Lee

Malcolm Turner has resigned as Vanderbilt athletic director after one year on the job, and Candice Storey Lee has been named interim athletic director effectively immediately.

Vanderbilt announced Tuesday the school had accepted Turner’s resignation. Turner was president of the NBA G League when hired in December 2018 by Vanderbilt to replace David Williams. He started Feb. 1, 2019.

Turner fired Bryce Drew as men’s basketball coach last spring and hired Jerry Stackhouse. He also oversaw some immediate improvements to athletics facilities announced last May. He had been working on a plan to update Vanderbilt’s athletic facilities, including the football stadium whose last major renovation was in 1981, which is expected to be announced soon.

Lee played basketball at Vanderbilt and has three different degrees from the university. She now is the first female athletic director in any capacity at Vanderbilt and the first black woman AD in the Southeastern Conference.

Wente did not say how long Lee would work as the interim athletic director.

Lee was a captain of the women’s basketball team before graduating in 2000. She earned a master’s degree in counseling from Vanderbilt in 2002 and got her doctorate in higher education administration in 2012.

Music City Center wins USGBC TN awards

The Music City Center received two awards during the 2020 IMPACT Leadership Conference, winning the overall highest score and the prize for carbon emissions reduction.

MCC recorded the highest scores in energy, water, waste and transportation improvements within the state using the Arc performance platform over a 12-month period.

“We have an amazing team that is committed to prioritizing sustainable practices in our day to day operations,” says Charles Starks, President and CEO of Music City Center. “We are honored to have received these awards from the USGBC and greatly value our partnership.”

The U.S. Green Building Council Tennessee IMPACT Benchmarking Challenge encourages buildings across the state to track energy, water and waste with the Arc performance platform. Participating buildings entered an initial set of building performance data in June 2019 and worked to improve their scores through operational upgrades before December 2019.

HCA 4Q revenues $13.523 billion

Nashville-based HCA Healthcare, Inc. has announced it financial and operating results for the fourth quarter.

Some of the highlights of the report (all percentage changes compare the fourth quarter of 2019 to fourth quarter of 2018 unless otherwise noted):

• Revenues totaled $13.523 billion

• Net income attributable to HCA Healthcare, Inc. totaled $1.071 billion, or $3.09 per diluted share

• Adjusted EBITDA totaled $2.738 billion

• Cash flows from operating activities totaled $2.505 billion

• Same facility admissions and same facility equivalent admissions increased 4.7% and 5% respectively

• Revenues in the fourth quarter of 2019 increased to $13.523 billion, compared to $12.274 billion in the fourth quarter of 2018.

• Net income attributable to HCA Healthcare, Inc. totaled $1.071 billion, or $3.09 per diluted share, compared to $1.064 billion, or $3.01 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2018.

During the fourth quarter of 2018, the HCA incurred additional expenses and experienced losses of revenues estimated at $31 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, associated with Hurricane Michael’s impact on its Florida panhandle facilities. This amount is before any potential insurance recoveries. Also, during the fourth quarter of 2018, the company recorded a benefit of $49 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, from an insurance recovery related to Hurricane Harvey business interruption losses incurred during 2017.

HCA also announced its board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.43 per share on the company’s common stock. The dividend will be paid March 31 to stockholders of record at the close of business March 2.

LBMC’s 2020 report: Cautious optimism

LBMC, a 2020 Forbes America’s best accounting firm with operations based in Brentwood, has announced its third annual Business Outlook Report.

The report was based on results from the Business Outlook Survey, where more than 750 business leaders, 70% in C-suite, reviewed business activity over the past year and provided insight into how they see the business landscape over the next 12 months.

The survey notes the 2020 middle market outlook will be the year of the customer, talent and economic climate, according to the C-suite executives surveyed.

LBMC’s survey respondents reported revenue growth in 2019 and were cautiously optimistic about 2020, with 83% anticipating some growth.

The majority of respondents reported revenue growth in 2019 and were cautiously optimistic about 2020, with 83% anticipating some growth. These results line up with a recent report by The Conference Board – an independent business membership and research association – which projected the U.S. economy will grow 2.1% in 2020.

Top business goals include:

• Growing sales

• Improving financial performance while enhancing operational efficiency and productivity

• Increasing business value

• Leveraging technology

• Enhancing existing products, services, resources and markets

Rural Media makes deal with Comscore

Nashville-based Rural Media Group has made a multiyear deal for two of its flagship television networks, The Cowboy Channel and RFD-TV, with Comscore.

“As RFD-TV and The Cowboy Channel endeavor to grow their distribution and audience, Comscore’s robust return path data provides the granular level insights, both at a national and local level, that will allow Rural Media to chart its path in the new decade,” says Patrick Gottsch, president and founder.

Rural Media Group, is provider of multimedia content dedicated to the rural and Western lifestyle. With a mission of reconnecting “city with country,” RMG is the parent company of RFD-TV, RURAL RADIO Channel 147 on SiriusXM radio, The Cowboy Channel and RFD-TV The Magazine.

Hall of Fame looks at new country trends

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will open its first exhibition of 2020, an examination of current trends in country music.

American Currents: State of the Music, begins March 6 and turns through Feb. 7, 2021.

Now an annual offering, American Currents represents the ongoing research, analysis, vigorous debate and argument, among curators and museum staff to determine the most important developments in country music over the previous year.

“Each year brings new components to the country music story, and 2019 was no different,” says Kyle Young, CEO, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “Last year, we witnessed unprecedented collaborations, record-breaking chart success and the continued evolution of the genre, reaching a broader audience. American Currents allows us to highlight these moments and share their significance in country music history.”

Those featured in American Currents: State of the Music are artists, musicians and songwriters who have shaped today’s country music story. Those included in this year’s exhibition are: Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Blanco Brown, Brandi Carlile, Eric Church, Luke Combs, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jenee Fleenor, Florida Georgia Line, Country Music Hall of Fame member Tom T. Hall, The Highwomen, Lil Nas X, Hillary Lindsey, Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, John Prine, Chris Stapleton, Tanya Tucker, Carrie Underwood and Morgan Wallen.

The exhibit also features the Unbroken Circle, which illustrates the connection between country music’s past, present and future by sharing the stories of today’s artists and those who have influenced them.

Churchill announces strategic partnership

Nashville-based Churchill Mortgage, a leader in the mortgage industry providing conventional, FHA, VA and USDA residential mortgages across 46 states, is partnering with Infosys, a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting.

Churchill will work with Infosys to re-engineer its processes to dynamically change the way it does business. Driving a complete digital transformation within mortgage lending, the partnership aims to provide the lowest cost in the market to put loans on the books, the highest level of efficiency in terms of loans per person, and the highest level of customer satisfaction and engagement measured by multiple market sources.

NTC honors Givful as best tech startup

Givful, the Nashville developer of a SaaS platform for workplace volunteering and charitable giving, was named technology startup company of the year by the Nashville Technology Council.

With the introduction of its new cloud-based product, Givful made a historically expensive enterprise solution affordable and easily implementable for organizations of all sizes, including underserved midmarket companies.

“We are deeply honored to receive this award,” says Givful President & CEO Patricia Shea. “Our team has labored long and hard to create this game-changing technology and I could not be prouder of their dedication and the realization of their vision and skill.”

Givful’s platform uses cloud technologies to seamlessly join employers, employees and nonprofits for easy donating, volunteering, social media sharing and reporting.

Givful allows employees to search more than two million charities, connect instantly, donate or volunteer, and see their impact.

Thales Academy expands school network to TN

Thales Academy, a college preparatory network of Pre-K-12 independent schools based in North Carolina, is expanding to include its first Tennessee campus in Franklin for the 2020-2021 school year.

The Franklin campus will open this July, initially offering grades K-3 for the 2020-2021 school year, with more grades to come in future years.

A parent interest meeting is scheduled for Feb. 11, 6:30 p.m., at The Gate Community Church, 3835 Carothers Parkway in Franklin. Information

Thales Academy operates eight campuses in the Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina, areas, instructing more than 3,000 students.

Student formation is designed to develop the entire person, the school states, which is achieved through a research-based teaching method, best-in-class instructors and a culture that embodies traditional values.

Hallmarks of Thales Academy include rigorous, college-prep academics that emphasize learning to mastery, character formation, real world skills development, personalized attention and affordable tuition with no extra fees or fundraising. Tuition is $6,000 per year.

Thales does not accept vouchers.