Young professionals will have a more prominent voice in local business matters thanks to the new SoundCheck council launched by the
Greater Memphis Chamber. The chamber marked the event with an official launch last week at Overton Square.
"The Greater Memphis community has seen remarkable growth and progress on so many fronts over the past several years," says Kerry Hayes, Chair of SoundCheck and PR Director for Doug Carpenter & Associates. "Sustaining--and accelerating--that progress into the future will largely be the responsibility of our region's younger professionals. We created SoundCheck to make sure that these younger voices and viewpoints are included in meaningful, strategic work to improve our city's economy, reduce our debilitating poverty level and continue making Memphis a place where professionals of any age can learn, grow and enhance their careers."
The 2014 SoundCheck leadership team consists of Hayes; Vice-chair Lisa Middlebrook, Training and Development Coordinator for
Electrolux Major Appliances; Thomas Holmes, Chair of #MemUp Team and Creative Services Director for
WATN/WLMT/WJKT-TV; Trey Carter, Chair of Growing Memphis Economy Team and President of
OCTI Training; Penelope Fisher, Senior Digital Marketing Specialist at
Archer Malmo; Jay Oliphant, CPA at
Dixon Hughes Goodman, LLP; Elizabeth Berglund, Community Relations Director at
Loeb Properties; Brittany Fitzpatrick, Founder of
MentorMe; Dan Springer, Communications Director at
Evolve Bank & Trust; Angie Ware, Director of Corporate Relocation and Business Development at
Coldwell Banker Collins-Maury; and Brandy Sims, Senior Representative of Dream Home development at
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Focal points or "moon missions" for the new group starting out include early childhood education, green space initiatives, advanced manufacturing training and a long-term plan for Memphis and entrepreneurship. SoundCheck will also have teams dedicated to Memphis publicity both locally and regionally, growth of the Memphis economy and professional development.
The new group offers three membership levels, including basic (free), which includes updates, information about opportunities and resources for development and networking; “Leader” ($25/year), with access to joining a team and to relevant reports; and "Chairman's Outer Circle" ($250/year), with access to the Chairman's Outer Circle team.
By Michael Waddell
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