Seven dedicated and hardworking Nashville women have been selected as inductees into the 2014 Academy for Women of Achievement. They will be honored at the 23nd annual Academy for Women of Achievement celebration and induction dinner on Thursday, Oct. 2. The event is presented by the YWCA of Nashville & Middle Tennessee and First Tennessee. The 2014 honorees are Janet Ayers, president, The Ayers Foundation; Rosetta Miller-Perry, publisher and CEO, The Tennessee Tribune; Rita Mitchell, executive vice president, First Tennessee; Phyllis Qualls-Brooks, executive director, Tennessee Economic Council on Women; Abby Rubenfeld, attorney and partner, The Rubenfeld Law Office; and Laura …

STEM Preparatory Academy, Nashville’s first public charter school specializing in science, technology, engineering and mathematics for fifth- through eighth-graders, received approval yesterday by Metro Nashville Public Schools for its inaugural high school – STEM Prep High, to open in fall 2015. “We are energized by the vast support for STEM Prep High among our families, community-based organizations and private industry partners,” said Dr. Kristin McGraner, founder and executive director. “STEM Prep maintains a steadfast commitment to serving our community’s children, regardless of background, and appreciates the continued enthusiasm and partnership of our district partner in advancing opportunities for students and …

Griffin Technology, one of the world’s foremost creators of innovations for everyday life, will launch its new Survivor Slim for iPad Air at the 2014 International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) conference held in Atlanta, Ga., June 28-30. Developed with the needs of educators and students in mind, the new Survivor Slim combines enhanced protection with an integrated stand and a clear back panel for asset tagging.  Along with Survivor Slim, Griffin will also showcase a variety of their latest education products at the ISTE show. “We’ve spoken to hundreds of teachers and technology directors to better understand what …

Even in the digital world, a first birthday is celebration-worthy. mp&f/d, launched last year (on June 24) by Nashville-based McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations, has exceeded expectations for an internal startup and has helped position the public affairs firm for the future. Digital director Annakate Ross and MP&F partner Keith Miles looked backward and forward in this Q&A. What were the surprises in launching mp&f/d? (Keith) First, we were very pleasantly surprised at the excitement mp&f/d generated among our existing and new clients. In the rush to cover all the platforms, I think people are realizing that it is …

For the second year in a row, MP&F employees made possible our inclusion in the Tennessean’s Top Workplace competition. Fifty area businesses were honored at a reception Thursday night hosted by The Tennessean. Read what makes us special here: http://tnne.ws/VukbZt

MP&F earned seven Parthenon Awards and 14 awards of merit. The 21 awards covered 13 different categories, including research, media relations, audiovisual, new media, special events, crisis communications, internal communications, brand management and PR campaigns. MP&F’s NashvilleNext team, led by MP&F Senior Account Executive and former Tennessean reporter Colby Sledge, won eight awards, including four Parthenons. It was the best awards performance by one MP&F client team at a Parthenon Awards competition. Other multiple winners included MP&F efforts on behalf of Kirkland’s (four), WGU Tennessee (three), the U.S. Department of Labor’s Job Corps program (two) and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee …

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (April 7, 2014) – Building on its successful slate of pop, rock, jazz and R&B concerts at Schermerhorn Symphony Center, the Nashville Symphony unveiled the lineup for its 2014/15 Pops Series and Jazz Series today and proudly announced a three-year partnership with FirstBank as sponsor of the Pops Series. Kicking off Sept. 11-13, 2014, the FirstBank Pops Series features the Nashville Symphony performing with eight leading pop acts, including The Four Tops, Kenny Rogers, Styx, Boyz II Men and Kenny G. Tony Award-winning performer Bernadette Peters will close the series on May 7-9, 2015, with an evening of …