The Nissan Foundation has announced it is awarding $697,000 in grants to 28 nonprofit organizations for its 2021 grant cycle at metro areas where Nissan has an operational presence. Eight Nashville area agencies will benefit.

During its 29-year history, the Nissan Foundation has awarded approximately $13 million to more than 150 organizations offering educational programs that bring diverse cultural perspectives, experiences and voices to communities across the country.

The mission of the Nissan Foundation is to build community by valuing culture diversity. Formed in response to the civil unrest that occurred near Nissan’s then-North American headquarters in Southern California following the Rodney King trial verdict, the Nissan Foundation has annually awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars to nonprofit organizations that support the Foundation’s mission.

Nonprofits receiving grants in Tennessee are:

• Discovery Center, “Kids First” ($60,000)

• Global Education Center, “Passport to Understanding” ($25,000)

• Nashville Public Library Foundation, “Civil Rights and a Civil Society: Critical Dialogues in Equity, Race and Identity” ($25,000)

• Nashville Public Television, “Next Door Neighbors: 2021-2022” ($75,000)

• Oasis Center, Inc., “Oasis Center’s Building Bridges” ($50,000)

• Stars Nashville, “Understanding Bullying Prevention Through the Lens of Cultural Competence” ($20,000)

• Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition, “Building Support for Refugee Communities in Middle Tennessee” ($10,000)

• YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee, “Stand Against Racism Lunch & Learn Series” ($20,000)

Baker Donelson a top firm for women

Baker Donelson has been named to the list of “Best Law Firms for Women” by Seramount (formerly Working Mother Media). This is the fifth consecutive year the firm achieved this recognition, which honors the top 50 firms that utilize best practices in recruiting, retaining, promoting and developing women lawyers.

The list (www.workingmother.com/best-law-firms-for-women-2021) highlights law firms that averaged 25% women among equity partners, compared with 23% last year, and where women represented 40% of all lawyers overall (up from 39% in 2020). Of all female equity partners, 16% were multicultural, and multicultural women represented 27% of overall women lawyers (up from 26%).

In the face of the massive uncertainty of the pandemic, Baker Donelson introduced a series of wellness initiatives to support its more than 1,200 employees, with a particular focus on working parents who were juggling work while managing children who were virtual learning or had limited child care options.

Among the initiatives were a child care education credit policy that allows both billable hour credit and working attorney credit for child education efforts, and an intranet site, BakerVillage, that allowed attorneys to share information such as virtual learning program recommendations, virtual tutors and meal services.

Waller recognized for associate satisfaction

Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP has been included by Chamber Associates, the Student’s Guide to the Legal Profession, as a one of the top 50 best performing law firms for associate satisfaction. Ranked in the “Strong Performer” Category, Waller was highlighted for its excellent reputation as a top firm in health care transactions – a recognition the firm has previously received by Chambers USA.

As part of Chambers Associate’s annual interview-based research, junior associates from every firm taking part are invited to complete an online survey covering every aspect of law firm life, such as their initial views on the firm and its competitors, relationships with partners and clients, and the firm’s handling of diversity and pro bono.

Select to expand at Ascension Saint Thomas

Select Medical and Ascension Saint Thomas have announced a joint venture partnership to expand critical illness recovery hospital services, licensed as long-term acute care, in the Nashville area.

Select Medical has operated a freestanding 70-bed critical illness recovery hospital on the campus of Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Midtown since 1998. That facility, Select Specialty Hospital – Nashville, will be contributed to the joint venture as well as a new 30-bed satellite critical illness recovery hospital to be located inside Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital West bringing the total number of beds to 100.

Father, son open bank in Franklin

Lineage Bank has opened a commercial bank at 120 5th Avenue North in Franklin where the Lineage Financial Network is headquartered.

The venture has been launched by Richard Herrington, director of Lineage Bank and a veteran Williamson County banker, and his son, Kevin, chairman and CEO of Lineage Bank.

Richard Herrington has more than 40 years of experience. He holds a degree in economics from Newberry College and a master’s degree in economics from Florida State University.

Kevin Herrington has more than 20 years of banking experience and is a graduate of Belmont University. He serves as a board member for the Bridges Domestic Violence Center and previously served as a board member for the Payments First Regional Payments Association.

Mosaic plans to acquire Westward Consulting

Nashville-based Mosaic Consulting Group has entered into an acquisition agreement with Westward Consulting, a Kronos partner focused on workforce management.

Mosaic is a longtime Ultimate Software partner focused on human capital management support and service.

The acquisition is expected to be completed on June 30th. Ultimate Software and Kronos merged in 2020 to create UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group), a leading global provider of HCM, payroll, HR service delivery and workforce management solutions.

The creation of UKG has resulted in new opportunities for service partners just as it has created exciting opportunities for UKG customers. By completing this acquisition, Mosaic Consulting Group and Westward Consulting will bring together their legacy expertise to strengthen Mosaic Consulting Group’s exclusive focus on implementation, support, and optimization across the entire UKG product suite.

F8 Well Center opens in Brentwood

The F8 Well Center is now open in Brentwood at 5409 Maryland Way, Suite 120.

Dr. Benjamin Galyardt founded F8 Well Centers using his proprietary Galyardt Method that offers a unique, comprehensive, individualized approach that focuses on optimal health and increased wellness.

The Galyardt Method incorporates functional medicine, neurofeedback and nutritional counseling to assist patients in overcoming chronic conditions such as autoimmune, digestive issues, thyroid dysfunction, hormone imbalances, PCOS and other challenges.

Galyardt is a functional medicine doctor and recognized expert in neurofeedback and brain regeneration. He is board certified in integrative medicine and a certified neurofeedback practitioner with more than 20 years’ experience. He opened his first clinic in Fort Collins, Colorado in 2004 and is expanding to Brentwood and Phoenix.

Regions offering aid to small businesses

Regions Bank has announced its annual Share the Good program will focus on showing support for small businesses that have faced challenges over the last year due to the global pandemic.

In Nashville, Regions will purchase gift cards from a small business in the North Nashville area and deliver those gift cards to employees and visitors at the Tennessee State Museum nearby.

Regions is currently rebuilding its North Nashville branch that was destroyed by the March 2020 tornado; the branch serves local business clients, and the new facility will further Regions’ commitment to the surrounding area.

Also in Nashville, Regions will offer a show of support for the Central Police Precinct, whose officers were crucial to the public safety response to the Christmas Day 2020 bombing. Specifically, Regions will purchase baked goods from a local bakery and deliver them to Central Precinct officers.

Summer Jobs Connect coming to Nashville

Nashville is one of 21 cities to receive funding from the Citi Foundation to provide low-income youth with summer jobs and with financial education.

The Citi Foundation has announced an additional $3.66 million in support to the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund to provide more than 140,000 low-income youth in 21 cities as part of Summer Jobs Connect in 2021.

Since launching in 2014, the Citi Foundation has invested almost $36 million in this initiative, which has provided more than 700,000 low-income youth across 21 municipally-led Summer Youth Employment Programs with opportunities for banking access and financial education, and employed over 16,000 young people. Summer Jobs Connect city partners have built these financial empowerment strategies into the infrastructure of their Summer Youth Employment Programs.

The CFE Fund has been working with city and county partners to ensure the availability of safe, affordable youth banking accounts, including through the creation of programmatic Summer Jobs Connect Youth Account Priorities. SJC cities and counties have formed partnerships with more than 35 banks and credit unions that will open accounts for participants, including those younger than 18.

Cumberland reports COVID-19 drug success

Nashville-based Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. has released a series of case reports describing the effectiveness of Vibativ (telavancin) in treating secondary bacterial infections in COVID-19 patients – particularly those with other significant health problems, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

The dossier of patient case studies outlines five real-world instances where Vibativ effectively and safely treated hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia in COVID-19 patients. These types of pneumonia result from serious staph infections, such as methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Vibativ is a patented, FDA-approved injectable anti-infective for the treatment of certain serious bacterial infections.