L. Gino Marchetti, Jr., managing partner of Taylor, Pigue, Marchetti and Blair PLLC, was recently presented the Richard Boyette Award from the National Foundation for Judicial Excellence for outstanding contributions to the foundation.
The NFJE supports a strong, independent, responsive judiciary by providing officers of the courts with educational programs and other tools that enable them to perform at their highest level. The award recognizes individuals or corporations who demonstrate a commitment to excellence in judicial education, that show exceptional creativity and dedication in program development, excel in fundraising activities on behalf of the NFJE and/or exemplify professionalism in promoting the case for a well-educated judiciary.
In addition to this recognition, the firm’s attorneys have received numerous recognitions for their legal work. Marchetti has been named to Who’s Who Legal for 2020, a Best Lawyer in America multiple times and a Mid-South Super Lawyer seven times, an honor bestowed annually upon only the top 5% of Tennessee lawyers.
Founded in 1954, tpmbLAW engages in general civil practice including civil litigation, corporate and governmental representation and bankruptcy and creditors’ rights.
Bugelli joins Baker Donelson
Daphne Bugelli has joined Baker Donelson’s as an associate in firm’s Nashville office, where she assists clients in a variety of litigation matters.
Bugelli has a background in all aspects of tort defense from beginning to end. She has experience handling matters in bench and jury trials in addition to arguing before the Tennessee Court of Appeals and the Chancery Court of Davidson County.
While in law school, she served as a judicial extern for Judge Clinton Canady III in the Ingham County Circuit Court in Lansing, Michigan.
She is a graduate of the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Nice with a certificate of musical studies, Oakland University and the Michigan State University College of Law.
Groom launches Dedicated General Counsel, PLLC
Attorney Steve Groom has launched Dedicated General Counsel, PLLC, a law firm designed to provide companies with lower-cost legal services.
Groom has held general counsel and executive vice president roles with four public companies and has practiced law with three law firms, where he represented public and private companies of all sizes. In addition to his general counsel roles, Groom served as chief human resources officer and chief risk officer for different companies. He has also been the principal in the Nashville office of a national advisory/consulting firm.
Groom is a member of the American, Tennessee and Nashville Bar Associations, as well as the Association of Workplace Investigators, Risk Management Association, International Association of Privacy Professionals and the Society of Human Resource Management. He has been recognized by the Nashville Business Journal “Best of the Bar” numerous times during the past two decades.
Metro Airport Authority elects new leadership
Amanda C. Farnsworth, formerly vice chairman Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority, has been elected its chairman, along with William Freeman as vice chairman and John Doerge as secretary. Farnsworth succeeds Aubrey (Trey) B. Harwell III as chairman.
Additionally, businessman Andrew W. Byrd was elected to the board of commissioners, while James W. Granbery and Robert J. Joslin were reappointed.
Byrd, founder and president of TVV Capital, was nominated to the board by Mayor John Cooper and confirmed by the Metropolitan Council. Byrd is a 35-year private equity veteran directly responsible for leading the sourcing, financing, acquiring, operating and exiting of more than 33 successful manufacturing enterprises.
Byrd earned his B.A. and J.D. degrees from Vanderbilt University and his LL.M degree (taxation) from Georgetown University.
Farnsworth was appointed to the board in 2012 by then-Mayor Karl Dean. She previously served as vice chairman of the board and has chaired the Finance Committee and the Audit Committee. Farnsworth is a retired executive with J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, now Baird, Investment firm.
She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a master’s degree in computer science and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics.
Vaughn named to regional Red Cross post
The Tennessee Region of the American Red Cross has named Laura Vaughn regional chief development officer with the Fund Development Department of the American Red Cross of the Tennessee Region. The Tennessee Region serves 95 counties in Tennessee along with Crittenden County in Arkansas and Desoto and Tunica counties in Mississippi.
Vaughn joined the American Red Cross as the executive director of the Mid-South in 2011 and later transitioned to the Regional Director of Development. In early 2013, Vaughn was charged with finding a new location and building a new chapter office in Memphis. She received her largest commitment of $1 million for the facility in May 2014 and continued to fund and complete the current Madison Avenue facility.
Legal Aid Society names Baker campaign chair
Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Tennessee’s largest nonprofit law firm, has named Laura Baker to chair its 2021 Campaign for Equal Justice, an annual initiative that raises funds for Legal Aid Society. Baker is a shareholder at the Law Offices of John Day.
The Campaign for Equal Justice, held annually since 1987, has a 2021 goal of $870,000. Last year’s campaign raised $916,000, surpassing a goal of $830,000.
Baker has previously served as a pro bono lawyer for Legal Aid Society through the firm’s Volunteer Lawyers Program. She has spent 15 years representing clients in personal injury, wrongful death and tort litigation across the state.
Also serving on this year’s campaign committee are:
• Large firm co-chairs: Callie Hinson (Neal Harwell), Jonathan Cole (Baker Donelson)
• Small firms chair: Trudy Bloodworth (Trudy Bloodworth Attorney at Law)
• Community chair: Vic Alexander (KraftCPAs)
• Corporate chair: Kay Caudle (Parker + Lynch)
• Judges chair: Judge Angelita Blackshear Dalton (Division II, Davidson County Criminal Court)
• Government chair: Amy Bryant (Office of Conservatorship Management Director)
• Williamson County co-chairs: Rebecca Blair (Blair Law), Amanda Bradley (Hartzog & Silva)
• Columbia service area chair: Stacie Odeneal (The Odeneal Firm)
• Cookeville service area chair: Ashley Waters (Waters Law)
Kalodimos appointed to Lipscomb residence
Nashville journalist and former longtime WSMV anchor Demetria Kalodimos has been appointed communication professional-in-residence in Lipscomb University’s School of Communication for the 2021-22 academic year.
Kalodimos has anchored and reported news for nearly 40 years and has won some of the top awards in broadcast journalism including 16 Emmys, three Investigative Reporters and Editors National awards, three Edward R. Murrow Awards for investigative reporting and the Gracie from American Women in Radio and Television. She has been inducted into the Tennessee Journalism Hall of Fame and the NATAS Silver Circle.
Kalodimos produces her own award-winning documentaries, music videos and other visual content through her company Genuine Human Productions. Her songwriter series, Barnegie Hall, aired nationally on PBS stations across the country.
Kalodimos will share her experiences and expertise with undergraduate students and will develop special workshops and programming, with a particular focus on digital media ethics, to add to their classroom experience. In addition, Kalodimos will co-teach a class. Her one-year appointment begins in August.
Kalodimos holds a master’s in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor’s degree in music education and honorary doctorate from Illinois Wesleyan University.
WPLN adds to staffing with political reporter
WPLN News has added Blaise Gainey as the newsroom’s political reporter. Gainey will cover state and local politics that affect the lives of Middle Tennesseans. His political coverage began in Florida as he covered the state Legislature in Tallahassee.
WPLN’s news team has grown from 10 to 16 since 2019. The number is expected to grow throughout the 2021-22 fiscal year.
Gainey previously held the state government reporter position for WFSU News in Tallahassee. He is from Apopka, Florida, and graduated from The School of Journalism at Florida A&M University. He also has worked for The Florida Channel and WTXL-TV.
Johnson joins Tennessee Business Roundtable
The Tennessee Business Roundtable has hired Camille Johnson as manager of communications and stakeholder engagement.
Johnson brings expertise in governmental communications and public relations to the Roundtable from Jacksonville, Florida, where she served Mayor Lenny Curry and the city’s residents as public information officer and social media specialist. In those roles, Johnson managed social media platforms and disseminated information to all levels of city government, external agencies, and the public.
Johnson’s prior professional roles include communications and administrative work in the senate majority office of the Florida Senate. She is a graduate of Florida State University, where she earned a degree in political science and media communication studies.
HarperCollins division gets new vice president
HarperCollins Christian Publishing has named Jennifer Gott as vice president and publisher for its gift division, which operates Thomas Nelson Gift and Zondervan Gift.
In this role, Gott will oversee the gift division’s product pipeline, which includes acquisition, title development, and overall strategy for beautiful, high-design products in the areas of devotionals, lifestyle, guided journals, poetry, and seasonal books.
Gott has more than 20 years of publishing experience developing Christian and inspirational gift books, children’s books and trade books. Most recently she served as the associate publisher for the HCCP Children’s and Gift division, where she worked with bestselling authors including Sarah Young, Emily Ley, Rob Morgan, Sadie Robertson, Kel Mitchell, Ann Voskamp, and Louie Giglio.