Massey on the Move

Monthly News and Updates from the Massey Graduate School of Business
July 2019 Edition

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Jack C. Massey College of Business Dean Announces Retirement
Featured Faculty: Professor Rush Hicks
Massey Alum Wes Payne in the News
Massey Alum Paul T. Couch in the News
Professor Jeff Cornwall Gives Talk at United Nations
Young Leaders Council Announces Graduates of Third Massey Alumni Class
Belmont Launches New Hospitality and Tourism Management Major
Dr. Jeff Overby Quoted on WalletHub Site
Mark Your Calendars: Upcoming Events
Massey Snapshot

Jack C. Massey College of Business Dean Announces Retirement

Dr. Pat Raines, Dean of Belmont University’s Jack C. Massey College of Business, recently announced his retirement after 16 years of service to a college consistently noted by national publications for its excellence and lauded locally for its students, faculty and graduates as well as its strong executive education programs.

Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns said, “For the past 16 years Belmont, and the Jack C. Massey College of Business, have benefited from the leadership, passion and commitment to excellence that has been fostered by Dean Pat Raines. We look forward to celebrating Dean Raines’ legacy of a strong curriculum, a positive community of cooperation and engagement and the enactment of our University mission to imbue our students with ‘disciplined intelligence, compassion, courage and faith.’”

A reception to honor Dean Raines will be held Tuesday, July 30 from 2-4 pm in the Massey Business Center Boardroom on Belmont’s campus. A national search is currently underway for the next Dean of the Massey College of Business.

Featured Faculty: Professor Rush Hicks

We recently caught up with Professor Rush Hicks, Chair of the Music Business Program and Associate Professor of Music Business. He shared his thoughts about the Massey experience.

Massey on the Move: Can you give a brief overview of the career path that led you to Belmont University?

Rush Hicks: My undergraduate degree in music is from Ole Miss. I also received my law degree from Mercer University in 1981. Since that time, I've practiced law in Nashville on historic Music Row representing artists, songwriters, artist managers, business managers, record companies, record producers, booking agencies and publishing companies.

I taught a few years at Middle Tennessee State University in the Recording Industry department and since 2005, I have taught in the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University. I teach such courses as Music Licensing, Artist Management, Intellectual Property and Legal Issues in the Music Industry. I'm a Board Member for the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA), legal counsel for the Church Music Publishers Association (CMPA) and am a member of the Belmont University Faculty Senate.

MOTM: What makes the music business concentration in the Massey Graduate School of Business unique?

RH: The Massey Graduate School of Business is one of the few schools that offer a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in music business. Many of the faculty have worked on Music Row or still work on Music Row and students have been very successful at finding jobs in the music industry due to the networking opportunities. Lastly, the Massey Graduate School of Business location is unique as Belmont Univeristy is located near Music Row.

MOTM: What organizations or associations would you recommend that Massey Graduate School of Business students pursuing a music business concentration consider joining in order to assist in career placement?

RH: The organizations or associations that I would recommend that Massey Graduate School of Business students consider joining are the Country Music Association (CMA), National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), Americana Music Association (AMA), Gospel Music Association (GMA) and International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA).

MOTM: What advice would you give Massey Graduate School of Business students to be successful in the music and entertainment industry?

RH: Students need to be willing to work long hours in the beginning, volunteer for organizations, have an upbeat personality, meet strangers and build relationships. Relationships are very important in the music business.

Massey Alum Wes Payne in the News

Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business alum Wes Payne has become a part of Pinnacle Financial Services serving as Senior Vice President and Financial Advisor to the Client Advisory team as featured in The Ledger.

Massey Alum Paul T. Couch in the News

Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business alum Paul T. Couch has been hired by The Franklin Theatre to serve as Interim Executive Director as featured in The Ledger.

Professor Jeff Cornwall Gives Talk at United Nations

Professor and Jack C. Massey Chair of Entrepreneurship Jeff Cornwall gave a talk at the United Nations for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day.

His talk, “How Emerging Technology for Online Education Can Foster Global Growth in Business Startups,” was broadcast on UN Web TV. Cornwall was also given the Lifetime Achievement award by the International Council for Small Business.

The event was co-organized by the Permanent Mission of Argentina to the United Nations, the International Trade Centre, the UN Department for Economic and Social Affairs and the International Council for Small Business.

Young Leaders Council Announces Graduates of Third Massey Alumni Class

Young Leaders Council, a Nashville-based nonprofit organization that has trained more than 2,600 men and women to effectively participate on the boards of nonprofit agencies since 1985, announces the graduates of its third annual nonprofit board training program partnership with the Massey Graduate School of Business at Belmont University.

The YLC/Massey Graduate School Alumni Class of 2019 graduates who have completed 28 hours of leadership training and will now serve one-year internships on local nonprofit boards are: Ted Demont (Cherry Bekaert, LLP); Dan Groover (Compass); Alexa Hartley (Nissan); Caleb Hartwell (Target); Walt Hovious (Pilot.com); Douglas Hungate (Cheatham County School District); Shatia Kelly (Cummins Sales and Services); Kyle Kilgore (Formos Consulting); Jeff Krebs (TransCore); Laura McWhorter (HCA – Physician Services Group); Justin Moore (Bridgestone); Matt Morris (Deloitte Services LP); Matt Pramstaller (Sarah Cannon Research Institute); Haley Smith (Balfour Beatty); Phillip Smith (HCA Healthcare); and Michael Vertin (TriStar Centennial Medical Center – HCA Healthcare).

Young Leaders Council has been the premier organization for training nonprofit board members in the Nashville area and was created by the Council of Community Services, the HCA Foundation and the United Way in 1985 to address the need to broaden and strengthen Nashville’s volunteer leadership base.

Belmont Launches New Hospitality and Tourism Management Major

With a record 343,000 people taking to the streets of Downtown Nashville for the Fourth of July celebrations, it is evident the city’s growth and development in the hospitality and tourism industries are not slowing down. Belmont is working to fill an all-time high demand for professionals in this area by incorporating a new Hospitality and Tourism Management major into the Jack C. Massey College of Business.

Belmont Provost Dr. Thomas Burns said the new major is good for both students and the community. “We are excited to offer our students new opportunities for innovative learning experiences through the Hospitality and Tourism Management major. We are essentially creating a pipeline of high-quality employees that will benefit the local business community, as well,” he said. “The Nashville tourism industry is booming. We want to make sure our students are prepared to take advantage of all of the opportunities right here in our backyard.”

The new major will integrate business, liberal arts and public relations courses to create a unique program and professional degree, giving students an in-depth curriculum that also tackles the legal, financial and marketing tools needed to be successful in the field.

Dr. Jeff Overby Quoted on WalletHub Site

Dr. Jeff Overby, Director of Belmont’s Center for International Business, was recently quoted in WalletHub’s "Ask the Experts" piece on the status of the American Express credit card brand.

The article can be found here.