DEB FAULKNER AND MELANIE DAVENPORT NAMED TO YHTP BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The chief of the Franklin Police Department and bank executive will aid in the organization’s mission to empower those victimized by crime through education, advocacy and understanding.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – You Have the Power…Know How to Use It, Inc. (YHTP) welcomes Deb Faulkner, chief of the Franklin Police Department, and Melanie Davenport, bank executive, to its board of directors and as partners in the agency’s mission of crime victims’ support and advocacy.
“The mission of YHTP is one I have believed in and supported for a long time,” Faulkner said. “The training that is provided and crime victim support is amazing. It is an honor to serve on this board.”
Faulkner presides over the ninth-largest police department in the state of Tennessee with one of its lowest crime rates per capita. As such, she provides valuable insight into the needs of crime victims and the resources available to them. She can also help YHTP respond to new strategies adopted by both criminals and law enforcement.
Faulkner joined the Franklin Police Department following 30 years of service to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, retiring at the rank of Deputy Chief. She also served as Tennessee’s first inspector general, appointed to oversee investigations into TennCare fraud.
Davenport joins the board of directors as part of a one-year internship with the Young Leaders Council (YLC), a program founded by the Council of Community Services, in conjunction with the Frist Foundation and the United Way. Developed to broaden and strengthen Nashville’s volunteer leadership base, the YLC is Middle Tennessee’s premier organization for training nonprofit board members.
“I serve on the YHTP board because I want to support and contribute to an organization that empowers individuals while also supporting the health and safety of our community as a whole,” Davenport said.
YLC interns come from a broad range of corporate, civic and volunteer backgrounds. As an example, Davenport is a client service specialist within the Trust & Estate Administration division of the Nashville branch of the Equitable Trust Company.
While Davenport is a non-voting member of the board, she will be available to serve as a member of the working board committee and assist with special projects as the board’s executive committee sees fit.
YHTP’s board of directors accepted Faulkner’s and Davenport’s nominations at its virtual May meeting. Also at this meeting, the board unanimously ratified the appointment of Judy Bayer as its first lifetime member. The board honored Bayer for her longtime service to You Have the Power as a founding member of the agency. Since YHTP’s establishment, Bayer has consistently served on its board, including terms in every executive committee position and a brief period as interim CEO.
The current board of directors roster is as follows:
- Victor Wynn, assistant to the pastor and minister of worship at the Temple Church, president
- Patsy Bruce, CEO of Songbird Tours, past president
- Kim Hatley, vice-president of the internal audit department at HCA, secretary
- Nancy Benskin, senior vice president and financial advisor at Pinnacle Financial Partners, treasurer
- Andrea Conte, former first lady of Tennessee, board chair
- Judy Bobo Bayer, community volunteer, lifetime board member
- Jeff Bradford, president of the Bradford Dalton Group, board member
- Melanie Davenport, client service specialist, trust & estate administration, Equitable Trust Company, board member
- John Drake, deputy chief, Metro Nashville Police Department, board member
- Deb Faulkner, chief, Franklin Police Department, board member
- Rashed Fakhruddin, president of the Islamic Center of Nashville, board member
- Natasha Metcalf, vice-president, Partnership Contracts Counsel, CoreCivic, board member
- Sara Morgan, attorney at Bass, Berry, and Sims, board member
- Gerald Nicely, community volunteer, board member
- Todd Rolapp, attorney at Bass, Berry, and Sims, board member
- John Seigenthaler, partner at DVL Seigenthaler FINN Partners, board member
- Jerome Terrell, director of Cheatham County Economic and Community Development, board member
- Dr. Leslie Wisner-Lynch, consultant, board member
Founded in 1993 by former First Lady of Tennessee Andrea Conte, You Have the Power began by bringing together those whose lives had been touched by violent crime to address these crimes and their consequences, focused on information and prevention. It produces documentaries and resource guides on contemporary issues on crime prevention, such as child sexual abuse and human trafficking; presents community safety training sessions for caregivers, educators and the public; and administers a victim impact curriculum for offenders/parolees under the oversight of the Tennessee Department of Correction.
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