Nashville, TN – Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Tennessee’s largest nonprofit law firm, announced today that it has named J. Andrew (Drew) Goddard as board president, elected four new board members — Sharon M. Crane, Erin Palmer Polly, Mozianio S. (Trey) Reliford and David A. Weil — and added a board intern, Trey Whitfield.
“It’s a pleasure to welcome these individuals to our board of directors,” said DarKenya W. Waller, executive director of Legal Aid Society. “Each of them is dedicated to improving the lives of those who encounter unfairness in the legal system, and we look forward to working with them as we continue the fight for equal justice in Middle Tennessee.”
Drew Goddard will serve through 2022, succeeding Charles K. Grant. Goddard has been a member of the board of directors since 2004 and previously served as first vice president. A graduate of the Duke University School of Law, he is a partner at Bass, Berry & Sims and has focused his practice in the area of environmental law. He chairs the firm’s Environmental Practice group.
Goddard has been a fellow of the American College of Environmental Lawyers since 2008. He previously taught environmental law as an adjunct at Vanderbilt University School of Law for 13 years.
Also joining the board:
Sharon Crane, of Oak Ridge, Tenn., serves on multiple housing boards and is the president of the Holiday Bureau of Anderson County, a nonprofit serving low-income families in Anderson County, which nominated her for the position.
Erin Palmer Polly is an attorney at Butler Snow in Nashville. She was the 2019 chair for Legal Aid Society’s Campaign for Equal Justice, raising more than $830,000, the most in the campaign’s history. She represents the Tennessee Bar Association on the board.
Trey Reliford is a litigation associate at Neil and Harwell in Nashville, where he practices civil litigation and white-collar criminal law. He represents the Napier-Looby Bar Association on the board.
David Weil is an attorney and adjunct professor at Belmont University’s Jack C. Massey School of Law and Tennessee State University’s College of Business. He serves on several corporate boards, including SOAR Healthcare Group and Human Serving Humans Home Care, and will serve as Legal Aid Society’s board treasurer.
Trey Whitfield is an accounting manager at Advent Health Partners in Nashville and will serve as a board intern designee of Nashville’s Young Leaders Council.
These individuals will serve on the board of directors through 2023.
About Legal Aid Society
Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands advocates for fairness and justice under the law. The nonprofit law firm, celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2020, offers free civil legal representation and educational programs to help people in its region receive justice, protect their well-being and support opportunities to overcome poverty. It serves 48 counties from offices in Clarksville, Columbia, Cookeville, Gallatin, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Oak Ridge and Tullahoma. Legal Aid Society is funded in part by United Way.
Learn more at www.las.org or by following the firm on Facebook.
