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Lee Rucks Named New President, Leadership Middle Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 28, 2016) – Leadership Middle Tennessee, Inc., the regional leadership organization that encompasses a 10-county collective of community leaders in Middle Tennessee, is pleased to announce that Mrs. Lee Rucks accepted the role as president effective April 18, 2016. Rucks is a Sumner County resident and graduate of North Georgia College. She is also a graduate of two leadership programs: Leadership Anderson (South Carolina) and Leadership Sumner.  Rucks has a strong work history with nonprofits including the Sumner County Family YMCA and the Anderson Area YMCA.

Rucks relocated in 2010 to Sumner County, Tennessee from Anderson, South Carolina. She moved with her husband, Matt and two children, to open Christian Brothers Automotive franchise in Hendersonville, Tennessee. Rucks has been an active part of the Sumner County and Middle Tennessee region since making this region her home. She serves on the Board of Directors of Leadership Sumner County, Sumner County YMCA, and the Hendersonville Rotary Club.

“The Leadership Middle Tennessee Board of Directors recently conducted a region-wide search for its new President, and Ms. Lee Rucks was selected from among dozens of highly qualified applicants. While she certainly has big shoes to fill as she takes the baton from Ms. Patti James, the board is extremely confident in this selection and knows that she will provide the exceptional leadership required to continue to expand both the influence and impact of Leadership Middle Tennessee throughout the Middle Tennessee region,” comments incoming Leadership Middle Tennessee board chair, Dr. Paul Stumb.

In conjunction with Rucks’ announcement, the Leadership Middle Tennessee office will now be located in Wilson County on the campus of Cumberland University, 1 Cumberland Square, Lebanon, Tennessee, 37087.

To learn more about Leadership Middle Tennessee, please go to www.leadmt.org.

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For additional information contact:                                                                                                               

Jordan Osborne, 615.545.6760; josborne@robertsonchamber.org Executive Committee Member/Volunteer

Lee Rucks 615.934.8262; president@leadmt.org President - Leadership Middle Tennessee                                                          

Thirty Five Graduate from Regional Leadership Program

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 14, 2016) – Thirty five community and business leaders from Middle Tennessee have graduated from Leadership Middle Tennessee, Inc., a regional leadership institute. The 2016 class is from the 10-county area which includes Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Maury, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson.

The 2015 Leadership Middle Tennessee (LMT) graduates and their respective counties are: CHEATHAM COUNTY: Stacy Pennington, Community Outreach Director, AARP; Dr. Tara Watson Tiller, Chief Academic Officer, Cheatham County School Board; DAVIDSON COUNTY: Fabian Bedne, Metro Council Member, Metropolitan Government of Nashville; Dr. Katherine Y. Brown, President/CEO, Roberta Baines Wheeler Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Group; Mark Cleveland, Owner/CEO, Hobby Express; Maura Cunningham, Founder/ Executive Director, Rock The Street, Wall Street ; Laura Moore, Education Liaison, Mayor’s Office, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County; Keith Simmons, Vice Chair, Cumberland Region Tomorrow; Douglas Small, CEO, Blue Dog Merch; Patricia Smith, Director of Public Affairs, Tennessee Housing Development Agency; Blaine Strock, Executive Vice President & Middle Tennessee Market President, Bank of Tennessee; Donna Yurdin, President, Credo Management Consulting; DICKSON COUNTY: Heath Larkin, Financial Advisor, Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.; Dr. Arrita Summers, Director, Tennessee College of Applied Technology- Dickson; MAURY: Doug Burgess, Director of Power Operations, Columbia Power and Water Systems; Wil Evans, President, Maury County Chamber & Economic Alliance; Chaz Molder, Attorney, Mounger & Molder, PLLC; MONTGOMERY: Keith Lampkin, Director of Housing and Community Development, City of Clarksville; Jeff Truitt, Chief of Staff, Montgomery County Government; Joel Wallace, Attorney, Cunningham, Mitchell & Rocconi, and Clarkesville City Councilmember; ROBERTSON: Kathy Raglin, Executive Director, YMCA Middle Tennessee; RUTHERFORD: Anne Davis, Director, Saint Thomas Rutherford Foundation; Veronica Terrell, Sr. Manager-Engagements, Deloitte; Carolyn Tumbleson, Development Director, Jones College of Business at Middle Tennessee State University; SUMNER: Kee Bryant-McCormick, Attorney, Bone, McAllester, Norton; Leisa Byars, Franchise Owner, The Goddard School; Daisy Casey, Community Bank President, First Tennessee Bank; Dewayne Scott, President/CEO, SRS, Incorporated; WILLIAMSON: Matthew Bourlakas, President/CEO, Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee; Galen Hull, Consultant, Hull International; Justin Lowe, Principal/ Owner, Centric Architecture, Inc.; Tara Myers, Sr. Design Manager/ Risk Manager, Earl Swensson Associates, Inc.; Michael D. Williams, Jr, Senior Vice President/ Relationship Manager, Renasant Bank; WILSON: W. Paine Bone IV, Owner, Wilson County Hyundai; John Lancaster, Chairman & CEO, First Freedom Bank.

The nine month program highlights historic and contemporary perspectives on relevant regional themes and features presentations by leading experts and key community leaders. Sessions employ a mix of interactive presentations, facilitated dialogue, behind-the-scenes visits and more.

Leadership Middle Tennessee was formed in 1999 as an initiative of Partnership 2000 to contribute to future planned and sustainable economic and community growth and development in the fast-growing 10-county area through the participation of community leaders in an annual regional leadership program. According to Deborah Varallo, LMT chair of the Board of Directors, “Leadership Middle Tennessee was founded before the word ‘regionalism’ was incorporated into the middle Tennessee leaders’ vocabularies. We are very pleased to have been at the forefront of encouraging our business, government, community and nonprofit leaders to collaborate, support and work together on regional issues.”

Leadership Middle Tennessee is overseen by a regional board that is comprised of the Leadership Middle Tennessee alumni and business and community leaders. Leadership Middle Tennessee operates through the Jennings A. Jones College of Business at MTSU. Patti James is executive director. Deborah Varallo, founder of Varallo Public Relations, is chair of the Board of Directors. Visit www.leadmt.org for more information.

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2016 Commencement photos: VIEW HERE Photo credit: Beth Gwinn Photography

For additional information contact: Patti James 615.904.8207; Email: Patti.James@mtsu.edu Executive Director, Leadership Middle Tennessee        

Alabama Bred Indie Rockers The Pollies Hit the Road with Dylan LeBlanc Debuting at Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival June 11

The Pollies' releaseNOT HEREon Single Lock Records offers listeners a dose of reality in compelling storytellingWortman Works Media & Marketing tapped as management

“There’s an awful lot we could say aboutNOT HERE– the most important thing being that it’s a fantastic, genre-bending experience, but it’s best heard with your own ears.” –Southern Living Magazine

The Pollies

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (June 6, 2016) – The Pollies will join Dylan LeBlanc on his summer tour billed ‘Dylan LeBlanc with The Pollies' set to kick off on June 11 at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee.  The Florence, Alabama-based band, lead by songwriter/vocalist Jay Burgess is in the midst of promoting its latest release, Not Here, on Single Lock Records. Additionally, the band has tapped Wortman Works Media & Marketing’s management division as its management team. For further information, please visit, The Pollies website.

The Pollies Jay Burgess says, “It is gonna be a hot summer as we head out on tour with our good friend Dylan. To kick off the tour at the cat daddy we know as Bonnaroo is the way it should be and we look forward to introducing our music to a new audience on the road this summer and we thank Dylan for this great opportunity."

The Pollies are no stranger to accolades, as their latest release, Not Here, massaged the ears of many top critics. Here is what they are saying about the music:

Jay Burgess’s voice is ragged enough to sound like he’s been a few places, but sweet enough to make your heart clean a little. – No Depression

This is absolutely album-of-the-year material. – Adobe and Teardrops

In an ideal world, discovering a band like The Pollies wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but then again, in an ideal world, every band would be able to seamlessly blend and arrange the root element of rock and roll while forging into new territory to create songs that sound so natural and effortless that you don’t notice the intrinsic complexity and massive undertaking that each track represents. – Last FM

They sound like a classic band living in their own time zone. Maybe a little different from the one you check into regularly, but still worth checking out. – Brittany Howard (Alabama Shakes)

Drawing comparisons to Wilco, The Pollies continue to bolster the region’s reputation for producing great musicians. – Paste Magazine

More accolades can be found on the band’s website.  Find their music here:

iTunes

Amazon:"Where The Lies Begin" – MP3  $7.99, CD $8.98

"Not Here" - MP3 $9.49, CD $10.49, Vinyl $21.48

The Pollies webstore:http://www.pollies.net/merch/

The Pollies Summer Tour: 2016:  

*Pollies only

6/11   Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival | Manchester, TN

6/12   3rd & Lindsley | Nashville, TN

6/14   The Evening Muse | Charlotte, NC

6/15   The Pinhook | Durham, NC

6/16   Jammin Java | Vienna, VA

6/17   Boots & Sadie | Philadelphia, PA

6/18   Rough Trade | Brooklyn, NY

6/19   Club Helsinki | Hudson, NY

6/21   Beachland Tavern | Cleveland, OH

6/22   Southgate House Revival | Newport, KY

6/23   Barley’s Tap Room | Knoxville, TN

6/24   Eddie’s Attic | Decatur, GA

6/25   116 Mobile | Florence, AL

6/27   Rooftop* | Atlanta, GA

6/29   Waterfront Park | Louisville, KY

6/30   The Bishop | Bloomington, IN

7/01   Daytrotter | Davenport, IA

7/16   Sloss Music & Arts | Birmingham, AL

7/19   Thirsty Hippo | Hattisburg, MS

720     Gasa Gasa | New Orleans, LA

7/21   McGonigel’s Mucky Duck | Houston, TX

7/22   Austin City Limits | Austin, TX

7/23   Three Links | Dallas, TX

730     Bragg Jam Music Festival | Macon, GA

8/06   The Cave* | Chapel Hill, NC

8/17   Music City Roots | Nashville, TN

The Pollies are managed by Wortman Works Media & Marketing that will also handle all public relations in house. The band’s live performance booking agent is Mike Duncan.

Management contact:  Jules Wortman, Wortman Works, jwortman@wortmanworks.com

Booking agent:  Mike Duncan, normworks@gmail.com

Public Relations:  Elyse Wiser, Wortman Works, ewiser@wortmanworks.com

Ally Financial Launches New Splurge Alert App in Beta, Inviting Consumers to Come Clean on Overspending Habits with Help of Friends HGTV’s Drew Scott and country music group Big & Rich join campaign to share their splurge tendencies and urge consumers to examine their own

DETROIT, June 1, 2016 – Ally Financial announced in April the beta release of a new app, “Splurge Alert,” designed to help consumers better identify and manage their spending habits, ultimately giving them more control over their personal finances. Splurge Alert asks users to identify stores and areas where they tend to overspend and then select friends and or family who can help them avoid overspending pitfalls. The app uses geolocation technology to determine when users approach a “splurge zone,” and then sends an alert message to a designated buddy in hopes that they will lure the user away from the problem area. Through Splurge Alert, Ally aims to help consumers navigate a world where the temptation to spend money is prevalent, making it hard to save for financial goals. According to a recent survey commissioned by Ally and conducted online by Harris Poll, the vast majority of Americans (85 percent) admit to splurging, which most Americans (71 percent) define as buying an item that is not needed, regardless of price. The survey also revealed that the food and beverage category and the clothing, shoes and accessories category tied among the top items on which Americans who admit to splurging typically overspend (44 percent each).

“Many people believe that large one-time expenses can throw their budgets off track,” said Andrea Riley, chief marketing officer of Ally. “But it’s actually the everyday purchases – coffee drinks, smoothies, clothing items – that tend to be a problem area. The intent of this fun and insightful tool is to raise awareness for consumers about spending habits that may be keeping them from attaining their savings goals.”

Ally has enlisted the help of several influencers, including HGTV’s Property Brothers co-host, Drew Scott, and country music duo, Big & Rich to test Splurge Alert and share how they spend their money. Through a series of unique videos and social media posts, consumers will learn that even these celebrities are guilty of splurging. Overspending on everything from smoothies to antique swords, the influencers’ actions and commentary encourage consumers to engage in conversation around overspending and identify their own spending habits. Visit www.ally.com/SplurgeAlert to view the celebrity content and learn more about Splurge Alert.

Splurge Alert Encourages Social Support

The Splurge Alert app is the first app of its kind to combine geotracking and social interactions to help consumers change their spending habits. This could be extremely helpful in changing behavior, since Ally’s survey found that only 30 percent of consumers who admit to splurging actively avoid potential splurge locations and even fewer tend to ask friends and family for support (just 5 percent). The Splurge Alert app not only alerts the user that they are getting close to temptation, but also engages a support network of up to five family members or friends to help users break bad habits.

Commitment to Financial Literacy

While more than half of consumers who splurge (54 percent) acknowledge splurging when they encounter deals, sales and promotions that seem too good to pass up, less than one third (30 percent) of them include flexibility in their monthly budget for this additional spending, according to Ally’s survey. Splurge Alert helps consumers recognize their habits, and the potential need to make changes or realign budgets to accommodate for spending patterns.

Ally’s Wallet Wise program is dedicated to financial education and offers free online and in-person courses on topics like budgeting, credit and banking. The Wallet Wise website offers free tools, such as budget and financial goal worksheets for consumers looking to better manage their finances.

For more information, tips or tools visit AllyWalletWise.com.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Ally Financial from April 4-6, 2016 among 2,143 adults ages 18 and older. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, please reach out to the listed media contact below.

About Ally Financial

Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a leading U.S. financial services company. Ally's automotive services business offers a full spectrum of financial products and services, including new and used vehicle inventory and consumer financing, leasing, vehicle service contracts, commercial loans and vehicle remarketing services, as well as a variety of insurance offerings, including inventory insurance, insurance consultative services for dealers and other ancillary products. Ally Bank, the company's direct banking subsidiary and member FDIC, offers an array of deposit products, including certificates of deposit, savings accounts, money market accounts, IRA deposit products and interest checking. Ally's Corporate Finance unit provides financing to middle-market companies across a broad range of industries.

With approximately $158.6 billion in assets as of Dec. 31, 2015, Ally operates as a financial holding company. For more information, visit the Ally media site or follow Ally on Twitter: @Ally.

Contact: Sari Martin 646-781-2539 Sari.martin@ally.com

Salt Life Announced as Sponsor for Florida Skin Diver's Association's Super-Series Spearfishing League

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (May 26, 2016) – Outdoor lifestyle brand Salt Life is sponsoring the Super-Series Spearfishing League, announced Salt Life President Jeff Stillwell. Presented by the Florida Skin Diver’s Association (FSDA), the Salt Life Super-Series combines multiple established tournaments throughout Florida, giving scuba divers, free divers and teams a chance to compete for prizes, sponsorships and national recognition in the world of spearfishing. “For everyone from world-class athletes to novice ocean enthusiasts, Salt Life embodies a spirit of adventure and passion for the outdoors. We are proud to sponsor the Super-Series Spearfishing League and encourage people to live the ‘Salt Life’ through the exciting sport of spearfishing,’ Salt Life president Jeff Stillwell said.

"Spearfishing is an incredibly extreme-sport with top athletes that deserved to be recognized like NASCAR or Bassmaster sportsmen" says Courtland Hunt, FSDA Super-Series Chairman.

Proceeds from Super-Series tournaments benefit over a dozen different charities. The prize for "Top Team" is a full boat-wrap graphic presented by Sign-Zoo Graphics, and there are individual cash prizes up to $15,000.

The 2016 Season kicked off in April with more than 220 shooters in the Tampa Bay Spearfishing Challenge. The next event is the FSDA's Southern Open on June 4. For more information, visit the Super-Series website here.

About Salt Life: Salt Life is an authentic, aspirational and lifestyle brand that embraces those who love the ocean and everything associated with living the “Salt Life”. Founded in 2003 by four avid watermen from Jacksonville Beach, Florida, the Salt Life brand has widespread appeal with ocean enthusiasts worldwide. From fishing, diving and surfing, to beach fun and sun-soaked relaxation, the Salt Life brand says, “I live the Salt Life”. From its first merchandise offerings in 2006, Salt Life has grown to more than $30 million in annual sales, with distribution in surf shops, specialty stores, department stores and sporting goods retailers.

Salt Life, LLC is operated as an operating subsidiary of Delta Apparel, Inc., where it has been managed since 2011. The flagship Salt Life retail store, which opened in Jacksonville Beach, Florida in 2012, serves as a vision for retail customers to see product placements they can utilize in their stores and across multiple platforms. Salt Life's corporate office is located in Columbus, GA and their distribution center was recently relocated to Fayetteville, NC. Numerous professional athletes and sportsmen have an alliance with the brand in cross-marketing partnerships.

About Delta Apparel, Inc.: Delta Apparel, Inc., along with its operating subsidiaries, M. J. Soffe, LLC, Junkfood Clothing Company and Art Gun, LLC, is an international design, marketing, manufacturing and sourcing company that features a diverse portfolio of lifestyle basic and branded activewear apparel and headwear. The Company specializes in selling casual and athletic products across distribution tiers, including specialty stores, boutiques, department stores, mid-tier and mass chains, college bookstores and the U.S. military. The Company’s products are made available direct-to-consumer on its websites at Soffe, Junk Food Clothing, Salt Life and Delta Apparel. The Company's operations are located throughout the United States, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico, and it employs approximately 7,000 people worldwide. Additional information about the Company is available here.