Belmont University announced today the latest additions to the Honorary Host Committee for the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate made up of distinguished individuals with national, state and local stature. Marty Dickens, chairman of the Board of Trustees and retired president of AT&T, serves as chair of the honorary host committee and Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Chairman of Curb Records Mike Curb are the committee’s honorary chairs.
“We are grateful and humbled by the continued outpouring of support so many distinguished Nashvillians and Tennesseans have shown to Belmont University as we prepare for our role as host site of the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate in October,” Dickens said. “While this is certainly a momentous occasion for Belmont, it is the first presidential debate to be held in the state of Tennessee and something all Tennesseans can be proud of.”
Members of the committee include former and current Tennessee and United States Senators and Congressmen, business leaders, music industry executives, religious leaders, recording artists, the Belmont Board of Trustees and philanthropists. Click the more button below for a list of the Honorary Host Committee members to date. The committee is in formation.
“This diverse, talented, growing group of people represents the very best of all that Tennessee has to offer and exemplifies the volunteer spirit of our state,” Belmont President Bob Fisher said. “I am grateful to Marty for his leadership in organizing this respected committee. Their roles as committed civic and community activists have, in many cases, opened doors to make the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate at Belmont possible. Lending their name and support to this historical event for Belmont, Nashville and Tennessee ensures that the spotlight shining on all of us that night will last long after the debate is over.”
The Honorary Host Committee reflects Belmont’s commitment to ensuring the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate is memorable for Belmont students, as well as residents of Nashville and the state of Tennessee. The university has dedicated the 2008-09 academic year to celebrating the themes of the American political process and democracy. More than 50 programs are lined up for Belmont students and the community, including guest speakers such as documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and New York Times bestselling author David McCullough. Other activities include theatre and music productions celebrating freedom of expression and city-wide voter registration drives and events for college students throughout Nashville to engage them in what will surely be an historical presidential election.
Visit www.belmontdebate08.com for the latest updates and news surrounding the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate.
2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate Honorary Host Committee
Marty Dickens, Chair
Honorary Chairs
The Honorable Phil Bredesen, Governor, State of Tennessee
The Honorable Karl Dean, Mayor, City of Nashville
The Honorable Mike Curb, Chairman, Curb Records
Honorary Committee Members
Kent Adams, President, Caterpillar Financial Services
The Honorable Lamar Alexander, U.S. Senator
The Honorable Howard Baker
Lee Barfield, Partner, Bass, Berry & Sims
Lee Beaman, Chairman, Beaman Automotive Group
Belmont University Board of Trustees
The Honorable Marsha Blackburn, U.S. Congressman
Jack Bovender, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Hospital Corporation of America
T. B. Boyd, Chairman, R. H. Boyd Company
The Honorable William Brock
Kix Brooks, Recording Artist
The Most Reverend Bishop David Raymond Choby, Diocese of Nashville
The Honorable Steve Cohen, U.S. Congressman
The Honorable Jim Cooper, U.S. Congressman
The Honorable Bob Corker, U.S. Senator
The Honorable David Davis, U.S. Congressman
The Honorable Lincoln Davis, U.S. Congressman
The Honorable Lois DeBerry, Speaker Pro Tempore, State Representative
Richard W. Dreiling, Chief Executive Officer, Dollar General
The Honorable John Duncan, Jr., U.S. Congressman
The Honorable Winfield Dunn
Keith Durbin, Metro Councilman
Steven J. Edelstein, Executive Director, Jewish Federation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee
J. D. Elliott, President, The Memorial Foundation
Mark Ezell, Chief Executive Officer, Purity Dairies
Doctor A.K.M. Fakhruddin, President, Islamic Center of Nashville
Harold Ford Jr., Chairman of Democratic Leadership Council
Darrell Freeman, Chairman, Nashville Chamber of Commerce
The Honorable Bill Frist
Tommy Frist, Business Leader
Rick Frost, Chief Executive Officer, Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (LP)
Joe Galante, Chairman, Sony BMG Nashville
Tammy Genovese, Chief Executive Officer, Country Music Association
Vince Gill, Recording Artist
The Honorable Brenda Gilmore, State Representative
Reverend Victor Gomez, President, Uno en Cristo
Randy Goodman, President, Country Music Association Board
The Honorable Bart Gordon, U.S. Congressman
The Honorable Al Gore
Amy Grant, Recording Artist
The Honorable Thelma Harper, State Senator
Cordia Harrington, Chief Manager, Tennessee Bun Company
The Honorable Beth Harwell, State Representative
Jim Haslam, Chairman, Pilot Corporation
The Honorable Joe Haynes, State Senator and Democratic Caucus Chairman
The Honorable Douglas Henry, State Senator
Martha Ingram, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ingram Industries
Gordon Inman, Business Leader
The Honorable Jack Johnson, State Senator
Ellen Lehman, President, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
Steve McNair, Community Leader and Tennessee Titans Quarterback
The Honorable Ned McWherter
R. Clayton McWhorter, Founder and Chairman, Clayton Associates
The Honorable Gary Moore, State Representative
Gregg Morton, President, AT&T, Tennessee
The Honorable Jimmy Naifeh, Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives
Tom Negri, General Manager, Loews Hotels
The Honorable Gary Odom, State House Majority Leader
Charles Overby, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Freedom Forum
Brian Philips, Executive Vice President, Country Music Television, Inc.
Dr. Claude Pressnell, President, Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association
The Honorable Mary Pruitt, State Representative
The Honorable Ron Ramsey, Lt. Governor and Speaker of the Tennessee Senate
Colin Reed, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Gaylord Entertainment
Barbara Massey Rogers, Philanthropist
Joe Russell, Chairman, Elan-Polo
The Honorable James M. Sasser
Ralph Schulz, Chief Executive Officer, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
John Seigenthaler, Chairman, The First Amendment Center
Reverend Doctor William J. Shaw, President, National Baptist Convention USA, Inc.
Tom Sherrard, Partner, Sherrard & Roe, PLC
Kelly Smith, Jr., Pastor, Mount Olive Baptist Church, Knoxville, Tenn.
Butch Spyridon, Chief Executive Officer, Nashville Convention and Business Bureau
John Stein, President, Bank of America Tennessee
The Honorable Don Sundquist
The Honorable John Tanner, U.S. Congressman
Deborah Tate, Business Leader
Reverend Edward Thompson, President, Interdenominational Ministers’ Fellowship
Byron Trauger, Partner, Trauger & Tuke
Cal Turner, Chairman, Cal Turner Family Foundation
The Honorable Mike Turner, State Representative
The Honorable Zach Wamp, U. S. Congressman
Ted Welch, Business Leader
The Honorable Ben West, State Representative
Michael A. Woodhouse, Chief Executive Officer, CBRL Group, Inc (Cracker Barrel)
Nick Zeppos, Chancellor, Vanderbilt University
…..….Committee in Formation (08-06-08)
About the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate
The 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate at Belmont University is made possible through the generosity of our lead sponsors, Hospital Corporation of America, Jack C. Massey Foundation, The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County and the State of Tennessee. Additional support is provided by AT&T; Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell and Berkowitz; Bank of America; Bridgestone Americas; Bridgestone Americas Holding, Inc.; Pat and George Bullard; Dell, Inc.; Dollar General Corporation; Earl Swensson Associates, Inc.; Enterprise Electric, LLC; Fifth Third Bank; First Tennessee Bank; The Frist Foundation; Gaylord Entertainment; Interior Design Services, Inc.; Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce; Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau; Nissan North America; Partnership for Chronic Disease; Purity Dairies, Inc.; Reliant Bank; Sherrard & Roe; The Tennessean; Walker, Tipps & Malone; Waller, Landsden, Dortch & Davis; and Zycron, Inc.
