Sharon O. “Sheri” Jacobs has joined Dickinson Wright in the firm’s Nashville office as of counsel.

Jacobs represents companies, local governments and nonprofit organizations with regard to administrative, regulatory, environmental, zoning, land use and municipal matters. She has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America, Mid-South Super Lawyers and received an AV-Preeminent Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Jacobs is a member of the Nashville Bar Association’s Environmental Law Committee, the Tennessee Bar Association’s Environmental Law Section, the Lawyers Association for Women, the Missouri Bar Association and the American Bar Association. She earned her J.D. from the University of Missouri School of Law.

Cagle appointed trustee of Southern Association

Charles W. “Chuck” Cagle, shareholder and chair of the education law and government relations practice group in Lewis Thomason’s Nashville office, has been appointed as a trustee by the State of Tennessee for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools – Commission on Colleges. SACSCOC serves as the recognized regional accrediting body for 800 institutions of higher education that award degrees in 11 southern states.

Cagle will serve as the public delegate from Tennessee. The state delegation has six members (five representing higher education institutions and a public member). SACSCOC Trustees are responsible for determining Commission policy, reviewing, and making decisions regarding the accreditation of institutions, and conducting the initial review for modifications to the accreditation standards of the Commission.

Cagle oversees the firm’s representation of over 70 public boards of education, two private schools, two private universities and a private medical school in a variety of legal matters.

He is a member of the National School Boards Association’s Council of School Attorneys, Tennessee Council of School Board Attorneys, Education Law Association and the American, Nashville and Tennessee Bar Associations.

Goldberg, Shehan join NCVC board of directors

Two Nashville leaders have joined the board of directors of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp for Fiscal Year 2024.

Max R. Goldberg, co-owner of Strategic Hospitality, joins as a board member, and attorney Molly Shehan joins in the role of legal counsel.

Shehan is a partner at the Music Row law firm Milom Horsnell Crow Kelley Beckett Shehan PLC. Goldberg’s Strategic Hospitality includes Merchants, The Patterson House, The Catbird Seat, The Band Box and The Country Club located in First Horizon Park, Bastion, Henrietta Red, Locust, Tacos by Alebrije in GEODIS Park and the recently opened Kisser. Shehan previously served on the board of directors of Music City Inc., the foundation of the NCVC.

Music industry executive Ken Levitan, founder and co-president of Vector Management, will return as chairman of the board. He previously served two consecutive terms as board chair in fiscal years 2015-16. The NCVC Board represents sectors from within and outside the hospitality industry to guide the organization during continued growth in both visitation and hotel supply.

Additionally, NCVC president and CEO Deana Ivey has expanded the NCVC senior leadership team with the addition of Heather Middleton, chief marketing officer; David Spencer, senior vice president, events; and Bonna Johnson, senior vice president, corporate communications. The leadership team also includes Jeff Mefford, CFO; Adrienne Siemers, chief sales officer; Andrea Arnold, chief public affairs officer; and Marie Sueing, chief diversity officer.

Heritage Foundation selects chief of staff

The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County has named Leanne Portzel the first chief of staff in the organization’s history.

She will play a key leadership role in the organization’s overall executive support, special projects coordination, information technology, strategic planning and internal communications, as well as playing a lead strategic role in Franklin Grove Estate & Gardens and the History and Culture Center.

Before joining the Heritage Foundation, Portzel served with Manna Conejo Valley Food Bank since 2020, most recently as its executive director. Before that, she worked for two international nonprofits, Joni and Friends and Mission to the World, as director of development and capital campaign director, respectively.

Portzel earned degrees in Spanish and political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an IMBA from the University of South Carolina.

GS&F hires executive creative director

Nashville-based marketing and advertising agency GS&F has named Melvin Strobbe executive creative director.

Strobbe comes to GS&F following stints at McCann Erickson, The Richards Group and, most recently, as ECD at VMLY&R. In addition to assisting with new business initiatives and recruiting top talent, Strobbe will be responsible for managing all creative disciplines across a variety of mediums, including print, digital, social media, and TV and video production.

In his 30-year career, Strobbe has worked for a wide range of clients, including Mazda, Nestlé, Continental, John Deere, Hyundai and Sony. His work has been on display in the Smithsonian and has been recognized in major award shows across the country and the world, earning him over 100 ADDYs, 12 Effies, 2 Short Lists at Cannes and an Emmy for KHOU.

McNeely Brockman PR adds Lindsey as partner

Leigh Lindsey has joined McNeely Brockman Public Relations as a partner in the firm.

Lindsey comes to MBPR with more than 16 years of agency experience. Previously, she served as a senior vice president at MP&F Strategic Communications, working with clients in the hospitality, spirits, tourism, education, transportation, automotive, manufacturing and commercial real estate fields.

Lindsey recently served as president of the Public Relations Society of America Nashville chapter, is a member of the board of directors for PRSA Southeast, an executive board member and marketing chair for Safe Haven Family Shelter and member of the board of advisers for Lipscomb University’s Department of Communications and Journalism.

Wold’s Brown ascends to leadership position

Wold Architects & Engineers, a full-service planning, architecture and engineering firm specializing in education, government, health care and senior living, has promoted Jared Brown, AIA, to the Associates Leadership Team.

Brown, who holds a degree in architecture from Mississippi State University, is a project designer whose work includes ensuring building information models and construction documents are accurate, as well as assisting with conceptual building designs and layouts and safety and building code implementation. Highlights of his project portfolio include Tennessee State University’s Applied Engineering Building, a new assisted living facility at Morning Pointe of Franklin and master planning projects for Montrose Regional Health and the Regional Hospital of Scranton.

Exit Real Estate’s Lawson promoted to broker

Elizabeth Lawson has recently promoted to broker at Exit Real Estate Experts.

Lawson, who has been a Realtor since 2019, serves on the Community Involvement Committee of the Eastern Middle Tennessee Realtor Association and sits on the board for three local nonprofits.

Hargett names Temple chief of staff

Secretary of State Tre Hargett has named Bledsoe County native and Chattanooga resident Christina Temple the department’s chief of staff.

Temple will serve as a senior adviser to Hargett and lead legislative affairs with the Tennessee General Assembly and Tennessee’s congressional delegation. Additionally, Temple will play a critical role in strengthening the department’s relationships within state government.

Temple served as the New Hampshire state director for the Republication National Committee during the 2022 election cycle. Before that, she worked as coordinator on the delegates and party organization team on President Trump’s 2020 campaign. As a political consultant at Hill City Strategies, Temple has worked on various political campaigns.

W Nashville selects new general manager

W Nashville has hired Manuel Deisen as general manager of the luxury lifestyle hotel in The Gulch. Deisen will be responsible for all daily hotel operations, including overseeing guest experience, business development, ownership relations, advancing employee engagement and development and managing the property’s unique brand identity.

Deisen began his Marriott career as an executive steward at The Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland. He moved into various roles at Ritz-Carlton hotels in Philadelphia, Naples, Orlando, Amelia Island and Atlanta, and served on the preopening and opening teams for The Ritz-Carlton, Naples Golf Resort and Orlando Grande Lakes, as well as the opening teams at Ritz-Carlton hotels in Boston, Berlin and Fort Lauderdale.

Deisen has relocated to Nashville from Chicago, where he oversaw W Chicago Lakeshore and W Chicago City Center as the dual-property manager, successfully navigating both properties through the pandemic and W brand evolution. He has 30 years of experience in hospitality.