Members of the BancorpSouth team pose with their Legacy Award, presented at the annual Star Gala.

By SUSAN LEATHERS
Brentwood Home Page
NASHVILLE  -- On Thursday, the stars of the Brentwood Cool Springs Chamber  were saluted at the Gaylord Springhouse Golf Club. The 2011 Star Salute awards celebration – this year moved to an evening dinner setting that was much larger than in the past – also played homage to the chamber’s 56-year history.

The chamber’s history as an independent entity will likely end in 2012, when the Brentwood Cool Springs Chamber unites with the Cool Springs Chamber and the Williamson-Franklin Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber president Cindi Parmenter introduced Bobby Rutledge,  a charter member whose barber shop was one of the first chamber “offices.” Rutledge and the other early members, she said, helped lead the way to the city’s incorporation in 1969 and later become “one of the most thriving small cities in the nation.”

Recognized as special guests were many past chamber presidents, all of whom Parmenter said  played a vital and essential role in creating the chamber’s history. Past Star Gala chairman were also recognized. The annual fundraiser for the chamber’s foundation has raised a total of $364,000 that has been given to local schools, Leadership and Youth Leadership Brentwood programs, scholarships and other programs.

In 2011, the chamber met or exceeded almost all of its annual objectives, Chairman Guy Crossley with M. Lee Smith Publishing said, including paying down 75 percent of its debt. The chamber welcomed 190 new members, a 79 percent increase over the previous year. Seventeen ribbon cuttings were held for new Brentwood area businesses.

Past-chairman Brad Dunn gave a brief update on the One Williamson, One Chamber transition team, of which he serves as chair. He said the Brentwood Cool Springs Chamber is taking a leading role in the unification process

“This is a different place than it was 56 years ago,” Dunn told the 200 people gathered. He said he hoped all gathered would be at a “victory celebration” during the fourth quarter of 2012.

David Jones, who will likely be the Brentwood chamber’s final chairman, said the Brentwood Cool Springs Chamber would lead the way in the unification. “We want to finish strong,” he said. In the coming year, Brentwood Cool Springs will continue to provide leadership in the business community, to grow membership and to maintain a strong relationship with its financial partners.

The evening concluded with the presentation of its annual Star Salute awards (see photos below). Bancorp South, the chamber’s largest sponsor, received a new award, the Legacy Award, in recognition of its longtime support both in terms of financial and volunteer support.   

“The  annual meeting and Star Salute was a great opportunity for members to take a  fond look back over the past 56 years of chamber life,” Parmenter said following the event. “Because this may be the last Brentwood Cool Springs annual meeting, it was bittersweet to take a moment to reflect on all the chamber has meant to the community over the years.

“It was a special night for celebrating the people who have made the chamber what it is today and to look with excitement to the future possibilities as we create a new united county chamber."

Brentwood Cool Springs Chamber Chairman Guy Crossley with Margot Dermody, Fridrich & Clark Realty, Neil Cohen Memorial Award winner.	Chamber President Cindi Parmenter and chairman Guy Crossley with Dr. Wright Pinson, representing Business Partnership Award winner Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Stephanie Clark, right, accepts the Business Spotlight Award on behalf of Williamson Medical Center.	Linda Stone, left, and Kristi Stone Elzinga accept a Business Spotlight Award on behalf of Puffy Muffin.
Betty Baird and Rodney Wells accept Brentwood Roesch-Patton Funeral Home's Business Spotlight Award.	Holly Nannini of Melaleuca accepts the Women in Business Leadership Award.
CEO Tina Mayberry accepts the 2011 Corporate Member of the Year for her company, Century II.	Pinnacle Bank's Tiffany Jones accepts the Ann Huff York Memorial Award from Mike Huff.

Flanked by Crossley and Vice-Chair David Jones, far right, are Board Member of the Year nominees Susan Hurt of Staffmark, Cole Hodges, BancorpSouth, winner Bart Jones, Investment Planners Inc, and Mark McFerran of Brentwood Academy.

Recipients of the Comunity Leadership Award are, from left, Randy Lee, TrustCore, Linda Hirsch, Zeitlin & Company Realtors, David Flow, Flow Construction Company, and Brad Dunn, Pinnacle Financial Partners.

Representatives of the chamber's 2011 Business Partners

Crossley and Parmenter pose with winners of the Behind the Scenes Award: Rachel Waterhouse, Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, Brian Burgdorf, Century II, Nancy Reese, The Human Capital Group, and Jack Stone, Puffy Muffin.