by Carly Bergthold | Jan 20, 2015 | News Slider
Business leaders from the Nashville area met Tuesday morning at Lipscomb for a discussion on workplace diversity in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Lipscomb University Department of Communication and Journalism hosted the event in Ezell Center partnering with the Council on Workforce Innovation and National Organization for Workforce Diversity. Guest speaker Anthony Carter, Chief Diversity Officer at Johnson & Johnson, shared his ideas about diversity over breakfast. Carter discussed his belief that corporations should concentrate more on social leadership and global well-being. “Diversity is who we are,” Carter said. “And inclusion is how we work together. The beauty of that is how we pull all of that together to make sure that we are of best interest to our customers.” Carter views diversity as a social justice imperative, and pointed to Martin Luther King Jr. as a hero worthy of emulation. “His work,” Carter said about King Jr., “in fact his life, illustrates so accurately diversity and social justice. Think about it, Dr. King dismantled the barriers of segregation and transformed a nation.” Breakfast attendees came from all over Nashville to learn how to better support diversity in their own businesses, corporations and organizations. “Diversity really means everything, Lori Adukeh, executive director of 100 Black Men of Middle Tennessee said. “It gives people the opportunity to be different, and yet be the same, to collaborate, to be partners.” Attendees also discussed the increased productivity diversity brings. “Diversity, and workforce diversity specifically, really speaks to equality and opportunity,” said Jacky Akbari, director of employee services at the Nashville Career Advancement Center. “We’ve found that when there is a diverse...
by Sam Webb | Nov 11, 2014 | News Slider
Cracker Barrel communications representative Maria Janella Escobar spoke to the importance of corporate communication at November’s installment of Media Masters Monday night in the Ezell Center. Escobar is the director and head of corporate communications at the restaurant. She worked with FedEx, Hilton Hotels and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital before joining Cracker Barrel’s communications team. Corporate communication is a multi-faceted field, mixing various elements of the business world into relaying a message to those in the public. Part of Escobar’s work involves communicating the Cracker Barrel brand to the company’s audience. Those duties include refining the marketing campaign. She explained that businesses have to find a way to relate to their customers through marketing. “It’s just talking to people, and that is how people relate to companies and brands.” Escobar said. Escobar also explained the difference between a crisis and an issue in the corporate communications world. A crisis is an unexpected event that cannot be prepared for. An issue is a reoccurring problem that can be prepared for. She said that accountability is a must when working in communications. “When you make a mistake, you have to admit you made a mistake,” Escobar said. A big part of any company is working in the present to ensure a bright future. Escobar said she hopes the popular country-themed restaurant’s reputation can grow while still maintaining the brand’s timeless value. To Escobar, the company needs to remain true to its traditional values and atmosphere, opposed to rebranding campaigns that many restaurants are undergoing. The communications expert took questions from the audience, sharing her knowledge with the communication-minded crowd of...
by Erin Turner | Aug 29, 2014 | News Slider
The friends and family of Lipscomb alum Meghan Day gathered for a time of prayer and remembrance in the Ezell Center’s Swang Chapel Thursday night. Ms. Day, a May 2013 graduate and member of Delta Omega, died suddenly on Wednesday. Although Ms. Day’s family resides in Chattanooga, many of her Delta Omega sisters, co-workers, Lipscomb friends and loved ones gathered to share memories and special times had with Ms. Day. “I know that she would’ve had a bright future ahead of her, but now she’s in Heaven,” said Brittany Stevens, a charter member of Delta Omega. Presidential Spouse Rhonda Lowry, an assistant professor of spiritual formation and senior fellow for the Institute for Christian Spirituality, spoke words of encouragement after loved ones shared their favorite moments with Ms. Day. “Your pain is only a reflection of your love,” Lowry said. “You’re hurting because you love her.” Though friends and family of Ms. Day are mourning her loss, many said they will always remember her constant smile and positive attitude she shared with all around her. “The name Meghan really means ‘pearl,’ and she was really a pearl in our lives,” Lowry said. “We were privileged to love this great pearl.” Friends and family have created a Facebook page called “Love for Meghan Day” to share memories, photos and...
by Colleen Casner | Jun 8, 2014 | News Slider
Researchers from Abilene Christian University presented the results of a study measuring the change in church members’ opinions on gender roles Thursday morning at the Ezell Center as part of the Christian Scholars’ Conference. The study occurred before and after various churches held classes examining the role of women in ministry. The researchers, Lynette Sharp Penya, Suzanne Macaluso and Amanda Rigby, intend for congregations to use these results to aid in church-wide conversations of gender roles. The presenters emphasized how determining where a church stands on this issue can also determine how fruitful or divisive the discussions may be. One of the churches in the study was unable to complete the study because of polarization on the issue revealed in the pretest survey, among other problems. In measuring the opinions of church members of various demographics, the researchers found that women consistently have more conservative views on the issue than men.The study also found that men are more likely to change their opinions after the classes than women. Following the presentation of the study, Don McLaughlin (in the photo above), the pulpit minister at one of the churches in the study, and Naomi Walters, the minister in residence at Stamford Church of Christ, discussed ways to face the often-painful process of congregations’ transitioning to more egalitarian worship practices. Confronting the discouragement among more progressive members about the rate of change in gender roles, McLaughlin, minister at North Atlanta Church of Christ, said that people of his generation should not be deterred in their work if results are not seen in their lifetime. God’s timing may have other plans. “You...
by Cory Woodroof | May 8, 2014 | News Slider
The friends and family of the Anastasia Sloan gathered to celebrate her immensely impactful life in the Ezell Center’s Swang Chapel Wednesday night. “She was such a ray of sunshine,” Walt Leaver, vice president for university relations, said. Ms. Sloan, a 2013 graduate of Lipscomb University, lost her life in an auto accident late Monday night. “As we have all mourned greatly in the past couple of days and will continue to do so over the days and weeks ahead, the purpose of tonight is to bring a message of hope,” said Mark Jent, the director of missions outreach for Lipscomb. Jent and his wife Beth were Ms. Sloan’s team leaders on two mission trips to Australia in 2010 and 2011. “She has been a blessing and joy in our life,” Jent said. During the service, those in attendance joined in worship, prayer and reflections of Ms. Sloan’s life and impact. “I think the greatest blessing for me is knowing her heart,” friend Kaylynn Allen said. “She loved people.” Shuen Lim, of Brisbane, Australia, came to know Ms. Sloan during one of Lipscomb’s mission trips. “I was just blown away by her adventurous spirit,” Lim said. “She was so brave to go and bless the world.” Dean Scott McDowell, senior vice president for student life, recounted reading some of Ms. Sloan’s blog posts on the website for the World Race, a mission trip she was planning on going on later this year. He recommended that everyone in attendance go back and read Ms. Sloan’s powerful words. “You will be blessed by doing that,” McDowell said. Various memories were shared from the...
