The Douglas Henry State Museum Commission re-elects Chairman Smith and Vice Chair De Friece at April meeting
Nashville — April 19, 2017 — The Tennessee State Museum announced today the re-election of officers to the Douglas Henry State Museum Commission at the commission’s quarterly meeting held Monday, April 10, 2017. Nashville real estate investor and developer Tom Smith, Chairman of Smith/Hallemann Partners, was re-elected as Chair of the 15-member Commission whose primary purpose is to oversee the operations of the State Museum. Nancy Baker De Friece, a Bristol native, was also re-elected as Vice Chair and is also the current chair of the By-Laws Operating Policy Committee.
In addition to serving as the new Commission Chair, Smith also serves on the Governor’s New Museum Task Force, which is involved with the development of a new $160 million State Museum facility to be located in downtown Nashville’s Bicentennial Mall. Smith was appointed to the Commission by Governor Haslam in 2012. He has previously served as the chair of the Commission’s Audit Committee and the Search Committee.
Smith is active in real estate and private company investments in Nashville and Cincinnati, Ohio. He also serves on the Investment Committee of Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville.
De Friece is the president of Landmark Realty, Inc., a company she founded as sole proprietor in 1977. She also serves as a managing partner of Sikorski-De Friece Properties. As a successful businesswoman and longtime patron of the arts, De Friece has lent her expertise to several nonprofit organizations. A former chairman of the Tennessee Arts Commission, she has also served on the boards of the Bristol School of Ballet and the Appalachian Girl Scout Council. She was a charter member of the Hands On! Regional Museum and served on the museum’s Business Council.
Thomas S. Smith of Nashville will continue to serve as the chairman of the Commission and Nancy De Friece, Bristol, as the vice chair. Other members of the Commission include: Harbert Alexander Sr., Jackson; Victor H. Ashe, Knoxville; Pete Claussen, Knoxville; Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell, Nashville; Walter G. Knestrick, Nashville; Deputy House Speaker Steve McDaniel, Parkers Crossroads; Deanie Parker, Memphis; Representative Charles Sargent, Franklin; Laura Travis, Dayton; Senator Bo Watson, Hixson, and Eleanor Yoakum, Tazewell. Ashley Howell, Executive Director of the Tennessee State Museum and Tennessee Historical Society President Robert N. Buchanan III serve on the Commission as Ex-Officio members.
The public can now find out more information about upcoming Commission meetings, Committee meetings and agendas, as well as the background of Commission members, at the Tennessee State Museum website at: www.tnmuseum.org/commission.