to make good things happen, quickly! All too often, these transitions are made more difficult by role ambiguities and cultural/style differences. Organizations spend a considerable amount of time and money to recruit and hire leaders. It makes sense to pay attention to the leadership transition process so that the company will receive the maximum return on its investment. What should a new leader do to help ensure success? • Understand the role and expectations The new leader must have clarity about his/her role, scope of authority, and key objectives. Having a clear path brings focus. • Plan the transition process and work the plan Allocate time for the on-boarding process. Unless an organization is in crisis, a new leader should take the time to learn the culture and the key players and develop a plan for change. • Eat the elephant one bite at a time “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Leaders cannot expect to change everything at once. Early victories will help build a leader’s credibility for the long run. • Invest time in building relationships A newly hired leader should get to know his/her team quickly, learning each team member’s view of the organization’s culture, strengths and weaknesses. Familiarity with recent performance reviews and development plans is also

valuable. New leaders should get to know other, peer executives within the organization. What are some tactics to employ? • Communications Meetings Hold regular open-forum sessions. Be open and transparent. Invite questions. Make nothing “off-limits”. Build trust by disclosing personal and professional information. Get to the bottom of internal conflicts quickly, engaging an outside facilitator if necessary. • Use instruments & inventories Utilize assessment instruments for team development, managerial selection, and succession-planning processes. Assessments provide valuable insight and can shortcut the discovery process. Use multi-rater (360o) feedback to learn perceptions of leadership strengths and weaknesses. • Use coaching Engage a coach or practice coaching techniques to help address staff development needs. Assessment tools and performance feedback provide the data for the coaching relationship. Putting Thoughts into Action Patrick Spainhour, CEO of The ServiceMaster Company, is successfully filling the role of a transformational leader at ServiceMaster as he has done in previous leadership positions. Spainhour believes that the success of an organization is all about culture. “An organization can be loaded with great minds and technical expertise, but if the culture is not right, the organization will not ever reach its full potential,” Spainhour said. For Spainhour, having the right culture means sharing best practices across functional and business unit lines, having a passion for continuous improvement and learning, engaging

in open communications, and building personal relationships where problems can be solved quickly and intentions are not questioned. When Spainhour brought the ServiceMaster corporate headquarters to Memphis, many senior executives did not make the move. He had to “re-talent” the corporate staff. In the selection process, he searched for people who embraced ServiceMaster’s culture. He believes that technical capabilities are revealed in the resume and a candidate’s accomplishments, but making sure a person’s values match the ServiceMaster culture takes more discussion. In addition to his selection process, Spainhour engages in a number of practices that demonstrate his commitment. He holds Town Hall meetings where he and other leaders share business news and goals, where all employees are encouraged to “ask anything”. To strengthen the talent pool, he is moving more people across organizational lines. He uses crossfunctional/cross-business unit teams to work on issues. He conducts frequent skip-level meetings called “Chats with Pat” to keep his finger on the pulse of the organization. Spainhour sees his most important responsibility as that of developing people. Considering ServiceMaster’s culture and operating values, some may believe that the company is laid-back, touchy-feely. Not so! They set high standards. “Our approach has been to perform while we transform,” Spainhour said. “We believe that successful, effective employees will create satisfied customers who then become loyal, lifelong clients and that will enhance company profitability and value in the long run.” The Human Spirit aims to help individuals maximize their potential in the workplace.


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ON THE FRONTLINES with Donn Fisher

Dr. Fix-It How's your business or organization running? This expert has answers. by Richard J. Alley

More than 30 years ago, the son of a jeweler came to Memphis from his home in Kentucky and went to work repairing watches and setting gems for Dreyfus Jewelry. These days, as the Executive Director and CEO of the Mid-South Quality Productivity Center, Donn Fisher’s mission is to take the hard black lumps in many businesses and transform them into diamonds of industry. The Mid-South Quality Productivity Center is a Baldrigebased center in partnership with the Greater Memphis Chamber and Southwest Tennessee Community College, and is the only such center in the country to be partnered with a Chamber of Commerce. The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award is a performance excellence award given by the President of the United States to businesses based on seven criteria: leadership; strategic planning; customer and market focus; measurement, analysis, and knowledge management; workforce focus; process management; and results. When evaluating, Fisher’s team will interview the various levels of an organization including top leadership, middle management and the front line of employees. They will ask about 90 questions against the Baldrige standard and then come back with a strategic review of the most important strengths, opportunities for improvement and strategic issues that they need to do to turn the organization around to be the best class in their industry. “I think a lot of folks in Memphis don’t know that we’re one of the

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leading global Baldrige centers,” Fisher said. “We’ve done over 100 assessments for Memphis City Schools over seven years. We’ve done assessments for St. Jude, Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center, Shelby County government, and we’ve assessed most of the infrastructure in Memphis over the last 18 years.” Fisher received an undergraduate degree in business and journalism, and a master’s degree in speech and communications, from Murray State University in Murray, Ky. The only job he could find immediately after college was as a trainee with Dreyfus Jewelry, having learned watch making and diamond setting at an early age. Among his customers, he counted Elvis and Vernon Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, and rose to director of stores for the chain while still in his early 20s. Upon leaving Dreyfus, he went to a good customer, Dr. Gene Smith, then Vice President of Memphis State University over business finance, for a reference. Dr. Smith hired Fisher as manager of staff and faculty and encouraged him to get his doctorate, which he did in organizational dynamics from University of Mississippi. “After getting my Ph.D., I wanted to do something else,” Fisher explained, “so I said, ‘I think I’ll become a consultant’ and I discovered the Baldrige Awards and ended up getting on their national board.” Fisher has developed and copyrighted the Process Activated Training System, which is based on the Baldrige model. PATS is a behavioral-based teaching and learning process that creates an environment of continuous learning


and cycle-time reduction at the job site. “Formalizing on-the-job training is what PATS does,” explains Fisher. Nearly 40 companies worldwide use PATS, yet the first organization to purchase and take advantage of the program helped to put it on the map, Fisher said. The United States Post Office became the first to use the system to do random sampling of data and set its pricing accordingly. Currently, MSQPC is working with the Memphis City School System and its 400 administrative assistants to develop legendary practices based on the Ritz Carlton’s system. Pam Doss, director of institutional effectiveness for Baptist College of Health Sciences, has known Fisher for 25 years. She had the opportunity to work with Fisher in 2008 when he and his team were asked to assess the college. “Donn knows how to ask the right questions and is extremely passionate about his work,” Doss said, “I admire him tremendously.” Not only did MSQPC conduct the first round of questioning, but they worked with the college to develop their own questioning for yearly assessments to be conducted with in-house personnel. “We were very pleased with the process, it was very useful, and the goal now is to continue the work on our own, though he is continuing to coach us during the process,” Doss said. Fisher recently traveled to Thailand, funded through the nonprofit Asian Pacific Organization, to speak to business leaders and present his 8th book, Corporate Sustainability, which includes the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Index. As one of

nine people invited by the Royal Thai Government out of Miami to represent the Chamber and visit 28 industries, Fisher conducted five seminars and visited the Thailand stock exchange. “It was a whirlwind trip,” he said. He has traveled to every continent on behalf of the Chamber and MSQPC, speaking to leaders of state and industry, and the learning has become a two-way street. “We are definitely an ambassador for Memphis, that’s what our role is. I think that’s what our mission is,” Fisher said. “We’re trying to make our business in Memphis global, and we’re bringing global best practices back into our city.” The father of three, a son and two daughters, has been married to his wife, Kathleen, a Guidance Counselor at Riverdale Elementary School, for 35 years. His passions are writing and travel, and he hopes to take Kathleen with him on his next trip to Thailand. The irony of it all is that Fisher was fired from his job at the jewelry store for suggesting that management could improve. He’s been working and thinking outside of that jewelry box to help improve business practices ever since. “If I hadn’t gotten fired,” he laughs now, “I never would have written eight books, traveled around the world many times and become an expert in what I do.” On The Frontlines gives you a closer look at Greater Memphis Chamber executives.

INSIDE THE CHAMBER

Donn Fisher, Executive Director & CEO of the Mid-South Quality Productivity Center, may have lost his position at the jewelry store, but now helps other businesses to run more effectively.

INSIDE THE CHAMBER

ON THE CLOCK, OFF THE CLOCK with Beverly Davis

How long have you been with the Chamber? In December of 2009, I will have been with the Chamber for ten years. Every day has been a new learning experience since the very first day I was hired. With the Chamber being a member organization composed of the various business leaders and businesses, we are always called upon to meet multiple deadlines while working with city and county governments, our Chamber members and the community at large. Thanks to my time here at the Chamber, I have learned more about Memphis and I have grown to appreciate the things this city has to offer. How would you describe your role in the Chamber? I was hired as an Administrative Assistant and began in Workforce Development, an area of the Chamber that I truly enjoy. I have worked in various departments here at the Chamber and my role has evolved over the years. I have gone from learning what a Chamber of Commerce actually is to offering input and

Beverly Davis at work at the Greater Memphis Chamber.

helping to execute what the Chamber does. I have tried to fill in when given the opportunity, wherever there was a need. Fortunately, we all pretty much work as a team.

What gives your life fulfillment outside the Chamber walls? I find my greatest fulfillment through the time I spend with friends and by participating in whatever the favorite thing is at the time. I have been a secondhand girl most of my life, meaning yard sales, thrift stores, and secondhand shops are favorite haunts. I also enjoy a great mystery, autobiographies, and short stories. I sometimes get a chance to see an occasional play. I am thrilled with amusement parks, and I love to ride on any roller coaster!

Lisa Alex (left) listens to Beverly Davis during a session of Common Ground, an ongoing city-wide conversation on race and class, that both participate in regularly.

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What is one of your favorite hobbies? My favorite hobby includes a long stretch of highway where I can drive fast and play loud music! I am also very intrigued by the world of Art! Okay, that’s two things.

INSIDE THE CHAMBER

RIBBON CUTTINGS

Mid –South Drug Testing Owner/Manager: Kelly Dobbins, Chief Manager 3294 Poplar Avenue, Suite 250, Memphis, TN 38111

Diamond International Owner/Manager: Dick Sweebe, President/CEO 1710 Brooks Road, Memphis, TN 38116

On the River Seafood And More Owner/Manager: Willie Belle Scott, Owner / Don Scott, Manager 51 South Main Street, Memphis, TN 38103

MPACT Memphis Owner/Manager: Gwyn Fisher, Executive Director Jenny Sharpe, Chairman, Board of Directors Shante K. Avant, Chairman-Elect Board of Directors 506 South Main Street, Memphis, TN 38103

Physicians Billing Solutions Owner/Manager: Debbie Schafer, President 201 South Center Street, Suite 210, Collierville, TN

Peacock - McCarty Travel Owner/Manager: Trisha Peacock, Owner / Beth McCarty, Owner 101 South Main Street, Suite 102, Memphis, TN 38103 State Farm Insurance/Parker Rhett Owner/Manager: Parker Rhett, Agent 4515 Poplar Avenue, Suite 416, Memphis, TN 38117 Memphis Crossroads | www.memphischamber.com

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CALENDAR

Special Events

UPCOMING

2010

Spring

11

10

07

01

08

MSQPC - Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

MONDAY

25

24 31

SUNDAY

18

17

MSQPC Understanding ISO 13485

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

04

MONDAY

03

SUNDAY

02

09


TUESDAY

26

19

MSQPC ISO - Internal Quality System Auditing

12

05

TUESDAY

10


03

WEDNESDAY

FRIDAY

11


04

12


05

FRIDAY

MSQPC Leading Others to Higher Levels of Productivity

THURSDAY

29

22

15

08

01

NEW YEAR’S DAY

Breakfast Forum

28

21

14

07

THURSDAY

February

27

20

MSQPC ISO - Internal Quality System Auditing

13

06

WEDNESDAY

January

13

06

SATURDAY

30

23

16

09

02

SATURDAY

Janelle Robinson: Frontline Politics

Teresa Franks: MSQPC training events

Brenda Montgomery: International Business Council & Tech Council events

Member Services: Orientation & Lunch & Learn Series

Tunga Lee: Breakfast Forum Series, Leadership Luncheon, Metro Mixers, Golf Invitational & Small Business Council

or contact:

call 901-543-3500 or visit our online calendar at www.memphischamber.com

To RSVP for upcoming Chamber Special Events, visit our website

21

14

07

28

PALM SUNDAY

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME BEGINS

SUNDAY

28

21

14

VALENTINE’S DAY

01

22

15

29

22

15

08


MONDAY

PRESIDENT’S DAY

16

PASSOVER

30

23

Lunch & Learn

16

09


02

MSQPC - 7 Habits Fundamentals

TUESDAY

23

Small Business Council Breakfast

Chamber Orientation

In the Mix Reception

ST. PATRICK’S DAY

31

24

17

10


03

25

MSQPC -Root Cause Analysis

18

11


04

Breakfast Forum

THURSDAY

25

18

FRIDAY

26

19

26

MSQPC -Root Cause Analysis

19

12


05

March

24

17

WEDNESDAY

ASH WEDNESDAY

27

FIRST DAY OF SPRING

27

20

13

06

SATURDAY

MOVE IT MEMPHIS 10K

20

NEW MEMBERS

Welcome

A A B Business Brokers BUSINESS BROKERS Mr. Larry Peavy, President 5587 Murray Road, Suite 208 Memphis, TN 38119 (901) 374-0044 Fax: (901) 374-0046 Email: [email protected] www.abbusinessbrokers.com Alzheimer’s Association West TN Regional Office HEALTH AGENCY NON PROFIT Ms. Lisa Bobal, Regional Development Director 326 Ellsworth Memphis, TN 38111 (901) 565-0011 Fax: (901) 565-9550 www.alz.org/altn American General Life & Accident Insurance LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY Mr. Shawn Parry, General Manager 5860 Ridgeway Center Parkway, Suite 210 Memphis, TN 38120 (901) 680-0152 Fax: (901) 680-9624 www.agla.com

B Bateman, Gibson & Childers, LLC Law Firm Mr. Ralph Gibson, Attorney P.O. Box 3351 Memphis, TN 38173 (901) 526-0412 Fax: (901) 525-8466 www.batemangibson.com

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Career Talent TECHNOLOGY & HEALTHCARE STAFFING RECRUITING CONSULTING FIRM Mr. Lee Booth, CEO 8121 Walnut Run Road, Suite 101 Cordova, TN 38018 (901) 473-4770 Fax: (901) 755-3299 Email: [email protected] www.careertalent.com

Furniture Medic by Dallas Commercial and residential furniture repair and refinishing, commercial image enhancement. Mr. Dallas Hensley, Owner 6815 Whippoorwill Drive Olive Branch, MS 38654 (901) 267-4849 Fax: (662) 890-5692 Email: [email protected] www.fmbydallas.com

Chiropractic Memphis CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC Dr. Jayme Gipson, Chiropractic Physician 7870 Winchester Road Memphis, TN 38125 (901) 795-6363 Fax: (901) 795-0465 www.chiropractic-memphis.com Covenant Dove LLC NURSING & REHABILITATION Mrs. Sarah Dickey, Office Manager 2723 Summer Oaks Drive Bartlett, TN 38134 (901) 937-7994 Fax: (901) 937-1516 Crichton College EDUCATIONAL SERVICES COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES Dr. Larry Linamen, 255 North Highland Memphis, TN 38111 (901) 320-9700 Fax: (901) 320-9709 Email: [email protected] www.crichton.edu Datacomm Services Corporation LOW VOLTAGE CABLING AND SYSTEMS CONTRACTOR Mr. Chuck Jennings, Vice President 318 Collins Street Memphis, TN 38112 (901) 591-8900 Fax: (901) 452-7332 www.dscdatacomm.com

G Geico Auto and Personal Lines insurance Ms. Anastasia Mixson, Owner 923 South Yates Road Memphis, TN 38120 (901) 761-5240 Fax: (901) 761-5241 GraniteDealer LLC Granite Importer Mr. Brian Hodges, Owner 810 Walnut Street Memphis, TN 38126 (901) 774-8074 Fax: (901) 774-8075 www.granitedealer.com Group Benefits, LLC GROUP INSURANCE & BENEFITS Mr. Timothy J. Finnell, President 3400 Players Club Parkway, Suite 110 Memphis, TN 38125 (901) 259-7999 www.groupbenefitsllc.com Gwatney Companies AUTOMOBILE DEALERS NEW Mr. Russell Gwatney, President 7300 Winchester Road Memphis, TN 38125 (901) 751-7300 Fax: (901) 385-4060 www.gwatney.com

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Diversified Copy Products OFFICE EQUIPMENT SALES, SERVICE & SUPPLIES Ms. Courtney Kirton, Director of Marketing 1835 Nonconnah Boulevard, #137 Memphis, TN 38132 (901) 382-8300 Fax: (901) 345-8308 Email: sales@ diversifiedcopyproducts.com www.diversifiedcopyproducts.com

Hearn Wealth Management, LLC ASSET MANAGEMENT, FINANCIAL PLANNING Mr. Martin Hearn, President 7981 Dexter Road, Suite 103 Cordova, TN 38016 (901) 473-9379 www.hearnwm.com

E Express Employment Professionals Temporary Staffing Company Mr. Watt Daniel, Owner 6100 Primacy Parkway, Suite 1100 Memphis, TN 38119 (901) 680-1933 Fax: (901) 680-1937 www.expresspros.com

I Integrity Office Solutions OFFICE SUPPLIES Mr. Bill Burton, President P.O. Box 19292 Jonesboro, AR 72403 (501) 993-2426

J Jabil CONTRACT MANUFACTURERS Mr. Jorge Rodriguez, General Manager 5238 Lamar Avenue Memphis, TN 38118 (901) 202-7427 Fax: (901) 202-6588 www.Jabil.com

John Pruett Architects ARCHITECTS Mr. John Pruett, Owner/ Principal In Charge 1869 Madison Avenue Memphis, TN 38104-2626 (901) 721-9062 Fax: (901) 721-9063 Email: pruettarchitects@ bellsouth.net www.pruettarchitects.com

K Kipp Memphis CHARTER SCHOOL Ms. Keva L. Duckett, Director of Marketing and Development 2670 Union Avenue Extended, Suite 1100 Memphis, TN 38112 (901) 452-2682 Fax: (901) 452-2753 www.kippmemphis.org

M Malaria Prevention Mission NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION Ms. Marie Winters, President/ Organizer P.O. Box 11552 Memphis, TN 38111 (901) 239-4254 Email: contact@ whatisawinafrica.com www.whatisawinafrica.com Many Neat Things Candy Wrappers CUSTOMIZED CANDY WRAPPERS Ms. Marynelle Taylor, Owner 7208 Stonegate Boulevard Southaven, MS 38671 (901) 486-5340 Memphis College Prep Charter School PROPOSED ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL Mr. Michael Whaley, Lead Founder 404 South Reese Street Memphis, TN 38111 (901) 857-8030 www.memphiscollegeprep.org Memphis Medical Redevelopment Group, LLC REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS Ms. Anna Martin, Vice President, Marketing - Property Operations 14444 Gillham Drive Stuite 100B Memphis, TN 38134 (901) 523-0068 Fax: (901) 523-0063 Email: sales@ parktowermemphis.com Mid-South Area Carpet Care, Inc. CARPET CLEANING Mr. Glenn A. Hill, President P.O. Box 41161 Memphis, TN 38174 (901) 485-4213 Fax: (901) 276-9892 Email: [email protected] www.msacarpetcare.com

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National Kidney Foundation of West Tennessee NON-PROFIT HEALTH ORGANIZATION Ms. Mable Barringer, Executive Director 857 Mt. Moriah, Suite 201 Memphis, TN 38117 (901) 683-6185 Fax: (901) 683-6189 Email: [email protected] www.nkfwtn.org

Regal Stephah, LLC MANUFACTURER OF EXERCISE EQUIPMENT Mr. Chris Johnson, Co-owner P.O. Box 771326 Memphis, TN 38177 (901) 606-4300 Fax: (901) 763-4249 Email: [email protected] www.ultrafastcrosstrainer.com

The Blue Group INSURANCE & FINANCIAL SERVICES Mr. Stanley J. Blue, President 4006 Otter Drive Memphis, TN 38128 (901) 237-3760 Fax: (901) 388-5326

NYK Logistics TRANSPORTATION, Mr. Joe Salinas, Director of Operations 8295 Tournament Drive Memphis, TN 38125 (901) 794-2225 www.nyklogistics.com

Rusken Packaging CORRUGATED BOXES, CONTAINERS, AND PACKAGING Mr. Matthew Brewer, Sales Representative 452 Tenacity Court, Apartment 102 Cordova, TN 38018 (205) 296-7995 Fax: (731) 423-4616 www.rusken.com

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Peacock - McCarty Travel TRAVEL CONSULTANTS Ms. Tricia Peacock, Owner 101 South Main Street, Suite 102 Memphis, TN 38103 (901) 527-1991 Fax: (901) 527-1623 www.peacockmccartytravel.com

Semmes-Murphey Clinic NEUROSURGERY, PAIN MANAGEMENT AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGY Mr. John Lewis, Administrator & CEO 6325 Humphreys Boulevard Memphis, TN 38120 (901) 522-2615 Fax: (901) 259-2023 Email: [email protected] www.semmes-murphey.com

Performancepoint, LLC MANAGEMENT CONSULTING Mr. Brad Federman, President 8999 Jenna Road Germantown, TN 38138 (901) 737-3468 Fax: (901) 205-0661 Email: info@ performancepointllc.com www.performancepointllc.com Philips Emergency Lighting MANUFACTURER OF EMERGENCY LIGHTING Mr. John Levesque, General Manager P.O. Box 460 Collierville, TN 38027 (901) 853-7211 Fax: (901) 853-5009 www.philips.com/bodine Praxair, Inc. GAS LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM BOTTLES BULK Mr. David Huggins, Plant Manager 5055 Old Millington Road Memphis, TN 38127 (901) 357-8690 Ext:202 Fax: (901) 357-8453 www.praxair.com Protection One INSTALLATION SERVICE MONITOR ALARM SECURITY SYSTEMS Mr. Mark Hart, General Manager 5175 Elmore Road, Suite 23 Memphis, TN 38134 (901) 385-4900 Fax: (901) 385-4904 www.protectionone.com Pyramid Grill and Buffett INDIAN PAKISTANI & MEDITERRANEAN RESTAURANT Ms. Iffat Tameez, Owner 6090 Macon Cove Memphis, TN 38134 (901) 380-7814

Skanska USA Building, Inc. CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT Mrs. Mendy C. Mazzo, Vice President of Business Development 865 Poplar Avenue Memphis, TN 38105 (901) 620-2708 Fax: (901) 620-2701 www.skanska.com Southern Growth Studio BRAND MARKETING AND PRODUCT Mrs. Jocelyn Atkinson, Chief Strategist 119 South Main Street Memphis, TN 38103 (901) 522-9875 Fax: (901) 522-9878 Speak Creative WEB DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT Ms. Christy Leake, Office Manager 8337 Cordova Road, Suite 102 Memphis, TN 38016 (901) 757-5855 Fax: (901) 757-5955 Email: [email protected] www.speakcreative.com Splash Creative ADVERTISING, DESIGN, PUBLIC RELATIONS Mr. David W. Brown, President 2574 Sam Cooper Boulevard, Suite 100 Memphis, TN 38112 (901) 378-3603 Fax: (901) 590-3739 www.splashcreativeink.com

The Brand Squad BRAND DEVELOPMENT & MANAGEMENT Mr. Jerry Ehrlich, President 6000 Poplar Avenue, Suite 250 Memphis, TN 38120 (901) 866-9402 www.thebrandsquad.com The Superior Bar of Memphis RESTAURANT, BAR, CATERING Mr. Danny Reynolds, Owner P.O. Box 3247 Memphis, TN 38173 (901) 523-1940 Fax: (901) 523-1962 www.superiorbealestreet.com

U Urban Family Ministries CHURCH, ALCOHOL AND DRUG RECOVERY, Pastor Jerry Ivery, Executive Director 2174 Lamar Avenue Memphis, TN 38114 (901) 323-8400 Fax: (901) 405-1235 www.wroc.us Urban Health & Education Support Services HEALTH EDUCATION Mrs. Gwendolyn Brown, Executive Director P.O. Box 41484 Memphis, TN 38174 (901) 484-9624 Email: [email protected] www.carinsharin.org

Z Zayo Enterprise Networks Mr. Garner Bailey, General Manager 7670 Appling Center Memphis, TN 38133 (901) 881-9788 Fax: (901) 371-0829

22 N. Front Street, Suite 200 Memphis, TN 38103

Photo by Lance MurPhey

“I never wanted to say ‘What if?’ I thought: ‘I’m 27 years old, and if I’m ever going to do it, this is the time to do it.’ ”

MathIs young Memphis small business owner In Memphis, success has a sound of its own. memphischamber.com/soundtrack