The call is being made for nominations for the Franklin Tomorrow’s Anne T. Rutherford Exemplary Community Volunteer Awards, to be presented July 14, 2012 at the organization’s annual Shrimp Boil, held at the Eastern Flank Battlefield Park.

In 2007, Franklin Tomorrow established the Anne T. Rutherford Exemplary Community Volunteer Award to honor the decades of service and tremendous impact that Ms. Rutherford has in Franklin. A longtime Franklin resident, her volunteer spirit has aided numerous organizations, from Franklin Tomorrow to United Way to Historic Carnton Plantation.

The awards have grown to include Volunteer Spirit Awards and the Youth Initiative Award, as well as other awards designated by the Board of Directors of Franklin Tomorrow.

The top three candidates for each award are announced in June. The winners are announced the night of the Shrimp Boil, being presented this year by CapWealth Advisors, LLC, with Turner Construction Co., serving as the Platinum sponsor.

Winning the top award in 2011 was David Garrett, who as president of The Heritage Foundation oversaw the renovation and reopening of the Franklin Theatre, with Volunteer Spirit Awards being presented to Tom Lawrence of WAKM Radio; Art Helf for his support of Franklin’s adopted sons in the 101st Airborne; Peggy Smith for her work with the Boys & Girls Club; Sarah McGinley for her work with First United Methodist Church; and Bill Veevers for his dedication to reinvigorating the Williamson County Fair.

“Franklin Tomorrow’s mission is to engage the community, foster collaboration and advocate for a shared vision for the future of Franklin,” said Kathie Moore, Franklin Tomorrow Board President. “So many good works are being done by organizations large and small, but no matter the size of the agency, the commitment of the volunteers to their cause and serving our community is important to the character and quality of life of our community.”

Thanks to the generous support of sponsors, a cash contribution will be made on behalf of each award recipient to the non-profit of their choice.

Deserving volunteers may be nominated by any community member or staff person. Nominees must be actively volunteering at one or more organizations in Franklin/Williamson County. If the nominator is not with the volunteer agency of the nominee, please provide contact information for the agency. Those not eligible for participation are past award recipients, individuals involved in “court-mandated community service” or those receiving compensation for service rendered.

Multiple nominations may be submitted in each category; however, only one nomination per agency will be eligible for the finalist in each category. An exception will be made for umbrella agencies with multiple site locations that operate independently. Each independent site may submit nominations. This exception does not apply to multiple programs or departments within one agency.

Nominations must be accompanied by a nomination form, a one-page statement, and a photo of the nominee. The deadline for submitting nominations is midnight on Wednesday, May 9th, 2012. Complete information regarding nominating individuals can be found on Franklin Tomorrow’s Web site, www.franklintomorrow.org.

Additional sponsorship opportunities are available for this event, to be held Saturday, July 14, on the grounds at the Eastern Flank Battlefield Park, 1343 Carnton Lane.

Franklin Tomorrow is a non-profit community organization that engages the community, fosters collaboration and advocates for a shared vision for the future of Franklin.

To learn more about Franklin Tomorrow, visit the Web site at www.franklintomorrow.org or like us on Facebook. You can also follow us on Twitter @franklin2morrow

For more information, contact Mindy Tate at (615) 794-0998 or

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Franklin Tomorrow will host its second “Breakfast With the Mayors,” presented by First Farmers Bank and a host of other sponsors, on Tuesday, April 17, at Rolling Hills Community Church, 1810 Columbia Ave., Suite 100, Franklin, TN.

Carol Evans, executive director of the Legacy Parks Foundation in Knoxville, will be join Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson and Franklin Mayor Ken Moore as speakers at the event.

Evans brings more than 20 years experience in marketing, public relations and event management to the leadership position of the Legacy Parks Foundation. Since July 2007, the Foundation has raised $3 million in private dollars for parks, trails and open space. During that same period of time, nearly 300 acres of parkland in Knox County were acquired through the Foundation and more than 900 acres of open space has been preserved in East Tennessee.

Legacy Parks Foundation is a non-profit organization and its mission is to bridge the gap between the services and amenities afforded by government funding and those that allow the community to take full advantage of the incredible natural resources of the region.

Evans will speak about the benefits of public/private partnership and corporate sponsorships of organizations like Friends of Franklin Parks, LLC, founded in April 2011 by Franklin Tomorrow using Legacy Parks Foundation as a model.

Implementation of the city’s adopted Greenway and Open Space Master Plan and Streetscape and continued development of connected greenways for walking and bicycling were the top two strategies emerging during Franklin Tomorrow’s 2011 Vision Fair process.

First Farmers Bank is the Presenting Sponsor for the series, with Platinum Partner sponsorships by Windstream Communications, Ryan Search & Consulting, Alfred Benesch & Co., Williamson County Association of Realtors, and Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon. Chick-fil-A of South Franklin and Thoroughbred Square are the breakfast sponsors for 2012.

Additional sponsors for this event include Thomas Miller & Partners, Varallo Public Relations, and the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors.

Reservations are requested and may be made by following this link:

http://www.planetReg.com/E3289254651873 Franklin Tomorrow will host its second “Breakfast With the Mayors,” presented by First Farmers Bank and a host of other sponsors, on Tuesday, April 17, at Rolling Hills Community Church, 1810 Columbia Ave., Suite 100, Franklin, TN.

Carol Evans, executive director of the Legacy Parks Foundation in Knoxville, will be join Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson and Franklin Mayor Ken Moore as speakers at the event.

Evans brings more than 20 years experience in marketing, public relations and event management to the leadership position of the Legacy Parks Foundation. Since July 2007, the Foundation has raised $3 million in private dollars for parks, trails and open space. During that same period of time, nearly 300 acres of parkland in Knox County were acquired through the Foundation and more than 900 acres of open space has been preserved in East Tennessee.

Legacy Parks Foundation is a non-profit organization and its mission is to bridge the gap between the services and amenities afforded by government funding and those that allow the community to take full advantage of the incredible natural resources of the region.

Evans will speak about the benefits of public/private partnership and corporate sponsorships of organizations like Friends of Franklin Parks, LLC, founded in April 2011 by Franklin Tomorrow using Legacy Parks Foundation as a model.

Implementation of the city’s adopted Greenway and Open Space Master Plan and Streetscape and continued development of connected greenways for walking and bicycling were the top two strategies emerging during Franklin Tomorrow’s 2011 Vision Fair process.

First Farmers Bank is the Presenting Sponsor for the series, with Platinum Partner sponsorships by Windstream Communications, Ryan Search & Consulting, Alfred Benesch & Co., Williamson County Association of Realtors, and Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon. Chick-fil-A of South Franklin and Thoroughbred Square are the breakfast sponsors for 2012.

Additional sponsors for this event include Thomas Miller & Partners, Varallo Public Relations, and the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors.

Reservations are requested and may be made by following this link:

http://www.planetReg.com/E3289254651873

Dr. Monty McInturff of Tennessee Equine Hospital and president of the Board of Governors of Friends of Franklin Parks, LLC, will be the speaker March 14 on the “History of the Horse in Franklin.”

Franklin Tomorrow released the outcomes of the 2011 Vision Fair process Jan. 31 as part of its first Breakfast With the Mayors for 2012, held at Rolling Hills Community Church and presented by First Farmers Bank.

Franklin Tomorrow completed a vision process of more than a year in December. The process involved hundreds of individuals working in the nine goal areas which encompass Franklin Tomorrow's area of work — Business, Community Character, Education, Environment, Government, Growth & Development, Housing, Recreation, and Transportation.

The refocused goals and strategies to accomplish them were then taken to the public at various locations to seek their input on those which are most important to the future of Franklin.

"In an effort to reach as many people as possible, the Vision Fair went on the road, going to civic clubs, major public events, neighborhoods and office buildings to seek the input of Franklin’s citizens, which we define as those who live, work or play in Franklin." said Kathie Moore, Franklin Tomorrow Board president. "Each participant in the Vision Fair received five dots to choose the five strategies they believed to be most important to the future of Franklin."

Chosen by the approximately 1,000 people who participated in the Strategy Groups and Vision Fair as the top strategies were (in order of selection):

1. Recreation: Implement the Greenway and Open Space Master Plan and Streetscape

2. Environment: Encourage continued development of connected greenways for walking and bicycling

3. Business: Promoting a business-friendly environment

4. Transportation: Promote improved traffic signal timing, ridesharing, telecommuting, flexible work arrangements, and other transportation demand management programs

5. Housing: Support efforts to eliminate barriers to the development of affordable, workforce, senior, and special-needs housing

6. Growth & Development: Contextual design that embraces Franklin’s historic and natural characteristics

7. Education: Facilitate support for the further development of the Williamson County Center for Higher Education on the Columbia State Community College’s Franklin Campus

8. Community character: Enhance and preserve the physical character of existing neighborhoods

9. Government: Improve coordination between and among government entities, schools, private utilities and their respective staffs to discuss how to better facilitate the delivery of essential services and infrastructure

"As you can see, implementation of the city’s Greenways and Open Space Master Plan and the continuation of the Streetscape projects scored as the top strategy in two of nine categories." she said. "These same topics were addressed and finished in the top five in the categories of Business, Community Character, Growth & Development, and Transportation, showing the broad-based support by citizens for greater connectivity and alternate transportation modes."

Franklin Mayor Ken Moore and Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson had been briefed on the outcomes and made presentations on how local government views the results and will respond. The Breakfast With the Mayors will be rebroadcast on the city's FranklinTV channel.

Franklin Tomorrow is forming three project teams to further analyze the outcomes and continue to look for ways to make progress. The project teams will focus on Environment & Recreation; Business & Development; and Transportation. To become a member of a project team, contact Franklin Tomorrow Executive Director Mindy Tate.

"Through the work of the project teams in 2012, Franklin Tomorrow will work to further analyze the strategies for achieving the goals and seek ways to collaborate with other agencies and local governments to make progress," Moore said. "Franklin Tomorrow will also advocate for the strategies as part of its monitoring of local government and in an effort to force progress in key areas."

Additional sponsors for the Breakfast with the Mayors series for 2012 include Barge, Waggoner, Sumner & Cannon; Williamson County Association of Realtors; Windstream Communications; Chick-fil-A; and Ryan Search & Consulting.

The next Breakfast is set for April 17. To learn more about sponsorships, contact Franklin Tomorrow Executive Director Mindy Tate at 794-0998.

Franklin Tomorrow is a non-profit community organization which seeks to engage the community, foster collaboration and advocate for a shared vision for the future of Franklin. To learn more, visit our Website at www.franklintomorrow.org.

The outcomes of citizen participation in Franklin Tomorrow's Vision Fair process will be detailed during the Jan. 31 Breakfast With the Mayors, which is open to the public and free of charge thanks to generous sponsors such as First Farmers Bank.

The Vision Fair process was held at various locations across the city in the last few months of 2011. In preparation for the Vision Fair process, hundreds of volunteers spent more than one year to develop refocused strategies and goals in the nine areas in which Franklin Tomorrow works — Business, Community Character, Education, Environment, Government, Growth & Development, Housing, Recreation, and Transportation.

On Tuesday, Jan. 31, 7:30 a.m., Franklin Mayor Dr. Ken Moore and Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson will join Franklin Tomorrow officials in releasing the outcomes and the next steps in fulfilling Franklin Tomorrow’s vision of engaging the community, fostering collaboration and advocating for a shared vision for the future of Franklin.

The event is planned for Rolling Hills Community Church, 1810 Columbia Ave., Suite 100, Franklin, TN. Those attending should enter on the south side of the building with ample parking to the side or rear of the building.

The Jan. 31 Breakfast With the Mayors is the first of four planned for 2012, with other dates set for April 17, June 19 and Oct. 2. Topics for the remaining Breakfasts will be revealed at a later date.

Reservations are requested and may be made online by following this link: http://www.planetReg.com/E11012414118.

First Farmers Bank is the Presenting Sponsor for the series, with Platinum Partner sponsorships by Windstream Communications, Ryan Search & Consulting, Williamson County Association of Realtors, and Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon. Chick-fil-a of South Franklin and Thoroughbred Square are the breakfast sponsors for 2012.

Moore and Anderson will offer their insight into the top strategies of the Vision process and for 2012 in local government.

This is the third time the goals and strategies of Franklin Tomorrow have been revisited during its 10 years in existence as a local non-profit.

Franklin Tomorrow is a non-profit community organization that engages the community, fosters collaboration and advocates for a shared vision for the future of Franklin. Learn more at www.franklintomorrow.org.

The New Year brings change and for Franklin Tomorrow it means a change in
leadership of its Board of Directors and the addition of new Board members.

It also means a new physical address for the 10-year old non-profit, which has as
its mission to engage the community, foster collaboration and advocate for a
shared vision for the future of Franklin.

Kathie Moore of Crye-Leike Realtors has been named President of the Board of Franklin Tomorrow,
succeeding former President Dan Ryan of Ryan Search & Consulting. Also serving as officers are Miles
Mennell, Ameresco, Vice President of Visibility; Juanita Patton, First Tennessee, Vice President of
Fund Development; and Susan Minor, Battle Ground Academy, Vice President of Programming. Kelly
Dannenfelser, City of Franklin, serves as Secretary and Zane Martin, First Tennessee, as Treasurer.

Newly appointed Board of Directors members include Paula Harris, Barge Waggoner Sumner and
Cannon; Richard Herrington, Franklin Synergy Bank; Tim Murphy, Partner, Cap Trust Wealth
Management; Jim Roberts, Managing Director, Waddey & Patterson law firm; Jeff Jowdy, Principal,
Lighthouse Counsel; Robert Blair, Member, Franklin Special School District; Matt Taylor, Architect,
Studio 8 Design; and Monique McCullough, City of Franklin. Board terms are for three years.

“A New Year always offers a fresh start, but with the recent completion of the Vision Fair process and
the relocation of our offices to allow for greater day-to-day interaction with the public, this truly is a
fresh start for Franklin Tomorrow,” said Moore. “This new class of Board members joins a seasoned
group who showed a strong commitment to Franklin Tomorrow and its goals of fostering
collaboration and advocating for a shared vision for the future of Franklin.”

For many years, Franklin Tomorrow’s offices were housed at the Franklin Elementary School Annex
through the support of the Franklin Special School District. This week, Franklin Tomorrow relocated
to Suite 3, 198 E. Main St., in the Cadence Bank building. The offices also include a room which
should allow for community meetings, Moore said. The organization’s preferred mailing address
remains P.O. Box 383, Franklin, TN 37065. The phone number did not change and is (615) 794-0998.

All gifts to Franklin Tomorrow are tax-deductible. In April 2011, Franklin Tomorrow founded Friends
of Franklin Parks, LLC, which has its mission to cultivate stewardship for the city’s park system by
allowing tax-deductible donations to support improvements, enhancements and expansion of local
parks.

For more information, visit www.franklintomorrow.org.