NASHVILLE – Six Nashville leaders from diverse business sectors, including music, hotels, attractions, and Major League Soccer, have joined the Board of Directors of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp (NCVC) for Fiscal Year 2025. Ken Levitan, founder and co-president of Vector Management, will serve another term as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
The new board members are:
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– Ian Ayre, Chief Executive Officer of Nashville Soccer Club, Major League Soccer’s 24th club which debuted in 2020.
– Linda Chambers, CEO and Co-Founder of the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, the only museum in the world that honors musicians of all genres and exhibits original artifacts and instruments that were played on hit records.
– Mark Fioravanti, President and CEO and a member of the Board of Directors of Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc.
– Becky Gardenhire, a Co-Head of the Nashville office of WME, as well as partner and talent agent in WME’s music department.
– Tony Phillips, General Manager at the Bobby Hotel and formerly General Manager at Loews Vanderbilt Hotel.
– Shannon Sanders, Executive Director, Creative, at BMI Nashville and a celebrated songwriter and producer who has won three GRAMMY Awards, two Emmy Awards, and a Dove Award over his 25 years in the music industry.
Ken Levitan commented, “We are grateful to these leaders who bring their deep expertise in the hospitality, entertainment, and sports industries, along with their invaluable insights of our city. Their guidance will be crucial as we navigate this period of expansion in Nashville’s tourism industry, particularly with ongoing hotel construction and our bids for major events and conventions. Their leadership will help ensure that the industry remains a vital economic engine for the region.”
The 24-member NCVC Board represents sectors from within and connected to the hospitality industry to guide the organization during continued growth in visitation, hotel supply, and major sporting events. Nashville’s hospitality industry generated record economic activity for the city in 2023, with $10.56 billion in direct visitor spending and unprecedented hotel performance, with over 10 million room nights sold in a single year. The industry represents 72,900 leisure and hospitality jobs in Davidson County.
Nashville is ranked the third-best meetings destination in North America (Cvent) and has been named a top destination to visit worldwide for 13 straight years by major travel outlets. Large-scale events continue to help drive demand in Music City, with strong summer performances from CMA Fest and Let Freedom Sing! July 4th in Music City. Stadium concerts continue to sell record numbers of hotel rooms over weekends, including country singer Morgan Wallen’s May concerts and Zach Bryan’s show in June. Jack Daniel’s New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash will again be a free concert at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park and a five-hour special on CBS, inspiring future travel.
The NCVC Executive Committee for FY 2025 includes:
– Ken Levitan as Chairman
– Marcus Whitney, Founding Partner, Jumpstart Health Investors, as Chair-Elect
– Kevin Lavender, EVP and Head of Corporate Banking, Fifth Third Bank, as Immediate Past Chairman
– Claire Tucker, Independent Director, Ford Credit Bank, as Finance and Audit Chair
– Max Goldberg, Owner, Strategic Hospitality, as Sales and Marketing Chair
– Deana Ivey, President and CEO, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp
Additionally, the NCVC announced five new members to the Board of Directors of its foundation, Music City Inc. They include:
– Shawn McSpadden, Managing Partner, Range Media Partners
– Ben Olin, General Manager, The Westin Nashville
– Ellen Jones Pryor, Director of Communications, Frist Art Museum
– Amy Seigenthaler Pierce, Managing Partner, FINN Partners, and Honorary Consul to the state of Tennessee
– Courtney Ross, Senior Manager of Community Engagement, Amazon
Music City Inc. was created in 2006 as a 501(c)(3) foundation and produces music-centric events that are free and open to the public, including the Music City Walk of Fame. During times of crisis, the foundation has collected and distributed relief funds, and it continues to partner with local organizations to positively impact the Nashville community.
For more information, visit the NCVC’s website at www.visitmusiccity.com and follow on social media @VisitMusicCity.
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