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Guests enjoyed a delicious mixed greens salad dressed with dried fruit couscous, caramelized apples, pumpkin seeds, white cheddar, grilled salmon and mustard vinaigrette for lunch. Dessert was a choice of vanilla custard with mixed berries or the most adorable chocolate and caramel trifle in mini mason jars topped with a scoop of ice cream and adorned with a chocolate swizzle stick. After a word of welcome, President and CEO Danny Herron recognized Joel Cooper of Deloitte as Volunteer of the Year. Habitat’s newest home recipients, Aisha Lbhalla and Shanika Ostine, shared their journeys with the crowd. Aisha, who lives in Edison Park with her husband and two children, is the president of her community’s homeowner association. Single mother Shanika lives in Park Preserve and is working on her Master’s degree in Criminal Justice at TSU. First grade students from Ensworth School, who have been a part of Habitat’s fundraising efforts through their penny drive, charmed the crowd with a performance of “Love is Something if You Give it Away.” Lastly, Steve Lainhart inspired the room with tales of his own involvement with the organization. “Homes rise from the ground as good intentions meet the hopes and dreams of our homeowners,” he said. A thoughtful and accurate reminder of the work that Habitat continues to do, building both homes and futures for low-income families in our city and around the world.
Curb is the word
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he Jack C. Massey Leadership Award Dinner always gathers a who’s who of distinguished area leaders to honor an individual who exemplifies superior leadership while enriching the quality of life for citizens in our community. This year’s honoree, Mike Curb, joins an illustrious list of past award recipients, such as Senator Howard Baker, Jr., Annette Eskind, Mayor Bill Purcell, Amy Grant and Vince Gill, and Nick Zeppos. The lobby of Loews Vanderbilt Hotel swarmed with guests eager to connect with colleagues and past honorees (if anyone had trouble finding them in the crowd, their portraits were displayed upon entry to the event). After enjoying a boisterous cocktail hour, everyone moved into the ballroom, where Mike was presented the award by Robert Fisher,
Tom Starling and Nick Zeppos after a tribute from Bill Andrews and remarks from Jim Ed Norman and Howard Gentry. We spotted many familiar faces in the crowd, such as Bo Thomas, Bill Purcell, Ron Samuels, Bill Ivey, Bill Hagerty, Don Cusic, Jody Williams, Troy Tomlinson, John and Dolores Seigenthaler, Martha Ingram and Belmont University’s Wesley Bulla, Harry Chapman and George Gruhn.
Arrivals at BNA
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he invitation was cryptic. We’d been to OZ, the corporate headquarters that became an event space when the Ozgener family sold their CAO cigar company, but we didn’t know what to make of the mysterious invitation to “Brave New Art.” Man behind the curtain Tim Ozgener explained it all. BNA is a nonprofit organization bringing groundbreaking performing and visual arts to Nashville. Think Wayne McGregor, Intergalactic Nemesis, Ethel, The Suit, Philip Glass and Dane Zanes—the kind of contemporary works that don’t often touch down in Music City. Tim and dad Cano Ozgener describe the endeavor as a gift to the city, in return for the hospitality Nashville has shown their family of first-generation Turkish-Armenian immigrants. In addition to the six big shows, BNA will host monthly Thursday Night Things, events curated by local artists, with cocktails and conversations about contemporary art. If the launch party—with a decadent charcuterie buffet from Porter Road Butcher—is any indication of future events, audiences are in for a treat. Plucking pâté and prosciutto from dazzling Lucite countertops and planning a season of theater-going were Arnita Ozgener, Esen Ozgener, Aylin Ozgener, Betsy and Ridley Wills, Erin Daunic, Jennifer and Billy Frist.
Superman Gordon
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hen Gordon Bonnyman announced that he was stepping down as executive director of the Tennessee Justice Center, his friends, colleagues and family knew that he couldn’t go down without a roast. And what a roast it was! More than 300 people gathered at the Hutton Hotel to pay respect to—and poke fun at—Gordon, who has dedicated his career to serving lowincome clients. He co-founded the Tennessee Justice Center with Michele Johnson in 1996. During the cocktail hour, many guests could be seen sneaking away to the back bar, where a SuperJim Ed Norman, Howard Gentry, man-clad cardboard Mike Curb, Jody Williams, Bill Hagerty, cutout cartoon of Troy Tomlinson Gordon was just begcontinued on page 25
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>> JANUARY 2014
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