Chapman, 49, joined MP&F in 1995 after graduating from the University of Tennessee. Her natural leadership abilities and her quick grasp of public relations meant a steady advancement at the company to top managerial positions. In 2012, she was named an equity partner in the firm and, in 2019, became managing partner, leading a company of 75 people and annual revenues of nearly $11 million.
In 2004, she married Tom Chapman, an analyst with Shayne & Co., LLC. The couple have two children, Ryan, 15, and Cate, 10.
In addition to her husband and children, she is survived by her parents, Rev. Eric C. and Connie Pearson, brother Tim and sister-in-law Megan Gale, niece Hilda, in-laws Booth and Georgeanne Chapman, brother-in-law John Barret Chapman, sister-in-law Amy, and nieces Darcy and Avery.
She was a devoted wife, mother and daughter, who adored and was fiercely proud of her children. She loved telling friends and co-workers about the accomplishments of Ryan and Cate. Most recently, she traveled to Chattanooga to watch Ryan compete in the annual Head of the Hooch Regatta.
To all those who knew her, Chapman was a beautiful example of a woman who found a balance between being a wife, mother, and businesswoman. She was often sought out for advice by other working professional women in the area for her insights.
Chapman was a role model for the entire staff at MP&F. Her compassionate but no-nonsense approach to work was respected by staff and clients alike. She served as a mentor for the younger staff and served as a professional mentor for public relations students at Belmont University.
Chapman was also a savvy businessperson. During her tenure as managing partner, revenues at MP&F increased annually despite a worldwide pandemic and distressed economy.
Chapman was actively involved in community affairs. She was co-founder and president of the Human Trafficking Survivors Court Foundation, a member of the Downtown Nashville Rotary, past board president of Communities In Schools of Tennessee, Oak Hill School board of trustees member, and a former executive committee member of PRSA’s Counselors Academy. She was a past president and continued to volunteer with the literacy nonprofit Book’em and served on the Nashville Auditorium Commission.
Chapman received numerous awards and recognitions during her career, including Cable’s Civic Outreach Award in 2006 and the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Emerging Leaders Award for Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing in 2011, and was a graduate of the Young Leaders Council.
She was a 1994 graduate of the University of Tennessee and a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She was certified by the University of South Florida Corporate Training & Professional Education program for diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace.
Services will be held at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 4715 Harding Pike, on Tuesday, November 16, at 1:30 p.m. Visitation will be at the church from noon until 1 p.m.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the Human Trafficking Survivors Court Foundation (https://www.htscf.org/), Montgomery Bell Academy (https://www.montgomerybell.edu/support-mba), Oak Hill School (https://www.oakhillschool.org/supportoakhill) or Book’em (https://bookem-kids.org/).
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