2011-2013 Executive Council

President: Jessica Bowers

Zeta Chapter: Gamma Zeta
University or College attended, year graduated if you want: Mississippi State University, c/o 2007
Hometown, State: Pelham, AL
Current Occupation or Place of Employement: Marketing Manager at Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee
General area of town you live in: Nashville/Hillsboro Village
Favorite Nashville Restaurant: Oh wow…so many to choose from! I’ve been fortunate to try many different restaurants throughout town (many of those experiences are documented on my blog www.theartofdiningwell.blogspot.com) so I simply cannot narrow it down to one restaurant. If you need recommendations for a particular event, email me; I’m always glad to share my opinion!
Favorite Color: Navy blue
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Back to Greece or Amsterdam
What is your favorite Zeta memory? Gamma Zeta has a very special song called “A Zeta Girl” that we sing on Preference Night, for every engagement, and at every wedding (and funeral, I have learned). It is sweet, poetic, and speaks to the heart of ZTA sisterhood. I cry every time I hear or sing it, but I have so many good memories wrapped up in the lines of that song.
What else are you involved in right now? New Member Advisor for Iota Chi at MTSU, ZTA National Sisterhood Committee Chair, The Junior League of Nashville, Mississippi State University Nashville Alumni Chapter
Anything else you would like to share: This is a very exciting time for the Nashville Alumnae Chapter, and I am honored to be a part of the leadership team. Please join us this year in one of our fun activities, hands-on service projects, creative new fundraisers, and Vanderbilt Colonization! I am always available to take suggestions or answer questions, so feel free to reach out to me. Zeta love and mine!

VP1 – Programming: Jill Scobey

Maiden Name: Jill Allender
Zeta Chapter: Zeta
University or College attended, year graduated if you want: University of Tennessee
Hometown, State: Dandridge, TN
Current Occupation or Place of Employement: Recruiting Coordinator – Hospital Corporation of America
Married, husband’s name: Married to Dustin
Pets: Dog – Isabelle
General area of town you live in: Williamson County
Favorite Color: Blue
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Last year I would have said Paris and London but I went there in March! Now I would say Italy.
What else are you involved in right now? Church Lifegroup

VP2 – Membership & Treasurer: Brooke Legnon

Maiden Name: Holt
Zeta Chapter: Zeta/Zeta Chi
University or College attended, year graduated if you want: University of Tennessee/Tennessee Technological University – Bachelor’s in Marketing, 2002; MBA, 2003
Hometown, State: Jamestown, Tennessee
Current Occupation or Place of Employement: Marketing & Continuing Education Director at Hospice Compassus home office in Brentwood, TN
Married, husband’s name: Chris
Pets: A total of 5 – 3 cats – Harley the Himalayan (11 yrs), Hendrix a.k.a “Kitten” the gray rescue kitty (9 yrs) & Snowball the jet black adoptee from Utah (7 yrs); 2 Boxers – Stella Artois (4.3 yrs) and Mr. Mojo Risin (3.5 yrs)
General area of town you live in: Hermitage, Tennessee
Favorite Nashville Restaurant: That is so difficult to chose as I love food so much! J My favorite places to eat are unfortunately not my most frequented but if I have to chose, I enjoy anything Italian and Saffire in The Factory at Cool Springs.
Favorite Color: Red
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? I would love to spend a month in Europe. It would be fantastic to see Ireland, France, England, Italy, Germany, Sweden, and every stop in between!!
What is your favorite Zeta memory? My favorite Zeta memory would have to be my very last chapter meeting as a collegiate.  As a former chapter President, I was apprehensive about my senior circle talk because I was tough on my chapter since we were at an extremely crucial spot in our membership numbers.  I expected a lot out of each member since we were the smallest chapter on campus by at least 20 members.  I pushed the girls and the outcome was remarkable.  I felt my senior circle talk would be rough because as chapter President you don’t always make the most friends.  But I didn’t leave the room without receiving the most rewarding and memorable remarks I have ever received.  It was so rewarding to hear the girls tell me that I pushed the chapter and did what had to be done when no one else would and that I did exactly what had to be done in the difficult situation.  Even though I left the room in tears, they were tears of happiness. I was so proud to be part of the chapter at that time and to have such amazing sisters who went to the extreme to keep our link active.  It was so rewarding to hear new sisters tell me that the reason they were in our chapter was because of me and how my confidence during recruitment set Zeta apart from all the other chapters on campus.  I was a proud momma that evening. JWhat else are you involved in right now? I spend a great amount of time juggling two very important positions within the Nashville Alumnae chapter so I focus most of my spare time on making ZTA the strongest we can be so that our MTSU chapter and the new Vanderbilt chapter will have a strong confident base of alumnae to call on.  My husband is the President of his alumni association and I do devote a significant amount of time assisting the board on their yearly events. I am a strong believer that Greek life is very important to an individual’s development, both at the collegiate and alumna level.                                                                                               Anything else you would like to share: My husband and I spend our weekends hosting football and basketball viewing parties as we are both avid sports fans. 

 
Secretary: Melissa Swindle

Zeta Chapter:  ZX
University or College attended, year graduated if you want:  Tennessee Technological University c/o 2005
Hometown, State:  Kingston Springs, TN
Current Occupation or Place of Employement:  HCA IT&S
Pets:  Nestle is a seven year old beagle mix
General area of town you live in:  Bellevue
Favorite Nashville Restaurant:  I love Midtown Grill for special occasions.
Favorite Color:  Blue has always been my favorite, but purple, pink & green are becoming some new favorites.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?  I’m dying to go on Mediterranean and Caribbean Cruises!
What is your favorite Zeta memory?  I can’t remember just one!
What else are you involved in right now?  Book Club

Historian: Katie Maruskin

Zeta Chapter: Delta Delta
University or College attended, year graduated if you want: Baldwin-Wallace College, 2008
Hometown, State: Canfield, OH
Current Occupation or Place of Employement: Program Coordinator, Arthritis Foundation, TN
General area of town you live in: East Nashville
Favorite Nashville Restaurant: Jackson’s, SATCO, Capitol Grill, Big River
Favorite Color: Lime Green
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? New Zealand
What is your favorite Zeta memory? Being prefed by my best friend who at the time was wearing a dress she borrowed from me!
What else are you involved in right now? Volunteer for MS to Jack & Back Ride,
Anything else you would like to share: I love living in Nashville and am very excited to be part of the EC for the Nashville Alumnae Chapter.

Panhellenic Deligate: Liz Hartzog

Zeta Chapter:  Delta Kappa
University or College attended, year graduated if you want: Louisiana State University, 2004
Hometown, State:  New Orleans, LA
Current Occupation or Place of Employement:  Property & Casualty Commercial Insurance Sales, Brown & Brown Insurance of TN, Inc.
Pets: Ellie Sue (Cat) – like LSU, Ellie Sue, get it?  I may be a little of a fan
General area of town you live in:  West Side
Favorite Color: Purple
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?  Paris, France – I’ve been and would love to go back again, so impressed with their multiple forms of efficent public transportation.
What else are you involved in right now?  LSU Alumni Music City – Vice President, National Association of Insurance Women – Secretary, CABLE – programs comittee member, Women’s Music Business Alumni Association
Anything else you would like to share:  I love music; I was 3 months old at my first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and have only missed 2 since then, I always try to go home for that and Mardi Gras; I am also a bit of a foodie and love to try new restaurants (but not chains and no cajun imposters)

Programs Council

Fundraising: Dana Clegg

Zeta Chapter: Iota Chi
College: Middle Tennessee State University, (MTSU), “GO BLUE RAIDERS!!”
Position: Regional Coordinator/Law Enforcement Liaison for Department of Children Services.
Favorite Nashville Restaurant: I have two. Cabanna in the Village, and McDougal’s, just around the corner.
Community Involvement: I’m active in my community with church, ARC and Disaster Relief. Starting at Thanksgiving and going through Christmas, I’ve work with various individual organizations that work with Boy’s and Girl’s Club, Mentoring Programs, Charter Schools, etc. They allow for families and children in need to have Thanksgiving day dinners, shopping days, shoes with Santa, etc… We start again at the beginning of the school year and do shoes and book bag/school supplies events with Titans. I have friends who work on Community Boards and Foundations, I’m on some myself, we help each other out with our events. There is always something going on! I’m at the Race every October and hope to see you there too!

Mommy & Z: Sheila Porada

Name:  Sheila Youngs Porada
Maiden Name:  Sheila Marie Youngs
Zeta Chapter:  Delta Kappa
University or College attended, year graduated if you want:  LSU, 1993
Hometown, State:  DesAllemands, Louisiana
Current Occupation or Place of Employment:  Chief Operating and Financial Officer of the Porada Household 
Husband’s Name:  John Porada
Child’s Name:  Corinne Porada
Pet’s Name:  Prince (a cat)
General area of town you live in:  Brentwood
Favorite Nashville Restaurant:  Ruth’s Chris Steak House (founded in NOLA — reminds me of home)
Favorite Colors:  purple and gold (Geaux Tigers!), as well as black and gold (Who Dat!)
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?  I would travel to Italy because I would love to eat and drink my way through the country.
What is your favorite Zeta memory?  I can’t necessarily pick out one, but I lived in the Zeta house for three years and had lots of fun there.
What else are you involved in right now?  I’m a sustainer in the Junior League of Nashville, and I’m one of the Room Parents for my daughter’s 1st grade class.  I’m also training for a half marathon in September and a marathon in November.
Anything else you would like to share:  Zeta has provided me the opportunity to meet sisters everywhere I have lived.  Being relatively new to the area, I’m thankful to have an automatic group of friends with whom I can socialize.  It makes being in a new city less overwhelming.
 

Service: Christy Blazer

Maiden Name: Huckeby
Zeta Chapter: Zeta Chi
University or College attended, year graduated if you want: Tennessee Tech University 2000
Hometown, State: Livingston, Tennessee
Current Occupation or Place of Employement: Team Leader in Child Protective Services Tennessee Department of Childrens Services
Married, husband’s name: Chris
Children: Rachel Catherine (9), Robert Reese (6), Riggs Samuel (3)
Pets: CJ the dog
General area of town you live in: Donelson                                                                                                                                                                                  If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Europe
What is your favorite Zeta memory? going  to watch “Grease” 20th anniversary in Memphis
What else are you involved in right now? Right now I am taking Russian and getting sponsors in preparation for a mission trip to the Ukraine in December.

Crown Connections: Melanie Cowles