Nashville Convention and Visitors Board Announces Changes

The Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp (NCVC) announced additions to its board of directors on Monday (July 15), including Steven André (Hutton Hotel), Waverly Crenshaw (Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis), Deborah McDermott (Young Broadcasting), and Ronald G. Smith (Regions Bank).

Ed Hardy, current board President and interim leader of the CMA, continues as chairman of the NCVC board of directors for the 2013-14 fiscal year, which also appointed Ken Levitan (Vector Management) and Beth Fortune (Vanderbilt University) to second terms. Levitan will serve as chair-elect.

“I am happy to welcome these four accomplished individuals to our board,” said Hardy. “Nashville’s best days are still ahead of us. These new members will add greatly to an already highly effective leadership team.”

The 18-member volunteer board is charged with directing the NCVC’s work to maximize the economic contribution of the convention and tourism industry to the community by developing and marketing Nashville as a premier destination on behalf of the city, the members of the Convention and Visitors Corp and the city’s hospitality industry.

Prior to joining the Hutton, André served as general manager for properties in Houston, Beverly Hills and Chicago. He is currently on the board of directors for the Greater Nashville Hospitality Association and the Nashville State Community College Foundation.

Crenshaw, an attorney at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP, has more than 25 years working in employment-related issues. As the first African-American attorney at Waller, he serves on the firm’s Diversity Committee and is a past member of the firm’s board of directors.

McDermott serves as president and CEO of Young Broadcasting after previously receiving the George Foster Peabody Award for excellence in investigative reporting during her time as VP and GM of Nashville’s WKRN-TV. She is in her second term as a director of the CMA board and is a member of the Committee of 200, a national group of top women CEOs.

Smith has overseen banking operations for Regions in the Mid-America region since 2012. He previously held leadership roles including area president and regional president of the Southwest region. He serves on the boards of Baptist Health Systems, Regions Foundation of Tennessee, Higher Education Corporation and Operation Andrew Group.

Current NCVC board members include:

Ed Hardy (CMA)
Ken Levitan (Vector Management)
Bob Patterson (Bradley, Arant, Boult Cummings)
Kevin Lavender (Fifth Third Bank)
John Fleming (Renaissance Nashville Hotel)
Pete Weien (Gaylord Opryland)
Beth Fortune (Vanderbilt)
Mike Dungan (UMG Nashville)
Don MacLachlan (Tennessee Titans)
Beth Seigenthaler Courtney (Seigenthaler PR)
Henry Hicks (GrayLine)
Jason Sheer (Tin Roof Restaurants)
Rich Schwartz (Nashville Zoo at Grassmere)
Pam Wright (Wright Travel)
Patrick Franzone (Millennium Maxwell House Hotel)