In it’s forty sixth year, the heritage ball is the largest and longest running black tie event in williamson county. Benefiting the heritage foundation of williamson county, this signature event promotes preservation in our community and provides funding for their mission to save the places that matter. williamsonheritage.org | 615.591.8500
The Heritage Ball is the longest running black-tie affair in Williamson County. Each year, approximately 700 guests gather to support and celebrate the work of the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County and to raise funds for future preservation projects. In addition to a seated dinner and dancing, the ball features a cocktail hour and other fundraising opportunities.
This year’s Heritage Ball theme was “Discovery – discover our past, our present and our future.” The longstanding tradition of this glamorous evening in Franklin will continue with natural elegance, pairing the old and new and setting the environment for unity and togetherness. Like dinners at Monticello in Tracy Frist’s home state of Virginia, the ball had unique elements that lent a “feast of reason” to the affair, while focusing on the peoples of Tennessee. The Frists and the Heritage Foundation team worked closely with Amos Gott of AmosEvents to develop the vision and design of the historical evening. Additionally, G Catering provided the menu for the evening and McConnell Hospitality Group created the Ball’s signature cocktail, The Franklin Grove, which paid homage to heritage and the flavors of fall, and made with Old Hickory Straight Bourbon.
Some very exciting special guests of the Heritage Ball were performer Kix Brooks as the headlining act, and a surprise accompaniment by Reba McIntyre!
Estèe Lauder was the presenting sponsor of the Heritage Ball Late Party.
The Honorable and Mrs. William Harrison Frist Chairs of the 46th Annual Heritage Ball
Senator Bill Frist, M.D. is a nationally acclaimed heart and lung transplant surgeon, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader and chairman of the Executive Board of the health service private equity firm Cressey & Company. Representing Tennessee from 1994 -2006, Senator Frist now serves as an adjunct professor of Cardiac Surgery at Vanderbilt University and clinical professor of surgery at Meharry Medical College. His current board service includes the The Nature Conservancy, Nashville Health Care Council, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, Kaiser Family Foundation and Bipartisan Policy Center. In the private sector, he serves on the boards of Select Medical, Teladoc, AECOM and others.
Tracy Frist holds a master’s degrees in creative and analytical writing from Hollins University. She’s taught K-12 youth in order to study impacts of animals on children’s classroom behavior and taught undergraduate pre-service teachers at Purdue University. In addition, she is the founder, owner and operator of Sinking Creek Land and Cattle, LLC, a primarily women run agricultural operation in southwestern Virginia. Frist has been active in social and economic development in Haiti, Cuba, China and Ireland, working through the boards of The Nature Conservancy, Nashville Health Care Council, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian. She currently serves on the board of the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County.
Heritage Foundation Board:
David Garrett, PRESIDENT
Sean Carroll, SECRETARY
Pam Chandler, VP OF MEMBERSHIP & MARKETING
Josh Denton, VP OF SPONSORSHIP & DEVELOPMENT
Bryan Doleshel, VP OF DOWNTOWN FRANKLIN ASSOCIATION
Cassie Jones, VP OF FESTIVALS & EVENTS
Chris Knopf, VP OF FINANCE
Emily Magid, VP OF FRANKLIN GROVE ESTATE & GARDENS
Sondra Morris, VP OF PRESERVATION & EDUCATION
Jennifer Parker, VP OF THE FRANKLIN THEATRE
Danny Anderson
Tyler Borders
Lisa Campbell
Adam Dietrich
Donna Douglas
Stephanie Farmer
Tracy Frist
Kay Heller
David Hopkins
Ann Johnson
Jeff Ledbetter
Ellen Smith
Nancy Smith
Pinnacle Financial presenting Sponsor of Heritage Ball
Pinnacle Financial Partners were the presenting sponsors of this year’s Heritage Ball. “We were beyond thrilled to announce Pinnacle Financial Partners as the presenting sponsor for the 46th Annual Heritage Ball,” said Heritage Foundation CEO Bari Beasley. “Pinnacle has been a longtime sponsor of the Heritage Ball and generously decided to elevate their sponsorship this year by being our presenting sponsor.”
Pinnacle Financial Partners have been a supporter of the Heritage Foundation, specifically the Heritage Ball, since 2005.
“Pinnacle is committed to supporting the communities we serve,” said Vickie Manning, area manager for Pinnacle in Williamson County. “Each one is unique, and Franklin is very special in its consistent efforts to preserve its heritage. Pinnacle has four offices in Williamson County, and many of our associates call it home. That’s one of the reasons why we are so honored to play a significant role in helping the Heritage Foundation in their efforts to keep Franklin’s history alive.”
Franklin Grove Estate & Gardens
The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County has been working on the largest preservation project in the Heritage Foundation’s fifty-two-year history. Franklin Grove Estate & Gardens, the former campus of O’More College of Design in downtown Franklin, has quickly stolen the hearts of many community members, including Senator Bill and Tracy Frist. The efforts of this year’s Heritage Ball are in support of this monumental project. The five-acre campus is home to two historic mansions which Heritage Foundation plans to restore and rehabilitate. These gorgeous homes will house publicly displayed historical and art collections and Williamson, Inc’s new Center for Innovation, an idea and entrepreneurship hub. The Heritage Foundation also plans to move the Lee-Buckner schoolhouse, an endangered Rosenwald school the foundation saved from development in Spring Hill, to the property. The schoolhouse will showcase an exhibit, educating the public on local African American history and, specifically, the history of students and teachers who spent time at the school. Lee-Buckner will also be used for its original purpose, as an educational space, the new home base for the Heritage Foundation’s thirty-five-year-old Heritage Classroom program.
Last, but certainly not least, Heritage Foundation envisions several new event spaces on the property, including the breathtaking Victorian-era conservatory for receptions and dinners and a stunning carriage house, as well as beautiful and extensive gardens. The property will be open to the community and will foster unity, arts, education and preservation in the heart of Williamson county.
To date, Heritage Foundation has raised over $8 million towards the purchase of the campus and schoolhouse restoration. There are several lead donors on the project, notably Sondra Morris who made a substantial gift toward the purchase of the property. Emily Magid made a gift toward the Lee-Buckner portion of the project, and Calvin and Marilyn LeHew made a gift toward the Victorian mansion, which will be home to the Center for Innovation. Special thanks to each one of these donors for their commitment to this project. The full vision for the project is estimated to cost about $18 million. This campus will be a true asset to the Franklin and Williamson County community.
The Man Behind the Design of the 46th Annual Heritage Ball
The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County was honored to have the talented Amos Gott of AmosEvents as event designer for the 46th annual Heritage Ball. Amos is known for planning some of Nashville’s most spectacular events - from celebrity weddings to corporate celebrations to iconic galas like Swan Ball and Ballet Ball. Amos had been planning events full-time in Nashville for more than eight years when he was invited to design Swan Ball. As the president and chief event architect for AmosEvents, Gott has planned events for more than 1,000 guests and notable corporations all over the country.
“We are honored to have someone with such a wide range of expertise,” said Tracy Frist. “The combination of Amos’ talent and the strong team at the Heritage Foundation allows us to create another wonderful guest experience in a long line of many memorable balls.”
This year’s Ball was truly a site to see. Upon entry, guests were treated to a beautiful cocktail tent that led into the grand ballroom. The lighting, florals, greenery and tablescapes were breathtaking. Learn more about Amos Gott and AmosEvents at amosevents.com.
Inaugural Tracy Frist Legacy Award
On the heels of the release of the new eight-part sixteen-hour docuseries, “Country Music,” directed and produced by Ken Burns; written and produced by Dayton Duncan; and produced by Julie Dunfey, the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County awarded Dayton Duncan the 2019 Tracy Frist Legacy Award. Duncan is an award-winning writer, having authored thirteen books, and an Emmy-award-winning documentary filmmaker, having been involved with the work of Ken Burns for nearly thirty years.
CEO of the Heritage Foundation Bari Beasley said, “Tracy Frist and Senator Bill Frist would like to shine a national spotlight on Williamson County and the great history and preservation work our community supports every day. To do so, the Frists have been instrumental in creating the new Tracy Frist Legacy Award, which will honor someone at a national level right here in Franklin. The award will be given annually at the Heritage Ball. This year, I could not be more honored to have Dayton Duncan join us. His work speaks for itself, and I know our community will be proud to host him in October.”
