Andrews Institute student selected as finalist in first Business for Good contest
Janel Shoun-Smith |
Jane Andrews, executive director of Davidson County’s CASA Inc. (Court Appointed Special Advocates) and a 2012-13 master’s candidate of Lipscomb University’s Nelson and Sue Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership (ICL), has been selected as one of 10 finalists in the first Nashville’s Social Enterprise Alliance (NSEA) Business for Good Competition.
Andrews, who is also the winner of the 2012 Center for Nonprofit Management (CNM) scholarship to the Master’s in Civic Leadership program at the institute, submitted to the NSEA competition her ICL capstone project to expand the training format she uses for CASA volunteers to other professionals who work with child victims of abuse.
CNM President Lewis Lavine described Andrews as, “a dynamic member of Nashville’s nonprofit community. The work she is pursuing through the Andrews Institute is a prime example of the value we see in connecting nonprofit leaders with this program.”
As a member of the 2012-2013 ICL master’s cohort, Andrews (who is no relation to the Nelson Andrews family) is focusing on expanding the trainings CASA already does for its volunteers to apply to other professionals who work with child victims. Her research has shown a need for professionals such as attorneys, legal guardians, case managers and case investigators to have more training in working with such children.
“I envision piloting the program with attorneys and guardians ad litem and offering a specialized training eligible for continuing education credits,” said Andrews. “We would charge a fee, so the program could generate income for our agency, and in the future we could expand it to other professionals as well. So ultimately the entire population of professionals dealing with child victims of abuse can be better trained and more effective at their jobs.”
“The Andrews Institute and our city are strengthened by students like Jane, who use their time with us to study collaborative leadership and bring to life innovative approaches to community need,” said Linda Peek Schacht, executive director of the Nelson and Sue Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership.
The NSEA Business for Good Competition is designed to ignite the next generation of social entrepreneurship in the city of Nashville by offering a venue to pitch novel ideas to solve various social problems to an audience of Nashville’s most successful entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs and faculty.
Andrews, along with nine other finalist teams, will be awarded a spot in the Entrepreneur Center’s Pre-Accelerator program, providing a mentor/coach to assist her with development of her business model pitch over four weeks, as well as a one-year individual membership to the NSEA.
The field will be winnowed to six-to-eight teams selected to make their pitches on March 14. The top three teams receive cash grants, a place in the Entrepreneur Center’s Accelerator Program and an Entrepreneur Center membership. The top winner also receives services from CoLab Nashville, Proof Branding and Baker Donelson Emerging Companies.
Since 2005, Andrewshas been the executive director of CASA, an organization focused on recruiting and training community volunteers to serve as advocates in juvenile court for the best interests of child victims and abuse and neglect. Before CASA, Andrews served as the chief executive officer of the Nashville Rehabilitation Hospital.
Andrews is also an active member of the Center for Nonprofit Management and is involved in a range of activities with the center and its Association of Nonprofit Professionals (ANE) Council.
Andrews is a graduate of the 2005 Leadership Nashville class and has been appointed to several state boards and committees including the Tennessee Community Services Agency Board and the Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Council. She was also appointed by the mayort to the Tornado Recovery Board and the Tourism and Convention Commission.
In fall 2012, the Nelson and Sue Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership and the Center for Nonprofit Management selected her as the third recipient of a designated scholarship to the ICL for CNM members. The annual CNM scholarship is designated for students in the ICL’s master’s in civic leadership program, a 30-hour program that can be completed in 12 to 15 months.
About the Nelson and Sue Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership
Founded in October 2010 to build on the legacy of Nashville leader Nelson Andrews, the Nelson and Sue Andrews Institute for Civic Leadership engages emerging and current leaders in programs to create thriving communities. The institute promotes and showcases government, business and not-for-profit leaders working together for the common good. Its programs provide for the study and practice of this collaborative civic leadership model and are based on the belief that civic leaders can be developed to intentionally create great communities. civicleadership.lipscomb.edu
About the Center for Nonprofit Management
CNM, established in 1986 by the United Way of Metropolitan Nashville and The Frist Foundation, provides training, consulting, research, evaluation and recognition to more than 750 nonprofit agencies. It provides these services with a staff of seven employees, 20 consultants, 50 specialized instructors and an annual budget of $1.6 million. For more information on the center visit www.cnm.org.
About the Nashville Social Enterprise Alliance
The Nashville Social Enterprise Alliance is the local chapter of the Social Enterprise Alliance, the leading membership organization in North America for enterprising nonprofits, social purpose businesses and educators who come together to promote financially sustainable social innovation through networking opportunities, educational forums, strategic partnerships and impact legislation.