Nineteenth Annual Awards Ceremony Recognizes Nashville’s Young Professionals
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (July 10, 2026) –The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and YP Nashville today announced the winners of The 2026 NELAS. For the 19th year, The NELAS honors the Nashville region’s emerging leaders for their career accomplishments and community contributions.
The NELAS recognize outstanding young professionals ages 21 – 40. The winners are chosen out of five finalists in 14 industry categories: Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations; Architecture & Engineering; Arts, Entertainment, & Music; Business, Real Estate, & HR Services; Community Service & Nonprofit; Education; Entrepreneurship; Environment & Sustainability; Financial Services; Government & Public Affairs; Hospitality & Tourism; Legal Services; Medical, Healthcare, & Wellness; and Technology.
Industry leaders serving as judges evaluate applications and choose winners based on submitted essay responses, professional achievement, demonstrated leadership, and community impact.
“This year’s NELAS winners represent the best of the best of our region’s young professionals,” said Stephanie Coleman, President and CEO of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce. “These dynamic leaders represent Nashville’s growth and success, and we look forward to their continued engagement in the community as they advance and develop their careers.”
The NELAS winners were announced during The NELAS Awards Ceremony at Marathon Music Works on Thursday, July 9, at 5:30 p.m.
YP Nashville is presented by The Jack C. Massey College of Business at Belmont University. Visit https://www.nashvillechamber.com/nelas/ for more information.
2026 NELAS Winners
Advertising, Marketing, & Public Relations
Katherine Green, Partner, REED Public Relations
Architecture & Engineering
Hunter Whitten, Manager, Business Development Manager, Turner Construction Company
Arts, Entertainment, & Music
Margaret Eggers, Controller, The Mechanical Licensing Collective
Business, Real Estate, & Human Resources
Craig Vanbury, Service Delivery Leader, The Precisionists, Inc.
Community Service & Nonprofit
Charmin Bates, Founder & CEO, Creative Girls Rock
Education
Dr. Alesha Harmon, Chief Engagement & Insight Officer, Valor Collegiate Academies
Entrepreneurship
Darius McDonald, Founder & CEO, Vanguard Strategy Partners
Environment & Sustainability
Julia Craven, Operations Intern, Clearloop (formerly CSDG)
Financial Services
Taylor Parks, Tax Manager, LBMC, PC
Government & Public Affairs
Steven Henry, Principal, Jigsaw
Hospitality & Tourism
Chelsa Lourie, Director, Workforce Development, Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association
Legal Services
Angie Bergman, Counsel, Bass, Berry & Sims PLLC
Medical, Healthcare, & Wellness
Andreana Holowatyj, Assistant Professor of Hematology and Oncology, Research Immersion Co-Director, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Technology
Tyler Haksluoto, General Assembly Area Manager, General Motors
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Media Contact
Alexia Poe
615-948-9339
About YP Nashville
YP Nashville is an initiative of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and professional organization partners working to connect, empower, and engage young professionals to actively shape the future of the Nashville region. For more information, visit https://www.ypnashville.org/.
About the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce is Middle Tennessee’s largest business federation, representing over 1,900 member companies. Belong, engage, lead, prosper embodies the Chamber’s focus on creating economic prosperity by facilitating community leadership. Established in 1990 as an economic development and community enhancement initiative of the Chamber, Partnership 2030 is a regional cooperative dedicated to making Middle Tennessee among the nation’s best places to live, work, and do business. Partnership 2030 is supported by a diverse group of public and private companies as well as governmental agencies from the organization’s 10-county service area. The work of the Chamber is supported by its members, Partnership 2030 investors, and sponsors; the Chamber’s Pivotal Partners (a partnership at the highest level for all Chamber programs and events) are Gresham Smith and Regions Bank. For more information, visit www.nashvillechamber.com.