John Lowry inducted into Williamson County Business Hall of Fame
Kim Chaudoin | 615.966.6494 |
John Lowry, vice president for development and external affairs, has been honored by the Nashville Business Journal for his impact on the business community in Tennessee’s Williamson County, located south of Nashville. Lowry is also executive director of Spark, Lipscomb’s technology-rich, off-campus learning and community/corporate meeting location in Williamson County.
The Nashville Business Journal recently recognized Lowry’s leadership in that area by naming him one of the 2016 Williamson County Impact Award recipients. He was also inducted into the Impact Awards Hall of Fame for winning the award for three consecutive years.
“This award is a reflection of Lipscomb University’s strategy to go in and serve Williamson County in a creative and compelling way that’s responsive to the needs of the business community,” said Lowry.
“It’s an honor that in just a few short years, Lipscomb University’s presence in the Williamson County community is being recognized for making an impact. From the very beginning we wanted to become Williamson County’s university. This recognition is an indicator that what Lipscomb University is doing in Williamson County through Spark is equipping people to go into the world and make a difference.”
Lowry was one of 32 winners. The Nashville Business Journal solicited nominations from the community and looked at winners from past years, according to Alison Nash, NBJ associate editor.
“These honorees rose to the top of that voting process as the leaders, business owners and community supporters making the biggest impact on Williamson County,” said Nash in a statement.
Included in the 2016 award winners were Lipscomb alumni Ellie Westman Chin, president of Visit Fanklin/Williamson County Convention and Visitors Bureau; Dave Crouch, president of Aspen Grove Asset Management; Paula Harris, CMO of Barge Waggoner Sumner & Cannon; Tom Lawrence, partner at Franklin Radio Associates, Inc.; and Glenn McGehee, owner of SouthStar; and Mark Cleveland, CEO of Hobby Express, who is a student enrolled in the College of Professional Studies’ adult degree program.
Others on the list include Rogers Anderson, mayor of Williamson County, Tennessee; Dick Gygi, founder and executive director, Thrfitsmart; Mike Looney, superintendent of Williamson County Schools; Greg Sandfort, president and CEO of Tractor Supply Company; Darrell Waltrip, founder, Darrell Waltrip Automotive; and Donald Webb, CEO of Williamson Medical Center.
As vice president for development and external affairs, Lowry manages Lipscomb University’s fundraising activity as well as community involvement. Lowry has a Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law, a bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University and a master’s degree from Abilene Christian University. He also has completed graduate work in dispute resolution at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University School of Law and in public policy at California State University, Sacramento.
Lipscomb’s Spark facility in Franklin’s Cool Springs area is a 6,400-square-foot space that opened in fall 2012. Since the Cool Springs location opened, 19,732 people, including 487 graduate students, and 150 organizations, including school boards, chambers of commerce, corporations and nonprofit organizations among others, have used the Spark facility. Nearly 850 meetings have been held there during that time as well. In addition, dozens of companies have used the Cool Springs facility as a resource for customized leadership training.
This spring, university officials announced plans for a downtown facility located at the corner of 4th and Commerce as it recently signed a 12-year lease to occupy 20,100-square-feet of ground floor space in the building. A variety of academic programming and leadership development resources are planned for the site as well as a Spark: Lipscomb’s Idea Center, which will be similar to the Spark facility located in the Cool Springs area of Franklin. It is expected to open in January 2017.