Howard Gentry serves the Metropolitan Government of Nashville as the Criminal Court Clerk of Davidson County in the Twentieth Judicial District. In this capacity, his office is responsible for performing the clerical duties (hard copy and electronic forms) for the operation of the General Sessions and State Trial Criminal Courts.
A Nashville native, Gentry was elected three times to countywide public office. He was a Metro Council member-at-large before being elected Metro Nashville-Davidson County’s first African American vice mayor. He was reelected in 2003. In 2007, Gentry was a candidate for Mayor and narrowly missed the run-off by less than 300 votes and ran again in 2015.
Mark Janbakhsh was born in Tehran, Iran, and came to the United States before the age of one. His family immigrated to Orange County, California, where he grew to appreciate diversity and culture on a grand scale.
After moving to Nashville in 1985, the Janbakhsh family embarked on their Tennesseean entrepreneurial journey, paving the way for Mark and his brother to follow in their footsteps of being business owners and visionaries. Mark graduated from David Lipscomb University with a Political Science degree and immediately dove into the Nashville marketplace. Mark, after having owned various businesses, branched out into Radio when he purchased TBLC Media. In 2010, Mark and his wife, Diane, began the work of the Hispanic family foundation. They saw the needs of the growing Hispanic community in Nashville and the surrounding areas and decided that they could make a difference by giving back and creating outreach opportunities. For more information visit Mark Janbankhsh’s page at the Hispanic Family Foundation.
Thomas J. McSweeney was born one of 7 children to the McSweeney family, in San Francisco. He graduated from the University of San Francisco in Political Science and consequently began his career in radio. He was promoted to Sales Manager and took a new position as Sales Manager in Chicago radio. Two years later Thomas entered Spanish Radio. After 20 yrs with Univision, he stepped into the position of VP/Gm of the Los Angeles radio group Univision. He became a champion of St Jude’s Children’s Hospital and the Spanish Radio partnership. Founder& CEO of HMC Honored to be selected as a board member of HFF.
Carolina Sanchez was born in Cali, Colombia, and has called Nashville home since moving to the United States in 2002, following a brief six-month stay in Miami. She graduated as a Paramedic in Colombia but transitioned to a career in radio in 2013, starting as a Traffic Manager. After a few years, she became the Business Manager for the top Hispanic radio station in Middle Tennessee. Throughout her radio career, Carolina has helped raise over $2 million for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. Currently, she continues her radio career and also serves as the Entertainment Director at Plaza Mariachi Music City, where she organizes festivals, community events, and entertainment.
Tailah Scroggins is a Marketing Professional with a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Political Science from Belmont University. Tailah has brought her marketing abilities to the Music Industry with renowned companies such as Full Circle Music and Redjett Artist Management. Tailah also spent seven years as Marketing Director for Plaza Mariachi and oversaw social media platforms and campaigns, which has led her to her current position as secretary at The Hispanic Family Foundation.
Tailah is also a recording artist and works alongside her husband, Jerricho, who is a music producer and a five-time Grammy award-winning engineer. She loves to serve the local church and is an online social media influencer, where she documents her faith journey. Serving has always been her passion, whether for ministries or Nonprofits. She is grateful to be a part of the team at The Hispanic Family Foundation and hopes to reach as many families in need as possible.
Ron is a small business owner in Middle Tennessee. He earned his BS in Integrated Social Science from Penn State University.
Ron Hall was an immigrant-refugee to the United States from Vietnam during the Fall of Saigon in April 1975. He was airlifted out of the An Lac orphanage located in the slums of Saigon during the end of the Vietnam War by the “Angel of Saigon”, Betty Tisdale.
After being adopted in Pennsylvania, Ron headed to New York City where he worked at the Fortune 100 financial services company TIAA-CREF and travelled to Africa many times to serve orphans in Kenya, Zambia, and South Africa. In 2007 he moved to Nashville, TN where he served several 501c(3) organizations including the Doorpost Film Project, a film company, IT director of Strategic Global Initiative – an organization providing funding for work all around the world, as well as providing support for Heroes International, a Ukraine aid organization and Stop Child Trafficking Now, a human rights organization.
