Women’s National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Terri Carmichael Jackson will be the Keynote speaker at the 2019 WFGM Annual Tribute Luncheon

by Brian Malone | Mar 31, 2019 | CMG News

Women leading the Leadership Roundtable Committees Announced

Good negotiator, creative marketer, executive leader, and all around fixer is how the leader of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) is described.  Terri Carmichael Jackson is the Executive Director for the WNBPA and is the 2019 keynote speaker for Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis Annual Tribute Luncheon. The luncheon this year is April 25, 2019 at the Memphis Convention Center from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. FedEx is the presenting sponsor of this event. 

“Terri is dynamic, engaging and a powerhouse who has a track record of supporting young women and women’s issues,” said Ruby Bright, WFGM Executive Director. “She embodies this year’s Tribute Luncheon theme – Empowered Women, Empower Women.”

In her role at the WNBPA, Jackson oversees board relations, executive leadership, financial governance and stakeholder outreach. She is an attorney and married to former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Jaren Jackson and mother of Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson, Jr.

The volunteer corporate leaders working with WFGM to develop these annual fundraisers are dedicated to the Vision 2020 strategic plan to reduce poverty by five percent over five years in the 38126 zip code.

“I’m proud to serve with these incredible women on the Leadership Roundtable for the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis” said Brie Carere, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, FedEx Corporation and Corporate Sponsorship Chair. “The success of these two events provides critical support for the families living in the 38126 — one of the poorest zip codes in the city. –

At FedEx, we are focused on connecting people with possibilities, and supporting the Foundation’s Vision 2020 is an example of how we can move the poverty needle and connect people with a brighter future right here in Memphis.” 

The WFGM Leadership Roundtable Committee Co-Chairs also includes: Dr. Marcia Bowden-Marche’, Owner/Founder, Bowden Internal Medicine and Denise Carpenter,

Vice President & Managing Director of Development/NW Region, Hilton Worldwide are co-chairs for the Legends Award Reception; Teresa Dickerson, Public Affairs Manager,

The Kroger Co., Delta Division is the Marketing and Public Relations Chair; and Toni Boland-Evans, Manager, Global Community, Nike, Inc., serves as the Logistics Chair for both events.

The Legends Award Reception is scheduled for Thursday, April 11, 2019 at The Columns at One Commerce Square from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The award recipients will be announced in two weeks. The presenting sponsor is Baptist Memorial Healthcare. 

Sponsorships and tickets are still available for the Tribute Luncheon and Legends Reception. Tickets can be purchased at www.wfgm.org.

About WFGM

For more than 20 years, The Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis has been uniting women and helping break the cycle through our philanthropy, leadership and collaboration. Our mission is to encourage philanthropy, foster leadership among women and support programs that enable women and children to reach their full potential.

Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis Names Four Dynamic Women as 2019 Legends Award Honorees

by Brian Malone | Mar 25, 2019 | CMG News

The Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis is pleased to announce its 2019 Legends Award Honorees. This year’s honorees are Meri Armour, Rev. Cheryl Beard, Claudia Haltom and Dr. Indurani Tejwani. The Honorees will receive unique recognition at the Legends Award Reception on Thursday, April 11, 2019, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at The Columns at One Commerce Square, 40 South Main Street.

The Legends Awards pay tribute to women whose visionary and innovative work embodies the mission of the Women’s Foundation. This year marks the 10^th anniversary of recognizing legendary women who have made an impact in the community.

The Legends Awards recipients will be honored through one-of-a-kind works of art and prose that exemplify their accomplishments and contributions to the community. The works of art and prose created in their honor will be unveiled for the first time at the Legends Award Reception.

“We are proud to honor four women who have made it their life’s work to make Memphis a better place,” said Ruby Bright, Executive Director of the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis. “This year we are honoring a trailblazer in education, a champion for social justice, an advocate for children and a committed philanthropist. Each Legend is very deserving of this honor.”

Cheryl Beard will receive a Catalyst Award. Beard is a minister of the Olivet Fellowship Baptist Church and has been a passionate, tireless advocate for children and families for more than 30 years. 

Claudia Haltom will also receive a Catalyst Award. Retiring after 17 years in the juvenile court system, Haltom founded A Step Ahead Foundation, a non-profit whose mission is to provide safe, long-term, reversible contraceptives to women without the means to afford them.

Meri Armour will receive the Innovation Award. Armour is the President and CEO of Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. She has been committed to children, believing that all children deserve a healthy and safe childhood with the promise of a bright future.

Dr. Indurani Tejwani will receive the Philanthropy and Leadership Award. Tejwani has supported women and children in Memphis through over 50 years as a philanthropist, obstetrician and gynecologist. She is also a founding member of the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis.

Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.wfgm.org.

About the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis

For more than 20 years, The Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis (WFGM) has been uniting women and helping break the cycle of poverty through our philanthropy, leadership and collaboration. The mission of the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis is to encourage philanthropy and foster leadership among women and support programs that enable women and children to reach their full potential.