Southern Word
Board Chair
| Board Chair | Liza Kawaller |
|---|---|
| Company Affiliation | MasterClass |
| Term | July 2023 to June 2025 |
Board of Directors
Board Members| Name | Affiliation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Joel Alex (He/Him) | Family & Children's Service | Voting |
| Monserrat Arteaga (She/Her) | Vanderbilt University | Voting |
| Amanda Dardy (She/Her) | Metro Nashville Public Schools | Voting |
| Kia Goodwin (She/Her) | Community Volunteer | Voting |
| Sheena Hanserd (She/Her) | Northeast High School | Voting |
| Liza Kawaller (She/Her) | MasterClass | Voting |
| Dr. Michelle Pinkard (She/Her) | Tennessee State University | Voting |
| Tim Schwarz (He/Him) | Tennessee Public Utility Commission | Voting |
| Benjamin Smith (He/Him) | Southern Word, Executive Director | Exofficio |
| Dyondre Thomas (He/Him) | Music Producer/MTSU Student | Voting |
| Ashley Thurman (She/Her) | O'Melveny | Voting |
Advisory Board Members
| Name | Affiliation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Tayo Atanda | ||
| Hana Elliot | WHAT. Creative Group | |
| Kaila Gilbert | Dell | |
| Alex Griffin | Alexander's Catering | |
| Lonnell Matthews | ||
| Dr. Angela McShepard-Ray | ||
| LaVoe Mulgrew | ||
| Kent Oliver | Nashville Public Library | |
| Molly Pratt | VP Pratt Government Strategies | |
| Linda Ragsdale | Peace Dragon Project | |
| Emy Sanderson | Harpeth Hall High School | |
| Laurie Schell | Laurie Schell Associates | |
| Jim Shulman | Metro Council/State of Tennessee | |
| Julie Simone | Lipscomb University | |
| Dr. Janet Walsh | ||
| Tom Ward | Oasis Center | |
| Amie Whittemore | ||
| Anderson Williams | ||
| Idella Woodard | Parent | |
| Manuel Zeitlin | Manuel Zeitlin Architects |
Governance
| Board Term Lengths | 2.00 years |
|---|---|
| Board Term Limits | 8 |
| Board Meeting Attendance % | 73% |
| Does the organization have written Board Selection Criteria? | No |
| Does the organization have a written Conflict of Interest Policy? | Yes |
| Percentage Making Monetary Contributions | 100% |
| Percentage of Board Members making In-Kind Contributions | 0% |
| Does the Board include Client Representation? | Yes |
| Number of Full Board Meetings Annually | 5 |
Standing Committees
| Development / Fund Development / Fund Raising / Grant Writing / Major Gifts |
