NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Convention Center Authority has announced three new board members. Jim Cooper, Ethan Link, and Silvia San Martin were appointed by Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell and confirmed by the Metropolitan Council on Tuesday evening. The mayor and council also reappointed Alfred Degrafinreid II and Tracy Hardin.
Cooper represented Nashville and two neighboring counties in the U.S. House of Representatives for 32 years. Currently, he is a principal at TVV Capital, a Nashville-based private equity firm, and an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt Law School.
Link is the Business Manager and Secretary-Treasurer for the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 386, which represents workers in the construction industry. He also serves on several boards and commissions including the Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee and the Metropolitan Nashville Civil Service Commission.
San Martin is the Founder and Principal of Interlude Hospitality, a Nashville-based sales and marketing firm for independent hotels and boutique collections. Previously, she worked in sales and marketing at Omni Hotels & Resorts and Turnberry Hospitality for 27 years.
Degrafinreid II is President and Chief Executive Officer of Leadership Tennessee, a non-partisan statewide community leadership organization. He has served on the CCA board since February 2021.
Hardin is Chief Operational Officer with Don Hardin Group, a construction consulting and project management firm. She has served on the CCA board since February 2022.
“We have been so fortunate to have such a talented pool of professionals contribute to the success of our facility,” said Music City Center Chief Executive Officer Charles Starks. “The depth of knowledge these new members will bring, combined with the continued leadership of returning board members, can only make us better as we look to the future.”
The new board members will fill the roles vacated by outgoing board members Dee Patel and Betsy Wills and by the untimely passing of board member Vonda McDaniel.
The Convention Center Authority was created to oversee the development and operation of Music City Center, as well as any investments or projects connected to the convention center. The Authority consists of nine members, appointed by the mayor of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County to serve a four-year term, and three ex officio members, appointed by the Tennessee General Assembly.
Terms for all appointed and reappointed board members will begin immediately.
Music City Center (MCC) is a 2.1 million square foot convention center with more than 353,000 square feet of exhibit hall space, two ballrooms, 60 meeting rooms, and a covered parking garage with 1,800 spaces. The mission of MCC is to create significant economic benefit for the greater Nashville area, while focusing on community inclusion, sustainability, and exceptional customer service, through conventions, trade shows, and community events.
