Over the past 20 years, Apryl has helped translate data driven insights into strategies that transform organizations and the communities they serve. Her research insights have helped shape nationally recognized placemaking and policy efforts.

Prior to joining the Nashville Healthcare Council, Apryl served as Chief Marketing Officer for the Greater Memphis Chamber and Executive Director of the Center for Economic Competitiveness.

As Chief Marketing Officer for the Greater Memphis Chamber, Apryl worked to promote Memphis and Shelby County’s strong economic assets to the world.

In her tenure at the Greater Memphis Chamber, Apryl led the launch of Memphis Moves, the Memphis region’s first comprehensive national economic development marketing initiative. In 2020, Apryl worked with public sector partners to help Memphis secure a spot as one of three markets selected to participate in Brookings Institution’s Inclusive Economic Indicators Lab, a project aimed at developing tools for tracking and driving inclusive economic outcomes for cities. In 2021, she led the launch of the Center for Economic Competitiveness, a public-private partnership that engages the region’s top business, academic, and elected leaders in collective action to improve the region’s competitiveness and galvanize the region’s pursuit of quality jobs.

Prior to joining the Chamber, Apryl spent seven years at the helm of customer insight and brand strategy firm Hyphen Market Solutions, which she founded in 2011. Through that company, she worked with leaders across nine regional healthcare organizations to create a strategic plan for the Memphis Medical District, providing research that drove key decisions for the district’s growth. Her research has been featured in numerous publications and she is frequently cited as an expert source on the impact of generational trends.

"The Board is excited to welcome Apryl into one of the most dynamic health care communities in the world, and we are confident that the Council is poised for a vibrant future under her leadership. Given her entrepreneurial experience leading data-driven strategies, community building and alignment, and economic development, she is uniquely positioned to successfully guide the Council through this moment of rapid growth and transformation. We look forward to watching her build on the Council’s strong foundation to further align the Nashville health care community, shape the Council’s impact at the local, national and global levels, and help us usher in a new era of growth and innovation for health care in Nashville.”

- David Dill, Past Chairman of the Council’s Board of Directors and Chairman and CEO of LifePoint Health

Apryl currently serves on the boards of the New Memphis Institute and Music Export Memphis. She is an alumnus of the New Memphis Institute Fellows and Leadership Development Intensive programs. She has been named a Memphis Business Journal Top 40 Under 40 honoree. She served as a 2020 Tennessee Valley Authority Innovation Academy delegate.

Doug Kreulen joined the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority in 2012 and was named president & Chief Executive Officer in December 2017. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer, where he oversaw Operations, Facilities Maintenance, Public Safety and Development and Engineering departments for both Nashville International and John C. Tune airports.

 Before joining MNAA, Kreulen served four years as director of Operations for Huntsville International Airport, during which time the airport received the highly regarded FAA Southern Region Airport Mark of Distinction Award and FAA Air Carrier Airport Safety Award.

Prior to beginning his career in the commercial aviation sector, Kreulen served in the United States Air Force for 27 years, earning the rank of Colonel. During his service, he held prominent command and staff leadership positions including:
 

• Chief of Staff for the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo.;
• Vice Commander of the 374th Airlift Wing at Yokota Air Base in Japan, with responsibility for 11,000 civilian and military personnel involved with operations, support, maintenance and medical;
• Commander of the 314th Operations Group at Little Rock Air Force Base, with responsibilities for 2,000 military personnel and a fleet of 50 C-130s;
• Chief of the Readiness Division for the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Washington D.C., charged with evaluating the armed services ability to carry out the National Military Strategy; and
• Commander of the 37th Airlift Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Kreulen is a decorated veteran, earning the Bronze Star (Kosovo), Legion of Merit, Defense Superior Service Medal (National Military Strategy and Service on Joint Staff Crisis Action Team following events of 11 September 2001); Air Medal and Meritorious Service Medal (Bosnia-Herzegovina).

An Accredited Airport Executive (AAE), Kreulen is a graduate of National War College with a Master of Science in National Security Strategy, Troy University with a Master of Science in Personnel Management and Auburn University with a Bachelor of Science in Laboratory Technology.

Deana Ivey serves as President and CEO for the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp and has been with the organization since 1997. She has helped oversee and coordinate the organization’s marketing efforts as Nashville became a top global destination. The city’s tourism industry has been at an all-time high with 16.8 million annual visitors and $10.77 billion in direct visitor spending, one-third of all visitor spending in Tennessee. Ms. Ivey has played a key role leading Nashville in branding itself around the world as Music City.

Ms. Ivey’s previous roles with the NCVC included President, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer. She has been instrumental in creating and producing successful large annual concert events to market the city, including Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th and New Year’s Eve in Nashville. She has been a co-producer and helped lead creation of two award-winning Nashville documentaries, as well as the Music City Walk of Fame.

Ms. Ivey has been recognized as a Power 100 Trendsetter by the Nashville Business Journal and received their Women in Music award. In 2023, she was named one of the Nashville Post’s Most Powerful Women and was featured in the In Charge 2024: Tourism edition. She also received a Women in Business award from Nashville Lifestyles and was ranked No. 7 among The Tennessean’s Top 25 Most Influential Sports Figures.

Ms. Ivey is a board member of the Academy of Country Music, Cheekwood Estate & Gardens, Country Music Association, Music City Bowl, Nashville Sports Council, Nashville Zoo, Rhythms of the South and Tennessee Hospitality Association. Ms. Ivey is a member of the current class of Leadership Nashville and was a member of the 2015 Leadership Music class. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was a driving force behind the city’s recovery as a key member of the Mayor’s Hospitality Committee advocating on behalf of the tourism industry and as the chief architect behind the Good to Go health and safety program, in partnership with Vanderbilt Health and Ryman Hospitality Properties.

She has served as an adjunct professor at Belmont University. Before her work in Nashville, Ms. Ivey had prior CEO-level experience leading the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce, having served the tourism industry for ten years in both Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tenn. She is a graduate of Western Kentucky University and has completed master’s work at the University of Tennessee and Western Kentucky. She and her husband Brian have a college-age son.