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Business In The Spotlight: Chris Hope Foundation

3/29/2021

 
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Christopher B. Hope

516 Tennessee St #418
Memphis, TN 38103

​(800) - 807- 4673

chris@chrishopefoundation.org
Name:  Christopher B. Hope
Email:    chris@chrishopefoundation.org
Business:  Chris Hope Foundation (non-profit)
 
What is the backstory of your business?
 
When?
In 2015, the Chris Hope Foundation, a non-profit was established - dedicated to touching patients’ lives and empowering the families of those battling childhood cancer and other pediatric illnesses.
 
Why? 
I’ve always had a desire to help others. After realizing there were other needs outside of the medical aspect, I wanted to help provide both emotional and financial support to families who were facing one of the greatest fights of their lives.
 
How? 
With a dedicated group of volunteer staff and workers, we coordinate and administer resources acquired through sponsorships, donors and annual fundraising events.
 
Tell us your role in the business?
My role in the business is CEO/Founder. I can also be found working in every aspect of the business to ensure quality performance.
 
What are your biggest challenges?
One of my biggest challenges is acquiring and maintaining the necessary sponsors and donors to help fund our efforts in assisting families.    
 
What are your biggest rewards?
I am greatly rewarded when a life has been changed, a smile has been made, and a family has been helped through the aid and assistance of the CHF foundation.
 
How does your business give back to the community?
The Chris Hope Foundation has provided people with temporary housing, granted wishes for children in hospice, offered scholarships to teenage cancer survivors and organized community events advocating for pediatric cancer awareness and research.
When opportunity presents itself, CHF is always up for the challenge. The winter snowstorm 2021 caused serious issues in the Memphis area, including a water crisis.  CHF took the necessary steps to find a supply of bottled water outside of Memphis and provided it to the St. Jude Tri Delta Place housing facility, the Le Bonheur FedEx House, and Le Bonheur’s child life Delivering the bottled water created a multitude of smiles and brought joy to these individuals and facilities that provide top-notch care for children and their families.
During that same time period of inclement weather (snow, ice and freezing temperatures), two 53' UPS trailers of meal kits were stuck in Memphis and unable to be delivered to the shipper's customers across the country. The shipper decided to donate all of the meal kits locally. Being a UPS employee, they asked me to help make it happen. The CHF team jumped into action and successfully transferred 1,700 boxes packed with over 5,000 pre-packaged meals to the Mid-South Food Bank and eight other community organizations. We felt the opportunity to help was critical at a time when so many individuals and families are facing challenges brought about by the pandemic and the extreme winter situation in Memphis.
We were happy to be of service to others in our hometown!
 
Has your business received any recommendations or rewards?
In 2016, the Chris Hope Foundation was recognized among the Top Three Nonprofits in the Memphis Community by the Tri-State Defender.
 
Recently, on February 4, 2021, I was inducted into Marquis Who’s Who – a publication that  chronicles the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor.
 
I have attributed my professional success to my passion and my caring heart.
 
How has being a Chamber member helped your business?
The Chamber has helped us with our branding efforts and has been a support to the foundation by posting CHF’s information on various social media platforms. We were also spotlighted on the Philanthropic Thursday issue with information regarding our upcoming bowling event on April 24, 2021.
 
Is there anything else you would like to add about your business?
The CHF Family House opened its doors September 5, 2020. The house is free of charge to families when they don’t otherwise qualify for hospital-provided housing.
Many hands and hearts helped create the CHF Family House and we continue to maintain to ensure every family is comfortable and enjoy their home away from home.
 
As a result of the exceptional work of the CHF team, I have proudly witnessed the foundation grow from two volunteers to more than 50 active volunteers. Looking toward the future, I plan to hire full-time employees at the Chris Hope Foundation so that we can expand our services and operate on a nationwide level.

Business in the Spotlight: Edward Jones Investments, Tom Shelley

3/15/2021

 
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Thomas W Shelley

7730 Wolf River Boulevard
Suite 107
Germantown, TN 38138

​(901)- 751-1212

thomas.shelley@edwardjones.com

What is the backstory of your business?
Edward Jones was founded in 1922 and has built its business around establishing offices with one financial officer and one business office administrator. Our goal is to build relationships with our clients using our established process to help them reach their life goals.

Tell us your role in the business.
I serve as the financial advisor to our clients here in Germantown and the surrounding area.

What are the biggest challenges?
Getting the message of what we can accomplish together out to the public.

What are the biggest rewards?
We very much enjoy building relationships with our clients and partnering with them to reach their goals.

How does your business give back to the community?
Edward Jones has been a long time supporter of The Alzheimer's Association, Toys for Tots, and other local initiatives.

If your business is in Germantown, why did you choose Germantown?
Germantown is a thriving, vital part of the Mid South. We feel we can walk along side residents of the area through their entire financial journey.

How has being a Chamber member helped your business?
The Germantown Chamber has been an essential part of our effort to build credibility and trust as we strive to serve everyone we encounter. 

Is there anything else you would like to add about your business?
We are proud to be an active member of the Germantown business community and look forward to many years of success together!


Learn more about Tom Shelley and how to connect with him here:
https://www.edwardjones.com/us-en/financial-advisor/thomas-shelley

Business in the Spotlight: FordHarrison, LLC

3/8/2021

 
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​Name:  Russell Jackson – Partner, FordHarrison LLP
Email:  rjackson@fordharrison.com
Business:  FordHarrison LLP, a national labor and employment firm, representing employers.
 
What is the backstory of your business?
  • When? FordHarrison was founded in 1978 in Atlanta, Georgia.  The firm merged with a local firm and opened the Memphis office in 1997.  I joined the firm in 2016, but I have been practicing for 13 years, having worked at another labor and employment firm prior to joining FordHarrison.
  • Why?  I joined FordHarrison because of the firm’s excellent reputation for client service, as well as the quality of attorneys in the firm, specifically those in the Memphis office with whom I have the pleasure to work. We only represent businesses, and I enjoy helping those businesses in a wide array of industries by problem solving and counseling through complex issues concerning the employment relationship, as well as defending our clients against claims of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge, restrictive covenants, and wage and hour violations. 
  • How?  Our firm has offices across the country, so
    I am in a great position to help clients not only with matters locally and throughout the state, but also to call on my colleagues to help them no matter where a challenge may arise. First and foremost, I believe in being extremely responsive and providing excellent communication with my clients, which involves listening every bit as much as providing my expertise. Also, having worked in-house, I understand through personal experience how clients’ legal and HR departments operate, which helps me to effectively address their needs.
 
Tell us your role in the business.
I was recently named Managing Partner of our firm’s Memphis office, which is located in East Memphis on the Germantown border.  In my role, I assist businesses through advice on employment issues, as well as defending them at the local, state, and federal level against claims concerning the employment relationship – e.g., discrimination, harassment, retaliation, wrongful discharge, wage and hour violations, etc.
 
What are the biggest challenges?
Some of the tougher challenges are in helping clients with a national presence keep up with an ever-changing landscape of employment laws across the country. This has been a particular challenge over the past year as employers manage their businesses during COVID. Laws and restrictions to employers differ across industries, as well as states and even municipalities. Fortunately, our firm has excellent resources and a wealth of knowledge across our offices nationwide, so we’re able to help our clients deal with these kinds of issues.
 
 
What are the biggest rewards?
Personally, the biggest rewards are seeing my clients realize a particular success.  Whether that’s fighting off a lawsuit, a complaint from a government agency, or dealing with a wage and hour audit, the reward is a happy client. The relationship I have with my clients is incredibly important to me, so their success is my reward.  That being said, when I am involved in litigation against an aggressive plaintiff’s attorney or dealing with a particularly thorny issue, I very much enjoy discussing the strategy and the details and trying to win, however a win may be defined by the client. 
​  

How does your business give back to the community?
Our attorneys and staff donate their time, energy, and resources to improve the quality of life in the local communities where we live and work. In addition to public service through volunteering and fundraising for local and national charitable non-profit organizations, our lawyers also provide pro bono legal services to non-profit organizations all over the country.  We believe our lawyers have a professional responsibility to provide legal services to those of limited means, and that pro bono service is an opportunity for the professional development and growth of all lawyers.
 
FordHarrison partners and associates throughout the firm serve as national labor and employment counsel on a pro bono basis for Habitat for Humanity International and Habitat affiliates located near our firm’s offices across the country. FordHarrison has donated over 5,000 billable hours to the organization since establishing the relationship in 2007.
 
For the past three years, we have dedicated our annual holiday card to celebrate our long-term pro bono partnership with Habitat for Humanity International and allowed recipients to participate in an interactive fundraising campaign.
 
Locally, our firm’s attorneys and staff contribute resources to charitable organizations, whether that is through our annual donations to the Mid-South Food Bank, participation in charity fundraisers, or serving on the boards of non-profit organizations.
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Russel Jackson-Partner, FordHarrison LLP
If your business is in Germantown, why did you choose Germantown?
While our firm’s Memphis office is located less than a mile west of Germantown, I chose to be involved with the Germantown Chamber because of the quality of the membership, both in terms of the companies that belong to the Chamber as well as the individuals that participate on behalf of the member companies. I’m a lifelong resident of Memphis and love Germantown (including playing for the soccer team Germantown Fury).  I truly value the relationship I have with the members of the Germantown Chamber, sharing their desire to see the area thrive. This is my community, and I love being involved and contributing to its success.
 

Has your business received any recommendations or awards?
FordHarrison was recognized in the 2021 Edition of U.S. News – Best Lawyers list of “Best Law Firms.”  The firm was recognized at a national level in three practice areas, including Employment Law – Management (Tier 1), Labor Law – Management (Tier 1), and Litigation – Labor & Employment (Tier 1). The firm also received 26 “Metropolitan First-Tier Rankings” for a variety of practice areas in 12 U.S. cities, 10 “Metropolitan Second-Tier Rankings” in nine U.S. cities, and five “Metropolitan Third-Tier Rankings” in three U.S. cities. Additionally, Best Lawyers selected 57 FordHarrison attorneys for inclusion in the 2021 edition of The Best Lawyers in America.
 
Locally, the firm’s Memphis office received Tier 1 rankings for Employment Law, Labor Law and Litigation (Labor & Employment), while four of our office’s attorneys were listed by Best Lawyers in the 2021 edition of Best Lawyers in America, including one who was named Lawyer of the Year for Labor Law. Additionally, five attorneys in the firm’s Tennessee offices have been selected for inclusion on the 2020 “Mid-South Super Lawyers” list or the 2020 “Mid-South Rising Stars” list by Super Lawyers magazine.



How has being a Chamber member helped your business?
Being a member of the Chamber has helped our firm stay in touch with businesses through the area, and help them by providing content that informs them on some of the most recent developments impacting their businesses and the relationship with their employees.  In doing so, several members of the Chamber have retained our firm for work, so the relationship has been incredibly beneficial for our firm and the clients with whom we have connected through the Chamber.  Aside from the direct impact, however, being a member of the Chamber keeps us all connected to a community that we are invested in and want to see succeed. 
 

Is there anything else you would like to add about your business?
The relationship we have with our clients is the most valuable thing to our firm and to our individual attorneys. Many of our friends and former colleagues are working at companies in the area, so we are invested in those relationships, and the level of client service we provide reflects the value that we place on those relationships. Being part of the Germantown Chamber is an extension of the commitment to service and pride we have in the city as well as to our firm.  


​FordHarrison is holding a webinar next Thursday, March 18th at Noon to explain what to expect in the new year in Employment Law as the Biden administration takes office. Please tune in to make sure you're business is on top of all the changes.
​ 
New Year, New Administration:
What To Expect in Employment Law As The Biden Administration Takes Office
Register here

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2195 S Germantown Rd, Germantown, TN 38138
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  • Home
  • FIND A BUSINESS
  • WHO WE ARE
    • Our Team
    • Board of Directors
    • Ambassador Council
    • Contact
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Back 2 Business Videos
    • Business of the Year
    • Chamber Perks
    • Connect Germantown Podcast
    • Germantown Magazine
    • Medical Guide
    • Member Login
    • Member Media
    • Social Media Spotlight
  • Membership Application
  • Events
    • Chamber Calendar
    • Community Calendar
    • Bluebird Nature Fest & Crawfish Boil
    • Business After Hours
    • Business of the Year Award Luncheon
    • First Fridays
    • GACC Golf Classic
    • General Membership Luncheons
    • Lunch 4 You
    • Night Rider
    • Ribbon Cuttings
    • Skills 4 Success
    • Taste of the Town
  • Job Bank
  • Visit Germantown
  • Economic Development Partnership
  • Community Links
    • City of Germantown
    • Germantown Charity Horse Show
    • Germantown Festival
    • Leadership Germantown
  • Blog