PRSA Nashville 2027 Board Slate

Meet the leaders who will guide PRSA Nashville in 2027. The Nominating Committee has put forward a slate of seasoned communicators from agencies, health care, education, government and nonprofits. Now it’s your turn to vote.

Annual Meeting
Join us from noon to 12:45 p.m. CST Tuesday, Nov. 10, on Zoom for a chapter update and an introduction to the nominees. Register on Eventbrite to receive the Zoom link.

How to vote
Voting opens at the close of the meeting and ends at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20. The ballot link be emailed to members on Nov. 10.

• Each member in good standing has one vote.

• Members vote yes or no on the slate as a whole.

• The ballot takes about a minute.

At least 15% of members must vote for the election to count, so every vote matters.

The 2027 slate
The nominees below appear on the ballot. President Jenny Barker, Treasurer Liann Cates and Immediate Past President Jared Porter continue on the board under the bylaws and are included so you can meet the full 2027 board.

Officers

President

Jenny Barker, APR, Fellow PRSA | Founder and principal, Gray Owl Strategy

Jenny Barker is a communications strategist with more than 20 years of experience. Her career includes in-house roles at two Fortune 500 companies, leading communications for HCA Healthcare’s flagship TriStar Centennial Medical Center and serving on the executive team at Marriott International’s Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center. She also held senior leadership roles at two Nashville PR agencies before founding Gray Owl Strategy, where she focuses on reputation management, crisis communications and change communications. A Lipscomb University graduate, she has held board and committee leadership roles with PRSA Nashville, chaired PRSA ICON 2023 and is a member of the PRSA College of Fellows, where she has served on several committees. She is a past president of the Junior League of Nashville, has served on Rotary Club of Nashville committees and serves on the board of Book’em.

President-Elect

Lauren McKirgan | Senior vice president, FINN Partners

Lauren McKirgan is a senior vice president in FINN Partners’ Nashville office, with more than a decade of experience leading strategic media relations and integrated communications for corporate and consumer brands. She has directed award-winning campaigns in the automotive, logistics, building and construction, hospitality and retail industries. Before FINN Partners, she held PR roles at GS&F and in-house positions as PR director for AJ Capital Partners and PR manager for Nashville Ballet. Since joining PRSA Nashville, she has served as a director-at-large and received the chapter’s 2024 Mercury Award. She was named to the Nashville Emerging Leaders Class of 2023, serves on the Nashville Predators Foundation Young Professionals Board and holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Secretary

Olivia Bowling | Account supervisor, McNeely Brockman Public Relations

Olivia Bowling is an account supervisor at McNeely Brockman Public Relations, specializing in media relations, social media strategy, community engagement and event coordination. Since joining the firm in 2022, she has supported local and national clients including CSX, Soles4Souls, the East Bank Development Authority and Onward Real Estate through strategic storytelling, public engagement initiatives and community events. She helps clients navigate complex issues and build meaningful relationships as Nashville grows, and she mentors team members at the firm. A Belmont University graduate, Olivia built her foundation in public relations through the Public Relations Student Society of America and remains active in PRSA Nashville.

Treasurer

Liann Cates | Communications manager, HCA Healthcare

Liann Cates is a communications manager on HCA Healthcare’s Digital Transformation and Innovation team. Throughout her career, she has specialized in corporate communications across the health care provider and health technology sectors. An active chapter leader, Liann begins the second year of her two-year term as PRSA Nashville treasurer in 2027, after previously serving as a director-at-large and on several chapter committees. She was also a founding member and president of Samford University’s Young Alumni Board in Nashville.

Immediate Past President

Jared Porter, APR | Gaylord Hotels

Jared Porter served as PRSA Nashville’s 2026 president. A PRSA member since 2007, he earned his Accreditation in Public Relations in 2024 through the chapter’s APR Skills for Success program. He has served the chapter as president-elect and assembly delegate, secretary, co-chair of the Parthenon Awards Committee, APR panelist, mentor, study session leader and awards judge. His career includes public relations and communications roles with Gaylord Hotels, Nashville International Airport and Alive Hospice. A Belmont University graduate, Jared has served on the board of Insight Counseling Centers, where he chaired the Development and Marketing Committee, and was a 2026 Salute to Excellence panelist for the Center for Nonprofit Excellence.

Leadership Assembly Delegate

Aileen Katcher, APR, Fellow PRSA | Katcher Strategic Communications

Aileen Katcher brings more than four decades of public relations experience. After working at two large hospitals and a major Nashville PR firm, she founded her own full-service firm in 1996, representing publicly traded, private and nonprofit clients in health care, professional services, transportation, manufacturing, banking and education. In 2013, she launched an independent crisis communications consulting practice. Now semiretired, she teaches Advanced Public Relations as an adjunct at Tennessee State University. A PRSA member since 1982, Aileen chaired the Nashville Chapter in 1987, served on the national PRSA board from 1999 to 2002 and currently serves on PRSA’s national Board of Ethics and Professional Standards. She is also active on several nonprofit boards.

Directors-at-Large

Jessica Bliss, APR

Director of marketing and communications, Harpeth Hall

Jessica Bliss is director of marketing and communications at Harpeth Hall, an all-girls school in Nashville serving grades 5-12, where she leads strategic messaging and crisis communications alongside the head of school and senior leadership. Her team’s publications earned a 2025 Parthenon Award of Merit from PRSA Nashville. Before Harpeth Hall, she spent 18 years as a journalist at The Tennessean and the USA Today Network, earning honors from Scripps Howard, the Society for Features Journalism, Investigative Reporters & Editors and the Gannett Awards of Excellence. A 2020 Leadership Tennessee alumna and 2013 Nashville Emerging Leaders Award recipient, she has served on the boards of PRSA Nashville, Girls on the Run of Middle Tennessee, Nashville CABLE and Play Like a Girl.

Corey Carmichael

Communications manager, Ardent Health

Corey Carmichael is a communications manager at Ardent Health, where he supports internal communications, executive messaging and strategic initiatives across the health system. He brings more than a decade of corporate communications experience in health care and life sciences, helping organizations navigate change, strengthen their reputations and explain complex information to diverse audiences. His expertise includes media relations, executive communications, thought leadership and issues management. Corey serves as PRSA Nashville’s 2026 secretary and is committed to advancing the public relations profession and connecting Nashville’s communications community.

Devin Stone, APR

Communications director, Tennessee Department of Human Services

Devin Stone is communications director at the Tennessee Department of Human Services, leading initiatives that align messaging with organizational priorities, build public trust and support operational excellence. Devin brings extensive experience in strategic planning, internal and external communications, media relations and change management, with a track record of managing complex projects, developing high-impact content and guiding teams through transformational change. Known for a results-driven approach, emotional intelligence and collaborative leadership, Devin holds a bachelor’s degree in communications, with a concentration in advertising and public relations, from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and has earned the Accreditation in Public Relations.

Neysa Taylor

Senior vice president, MP+F

Neysa Taylor has more than 20 years of experience leading strategic communications campaigns across industries, including for two Fortune 500 companies. She spent 15 years in broadcast journalism at WTVF NewsChannel 5 in Nashville before serving as director of communication for the Tennessee Department of Correction, where she oversaw all internal and external communication. She later led stakeholder communications for McDonald’s and Amazon. An Emmy Award-winning communicator, she recently led media training for the Association of State Correctional Administrators. A Tennessee State University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in speech communication and theater and a master’s in education administration, Neysa is a founding board member of Invictus Charter School and a member of the National Association of Black Journalists, Nashville Women of Color in Communications and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.