The Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville (ABC) proudly announces the selection of 12 business professionals for the spring cohort of Arts Board Matching. This six-week board development program promotes dynamic leadership in the arts by cultivating the skills needed to be effective, engaged board members and matching business professionals with arts organizations in need of adept leaders. Alumni report feeling better prepared for their board leadership roles, and arts organizations often return to recruit board members year after year.
Meet the Class of Spring 2025:
Alayna Cate is a public education and arts advocate currently serving as the Director of Partnerships for Nashville nonprofit, PENCIL. She spent her early career as a music teacher in Indianapolis Public Schools while also performing and teaching in World-Class Winter Guard International circuits. Hoping to improve the public education system, Alayna went to Vanderbilt for a Masters in Education Policy where she discovered the beauty and value of nonprofits. She served as an Americorps VISTA with San Francisco-based nonprofit, Creativity Explored, where adults with disabilities receive art education and income from their work. Then, returning to Nashville, she joined PENCIL and continues to serve Metro Nashville Public Schools as the leader of PENCIL’s Partnership team. Alayna is a graduate of the 2023 Nashville Leadership Public Education (LPE) and 2024 Nashville Emerging Leaders (NEL), continuing to grow as a leader in the local community. Alayna serves as a board member for Daybreak Arts (Nashville) and Rhythm X (Indiana), and as an advisory council member for Music Makes Us. She is also a visual artist and maintains a presence online and in community markets through her art platform Alayna Catacombs Art.
Aubrey-Grace Min is a dynamic professional with experience in program coordination, marketing, and engagement. A 2024 graduate of Vanderbilt University, she earned a degree in History of Art, Human and Organizational Development, and Psychology.
Currently, Aubrey-Grace serves as a Program Coordinator at HCA Healthcare, supporting the development of executives within HCA. Her role emphasizes her ability to manage complex projects while fostering professional growth and collaboration.
Previous experiences include working as a Talent Acquisition Intern at CVS, where she developed recruitment materials through partnerships with the marketing team. She also contributed to alumni relations as an Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving Event Assistant at Vanderbilt University.
Additionally, her role as a Marketing & Event Planning Intern at the Nashville Scene involved creating promotional materials, tracking social media engagement, and coordinating event logistics. With a passion for storytelling and community engagement, Aubrey-Grace also volunteered as a Docent at the Nashville Parthenon, leading tours and educational activities.
Aubrey-Grace thrives in fast-paced, team-oriented environments. Her ability to adapt quickly, coupled with her creativity and attention to detail, makes her a valuable asset. With a strong foundation in communications, development, and the arts, she is eager to continue leveraging her expertise to drive meaningful engagement and organizational success.
Cammy Harris is a seasoned arts administrator, currently serving as a Creative Project Manager at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, where she has led notable projects such as the “Words & Music: Journey of a Song” documentary series and multiple exhibits on Taylor Swift in the Taylor Swift Education Center. As the Founder and Executive Director of Nashville Theatre Link, she has fostered community engagement among Nashville theatre makers and created accessible, professional theatre experiences. Previously, Cammy managed programming and educational initiatives at the Tennessee Holocaust Commission, and developed educational programming at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art in Evanston. She holds a bachelor’s degree in History & Theatre from Northwestern University and is additionally a freelance theatre director; she has directed several local productions, including the upcoming “As You Like It” for the Nashville Shakespeare Festival. Cammy’s passion and entrepreneurial skills drive her contributions to Nashville’s artistic landscape.
Darius Walker, Jr. is an attorney with Ogletree Deakins. He is a member of the firm’s Sports and Entertainment Industry Group and focuses his practice on representing employers in labor and employment matters, including litigation involving unfair competition and trade secrets, discrimination, harassment, class and collective actions, wage and hour issues, and proceedings before state and federal courts and administrative agencies.
In addition to his litigation practice, Darius often advises clients on all aspects of employment law, including complex issues related to discharge, discipline, discrimination investigations, leave, and layoffs. Darius also helps clients prepare and implement a full range of employment policies.
Richard “Dick” A. Markus has built a distinguished career in the Music Performance and Music Instrument Industry. While attending university and for two decades following his service in the U.S. Navy Show Band, he worked as a professional musician, touring with national acts and performing in recording studios. His experience spans a wide range of ensembles, including Rock/Pop, Jazz, Opera, and Symphony orchestras across the U.S. and Canada—even in the Catskills.
Within the Music Instrument Industry, particularly in the Percussion marketplace, he has held numerous senior and executive-level management positions with leading manufacturers and distributors. Currently, he provides independent sales, marketing, and operational coaching and management services to medium and small manufacturers and distributors on a global scale.
While Jennifer Clapp has called Nashville home for over 25 years, she is a product of the southern United States, with roots in Alabama, Tennessee, and Kentucky (and their proliferation of raconteurs). This heritage has instilled in her a deep appreciation for the warm, melodic tones that make every Southern storyteller a musician, and a belief that everyone possesses an intrinsic artistry. Her personal arts experience includes childhood instrumental and vocal music lessons, early and continuous exposure to music, theatre, and visual art, and, as an adult, she has continued to seek out diverse arts experiences, from visiting art museums and attending concerts across all musical genres to exploring various cultural expressions.
Jennifer is a graduate of Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, where she majored in Journalism and minored in English Literature. This academic foundation honed her skills in communication and critical analysis, essential tools for a career as a forward-thinking shaper and strategy-focused administrator. She has a proven record in organization, process improvement, people management, and project coordination. Ms. Clapp excels in driving change management initiatives, discerning needs for enhancement to organizational processes, and fostering inclusive workplace cultures. Jennifer is excited and eager to apply her experiences and interests in support of the Nashville arts community.
Jess Williams is a proud Nashvillian from Detroit, Michigan. She is a graduate of Tennessee State University and is a member of Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity, Inc. Recognized for her leadership and impact, Jess is a recipient of the 2022 Nashville Black 40 Under 40 award, a Re:Power Women of Color Leadership Cohort alumna, a 2023 Cause Effective Advancing Leaders of Color in Fundraising Fellow, and a 2024 Athena International Young Professional Nominee.
As the Director of Growth & Engagement at The Equity Alliance (TEA), Tennessee’s leading Black political and cultural organization, Jess expands the organization’s marketing and digital media footprint. With a solid nonprofit marketing and communications background, she leads the Blxness Unbxed program, driving cultural innovation and community engagement. Jess also oversees TEA’s signature fundraisers, fostering strong relationships with investors and external partners. Jess also oversees the planning and execution of TEA’s signature fundraisers while managing relationships with the organization’s investors and external partners. When she is not saving democracy, she enjoys hosting intimate gatherings for family and friends, creating content on social media, and traveling with her partner and their pup, Bruno.
As VP of Marketing at Merus, Kat Stout brings a creative vision that drives growth and strengthens the company’s operations. She recently led a three-year corporate rebrand for the 130-year-old commercial real estate design-build developer, redefining the company’s identity with market research, stakeholder input, a cohesive brand strategy, and effective change management. This work helped Merus connect with both internal teams and external audiences.
Kat turns big-picture ideas into clear, impactful campaigns, materials, and promotions. Her thoughtful approach and commitment to quality build trust and deliver results that last. With broad experience in brand development, digital marketing, PR, and strategic planning, Kat combines corporate expertise with a passion for service, bringing strategic insights and creative problem-solving to help organizations better engage their audiences.
Kimberly Macdonald is a litigation attorney at Polsinelli, PC, where she represents healthcare entities in reimbursement disputes against managed care organizations and private payors. Kim regularly counsels her clients on challenging payor policies, negotiating payor contracts, and developing litigation and alternative dispute resolution strategies that align with each client’s goals. A Nashville area “nearly native,” Kim has been a dance, theater, and visual arts enthusiast since she was a child. She remains deeply connected to the arts and tries to infuse it in her life whenever possible. For example, she and her husband, Eli—a fellow attorney and theater kid—commissioned two ballet performances and custom oversized paintings of their two greyhounds for their wedding at the Frist in 2023. In her spare time, Kim enjoys attending arts performances and themed events, dancing, supporting her husband’s photography, frequenting local restaurants and bars, planning for Halloween, and, more recently, traveling.
Kristin Palmer works as the senior manager of public relations and communication at Ingram Content Group. She joined Ingram in 2022 after five years in the non-profit sector where she served as the director of marketing and communication for the Middle Tennessee American Heart Association. Prior to that role, she spent 12 years in the music/entertainment business working in public relations and marketing for a number of artists and organizations. She earned her MBA in 2008 from Belmont University in Nashville and received a BFA degree in classical piano from North Georgia College and State University in 2003.
Originally from Dahlonega, Georgia, Kristin grew up in an army family and experienced life all over the U.S. and Europe before moving to Nashville almost 20 years ago. Middle Tennessee now has her heart, and she considers herself lucky to be part of this community. In her spare time, you can find her at almost any coffee shop in East Nashville, or at her gym where she usually scales the workout and stops midway for a snack. She’d love to tell you about her dog, Alice, a four-year-old border collie who is quite the handful.
Trisha Peña is a 35+ year Nashville resident and graduate of several leadership and civic programs including ABC’s Periscope cohort, L’Evate’s leadership program, AWE Accelerator Program, and Nashville’s Citizen Police, Sheriff, and Water Academies. She is past treasurer for the Chinese Crested Club of Nashville, past secretary for the Camden Woods HOA board, and past secretary for the Keeton Theater board. Trisha contributes to several civic and artistic groups including Greenways for Nashville, Choose How You Move, the Nashville Symphony, the Nashville Opera, the Nashville Ballet, and TPAC.
She has spent over 40 years in the IT field, most recently specializing in Cybersecurity for BNY, a Global Systemically Important Bank. Trisha holds current certifications in information and cloud security and risk management. Trisha creates paintings and products as an abstract artist and maintains a multi-faceted YouTube channel.
Among other interests and past pursuits are world travel, Broadway musicals, New Age teachings, music writing and production, radio broadcasting, and life coaching. Trisha lives in Hermitage with her boyfriend, her dog, and arguably the largest collection of Phil Ponder prints in Nashville.
Violet Zhang is an attorney with Buchalter APC, where she is a member of the intellectual property and entertainment group. Her practice focuses on transactional matters in the music and entertainment industry, and she has represented a diverse array of clients, including estates of music legends, musicians, talent agencies, brands and entertainment companies. After relocating to Nashville for school seven years ago, Violet has considered the city her second home. Outside of her professional practice, she is committed to pro bono work, offering legal support to artists and musicians in the Nashville community to help them thrive.
