Weekly Wrap-Up: December 11, 2020

December 11, 2020

Your MEMBER ONLY email on all things the Chamber worked on this week

and what you need to know to get the most out of your membership.

Thank you for being a member.

During this time of national crisis, when information and connections are so important,

the Weekly Wrap-Up will be made available to members and non-members.

We are here for you and in this together.

CEO Brief

14, that is how many members I know of that are positive with COVID-19 at the moment. I know of 28 people that have it right now. Many of the people that I know are positive are extremely ill. I am hoping for the best and a speedy and full recovery for all of them. I am also hoping we will get this under control soon. We are in that post-Thanksgiving surge upon a surge that they warned us about. Please do your part, wear your mask everywhere, and stay physically distanced from people. Spread is happening in bars, restaurants, gyms, churches, anywhere we are gathering. We know this and we know how to stop it. Read more in the Coronavirus section below for more information and updates.

It was a busy week, you received a lot of emails from us this week with a lot of info in each of them. A roundup of all the information is below. From the Annual Report, the resumption of invoicing for membership, to the Annual Membership Meeting and Holiday Party last night, there is a lot to update you on. 

Speaking of that meeting! If you were not able to join us you missed out and you were missed. We remembered our former board member David McMurry, gave a Chamber update on the work we have done and what we have coming up, said goodbye and thanks to outgoing board members, and elected new board members. We honored our Board President Ron Snitker who is rolling off the board and welcomed our new President Steph Ballou who will be the first lesbian to lead the organization! All the highlights are below, check them out. 

Many tears were shed last night. From remembering David, thanking Ron, laughing at jokes and our awesome members. What moved me to tears most this week was a message that we received from a member this week about their support of the Chamber. I cried again last night as I shared it (with their permission) with the members on the Zoom and now you in this email. Their message of support meant the world to us and their generous donation does help. We are thankful for any support that anyone can give, and we do need your support to continue this work. 

Make sure to check out the awesome member entertainment events you can do tomorrow, they are at the bottom of the email. 

As always, thank you for being a member and part of this organization. Stay safe and healthy. 

Coronavirus Response

We hope you saw the email yesterday about COVID-19. As you may know, COVID-19 is running rampant and cases and deaths are hitting record numbers. 8,213 new cases and 62 new deaths were reported just this week in Tennessee. Nashville reports 846 new cases and three new deaths. There are currently 3,273 active cases in Davidson County. We all have to do our part to stop the spread of this deadly virus.

We should expect to see over 3,000 deaths a day for the near future. If that does not wake you up and make you do your part I don’t know what will. We do not want another shutdown bit it may happen in January if we can not get this under control. 

We did have positive news this week with a vaccine being approved at any moment and distribution starting next week. We will keep you updated on vaccination information. 

There are still several recovery programs you should take advantage of in the Renew Nashville program. Let us know what you need help with and we can connect you to resources. Check out the Upcoming Learning Resources! 

We must remain focused on flattening the surge of new cases and increased hospitalizations. Double down on everything you are doing. Wash hands. Wear a mask. Watch your distance. And limit gatherings. Until everyone can get vaccinated, we must continue our vigilance. 

Please join us in welcoming the following businesses that JOINED our Chamber this week:

We are so proud of the continued participation from the following businesses who RENEWED or upgraded their membership this week. Please support these businesses!

• Gold- Comcast
• Bronze- Old Hickory CrossFit
• Copper- Anchor Employment Services, Inc.
• Copper- Dog and a Duck
• Copper- Fairfield Inn & Suites Nashville Downtown/The Gulch
• Copper- Kevin Hackney Real Estate
• Copper- Lovejoy Weddings
• Copper- Madison Family Dental
• Copper- Noah E. Spiegel Consulting
  

What We Did

Wow, wow, wow! What a night! Thank you to everyone who joined us for our Annual Meeting and Holiday Party! We remembered our friend David McMurry, heard a Chamber update on the work we have done and what is in store for 2021, celebrated the 12 months of Chamber, and held our official annual meeting of the membership where we elected new board members. We said goodbye and thanks to retiring board members, including President Ron Snitker, and welcomed a new president, Steph Ballou. We also heard from an old friend, former CEO Lisa Howe. You can catch up on the fun by watching this video or by checking out the highlights below!

Congratulations to Alyssa Pruitt of member B&B Beverage Management who won the "Deck Your Square" contest! Shannon Lashley, of L.A. Security, was awarded a Dell prize pack from Pride in Local Music!

Take a look at the NLGBTCC Holiday Recipe Blog! If you have a recipe you would like add, send it to Lauren!

It was with tears and cheers and that we say goodbye to our Board President, Ron Snitker. You can watch his farewell speech here!

It was an honor to pay tribute to our friend David McMurry. Hear a statement from Joe and David's longtime friend Amy Parker here.

"12 Months of Chamber" is one of our fun traditions! Take a look for a glimpse of 2020 as told by our board members here.

We can't thank our 5 outgoing board members enough for their dedication to our Chamber! Donna Drehmann, Courtney Lawrence, Christopher Lester, Ron Snitker, and Taylor Wirth will be very missed!

These 5 incredible people will take the reins in 2021. We look forward to the many strengths Raquel Barlow, Adrianna Flax, Olivia Hill, Brady O'Rourke, and Josh Wood will bring to our organization!

Here they are, folks. Your 2021 Board of Directors! We look forward to our January Retreat, where this group will set goals for the new year!

Reflecting upon the past year, the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce has seen several triumphs, and successes though it was not without obstacles. The Chamber proudly shares a summary of the past year through our inaugural Annual Report. The report illustrates everything the team worked on and accomplished, including a summary of our response to COVID-19 to support the business community. We thank the committed staff, involved board, and the support of our members and community partners who helped us progress this year.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Nashville LGBT Chamber decided in April to pause membership dues collections in order to financially support our members. In order to continue our work for the LGBTQIA+ community, we have decided to proceed with membership dues collections this month. We are asking members to pay their membership invoices if they are able. We are NOT ending anyones membership, regardless of payment. Log into your member portal to access your invoice. You can also make a donation to our Foundation!

Connections

Join our member OZ Arts Nashville for the most subversive virtual event of the holiday season! MacArthur “Genius” Taylor Mac’s HOLIDAY SAUCE… PANDEMIC! blends music, film, burlesque, and random acts of fabulousness to reframe the songs you love and the holidays you hate. Mac's cathartic spell ultimately reminds us of the collective power of our chosen families — a message that rings true in such a bittersweet holiday season. Livestreaming TOMORROW Saturday, Dec. 12 at 9pm CST. Use promo code DAZZLE for 25% off tickets. Learn more here!

Join our member Nashville in Harmony as they present At Home for the Holidays TOMORROW, December 12th at 7:30 pm! This evening of holiday cheer will feature new music prepared virtually, musical excerpts from concerts past, special guest appearances by local leaders and musicians, and of course, a drag queen storytime that is sure to put you in a festive mood. As we share performances of seasonal favorites arranged by Mark Hayes, Greg Gilpin, Molly James, and Mark Rymer, we also lift our voices to celebrate Wesley King’s first concert as Nashville in Harmony’s Artistic Director. Learn more here!

Titanium Member

Platinum Members

Gold Members