NASHVILLE, Tenn.  (January 25, 2021) — The Tennessee Latin American Chamber of Commerce (TLACC) has announced its newest board members: Brenda Coulter, Carlos Guerra, Alejandro (Alex) Lapalma Lorenz, Johan Madriz, Jackie Marushka, and Diana Pelham. 

These new board members are leaders in their fields on both local and international levels and are serving TLACC with their experience to continue to grow TLACC and its initiatives, which include the growth and development of Hispanic-owned businesses, women-led initiatives, and a focus on future business leaders who are currently in college or are college-age entrepreneurs.

“As we start 2021, we do so with renewed enthusiasm,” says TLACC President Victor Berrios. “In 2020, the Board of Directors added six new board members. These highly educated and professional people will undoubtedly make a huge difference in the future direction of TLACC. I am confident that our Board of Directors will be able to lead our community into the future and will establish programs and events that will enhance all of our member experiences. Please join me in welcoming Brenda, Carlos, Johan, Diana, Alex, and Jackie to the TLACC Board of Directors.”

The six new members join the current board to total 16.

A full list of the Board of Directors can be found on our website.

BIOS:

Brenda Coulter

Brenda Coulter was born in New York and currently serves as Head of Compliance Surveillance and Innovation for AllianceBernstein (AB). In this role, Coulter is responsible for leading various technology initiatives within the Legal and Compliance Department and supervision of the team responsible for surveillance activities that support the compliance program for the firm’s asset management business in the US. Coulter is active in a number of diversity initiatives at AB, as co-chair of the AB Adelante employee resource group and as a member of AB’s Diversity Champions Council. She is engaged with various organizations to help mentor high school students. Coulter earned a BBA degree from Pace University and an Executive MBA from Baruch College – City University of New York. She lives in Nashville with her husband Christopher and enjoys getting out to Tennessee’s beautiful parks. 

Carlos Guerra

Carlos is Senior Director and Vice President, Human Resources, Nissan North America, Inc., and is responsible for all HR operations for the U.S. and Canada. Prior to joining Nissan in 2018, Guerra was the Global HR Director at Cardinal Health for Latin America. He has also worked in various incremental leadership roles within the HR function at General Electric and PepsiCo in the U.S. and Mexico. Guerra holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering from Mexico’s Universidad Valle del Bravo.

Alejandro (Alex) Lapalma Lorenz

Born in a small town in the province of Cordoba, Argentina to European immigrants, Lorenz moved to the U.S. in 2004 on a soccer scholarship at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville. He graduated in 2008 with majors in Accounting and Business Management, became a CPA, and was hired by Deloitte as an external auditor, where he remained for five years before leaving to found Dominus CPA, the first CPA practice dedicated to serve the Latin community in Nashville. In late 2018, he was offered the opportunity to perform contracting work by a company that specializes in audits of royalties for multinational companies. While maintaining his sole practitioner accounting practice, he has performed approximately 20 international audits for clients including Perry Ellis, Caterpillar/Wolverine, Levi’s, and Versace. Lorenz and his wife recently welcomed a son.

Johan Madriz

Johan is a Business Administrator with 14 years in food distribution, marketing and commercialization for the Latino market in the U.S., and specializes in helping Latino food companies enter the U.S. market. With studies in Business Administration from Costa Rica and an MBA from University of Barcelona in Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Madriz leads Distribuidora Limena, and Comercia Marketing, both startups he founded together with his wife. With distribution in seven states, their company generates more than 70 job employment opportunities which support the operation between Nashville and El Salvador. Madriz lives in Nashville with his wife and their two children.

Jackie Marushka

Jackie is the founder and President of Marushka Media, a boutique PR and Branding agency launched in 2016 — the first and only Hispanic woman-owned PR company across the country music and Americana genres. A creative entrepreneur with more than 25 years’ experience, she started and led Shore Fire Media’s Nashville office as GM (2013-2016), after leading a division of Sony Music Entertainment as one of its youngest Vice Presidents and its first divisional VP of Public Relations. She currently serves on Americana Music Association’s Board of Directors, and on the Academy Awards (Oscars) PR team. She is a Leadership Music alum, a member of The Recording Academy, CMA, ACM, American Association of Independent Music, a certified Pilates instructor, and Manduka Yoga global ambassador. 

Diana Pelham

Diana is the Director of Corporate Relations and Philanthropic Gifts for the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, responsible for overseeing, strengthening, and building TPAC’s corporate donor and individual major giving relationships. She previously served as the District Development Director for the YMCA of Middle Tennessee for 7 years, and taught 9th grade English for three years, before beginning her career in development. Pelham graduated from Austin Peay State University with degrees in English and Leadership. She achieved her C.F.R.E (Certified Fundraising Executive) in September 2020. Pelham is a former Rotary Club President and 2018 graduate of Leadership Middle Tennessee. She is married to Zach Pelham, agency manager for Farm Bureau Insurance, and enjoys running, singing, traveling, reading, cooking, and serving.