Patent attorney launches intellectual law practice

Friday, July 28, 2017, Vol. 41, No. 30

Patent attorney A.J. Bahou has opened Bahou Law, PLLC. Bahou is experienced in trials and mediations, and is a registered patent attorney who practices in the area of electrical and computer engineering technologies, Blockchain, data privacy, cyber security, health care and intellectual property law, including litigation management of patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets.

Bahou earned a master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering from Johns Hopkins University and an MBA from Middle Tennessee State University after earning an engineering degree from Tennessee Tech University. He earned his J.D. and L.L.M. in intellectual property law from the Franklin Pierce Law Center at the University of New Hampshire.

Bahou is a board member on LaunchTN, chair of the Tennessee Bar Intellectual Property Law Executive Council and past president of the Tennessee Intellectual Property Law Association.

Originally from Murfreesboro, Bahou practiced in Washington, D.C., for several years at a 1,400-attorney international law firm representing Fortune 500 companies.

Leadership Brentwood announces 2018 class

Leadership Brentwood, a leadership development program of the Williamson County Chamber Foundation, has picked 20 community members to participate in this year’s program. They are:

• Glenn Allison, vice president of information technology, Tractor Supply Company
• Amanda Blanck, managing partner, Deviate
• Chris Cummins, chief networking officer, The Cummins Group
• Kathy Dooley-Smith, substitute teacher, Williamson County Schools
• Brian Evans, vice president of human resources, Tractor Supply Company
• Chris Foley, CFO, Tennessee Department of Education
• Randy Gibson, chief strategy officer and president international, Gresham, Smith & Partners
• Cindy Harrison, project manager, Metro Nashville Parks & Recreation Greenways
• David Hopkins, Middle Tennessee market regional president, First Citizens National Bank
• Darren Kennedy, principal, Grassland Middle School
• David Kumatz, assistant general counsel, AIG/American General
• Deanna Lambert, community relations director, City of Brentwood
• Jeanne Natwick, marketing manager, Brentwood Academy
• Kacy Pendergrass, vice president commercial lending, Reliant Bank
• Jennifer Shepard, financial advisor, Pinnacle Financial Partners
• Brian Shore, director financial planning & analysis, PathGroup
• Kelly Smith, consultant, Lighthouse Counsel
• Tom Tunnicliffe, account manager, Data Blue
• David Windrow, assistant chief, City of Brentwood Fire & Rescue
• Reid Zwickel, principal, TM Partners

Nashville Film Festival announces board, leaders

Nashville Film Festival announces new and returning board members for the 2017-2018 year, as well as new leadership.

New members include David Haspel (Haspel Communications, Inc.), Tracy Gershon (Red Light Management), Adrien Good (Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.), Claude Kelly (singer/songwriter), Brittany Schaffer (Loeb & Loeb), Scott Waugh (film director) and Julia Bonner (Pierce Public Relations).

Anastasia Brown (Format Entertainment) is now president, and Jim Scherer (Whizbang, Inc), is vice president. Good (Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc.) is treasurer, and Natasha Corrieri (ServisFirst Bank) will remain as secretary.

Returning board members are Taryn Anderson, Scott Borchetta, Cary Nelson-Burch, Natasha Corrieri, Shannon Casey, Steven Gaydos, Marcella Gomez, Ken Levitan, William Lowery, Bob Raines, Courtney Ross, Jim Scherer, Conrad Schuck, Dawn Soler and Stacey Widelitz.

BBR Music Group names Knabe VP A&R

Nashville powerhouse BBR Music Group has appointed BMG veteran Sara Knabe to the newly created position of VP of A&R at BBR Music Group.

Knabe will be responsible for BBR Music Group’s roster of artists across imprints Broken Bow Records, Stoney Creek Records, Red Bow Records and Wheelhouse Records, as well as scouting, signing and developing new talent for the roster. She will report directly to Jon Loba, EVP BBR Music Group and Zach Katz, BMG US president repertoire & marketing.

Joining BMG from Bug Music in 2011 as senior director, creative, Knabe has worked with such songwriters and artists as Jay DeMarcus, Ruston Kelly, Tony Lane, Jim Lauderdale, Gordie Sampson, Lucie Silvas and Wynn Varble.

Girls on the Run hires communications officer

Beth Rattray has joined the staff of Girls on the Run as communications and events officer.

Originally from Indiana, she previously spent eight years as United Way of Howard County communications director. She is a graduate of Indiana University School of Journalism and has more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit and event management.

Girls on the Run of Middle Tennessee is a nonprofit that works to encourage young girls to develop self-respect, confidence and healthy lifestyles through dynamic, interactive lessons and running games, culminating in a celebratory 5k, paired with community Running Buddies.

Nashville Symphony names assistant conductor

The Nashville Symphony has announced that Enrico Lopez-Yañez has been named assistant conductor and will begin a one-year term with the orchestra in September.

Most recently assistant conductor of the Omaha Symphony, Lopez-Yañez is familiar with the Nashville Symphony and local audiences, having conducted a pair of the organization’s free community concerts this summer and having led the orchestra during Nashville’s “Let Freedom Sing” Fourth of July celebration. He succeeds Vinay Parameswaran, who earlier this summer left Music City for a position with The Cleveland Orchestra.

Lopez-Yañez joined the Omaha Symphony as conducting fellow in April 2015 before recently being promoted to assistant conductor. During his tenure, he has led the ensemble in more than 100 performances, including the Omaha Symphony’s Mission Imagination, Celebrate Creativity, Carnegie Hall Link Up, Symphony Rocks and Family concerts, and the All Aboard touring program.

Lopez-Yañez earned his baccalaureate and master’s in music from the University of California Los Angeles. He holds a master’s in music in orchestral conducting from the University of Maryland.

Renewed announces new president, CEO

Renewed: Eating Disorders Support has named Deb Sandvik as its new president & CEO. She succeeds Kathleen Morphis Yabroudy, who stepped down in June after leading the organization for the past four years.

Sandvik comes to Renewed after serving as director of annual giving & events for Gilda’s Club Nashville since 2007. She brings more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, marketing and fundraising, corporate consulting and the entertainment industry.

A native of the Chicago-area, Sandvik earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Illinois State University. She has been a Nashville resident for 12 years.

HarperCollins Christian hires Paul as senior editor

HarperCollins Christian Publishing has hired Joey Paul as senior editor, specifically focused on nonfiction imprints for Thomas Nelson and Zondervan.

In 1970, Paul began his career at Word Publishing, which was acquired by the company in 1992. In 2001, he became publisher of Integrity Publishers, which also was acquired by Thomas Nelson in 2006. After serving as vice president of Editorial and Acquisitions for Thomas Nelson, Paul joined FaithWords in 2008, a division of Hachette Book Group, as executive editor.

In his new role, Paul will serve as an editor-at-large for nonfiction imprints, starting with a focus on the Thomas Nelson publishing group.

Paul has worked with many notable authors across the Christian publishing industry, including Billy Graham, Max Lucado, Joel Osteen, Ravi Zacharias, Sarah Young, Joyce Meyer, John Eldredge, Emerson Eggerichs, John MacArthur, Anne Graham Lotz and David Jeremiah.

NAMI Davidson County names new president

Mental Health Cooperative’s Evelyn Yeargin has been named president of National Alliance on Mental Illness Davidson County (NAMI-Davidson).

Yeargin has been a leader at NAMI as a member of the organization’s fundraising committee for the last two years. She’s also supported community events on behalf of the behavioral health cause.

As president, Yeargin will work with board members to build fiscal stability and assist in the planning and delivery of NAMI-Davidson services in the Greater Nashville Area.

Over the last 24 years, Yeargin has served as director of advocacy for Mental Health Cooperative, a nonprofit behavioral health company that supports adults and children with serious behavioral health challenges.

Yeargin replaces former president Andrew Turk.

MP&F Public Relations welcomes 3 new employees

MP&F Public Relations has hired Kelly McGahee and Jennifer Stilwell as the firm’s newest staff associates, and Hayley Shovlin as an administrative assistant.

McGahee graduated from Georgia Southern University in December 2016 with a degree in public relations. She completed an internship with MP&F in summer 2016 and with Georgia Southern Athletic Department in fall 2016.

Stilwell holds a degree in public relations from the University of Alabama. During her time at UA, she completed several communications internships, including one with The Capstone Agency, a student-run PR firm on UA’s campus, and an event-planning internship.

Shovlin, a Nashville native, graduated from Middle Tennessee State University, where she studied social work and philosophy. At MP&F, Shovlin is responsible for a number of administrative and operational duties. Prior to joining the MP&F team, Shovlin worked for Preston Taylor Ministries.