JANUARY 17, 2020
CEO of the Year: Join us for breakfast
News from other sources: Transit funding
Upcoming: This weekend
Hot Sheet: Who’s going where
Power Player: Dan Weddle
Quotable: Scott Brockman

CEO OF THE YEAR
Join us as we honor the top bosses of 2020
 

Inside Memphis Business is celebrating its 2020 CEO of the Year honorees on Thursday, February 20, 2020. The top leaders are Dr. James Downing of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in the 1000+ employees category, George Hernandez of Campbell Clinic (200-1000 employees), William J. “Will” Chase, Jr. of Triumph Bank (50-200 employees), and Briggette Green of TopCat Masonry Contractors, LLC (up to 50 employees).  Memphis is graced with tremendously talented, inspiring executives in charge of their companies and organizations and these exceptional leaders are setting standards of success in healthcare, banking, and construction.  > Dr. Downing, president and CEO of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, oversees an organization that blends clinical care with scientific research using a nonprofit operational model. He created a $7 billion, six-year strategy for accelerating cures for cancer and other childhood diseases. > Mr. Hernandez is CEO of Campbell Clinic Orthopaedics and executive director of the Campbell Foundation. He is overseeing construction of a new 120,000 square-foot four-story medical facility, equipped with more physical therapy and imaging suites, eight new outpatient surgery rooms, and state-of-the-art medical technology while creating 185 new jobs over the next three years.  > Mr. Chase is president, CEO and founding board member of Triumph Bank (founded 2005) and has 37 years of commercial and retail banking experience in the region, with a focus on building relationships within the community. > Ms. Green of TopCat Masonry Contractors, a first generation, family owned and operated company, has co-founded TAP Apprenticeship Program with two other construction companies in order to bring awareness and help prospects earn a living wage while developing a life-long skill set. Our awards breakfast will honor these four CEOs and will include remarks by Jack Soden of Elvis Presley Enterprises, one of the winners from last year.

The presenting sponsor of CEO of the Year is eBiz Solutions. A breakfast honoring the leaders will be on February 20, 2020 at Hardin Hall at the Memphis Botanic Garden. Tickets are $25 per person and include breakfast. Tables of 10 are available for $200, a savings of 20 percent. Get tickets here.

THE HOT SHEET

Who's getting promoted? Who's closing big deals? Who's getting awards? Inside Memphis Business magazine's Hot Sheet has the latest on milestones in Memphis.

> New Ballet Ensemble & School received a grant of $85,000 from The Hearst Foundations of New York to support the Pathways Program, which provides dance training for students in low-income neighborhoods.

> The Society for Information Management Memphis Chapter announced its 2020 board of directors, including Peter Kim (president), Jeff Wilhelmy (vice-president), and Amy Fortune (membership chair). The full member list can be found here.

> State Systems Inc. acquired Columbia, Tennessee-based Fire-Tek.

> Sedgwick has acquired G&E Enterprises that will allow the company to provide expanded services in advanced data management.

> Baker Donelson added four attorneys to its Memphis office: Pete A. Brunson (advocacy), Andrew Roach (advocacy), Nathan Simpson (corporate finance & securities), and Victoria E. Young (advocacy).

> Jenna McDonald Nichols (pictured) joined Thomas, White & Gill as an attorney.

POWER PLAYER

Inside Memphis Business magazine publishes a list of local Power Players every year. These are the movers and shakers in more than 30 categories who get things done in their respective fields. IMB’s April issue has the complete list. We also publish individual categories in other issues throughout the year, and we feature individual Power Players in our weekly Tip Sheet.

QUOTABLE
“We want to look at public-private partnerships to develop some things around the terminal core. Entrance road travel plaza, gas station, convenience store, possibly some fast food over by the cell phone lot, get a 3P (public-private partnership) to do that so we don’t have to spend the money where we can bring the benefit to the traveling public.”
— Memphis airport president and chief executive Scott Brockman in his annual review and 2020 outlook. Quoted in the Daily Memphian.