Join us for our March 10th meeting at the Emerald Youth gym at 1718 N. Central St. Our breakfast sponsor this month is Broadway Carpets.
Our speaker will be Stacey Payne. Payne retired from a career in law enforcement in 2019. She and her husband, who also retired from a career in law enforcement, made the move to Tennessee to join their youngest son. Payne’s son is currently a sergeant at a local agency and represents the 4th generation of law enforcement officers in their family. She also has two nephews who are sergeants in the area. Payne’s retirement was short-lived and she found she couldn’t sit at home any longer and joined the Knoxville Police Department. Her first position was in their Planning & Grants unit, and then she helped form East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers.
East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers is comprised of active and dedicated community representatives. They provide a method for law enforcement to receive information on crimes and for community members to share information on criminal activity, and the location of fugitives in an anonymous manner and receive cash rewards for tips leading to an arrest. These efforts increase tips, which in turn increase arrests in our community thereby making our communities a safer place to live, work and visit.
We hope to see you at this informative meeting. Please register to attend as space is limited and we need an accurate headcount for breakfast. Don’t forget to thank Broadway Carpets!
Our meeting this month will feature Rev. Renee Kesler of the Beck Cultural Center. Beck has a history of outstanding executives from Knoxville Civil Rights Leader, Robert J. Booker to Avon W. Rollins, Co-Founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Since 1975 Beck has remained committed to African American History & Culture. Rev. Reneé Kesler is the current President of Beck, and she recognizes that she stands on the shoulders of giants. Kesler is dedicated to honoring the heritage of our ancestors, and the legacy of the great Executives of Beck.
Come out and learn more about this Knoxville gem of culture and history. The Beck Cultural Exchange Center, named in honor of James G. & Ethel B. Beck, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established in 1975 as a result of Knoxville’s Urban Renewal projects. The projects relocated and displaced many black families, churches, and businesses. Absent of the establishment of Beck, these places and the people may never have existed. Beck is the storehouse of African American history and culture and is designated by the state as a primary repository of Black history and culture in East Tennessee.
Please register to attend as space is limited and we need an accurate headcount for breakfast.
Join us on December 9th at 7:45am at the O’Connor Senior Center (611 Winona Street) as we celebrate the holidays as a business community. Not only will be recognizing businesses and non-profits for their involvement this year, but we will swear in our new board for 2023 and we will also have a White Elephant gift exchange!
Rules for White Elephant Gift Exchange: In order to get a gift, you must bring a gift. If you are bringing a guest, bring an extra gift so they can share in the fun. Gifts can represent your business, be fun or be special, the choice is yours.
We hope to see you there! Happy Holidays from the current NKBPA Board Members!
Note: If your organization has an event coming up, please bring flyers or information to be placed on the tables. This way our members have a tangible reminder and we can use it to publicize your events on social media. Thank you, this helps us to wrap up the meeting on time.
Dr. Jon Rysewyk returns to visit the North Knoxville Business and Professional Association meeting on September 9th. While Rysewyk was principal at Fulton he was also a member of the NKBPA and we are looking forward to spending some time with him in September.
Rysewyk began his education career as a teaching intern at Bearden High School, and went on to serve as a science teacher, department head and assistant principal. In 2008, he was hired as Executive Principal at Fulton High School, at the same time that the school was being reconstituted by the State of Tennessee.
During his time as principal at Fulton, Dr. Rysewyk led the implementation of small learning communities, which were designed to foster a sense of belonging among students and improve academic performance. Graduation rates rose significantly during his tenure, and the school saw students from every testing group make “adequate yearly progress” according to state standards.
Dr. Rysewyk went on to serve as the district’s Supervisor of Secondary Education and Executive Director of Innovation and School Improvement, before being hired as the founding director of Emerald Academy. In 2017, he returned to Knox County Schools, where he served as assistant superintendent and chief academic officer.
In 2007, Dr. Rysewyk received the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award. In 2010, he participated in the Leadership Knoxville program; was recognized by the Greater Knoxville Business Journal as part of its “40 Under 40” Class; and received the University of Tennessee’s William J. and Lucille H. Field Award for Excellence in Tennessee Secondary School Leadership.
Larry Cox and Homstead Inc. will be our breakfast sponsor this month. If you would like to sponsor a breakfast email Ethan Kirk ekirk@emeraldyouth.org.
We will be taking donations for VMC’s new Caswell Manor. See below.
Don’t forget it is almost time to elect the 2023-2024 Board members. We are taking nominations now. You must be a member and be able to commit to helping out for the next 2 years. We need good people who care about our local businesses and the community. If you are interested send an email to nkbpa.info at gmail.com
We are taking nominations for board positions.
These are the current Board Positions and their roles in the group:
Board of Directors Officer Positions:
President – Preside over both Board of Director and Membership meetings occurring monthly. A spokesperson for the NKBPA.
Vice President – Steps into the role of President when necessary and gives support to all activities of the Board of Directors.
Secretary – Records and maintains files of meeting minutes for monthly board meetings. Maintain a list of the current Board of Directors and send out reminders of scheduled meetings, sharing the agenda and financial report.
Treasurer – Charge, and custody of NKBPA funds.
Additional Positions and Roles:
Immediate Past President
Communications – Sends out newsletter and meeting invitations to the membership each month, updates website information, and creates an Eventbrite for registration and social media. Coordinate updates and information with the membership chair.
Membership – Keep a current list of NKBPA members and coordinate production of the Directory.
Fulton Liaison – Create monthly content for Fulton Radio and set up Business Spotlight recordings.
Programs – Coordinate monthly speakers and meeting locations.
Breakfast Sponsors – Recruit and compile a list of potential breakfast sponsors. Help with the delivery and set up of food and beverages. Collaborate with the Programs Chair.
Greeting Committee – Recruit a couple smiling faces to welcome folks each month. Arrive early to set up directional signs.
Fundraising and Events – Lead the efforts for proposed events and recruit the help of membership.
Join the NKBPA 