Nashville Area Chamber & P2020 Annual Celebration Recognizes Efforts of Members, Investors

Our first ever Annual Celebration was a wonderful opportunity to honor the members and investors that help us accomplish our mission of creating economic prosperity by facilitating community leadership. 

We had a blast with all of the wonderful members, business owners and community leaders that attended the event.

But the event wasn’t all about fun. It was also a chance to recognize organizations doing amazing work to unify our region and ignite the growth that we’ve enjoyed this past year.

First to be honored was the Nashville Predators with our Spirit of the Chamber award. We feel that no organization exemplified the spirit of our mission better than the Nashville Predators, both as a team and a business organization. Smashville is definitely a hockey town and we can’t wait to see what the team does this season.

Next, we honored five organizations with Regional Impact Awards. These awards reflect the impact of these businesses and non-profits on pushing our region into a bright future.

For their work in transit, we honored the Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee. They have held 11 Transit Citizen Leadership Academies since 2011, equipping public and private sector leaders across the region to lead transit conversations. Additionally, the Transit Government Leaders Conference has educated nearly 80 appointed and elected officials as to why a regional transit system is important and necessary.

Next, we honored the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority with an award for their work in small business and economic inclusion. Last year, the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority invested $11.6 million in contracts to small and minority-owned businesses, totaling more than $49 million over the past five years. MNAA is dedicated to bettering the lives of those residing in Middle Tennessee and values the impact it makes on those within its community and beyond.

The third winner, Project Return, was recognized for their efforts in building our regional workforce. They made an impact by connecting more than 500 job seekers returning from incarceration with jobs through partnerships with more than 200 businesses. They also advocate for a smart hiring process and work directly with employers to allow those with conviction histories to find sustainable employment.

Another important aspect of workforce development is public education. Saint Thomas Health was awarded for their work with the Academies of Nashville program. They give local high school students an opportunity to graduate with a Certified Medical Assistant certificate, allowing them to go to work in the healthcare industry immediately following graduation.

Finally, we recognized a small business that builds small businesses: Batch Nashville. For more than four years, Batch Nashville has worked with more than 200 small businesses to make their products available nationwide. Many of these small businesses have seen record sales and growth, due in large part to Batch being their largest buyer.

Last year gave us a lot to celebrate. You can read more about our accomplishments and the work of our members and investors in this year’s annual report.

If you’d like to become a member, you can find more information about membership here.