LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
Alberto Gonzales
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Each new year, many of us like to make resolutions. At Music City Baseball, we have one simple resolution for 2022: Advance closer to achieving our goal of bringing Major League Baseball to Nashville.
The question is, how will we do that? We have been hard at work developing trusted partnerships in the Nashville community and building our internal team with advisors who share our passion. Our relationship with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is strong, and we are thankful for their support in “bringing the Negro Leagues to the Major Leagues.”
A franchise also needs a place to call “home.” We plan to share more information in the upcoming months about developing a mixed-use facility in a new entertainment district that would benefit residents, local businesses, and tourism. This is a key point in the entire effort, and our team is carefully looking at what plans would best benefit our community.
Finally, we will continue to grow the Nashville Stars brand on a regional and national stage. With the help of new merchandise and the support of key advisors, our reach will be unprecedented for this type of effort. It is time to share with everyone that Nashville makes sense for MLB.
Please continue supporting the Nashville Stars as we move forward in 2022. It is an exciting time for the City of Nashville, Music City Baseball, and our growing fanbase.
Alberto R. Gonzales
Chair | Music City Baseball
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 Our Star of the Month for January is Jacquelyn Veith from Whites Creek High School. Jacquelyn is in her second year at the school as a Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher. She teaches classes in agriscience, alternative energy, and agricultural and biotechnical engineering.
Students at Whites Creek have an opportunity to choose different pathways geared towards their interests. It is an opportunity for them to have training regardless of whether they plan on advancing their education after graduation.
“I encourage my students who want to go to college to absolutely pursue that,” said Veith. “For my students who don’t really want to go to college, I encourage them to either look into trade schools, because trade schools are amazing, or I ask them ‘what do you want to do? What is the thing you want? Where do you want to be when you leave this place?’ And then try to help them figure out how to get there.”
Veith also encourages students to volunteer in the community. She brings students to help serve food at Nashville Rescue Mission each month.
“They get to help their community members give back to the community and really get that community engagement, which I think is really important for our kids,” said Veith. “Whether they have been on the other side of that receiving line or not, I still think it's really important to give back whenever you can.”
Veith believes volunteering is a chance for students to gain exposure to the world outside of what they see everyday.
“It's trying to get teenagers to see the world for more than just themselves,” said Veith. “It's just trying to grow that larger world view to see that even small acts of kindness can make a huge impact on the world around us.”
Veith values the history of the Nashville Stars name from its roots in the Negro Leagues. She believes it is a great learning opportunity for her students.
“History is important,” said Veith. “I had a kid who said they didn't understand what barnstorming was. They didn't understand how bad athletes had it, and now you've got a new generation of kids who are talking and learning about it.”
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It is a new year and a new home for the Nashville Stars! We have been thankful to call the 5th Floor of the Bridge Building home for the last 16 months. Now, we have expanded into a larger space on the West End of Nashville.
We moved into our new space at 116 30th Ave. S. in Nashville on January 10. Be on the lookout for announcements on an Open House sometime next month after we finish unboxing and getting settled in.
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Over the last 16 months, we have met some great people at our Bridge Building office. One person is Antoinette from Metro Parks and Recreation. When we first moved into the office, we said hello and gave her a Nashville Stars beanie. Just before we moved out, we saw her out working in the cold and she was proudly wearing that same beanie. It may seem small, but it’s an important reminder of the relationships we’ve built so far. We look forward to building and strengthening those relationships in 2022 and beyond.
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A few members of our team graciously spent time on December 12 to serve food at the Nashville Rescue Mission, which provides food and shelter for those in need in the community. The organization serves over 600 men, women, and children daily. If you’d like more information about how you can help, please visit their website at nashvillerescuemission.org.
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MICHELE FRAZIER JOINS LGBT CHAMBER BOARD
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Michele Frazier, who leads our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, was voted to serve on the Board of Directors of the Nashville LGBT Chamber during their Annual Meeting and Holiday Party. We are proud of her efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion not only with our own organization, but with the entire Nashville community. Congrats, Michele!
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As 2021 wrapped up, our team was able to gather and celebrate for a potluck meal on December 14. It was our last meeting in the Bridge Building office, and an opportunity to visit one last time before breaking for the holidays.
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