Events

Jack Johnson grew up in a small town in Texas, but has proudly called middle Tennessee
“home” since graduating from Texas State University with a degree in Education.
Jack and his wife Deanna, the Circuit Court Judge for the 21st Judicial District, are raising their
three children in Franklin. Jack and Deanna met over 30 years ago at a Young Republican
function, sharing the same conservative values and the same dream of a future filled with faith
and family.
Jack was first elected to the Tennessee State Senate in 2006. He was proud to cast his first vote
in the Senate for the first Republican Lieutenant Governor in 140 years. After only two years,
he was appointed as Chairman of the Government Operations Committee. A year later, he was
named Chairman of the Commerce and Labor Committee. He served as Commerce Committee
Chairman for nine years until December of 2018, when he was elected by his Republican
colleagues as the Senate Majority Leader.
Jack Johnson has over 20 years of hands-on experience in the financial industry, beginning his
career with Third National Bank (now SunTrust). Over the last few years, Jack worked as the
Vice President of Public Affairs for an internet start-up company based in Brentwood. More
recently, Jack serves as the Senior Vice President for Studio Bank in the Cool Springs area.
Senator Johnson proudly represents the 23rd District, soon to be the 27 th District, which
includes most of Williamson County. When the day’s work is done, Jack enjoys spending time
with his family, playing guitar, and piloting private aircraft.

The President of Cumberland University will give us an update on the school.

Doug Mathews, a longtime football personality in middle Tennessee, has spent more than a dozen years behind the microphone of successful shows focused on college football and the University of Tennessee.

Mathews spent ten seasons as Running Backs Coach and Defensive Coordinator for the University of Tennessee from 1980 to 1989. Mathews credited Bear Bryant and Bud Wilkinson as coaches who influenced the way he coached his players during the years he worked inside the game.

No one had as much of an effect as Virginia Tech head coach Bill Dooley. Mathews says Dooley furnished him with his first opportunity as an offensive coach and provided him with valuable information within the I-formation offense.

Mathews’ coaching career began in 1972 when he coached defensive backs at Northeast Louisiana. He moved to Weber State for three seasons where he served as defensive coordinator. In 1976, Mathews made to move to Louisville where he coached three seasons before departing for Virginia Tech in 1979. As a Hokies assistant, he coached running backs under the legendary Dooley.

In 1991, Mathews retired from coaching to spend more time with his family. That same year Mathews and his wife, Pat, founded Doug Mathews Team Sports in Nashville. They ran the successful business venture for 21 years before their two sons began operating Mathews Team Sports, in Franklin in 2012.

The son of a newspaper publisher, Mathews was born and raised in Picher, Oklahoma. He starred in three sports in high school, before signing a scholarship to play football at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M. While at NEO, Mathews earned a selection on the All–American team as well being named the National Junior College Player of the Year in 1967.

As a sophomore he helped lead Coach Chuck Bowman’s team to the 1967 NJCAA National Championship with a 9-1 overall record.  During the championship game, Mathews had a 76-yard punt return for a touchdown while rushing for 97 yards on 22 carries and catching six passes for 48 yards.

Those numbers led to Mathews 2008 induction into the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M’s Sports Hall of Fame. Following his graduation from A&M, Mathews transferred to Vanderbilt, where he handled tailback and return duties. He led the Southeastern Conference in rushing during his senior year in 1969 with 849 yards, becoming the only Commodore to lead the conference in rushing. This included a 214-yard performance against Tulane. His mark of 168 kickoff return yards in one game against Florida in 1969 stood as a Vanderbilt record until 2002.

Currently Doug has three sports shows running with Forklift Systems Football Saturday, Big Orange Sunday, and Coach to Coach all on 104.5 the Zone.

Eddie Allred, our new District 6760 governor will be updating our club regarding all things District and Rotary happening this year.  Eddie is a member of the Columbia Breakfast Club. 

Alma McLemore, a native of Franklin, is the President of the board of directors of the African American Heritage Society and serves as Executive Director. Ms. McLemore, or Alma Lee, as she is known to her close friends and classmates is a graduate of Franklin High School’s first integrated class. She has deep roots in the community and a servant’s heart. Alma serves on the City of Franklin’s Planning Commission and Battlefield Preservation Commission. During her tenure at the AAHS, Ms. McLemore has overseen the restoration of The McLemore House while it has been closed for COVID. In 2021, the AAHS was also able to purchase a second property, the Merrill-Williams home located on Natchez Street. The home will eventually be used for educational and interpretive purposes for the Natchez neighborhood and for Black history. McLemore never says “no” when asked to serve!

Alma has served on many boards including: Habitat for Humanity, WAVES, Franklin Tomorrow, New Hope Academy, Williamson County Chamber of Commerce Affordable Housing Taskforce, Mercy’s Children Clinic, United Community Resource Foundation, Franklin Tomorrow’s Housing Task Force, and United Way of Williamson County Task Force. Alma is a graduate of the City of Franklin Citizens Police Academy and a graduate of the Leadership Franklin Class of 2000. Alma is a member of the City of Franklin Housing Commission, the City of Franklin Civil War Commission, Battle of Franklin Trust, Williamson Co. Convention and Visitors Bureau, recent past members of Columbia State Community College Foundation Board and the 21st Recovery Court Board of Directors, where she still volunteers with the board’s annual fundraisers.

Brink Fidler is the founder and President of Defend Systems, a life safety and security consulting firm specializing in physical security and active violence mitigation.  He is a frequently booked public speaker on the topic of active violence events and organizational response. Having served nearly two decades in law enforcement in Nashville, TN, where he retired as the Director of the Drug Task Force, he has amassed a vast and unique knowledge base in the world of high-risk tactical operations and true physical security. This extensive background, coupled with his continuous and in-depth study of active shooter events, gives him a unique and insightful approach to this frequent and worsening problem as well as best practices for mitigating damage during such an event. As a widely recognized expert on the topics of physical security and mass casualty attacks, he will not only enlighten and significantly educate your audience, but he will also empower everyone with the ability to respond decisively during any critical incident.