The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County, TN, has revealed the highly anticipated 47th annual Heritage Ball chairs who will take the helm at this year’s longest running black-tie affair in Williamson County. Community leaders Gordon and Shaun Inman have been named chairs of the 2020 Heritage Ball, and Sondra Morris will serve as Honorary Chair.
“We could not be more excited to have a couple the caliber of Gordon and Shaun Inman be the chairs of this year’s ball, along with Sondra Morris as honorary chair,” said Heritage Foundation CEO, Bari Beasley. “With their deep ties to Williamson County and their legacy of supporting preservation and conservation, the Inmans are the perfect pair to spearhead our largest and most important fundraising event. With the addition of Sondra Morris, who has been integral in the ongoing success of the Heritage Foundation, we are poised to have a widely successful event.”
The 47th annual Heritage Ball will be held Saturday, October 3, 2020 at Eastern Flank Battlefield Park. This annual event attracts more than 800 guests to support and celebrate the work of the Heritage Foundation and raise funds for future preservation projects. In addition to a seated dinner, live music and dancing, the ball features a cocktail hour and other fundraising opportunities. The ball has also featured a surprise musical guest.
As the Heritage Foundation’s biggest fundraising event, this year’s Heritage Ball will help support the foundation’s major initiatives including its newest project, Franklin Grove Estate and Gardens, known by many as the former campus of the O’More College of Design.
Gordon Imnan said the timing of Franklin Grove’s development played a role in the couple’s desire to chair this year’s event.
“We are committed to the restoring of the O’More property through our funding of the Conservatory at Franklin Grove,” he said. “We are also grateful to the Heritage Foundation and the preservationists who stepped up to save this beautiful campus and create a public venue for all people to enjoy for generations to come. Respecting history while also recreating tradition is what we believe in for Franklin Grove.”
Shaun Inman added they believe in the overall work the Heritage Foundation does to care for historic spaces, treasured landmarks and local businesses in Williamson County. “Williamson County is consistently ranked among the top places to live. While growth cannot be contained, the Heritage Foundation does a stellar job protecting its history and community. We hope to raise funding and awareness for preserving the architectural, geographical and cultural heritage of Williamson County,” she said.
Gordon Inman’s extensive career spans being a banker, businessman, entrepreneur, real estate broker, developer, philanthropist and community leader. He is Director Emeritus and Middle Tennessee Chairman of FirstBank and serves as Vice Chairman and Trustee for Belmont University. He has previously served on the Executive Committee of the Middle Tennessee Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Nashville Symphony Board, the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Board and the Cheekwood Board. He also received the Patrons Award in 2003 from the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County.
A founder of Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center and member of Brentwood Baptist Church, Inman funded the first and only chapel in the country designed for the deaf. He was a major contributor to the construction of Belmont University’s Gordon E. Inman College of Health Sciences and Nursing complex built in 2006 and is a recipient of Belmont’s Distinguished Service Award. He also received an honorary doctorate degree in humanities from Belmont in 2003. Inman has restored and still owns several historic buildings on Franklin’s historic Main Street and Public Square.
Over the years, Inman has been an active member of the McWhorter Society named after his close friend, the late Clayton McWhorter. He is married to Shaun Inman and together they have five adult children, nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Shaun Inman, who in addition to helping her husband achieve many of the milestones throughout his career, studied at Belmont University before embarking on a 25-year career in the fashion industry, receiving many honors and awards throughout her career. She remains active in philanthropy and fundraising efforts for a variety of charitable causes throughout Middle Tennessee. She is a board member at Cheekwood and serves on the Swan Ball Auction Committee, which raises money for the education and outreach programs at Cheekwood. She was also a recipient of the Association of Professional Fundraisers Philanthropist of the Year for 2006 and co-chaired the Nashville Symphony Fashion Show in 2017.
Sondra Morris, honorary chair of the 2020 Heritage Ball, is a board member of the Heritage Foundation, a member of the Franklin Grove Estate and Gardens advisory committee and long-time supporter of the Heritage Foundation.
Morris is currently the owner and manager of the RNM Management and Properties, LLC, which was founded in 1966 by Robert N. Moore, Jr. The company is located in Franklin, and manages properties in New Jersey, Tennessee and Virginia.
A graduate of Austin Peay State University, Morris began her career as a business education teacher in Florida and later in Tennessee. She left the classroom and worked in the public and private sector until 2012. She also served on the O’More College of Design board and is a supporter of Battle Ground Academy’s Center for the Arts and Entrepreneurship. She is also a supporter of Cheekwood and the Children’s Garden.
“I am passionate about the latest project of the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County — Franklin Grove Estate and Gardens,” Morris said. “When completed, Franklin Grove will welcome people of all ages and future generations in the celebration of art, history, education, magnificent gardens and nature in a very unique setting. Shaun and Gordon Inman share my passion for this project, and the Heritage Foundation, and I am pleased to join them as honorary chair for this year’s 2020 Heritage Ball.
Tickets and tables for the 2020 Heritage Ball will go on sale in August. Sponsorship opportunities are available now; contact Director of Corporate Relations Katie Rysiewicz at [email protected]. For more information about the Heritage Foundation and additional programs and preservation projects, visit www.williamsonheritage.org.
ABOUT THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY
Since 1967, the Heritage Foundation of Williamson County has been dedicated to preserving Williamson County’s architectural, geographic and cultural heritage as well as promoting the ongoing revitalization of downtown Franklin in the context of historic preservation. Notable projects include The Franklin Theatre, Roper’s Knob, parts of the Franklin battlefield and the Old, Old Jail. The Foundation brings county history to about 3,000 school children each year through the Heritage Classroom program as well as walking tours of downtown Franklin. Events and festivals produced by the Heritage Foundation such as Main Street Festival, the Heritage Ball, Pumpkinfest and Dickens of a Christmas bring hundreds of thousands of locals and visitors to downtown Franklin each year. The Heritage Foundation owns and operates The Franklin Theatre, the Downtown Franklin Association, and the organization’s newest division and current restoration project, Franklin Grove Estate & Gardens. For more information about the Heritage Foundation, visit www.williamsonheritage.org.
