SOCIETY OF LEADERS IN DEVELOPMENT (SOLID) NAMES KARI BARNHART FIRST RECIPIENT OF THE SOLID DREW ALEXANDER LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

SOLID President Rio Van Risseghem (left) with Kari Barnhart (right), this year’s recipient of The Drew Alexander Lifetime Achievement Award

Photo Courtesy of SOLID | Download HERE

Nashville, TN - December 13, 2024 - Society of Leaders In Development (SOLID) recently announced Kari Barnhart as the first recipient of The SOLID Drew Alexander Lifetime Achievement Award. Barnhart received the award at SOLID's end of year holiday celebration where she was recognized for her outstanding achievements and contributions to SOLID.

This award honors SOLID alumni with over ten years of experience in the music industry who have consistently exemplified the core values of SOLID throughout their careers. Barnhart, currently serving as SVP/Entertainment Relationship Manager at Studio Bank, began her finance career at HSBC, where she led her team to achieve a top 15 ranking out of 800 offices. She went on to work at Fifth Third Bank, where she played a key role in expanding the Music and Entertainment Division as its Director and Relationship Specialist. Barnhart also spent time at Regions Bank, further solidifying her extensive background in music business banking. She served the SOLID Board from 2015-2017 as the Music Market Co-Chair and 20th Year Celebration Chair and has remained a steadfast supporter of the organization, providing mentorship and sharing her expertise as an industry speaker.

About The SOLID Drew Alexander Lifetime Achievement Award
This September, SOLID created the award in memory of Drew Alexander, a founding member of SOLID and an esteemed leader in the music industry. The idea for the award first emerged after SOLID alumni approached the current SOLID board, wanting to establish an award in honor of Alexander. While discussing the award, alumni noted Alexander's commitment to mentorship of those in the industry as well as his desire to serve his community. The SOLID Drew Alexander Lifetime Achievement Award aims to recognize those who embody the values shown by Alexander and celebrated by SOLID.

About SOLID
SOLID launched 26 years ago with a vision to develop a community for music industry professionals to network and brainstorm together, while also providing educational opportunities for entry to mid-level professionals. SOLID hosts several education panels, networking events and philanthropic opportunities throughout the year. In addition, SOLID has implemented programs to mentor 100s of college students to date, launched the philanthropic initiative SOLID Shares, created a diversity and inclusion task force comprising of board members, current members and alumni as well as raising over $450,000 for local charities and accumulating over 500+ hours of volunteer time to the Nashville community. SOLID continues to grow, in part, due to the generous contributions of its annual Friends of SOLID sponsor partners. For more information about SOLID, visit solidnashville.org.

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