Anne Goetze has been an artist and photographer for most of her life in some form or fashion. When Anne moved to Nashville from Memphis in 1982, she worked as an assistant to a master portrait photographer and a photographic retouch artist, while also involved in the music business, doing album covers and publicity pictures. “This is back when it was all by hand...no photoshop.” The most fulfilling bodies of work she has done are the Nun Series. Pray To Love is about the women of the Contemplatives, and the Beloved Country is a series where she documented the people and painted the farms that highway 840 was going through. Twenty years ago, Anne started the first art shows and opened the first gallery with Lisa Fox and Butler Steltemeier–Leipers Creek Gallery, in Leiper’s Fork.

Anne has lived in Williamson County since the early ‘90s. “Before moving here, I would drive from Nashville every day, so my son could go attend a small school back then, called Willow Hall.” Anne’s list of beloved places in Williamson County is long, and most of it is not a tangible thing she says, “Like a pastoral scene or a sunset diffused with the Tennessee haze. But what always resonates in my heart is the feeling of home I have found here. Art has a role in society and culture. It brings awareness to our surroundings and has the capacity to reflect the beauty of Creation, something all souls need in life. As an artist, the fabric of this community is woven into my daily life by the rural landscape and way of life of its people.”  

Since being here, Anne has felt a call to document life here through photography, painting and film. What started as a passion slowly became a mission as land loss escalated and overdevelopment now threatens. “I use the work to help in conservation and preservation efforts for the land; I am an activist for sustainability - for any community to thrive, it must be taken care of to be sustainable for the whole and for our next generation.”

What compels Anne to move forward is “to keep hope in my viewfinder and my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. To recognize that I will never fully arrive as I am only blessed to be given another opportunity. To do better is to keep trying.” Anne’s work can be found at The Copper Fox Gallery.

Detective Samantha Brooks has served at the Franklin Police Department since 2004. Originally from Memphis, she moved to Franklin seventeen years ago to escape the big city life for a small town. “Law enforcement has traditionally not been a desired career for females, and this challenge inspired me to overcome the odds and choose the law enforcement path. I have always had the mindset to prove people wrong and strive for what might be considered unconventional to most.” 

As a police officer, Samantha’s job is to connect with the community she serves and create a safe place for citizens. “Patrolling the neighborhoods and now serving as a detective, allows me to connect with members of the community and create life-long friendships. I will always cherish the people I have met and continue to meet in this community.”

Samantha tells how she first fell in love with Williamson County’s tight-knit community, family values and small-town feel. “I have seen neighbors show up for one another in times of need and citizens express selfless love and support for its first responders. I feel so lucky to work and serve in a caring, vibrant and patriotic county.” 

However, Samantha’s greatest accomplishment is being a respected person and officer in the community she serves. “I have always valued building trusting connections with citizens so they can feel comfortable enough to come talk to me about anything,” she says.  “A lady can be defined in many ways, but to me, a lady is a role model, has a strong work ethic, and she is fierce, caring, loving, responsible, supportive and giving. Your life is only as rewarding as the effort you put toward it,” Samantha says.   

She leaves us with the wise advice: “Always be yourself, and don’t be afraid to show love and compassion to all.”

Maneet Chauhan is an award-winning tv personality, chef, author, restaurateur and founding partner and president of Morph Hospitality Group. Maneet came to the United States in 1998 to study at the Culinary Institute of America. In 2014, she moved to Williamson County and founded Morph Hospitality Group with her husband, Vivek Deora, who serves as CEO. They opened Chauhan Ale & Masala House the same year, followed by Tansuo, The Mockingbird and Chaatable. “I’ve always had a love for cooking and eating, and food is the best language spoken around the world,” she says. Maneet is proud that her businesses not only provide delicious food and drinks, as well as unique dining experiences but that they add diversity and global foods to Nashville’s culinary landscape. This makes the community more diverse and richer. “We’re also committed to giving back. During the pandemic, we made sure that workers in the hospitality industry were fed and taken care of and continue to do so through our nonprofit, Hospitality Strong and Sunday Supper by Franklin Food & Wine, which benefits OneGenAway,” she says. 

Maneet and Vivek have a daughter, Shagun, and a son, Karma. “We do our best to teach our kids about their Indian culture while fully adopting American culture into their lives as well.” They spend Sunday nights cooking traditional Indian dishes as a

 family to celebrate their culture but also love to go out for pizza and ice cream. When asked the advice she would give her younger self, Maneet responded: “To not be too upset by failures. Failures are your biggest teaching tools. You learn more from your failures than your successes, so embrace those failures and don’t let them set you back.”

Doris McMillan is the Director of Admissions and Enrollment Management at New Hope Academy. She has been with New Hope Academy for fourteen years, starting as their Afterschool Program Director for twelve years before accepting the position she is in now. She admits, “an undeniable fate brought me into the world of children and their families.” Doris believes that she is a conduit of hope and an advocate, understanding education’s role in communities. Being able to serve by way of learning grants her a position to advance the next generation and promote the success of family, faith and fellowship. 

Doris has lived in Williamson County for thirty years and has loved every moment! She has been married for thirty-five years and is the mother of three wonderful daughters and a grandmother to three granddaughters and one grandson. Her family is the motivation that has given her new life and respect for the legacy she leaves behind. When asked what her greatest accomplishment is, she declares: “The most accomplished elements of my work with children and their families is the ability to love unconditionally and improve lives. Not to mention my love of sewing and the given occasions to dress some special individuals.” In Doris’s eyes, what makes living in Williamson County special are the people that live here. She says that “there is a genuine regard for celebrating and supporting each other. Whether it’s a church event, school function or the various fundraisers that exist to support the philanthropic efforts of the Williamson County community, its citizens prove to be devoted and committed.” With Doris being involved in the community, she has a great definition of what a lady should be. Doris says, “A lady of distinction has the ability to love others, act appropriately, exhibit gracious living and choose an encouraging lifestyle. A true lady is not fearful of the assessment another may have of her but rather seeks to engage in her growth to produce the surety of wisdom. She is slow to speak but eager to listen. She uses her time and talents to advance herself and others who walk the journey with her.” 

Yvette Meldrum is an attorney and the owner of
Mid-State Title & Escrow, Inc. Yvette started her career at the company by answering phones and has now been with them for thirty years! After eventually buying the company, she knew that Mid-State Title & Escrow, Inc.’s focus would be for every day to be a chance to change someone else’s life.  She finds inspiration to work harder and be better by accepting herself and cultivating true connections with others; she notes “it is still an everyday process.”

Yvette has resided in Williamson County since 1991 – thirty-two years! She is married with three children, and her greatest accomplishment is hearing her children say they are proud of her – heart gush! Yvette’s favorite part of living here is: “All the pieces of the fabric that is our community; some of the pieces are brand new, and others have been here for generations.” When asked what makes Williamson County special, she says, “there are so many different people and backgrounds but always a community of gratitude - of being right here, right now and knowing that we are a part of what we collectively know is special and wanting to preserve, protect and grow it for future generations.” 

Yvette says, “To be a lady of distinction is to be caring, knowing that everyone has a story and wants to be understood and that takes listening, truly listening with a heart, so they feel heard.” The advice Yvette would tell her younger self is not to be afraid to reevaluate. “As life changes us with new experiences – either failures or successes – reevaluate your behaviors and habits to check in if they are serving your greater purpose. Let go of fear.”

Stacy Case has been in broadcast news for thirty-one years with a front row seat to history that has taken her all over the country and the world. Before joining Fox 17 News, Stacy worked as a national TV news correspondent with CBS Network News in New York, servicing CBS Newspath, CBS Morning News, CBS Early Show, CBS Weekend Edition and CBS Up to the Minute. Her career has included main news anchor positions in Nashville, Cincinnati, Ohio, Champaign, Illinois and Greenville, Mississippi. She also owned a television production company, Stacy Case & Company, hosting and producing shows on HGTV, Fine Living Network and DIY Network. Stacy got into journalism to be a voice for those who routinely go unheard, to effect change, right wrongs, shine a light on wrongdoing and help find solutions for people who have, in many cases, lost hope.  

“My role in the community is to give back and to help where I’m needed. Whether volunteering as classroom mom or Girl Scout leader or Sunday School teacher or whatever the need….  I’ve been humbled to jump in feet first and try to help bring hope and lighten the load for someone else.” She also holds the role of wife to her husband of thirty years, Chris, and mother to  children, Grace and Heath. In 2006, they hand-picked Williamson County as the place to raise their children. “Once here in Williamson County, we knew we were home,” she says. 

When asked what a lady of distinction is, Stacy claims, “a lady is humble and transparent. She is the same no matter where she is or who she’s with. She’s genuine. She’s joy-filled. She’s a good listener who carries herself with dignity. She speaks highly of other ladies; she pulls as she climbs in business; she shares a smile easily and brings others into the fold. She laughs a lot, but not at anyone. She’s firm but not brash. She’s confident but not cocky. She’s poised yet vulnerable because she’s real.”

As of January of this year, Dr. Heather Rupe is the new Chief of Staff at Williamson Medical Center. Before joining Williamson Medical as Vice Chief of Staff for eight years, she has been an OB/GYN at the Women’s Group of Franklin for seventeen years. Despite her extensive career history, Heather says, “when I went to medical school, there were two things I said I would never do, OB and pediatrics.” However, during her training, she fell in love with OB/GYN. “I love taking care of women in all stages of their life and being able to implement preventative medicine in my practice. Being a part of the miracle of birth on a daily basis is the best job in the world.” Heather wants Williamson Medical Center to be the best and safest place to give birth. “As part of the leadership team and obstetrics department, we are always looking for ways to improve the quality of care at our hospital.” Recent projects have included making skin-to-skin and delayed cord clamping standards for all deliveries (including c-sections). They have also instituted low intervention protocol for low-risk births but, at the same time, are always prepared for emergency situations when they occur. 

In her free time, Heather is very active and enjoys running, hiking and CrossFit. She notes, “maybe ‘enjoy’ is a strong word for CrossFit, but I do it regardless.” In fact, a personal accomplishment of her’s is qualifying and running in the Boston Marathon. Heather finds inspiration from her husband of twenty-five years, two sons and, of course, her patients. “It is such an honor to be entrusted with the care of women in all stages of their life, from childbirth to menopause.” Heather’s words of wisdom are ones to note: “Always focus on gratitude and optimism. Not everyone will like you, and that is okay. Stick with your strengths and outsource the rest. You do not have to be a perfect mom. I fretted a lot about how much my job took me away from my kids when they were little. I missed a lot of bedtime stories working late delivering babies. I wish I could go back and tell myself as a toddler mom that I was doing a good job and that my kids were going to grow up to be great boys who know that they are loved and supported. My boys are crazy proud of me, which means the world to me.”

Vicki McNamara has lived, worked and served in Williamson County for the past thirty-five years. After a successful career in sales and management with Pfizer, many years of volunteering, and the birth of her daughter, she is now co-chairing with Caroline Bryan for the “More for you, Close to Home” capital campaign for Williamson Medical Center. Vicki has volunteered with the Williamson Medical Center Foundation for almost five years and served on the Foundation Board for three years. Vicki is the Vice-Chairman of the Foundation Board and Champion of the Physicians Leadership Council, an elite group of doctors who give of their time, talents and resources to support Williamson Medical Center. Vicki brings communication and organizational skills to the Foundation in various projects and finds it rewarding to support the mission of their wonderful community hospital in this important campaign.  

Vicki’s greatest accomplishment has been to be a wife and mother. She and her husband, Michael, were married in the old First Baptist Church in downtown Franklin thirty years ago.

Vicki is a committed Christian and loves working with the children in bible study and vacation bible school at her church. She also enjoys working and maintaining her farms in Kentucky and Primm Springs, “I even have a pet cow!” she says. She considers herself a Proverbs 31 woman of strength, dignity and integrity. “If I make a commitment, I do it 100%. My life verse is Matthew 5:16: ‘Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Vicki would tell her younger self, “Be who you are. Say what you feel. Those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind, in the words of Dr. Seuss.”

Founded in 2017 by Realtor Lisa Culp Taylor, the Lisa Culp Taylor Team (LCT), an affiliate of Parks Realty, has decades of cumulative experience in Williamson County and throughout the middle Tennessee area with agents holding a license from one to twenty-eight years. The ladies that represent the LCT Team represent all phases of life, including newlyweds, parents of small children or teenagers, blended families and empty nesters.  

“In our opinion, Williamson County is the greatest place on earth to live! So, it isn’t surprising to see Franklin and surrounding communities make all the lists locally and nationally for the best places to visit, live, work, go to school and retire! Our schools, medical community, restaurants, music scene and area attractions, historic and new, all weave together to make Williamson County special. But it is the people who make our community extra-ordinary – from natives to newcomers!”

The LCT Team is honored to play a key role in helping people with one of the largest undertakings in life – selling or buying a home. “This can be a very stressful time, especially in an active market like ours. We all feel this calling and passion to help our clients find new homes in our community, to support and assist home builders working daily to meet the home demand and helping people new to our area make the transition with an understanding and appreciation of our southern hospitality,” says Lisa. In fact, the LCT Team is excited to be the top team for middle Tennessee’s #1 brokerage, Parks Realty, with Lisa Culp Taylor topping various lists for Favorite Realtor. Ultimately, the LCT Team considers themselves ambassadors for the community, many times a first new friend, and this is something “we never take for granted.” When asked what a lady embodies, the LCT Team responded: “ She is confident, kind, independent, classy, charitable, nurturing, and compassionate while carrying themselves with dignity, grace and impeccable character!”

The National Charity League, Inc. (NCL), Greater Nashville Chapter, is a group of mothers and daughters who have come together to commit to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences. The chapter aims to foster the mother-daughter relationship by serving its communities through hands-on volunteerism. “Helping others and learning about leadership inside the National Charity League has been an incredible experience. It has taught me so much about growing different relationships in my life and given me fun opportunities to serve my community with my best friends,” said Maddie Grieco, Ravenwood High School. 

The Class of 2022, comprised of sixteen young ladies, has volunteered two hundred and fifty-eight hours over their two years as members. In addition, they have contributed over three hundred and five league hours to the organization, all during pandemic years. The Greater Nashville Chapter members volunteer for eight local philanthropies, serving as a valuable resource for the area. This volunteer work includes a wide range of experiences, from working with foster children, assisting the elderly, or working with community members with special needs. “I love NCL because it is a great way to meet new people from different schools and spend extra time with my mom, doing what we love,” said Lana Gruver, Ravenwood High School. The NCL experience inspires and empowers women to succeed as confident, well-rounded and socially aware contributors to society.

Congratulations to our youngest Ladies of Distinction- the National Charity League, Inc. Class of 2022: Elizabeth Britt, Elizabeth Craig, Olivia Craig, Chloe Glover, Ella Glover, Avery Greene, Kaitlyn Grieco, Madeline Grieco, Lane Gruver, Sophie Hibsch, Megan Hill, Saba Kent, Ellie Kimpel, Kyley McClung, Caroline Thacker and Zoe Thurston.