PDA ‘Member Spotlight’ – Marc Wolfe, President, PDA Nashville Chapter

In this installment of PDA's 'Member Spotlight,' Marc Wolfe, President of the PDA Nashville Chapter, shares his insights into the Chapter's inception, his vision for its future, and the value PDA brings to the Nashville business community, including the importance of networking, education, and collaboration for aspiring board members.   

When did you become a member of PDA?

In 2019, a founding member invited me to a well-attended event PDA hosted at a local university. I was impressed not only by the panel but also by the attendees. I joined that day.

What was the inspiration for PDA to set up a new Nashville Chapter?

The inspiration came from a local businessman and board advisor, Marc Fortune. In 2018, he invited a speaker from Chicago to come down to Nashville. That speaker introduced him to the Chicago PDA leadership. Marc then pulled together 10 Nashville leaders and suggested we needed something local to provide what the PDA offered in Chicago. We became the fourth PDA Chapter. Marc and the team put together a kickoff event at Lipscomb University, and our first meeting had over 100 people.

How were you selected, and why did you want to serve as the Chapter's new President?

I joined PDA and was asked to be on the steering committee. I wanted to ask questions and gain perspective on the group’s future, which led me to chair membership. Eventually, the current President asked me if I was interested in serving as the Nashville Chapter’s President, which I was honored to do.

What do you see as PDA's value in the Nashville business community?

Even with 90+ members, we still see how few people know about PDA and how it can help organizations better grasp governance, education, and insights for advisory or fiduciary boards. Nashville is a top-3 city on many national lists for growth and relocating. We want to help executives and companies assimilate to how business is done in Nashville, and PDA can be a vital part of the transition.

What is your vision for the Nashville Chapter?

It’s for more people to experience what PDA offers through building relationships, gaining local knowledge, and extending its impact nationally via its 21 other Chapters.

I see a group known for its high-quality programming, networking, and peer interactions expanding beyond the meetings. Our board members are diverse in thoughts and actions thanks to the education they receive by being part of the Private Directors Association.

I’d like us to be known as a reliable source of well-equipped advisory and fiduciary board members.

Tell us about your business career, e.g., where you attended college, what was your first job, and now, what businesses you run or are involved in as an executive.

I have been working since I was 14 years old, from carrying out groceries at a supermarket to working as a dishwasher at IHOP. I am a lifelong entrepreneur who owned my first business at 16. I evolved from being a pro freelance photographer taking pictures of George HW Bush and the NY Giants, to starting an Apple Consulting firm in the early 90s - before an iPhone or even an iPod existed. That company grew to serve clients in 18 states and three countries: clients like CNBC, the Mayo Clinic, BD, GAF, and The Bermuda Yellow Pages.

I attended Fairleigh Dickinson University/Silberman College of Business and was the first person in my family to graduate college.

I believe communication and collaboration change everything. I keep seeing that employees and leaders are under extreme pressure to produce, work, and sacrifice more now than ever. It doesn’t have to be that way. That led me to write the book, Yeah But…Cut Through the Noise to Live, Learn, and Lead Better.

Clients engage with Marc A Wolfe Enterprises to gain new perspectives and overcome these roadblocks. We provide highly interactive workshops, executive coaching, and keynotes, helping clients achieve more precise two-way communication, see the true value of their leaders and teams, and notice how embracing the future of their organization requires listening, leading, and thinking differently.