Alive, the only nonprofit hospice provider in Middle Tennessee, has announced it has appointed Edward Jackson, P\president and owner of Hercules Bolt and Manufacturing, Nicholas Birren, vice president of Bernstein Private Wealth Management, and Charles T. ('C.T.') Stevens III , executive vice president and chief operating officer of Clearbrook Holdings Corporation, to its Board of Directors. Additionally, Reggie Ford, president and founder of RoseCrete Wealth Management, is slated to join the board in 2023.

"We are so thankful to have Edward, Nicholas, and C.T. contributing to our mission, with Reggie joining us in the near future," said Alive President and CEO, Kimberly Goessele. "They are innovators in their fields who will help keep us forward-thinking in our approach to personalized end-of-life care for patients, support for their loved ones, and educational resources for the community."

Edward Jackson is a Nashville native and the president and owner of Hercules Bolt and Manufacturing. He co-founded Capital Bank and Trust and served as a senior executive there for a decade. Jackson is also a retired Tennessee Air National Guard Lieutenant Colonel and served 22 years as a command pilot. He graduated from The University of Alabama and is a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. He serves on the board of HG Hill Company and the development board for the Land Trust of Tennessee. Jackson was first introduced to Alive and hospice care in his 40's when a close friend was diagnosed with cancer.

"I was invited by my friend and his wife to sit in on the discussion about his care with Alive. I was impressed by the way the conversation was handled. I was a younger man then and hadn't really talked about death before," said Jackson. When Jackson's own father became terminally ill, Alive cared for him in his home. "They were just so good. My sisters and my mom and I were all scared. Our nurse told us she would stay the night to make sure we had all the support we needed," said Jackson. "She walked him through to the very end, and it was an enormous burden off my mother, off all of us. A year later, Alive was there for us again, caring for my mother. Everybody needs that comfort at the end of life."

Nicholas Birren is a vice president and financial advisor in the Nashville office of Bernstein Private Wealth Management. Prior to joining the firm in 2019, Nicholas served as the Director of Business Development for a marketing technology firm where he helped clients such as Procter & Gamble, McDonald's, Bridgestone and Netflix optimize their marketing budgets. He is also a two-time Emmy-nominated television producer for CBS, NBC and the Hallmark Channel, and was involved in launching OWN: the Oprah Winfrey Network in 2011. Nicholas lives in Sumner County with his wife and two young daughters.

"When my father passed away in 2017 the hospice care worker had a profound impact not only my father's end of life care, but also on me as a parent to my three daughters," said Birren. "To now be in a position to support an organization with such an incredible history and reputation that's impacting families all over Tennessee is a true blessing. I am humbled to now join Alive in helping families define their legacy during life, and not just after it."

C.T. Stevens joined Clearbrook Holdings Corporation in 2020 and serves as the executive vice president and COO. A certified public accountant, Stevens previously served for 14 years as a senior manager with Ernst & Young's assurance practice. While at Ernst & Young, he worked with several Fortune 500 companies, gaining experience and insight into complex global accounting and finance organizations. He currently serves as a board member of the Finance Committee for the Nashville Wine Auction and is a former board member of Westminster School for Young Children

"I am honored to join the Alive board as I have long admired the work the organization does in the community," said Stevens. "End of life care plays such an important role in a family's experience caring for loved ones, and Alive is at the front and center of these efforts here in Middle Tennessee."