By Louie Graves
News-Leader staff
The new president of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, Jennifer Revels, will be the 12th woman — and the 81st citizen — to lead the chamber dating back to its beginning 105 years ago.
She will officially succeed realtor Kristin Stavely at the chamber’s annual community awards banquet next month.
Newly elected chamber board of directors members include Stephanie Harrison, JW Manufacturing; Jim Pinson, Southwest Arkansas Radio; Annah Morris, H&R Block; and William Lockhart, State Farm Insurance.
Revels is a 22-year veteran with Pafford Ambulance. She is a 1995 graduate of Nashville High School and, in addition to her chamber of commerce service, has a multi-level connection with the community and her profession. Her husband is Gary Revels, Children’s Director with First Baptist Church.
In her work she says she works closely with the county judge and is extremely attentive to public safety. She is on Pafford’s executive team and she also teaches CPR classes.
Through the chamber she wants to help local businesses “inside and out,” meaning she hopes to help the business community with more customers, and also help the business itself become more efficient.
The nation’s 250th birthday brings opportunity to the community. She is very excited about this summer’s Stand Up for America celebration for July 4th. The headliner entertainer is secret for a few more days, but Revels says she’s very excited.
At the banquet, new and current board members will be recognized and community awards will be presented. The banquet is set for Monday, Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. in the Nashville High School cafetorium.
The all-male tradition of chamber presidents was ended in 1997 with the election of Deb Kinkade.
Although the chamber was organized here in 1921, there were apparently some years in which it was inactive. Photos of past presidents line a wall in the back room of the chamber’s office on Main Street. Several citizens have served more than one term as president.
Presidents and their years include:
1921-24 Bert Johnson
1925-30 George E. Bell
1931 Bert Johnson
1938-39 Glen Wallace
1940-41 Rex Ramsay
1942 Cecil Callaham
1944 Forest Wilson
1945 R.M. Stuart
1946 Bob McClure
1947 Boyd Tackett, H.A. Firmin
1948 Nathan Coulter
1949 Dave Ryan
1950 Hearn Latimer
1953 Frank Elder
1954 Louis “Swampy” Graves
1955 Judge Bobby Steel
1956 Ralph Wilson
1957 Jack Rorex
1960 Jay Toland
1961 Deward Sharp
1962 Lester Stueart
1963 Neely Cassady
1964 Don Coulter
1965 Bernie Kreul
1966 David Pile
1967 Edgar McCrary
1968 Pat Honeycutt
1969 Al Backus
1970 Ralph Wilson
1971 Ronny Blakely
1972 James Chandler
1973 Dale Hamilton
1974 Edwin Dale
1975 Bruce Anthony
1976 Joe Branch
1977 Pete Gathright
1978 David Boden, Roy Reaves
1979 David Pile
1980 Kenneth Wilson
1981 Louie Graves
1982 Price Kreul
1983 Rick Castleberry
1984 Herschell Teague
1985 Mike Reese
1986 Mike Reese
1987 Larry Teague
1988 Dennis McBride
1989 Wendell Hoover
1990 Jerry Jacobs
1991 Sammie Cox
1992 Don Cooley
1993 Greg Tate
1994 Mike Kinkade
1995 Rob Hainen
1996 Donnie Parrish
1997 Deb Kinkade
1998 Roger Cox
1999 Roger Cox, Deb Kinkade
2000 Price Kreul
2001 Sheila Kreul
2002 Floyd Clark, Jr.
2003 Don White, Sr.
2004 Tina Chism
2005 Ronny Woods
2006 Earl Sanders
2007 Cary Lott
2008 Charlie Peek
2009 John Gray
2010 Rusty Hagler
2011 Dena Tollett
2012 Tim Pinkerton
2013 Wendy Haddan
2014 Mary Woodruff
2015 Ouida Terrell
2016 Noelle Couch
2017 Will Martin
2018 Bill Craig
2019 Tammy Gibson
2020 Loren Hinton
2021 Mark Dale
2022 Carlos Martinez
2023 Michelle Boone
2024 Aaron Tollett
2025 Kristin Stavely
2026 Jennifer Revels
