We had the pleasure of attending the Focused Favor 130th Anniversary Gala earlier this month put on by our client Watson Grove Missionary Baptist Church (The Grove). The milestone event took a look at the strides The Grove has made in educating, empowering and organizing people in the Nashville community and the future of its growing ministry.
City Winery Nashville welcomed guests from across the Nashville community to honor the history of The Grove and celebrate the new changes and relationships still to come.
“130 years of focused favor has allowed Watson Grove to experience growth, build community and ministry, as well as foster heroes – those celebrated by many and those unsung,” said lead pastor, Dr. John Faison Sr. “We’ve grown from 300 partners to over 2400,” Faison continued, “and it’s wonderful to honor the history of the areas we serve, as well as welcome and build relationships with new neighbors, businesses and organizations.”
Nashville-based band (and friend of dGC) Bizz and Everyday People performed at the event. Just like at the Jefferson Street Jazz and Blues Festival, they had the audience on their feet grooving.
The gala celebrated not only those who make up the Church, but the partners and community members who act as beacons in the community. Their divine work in Nashville and beyond was recognized by The Grove, because as Pastor Faison always says, “it takes a village.”
Take a look at some photos below for a recap of the evening. The full list of awardees and more info on the Focused Favor 130TH Anniversary Gala can be found here.
South Nashville church celebrates milestone anniversary with gala and award ceremony
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Aug. 22, 2019) – Watson Grove Missionary Baptist Church (The Grove) held the Focused Favor 130th Anniversary Gala earlier this month. The gala highlighted strides The Grove has made in educating, empowering and organizing people in the Nashville community and took a look at the future of its growing ministry.
“130 years of focused favor has allowed Watson Grove to experience growth, build community and ministry, as well as foster heroes – those celebrated by many and those unsung,” said lead pastor, Dr. John Faison Sr. “We’ve grown from 300 partners to over 2400,” Faison continued, “and it’s wonderful to honor the history of the areas we serve, as well as welcome and build relationships with new neighbors, businesses and organizations.”
The Grove’s 130th Anniversary honored partners and community members for their spirit of Christ and work in the church and beyond. Award winners include:
Fred Johnson – N. Watson Award
Gwen Hamer – J.T. Easley Acceleration Award
Angela Buntin – Deacon William Gillespie Service Award
Shaheen Eversley – Future of the Grove Award
Brenda Morrow – William Edmondson Trailblazer Award
Dr. Shawn Joseph – Anointed Agitator Award
Kenny Smoov – Community Connector Award
The gala concluded with a performance from legendary Nashville-based band, Bizz and Everyday People. Wendell “Bizz-Bigsby” Church is the son of Jimi Church, one of the original artists who made the Jefferson Street era such an important part of music history in Nashville. Bizz and Katrice Donaldson of Bizz and Everyday People wowed the audience with their dynamic talent and stage presence.
The event was emceed by award-winning news anchor and community activist Demetria Kalodimos. It was held at City Winery Nashville and presented by Providence Title Company. Sponsors included the National Museum of African American Music, Alonzo Beard Insurance Agency/Mary Beard, Esq., Lewis & Wright, Belmont University, Dr. & Mrs. Kevin Rome, InShuttle and Vanderbilt University.
About Watson Grove Missionary Baptist Church (“The Grove”) Watson Grove Missionary Baptist Church or “The Grove” is a Christ-centered, Bible-based, Spirit-led body of believers that serves as fertile ground for the growth of God’s people in south Nashville and beyond. We facilitate this process by engaging in the Biblical functions of the Lord’s Church: pure fellowship, purposeful ministry, powerful evangelism and missions, passionate worship and persistent discipleship. In this environment, God develops Kingdom Citizens who impact the community, the culture, and the world for His glory. Celebrating serving, for over 130 years, you can learn more about The Grove on our website www.thegrovenash.org.
Continuing its 130-year-legacy of service to the community, Watson Grove hosts annual event that inspires and transforms leaders of today.
Nashville, TN. (August 5, 2019) — The Global Leadership Summit (GLS), presented by Willow Creek Association, continues to inspire and motivate people interested in improving and leading with a mission. Watson Grove (“The Grove”) hosts the two-day simulcast, on August 8th and 9th, that drives transformation with fresh, actionable insight, from a diverse faculty, who challenge leaders to maximize their influence. The Grove and its leadership team feels Willow Creek has the best and most Biblically based curriculum to train today’s leaders.
“The impact, magnitude and quality of the program continues to build community leaders in the middle Tennessee area who desire faith-based training,” said Dr. John R. Faison, Sr., Senior Pastor of The Grove. “We continue to find value as a team, as well as in sharing this great resource with others. It’s an honor to participate, especially when the organization provides valuable training within the communities we serve, through our ministry, along with those we are meeting for the first time.”
Independent research reveals that previous Summit attendees believe the course to be a transformative workshop for individuals and teams. Of those taking the survey, 81% cite concrete ways his/her supervisor has become a better leader and 83% believe improved teamwork has increased productivity, teamwork and job satisfaction as a result of participating.
2019 Faculty members offer uniquely different perspectives, enabling Summit participants to challenge their learning. Each member of the faculty is purposefully selected for their expertise, proven success and innovative approaches in non-profit, government, education and faith-based sectors. Included in the 15 members of the 2019 faculty are:
Bear Grylls, Adventurer, Writer, TV host of Man vs. Wild
Bozoma Saint John, Chief Marketing Officer, Endeavor, former Chief Brand Officer of Uber.
DeVon Franklin, Producer, Author, Speaker, CEO of Franklin Entertainment
Patrick Lencioni, Best-Selling Author, Founder & CEO of The Table Group
Liz Bohannon, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Sseka Designs
About Willow Creek Association
Willow Creek Association is committed to the singular idea that inspired, encouraged and equipped Christian leaders transform their communities. The leaders we serve are not just full-time ministry staff, but leaders in all sectors of society committed to pursuing their grander visions.
About Watson Grove Baptist Church
Watson Grove Baptist Church or The Grove is a Christ-centered, Bible-based, Spirit-led body of believers that serve as fertile ground for the growth of God’s people in South Nashville and beyond. We facilitate this process by engaging in the biblical functions of the Lord’s Church: pure fellowship, purposeful ministry, powerful evangelism & missions, passionate worship, and persistent discipleship. In this environment, God develops Kingdom Citizens who impact the community, the culture, and the world for His glory. For more information, visit www.thegrovenash.org
Nashville’s Kenny Smoov was honored with the Community Connector Award this past month at Watson Grove’s 130th Anniversary Gala. At dGC, we love to see our clients celebrating the community, especially when it aligns with our company’s core values.
This past April, dGC was lucky enough to experience the Nashville Major League Soccer’s (Nashville MLS) partnership with the U.S. Soccer Foundation to build a small soccer field, also known as a mini-pitch.
The project provided the culturally rich community of North Nashville with a spot for outdoor fun at the McGruder Family Resource Center – a United Way of Middle Tennessee agency. The project involved support from Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools and Catholic Charities of Tennessee.
As Nashville residents and community activists, being involved in this project was a huge honor for dGC. The youth of Nashville, and greater community as a whole, are given access to a beautiful game and exciting opportunities through this new development.
The Nashville mini-pitch is part of a league-wide commitment to leaving a positive and lasting impact in the areas where our clubs live and play. Major League Soccer and their clubs have built hundreds of fields across the U.S. and Canada, with many more anticipated to be built in the coming years. The development of the newest mini-pitch in Nashville, built by the U.S. Soccer Foundation, will provide programming, training and resources.
As a young business, it’s such an honor to earn this type of recognition. Seeing dGC recognized in a room full of Nashville elites gives us renewed confidence in the work we do. We’re looking forward to the future of our company and the continued support of our friends.
We’ve recently expanded our award-winning record by adding three more PRSA award honors to its accomplishments this April at the 2019 Parthenon Awards.
The Parthenon Awards, sponsored by the Public Relations Society of America’s Nashville chapter, celebrates the best public relations campaigns of 2018, as determined by judges from other PRSA chapters. The 33rd annual award ceremony was held in April 2019 at City Winery.
dGC received three Awards of Merit, at the PRSA Nashville chapter’s Parthenon Awards, for its client work for the 18th Annual Jefferson Street Jazz & Blues Festival and its “dGC Takes Music Legends Back to High School” campaign. Award categories included commendation in Multicultural Communications and Special Events. In 2017, dGC won two Parthenon Awards and two Awards of Merit. In 2018, dGC won four Awards of Merit.
We love to #DuGoodWork for our clients and this type of honor makes the experience even more rewarding.
“It’s such an honor to achieve this type of recognition,” said Perri duGard Owens, President and CEO. “Accepting these awards, on our clients’ behalf, motivates us to continue building award-winning strategies for companies, brands and organizations. This affirms the trust our clients put in us.”
During its six years of operation, dGC has been privileged to work with many outstanding companies and be involved with significant projects – including current and past clients – like Clarksville Transit Authority, HDR, Inc., AECOM, HCA, Flyte Tyme Productions, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Minnesota SuperBowl LII, Southwest Transplant Alliance, the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) and many others.
dGC is honored to receive these awards. We’re looking forward to continued excellence in the upcoming years.
DUGARD COMMUNICATIONS WINS THREE PRSA NASHVILLE AWARD OF MERIT HONORS AT THE 33RD ANNUAL PARTHENON AWARDS
Strategic Communications & PR firm expands its record of award honors this summer.
Nashville, Tenn. (July, 2019) – duGard Communications (dGC) expanded its award-winning record, adding three more PRSA award honors to its accomplishments this April.
The Parthenon Awards, sponsored by the Public Relations Society of America’s Nashville chapter, celebrates the best public relations campaigns of 2018, as determined by judges from other PRSA chapters.
dGC received three Awards of Merit, at the PRSA Nashville chapter’s Parthenon Awards, for its client work for the 18th Annual Jefferson Street Jazz & Blues Festival and its “dGC Takes Music Legends Back to High School” campaign. Award categories included commendation in Multicultural Communications and Special Events. In 2017, dGC won two Parthenon Awards and two Awards of Merit. In 2018, dGC won four Awards of Merit.
“It’s such an honor to achieve this type of recognition,” said Perri duGard Owens, President and CEO. “Accepting these awards, on our clients’ behalf, motivates us to continue building award-winning strategies for companies, brands and organizations. This affirms the trust our clients put in us.”
During its six years of operation, dGC has been privileged to work with many outstanding companies and be involved with significant projects – including current and past clients – like Clarksville Transit Authority, HDR, Inc., AECOM, HCA, Flyte Tyme Productions, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Minnesota SuperBowl LII, Southwest Transplant Alliance, the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) and many others.
About duGard Communications
duGard Communications (dGC) is an award-winning, strategic communications firm specializing in public relations, marketing and business development services to a broad range of brands, companies and non-profit organizations. dGC has developed a highly successful track record of building strategies tailored for individual clients that articulate key value, enhance growth and improve business success. Our clients appreciate dGC’s expertise and experience because we provide focused results coupled with creativity, agility and a commitment to accelerate client goals.
At dGC it’s important to give back and support the growth of future PR leaders. As the middle of summer approaches, we are reflecting on the past months and are amazed at the talent of young people and it helps us stay up-to-date at the same time. This Summer, we were happy to host three interns, one of which is featured below.
Meet Caroline Weishaar, currently majoring in communication arts with a concentration in public relations and advertising at Spring Hill College. We are thankful to have Caroline on the dGC Team and appreciate her hard-work.
What is your favorite part of PR, so far?
My favorite part of PR has always been the teamwork. No public relations project can truly be successful unless multiple people problem-solve together. I love working in a team setting and getting to see everyone’s different contributions come together for a client in a meaningful way. In my first few weeks at dGC I have already seen this happen so many times. The staff works together to make each person’s ideas even better and give the client the best possible plan.
What have you applied from the classroom into your internship experience?
In the classroom, I have learned how to present information in a concise and effective way during oral presentations and my work with student media. This has aided me during my internship as I have had to call clients over the phone quite often. The confidence I gained speaking aloud during my presentations and on-air segments from student media allowed me to feel comfortable speaking with clients, businessmen, and even government officials on the phone while effectively aiding the project’s end goal.
How often do you catch yourself dreaming about strategy or content?
I’m an ideas girl. Give me a project and the possibilities will just keep flowing. So, it can be hard to press pause and edit out the bad ideas. I find myself dreaming about different, innovative ways to solve client issues all the time. I have found it can be helpful to stop dreaming and start writing down potential strategies to see every angle on paper instead.
What is your ideal position you’d like to attain, upon graduation?
Upon graduation, I would ideally like to begin my PR career at a full-service communications firm in Nashville. I feel this is where I could best gain a comprehensive communications experience. I would like to grow my knowledge of every aspect of PR and make meaningful long-term connections with clients. I eventually hope to make the transition to an in-house PR position with a large brand and focus on more specialized work.
PR types are always passionate about what we do. What have you become excited about (learning or developing) during your internship?
I have loved learning about long-term event planning and seeing how much work goes into a 2-day event! It has been so exciting to learn the many different processes that go into planning events for clients. I can’t wait to see some of the current projects come to fruition.
Favorite color:
My favorite color is definitely green! I love being outside and used to work at an overnight summer camp for 9 weeks. The color green reminds me of the beautiful trees at the camp and many aspects about nature that I love.
Favorite quote to live by:
My favorite quote is in a poem by Mary Oliver. It is, “If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy, don’t hesitate. Give in to it.” This quote reminds me to try to enjoy every moment of life and appreciate the little moments of happiness you can find in every day.
Wildest thing you’ve ever done that is/isn’t related to your interest in PR:
The wildest thing I have done is that I studied abroad in Bologna, Italy for a semester! I was very nervous to fly across the world and live in a country where I did not know any of the language. Thankfully, it ended up being a great semester of growth, travel and even learning some Italian!
Person you admire most (not including Oprah or your Mom/Parents):
There are so many incredible people in my life that inspire me every day, but someone I am currently admiring is singer/songwriter Maggie Rogers. She recently released her first album and despite her massive success has remained incredibly humble and grateful. Her social media content shows her real, everyday life as she chooses to stay true to herself and wear minimal makeup. She has not been caught up in her stardom and seems like a very genuine, relatable person!
At dGC it’s important to give back and support the growth of future PR leaders. As the middle of summer approaches, we are reflecting on the past months and are amazed at the talent of young people and it helps us stay up-to-date at the same time. This Summer, we were happy to host three interns, one of which is featured below.
Meet Kelsey Curry, a rising senior at Louisiana State University majoring in mass communication with a concentration in public relations. Her reading and writing skills paired with her interest in entertainment and politics led her to pursue a major in public relations. We are thankful Kelsey is a part of the dGC Team and appreciate her hard-work during her time at dGC.
What is your favorite part of PR, so far?
My favorite part of PR from my short experience is how broad it is. Every organization, company or person needs to utilize effective PR in order to be successful in their industry. What I love about that is how it gives PR professionals the opportunity to find an industry they are genuinely passionate or knowledgable about to work in. The sky is the limit!
What have you applied from the classroom into your internship experience?
I’ve taken several courses on social media management and creation, and those were relevant day one at this internship. My PR writing courses have given me many tools I have used as well when it comes to drafting pitches or emails for clients. I am very grateful to feel like my courses really equipped me for public relations work.
What is your ideal position you’d like to attain, upon graduation?
I would love to work in politics or healthcare. Political communications is an industry that I think has always been and will continue to be vital to American democracy. I also grew up in a healthcare family and my father was a juvenile diabetic, so that field is close to my heart. Whatever I am doing, I want to be doing work I care about and feel makes a difference in people’s lives.
PR types are always passionate about what we do. What have you become excited about (learning or developing) during your internship?
I love to meet new people. It’s one of the reasons I chose this career. So getting to meet many communications professionals with unique experiences and clients who run successful businesses they care about is inspiring me and teaching me so much.
Favorite quote to live by:
Amy Poehler has a quote that says “There’s power in looking silly and not caring that you do.” I think this not only applies to things like dancing and being unapologetically yourself, but also being outgoing about your passions and the work you do. Some people may think the things you care about or the work you do is silly, but if it matters to you then it matters!
Wildest thing you’ve ever done that is/isn’t related to your interest in PR:
A few summers ago I traveled to Nicaragua for community service, and that was definitely out of my comfort zone! I am a big planner, and usually fun to me includes an itinerary. In relation to PR, I moved away from my home in Louisiana to take this internship all summer, which was a big step towards branching out from what I am used to and the type of work I have done so far. I’m proud I went for it and can tell it is already paying off!
Person you admire most (not including Oprah or your Mom/Parents):
My answer to this is always changing, but recently I am constantly mentioning Michelle Obama. Her book was so inspiring and reminded me to look for work that feels meaningful and involves people- I never want to be tied to a desk and my laptop for long stretches of time! I am also deeply obsessed with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I follow her every move and dream about working for her one day.
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