Click Here To Listen Nashville Business 100 Leading African Americans Perri Dugard Owens

PERRI DUGARD OWENS | President & CEO of duGard Communications (dGC) – is an experienced communications, public relations and marketing professional and has developed strategies and programs for clients of varying sizes and multiple industries. She brings proven leadership in developing media relations initiatives, launching major brands, creating measurable results, along with building awareness to achieve goals through various media channels. Her experience includes internal, external and crisis communications, advertising, social media and digital strategy. As a result, Perri has been able to utilize her skills in meaningful ways within transit/transportation, healthcare, non-profit, music/entertainment, tourism, financial services, faith-based and religious institutions as well as several other industries. She has served in leadership roles that include developing public relations, social media and community relations strategies for AECOM, HDRInc., Let’s Move Nashville/Metro’s Transportation Solution, the Clarksville Transit Authority, East Tennessee Human Resource Agency (Morristown, TN) and Johnson City Transit.

She has also built presence for national organizations, creating the marketing and public relations presence for the National Museum of African American Music, and winning awards for her work with NMAAM. Additionally, her work with NMAAM resulted in over $2.75 million raised, with direct correlation to communication strategies that she developed and executed with her team. In her first year with the organization, she increased media coverage over 1600% and built media relationships for the organization locally and nationally. She has also served in lead communications roles for non-profits like the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, DCI Donor Services and Southwest Transplant Alliance, the latter of which tapped her to build their PR department, developing and executing a full marketing/communications strategy which garnered a 950% increase in media placement. re-branding and direct correlation to increases in community engagement and donor registry. Additionally, Perri has served as marketing director with HCA’s TriStar Health System, vice president of marketing and communications for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and account supervisor with BOHAN.

Perri earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from North Carolina Central University. She currently serves on the board of directors for Choral Arts Link, Inc., Family and Children’s Service, Metro Nashville Municipal Auditorium (appointed by Mayor Megan Barry) and Nashville Children’s Theater. She formerly served on the board of directors for Nashville Education, Community & Arts Television (NECAT), Nashville Business Incubation Center, Matthew Walker Health Clinic, Youth Encouragement Services and Safe Haven, among others. Perri has received several honors and was a recipient of The Tennessean’s Top 40 Under 40 award, is an inaugural member of Nashville Emerging Leaders and was named INROADS/Nashville Alumnus of the Year.

In 2017, dGC won two Parthenon Awards and two Awards of Merit Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) awards:

Parthenon Awards
Press Conference/Media Event: NMAAM’s Darius Rucker/National Chairperson press conference to launch My Music Matters: A Celebration of Legends Week, announced significant funding received from the State of Tennessee
Brand Recognition: My Music Matters Week 2016 – Building brand recognition for a future national treasure through national media, press conference, brand development for Legends Lunch, Policy & Advocacy committee and specially designed Sips & Stanzas
Award of Merit:
Special Events: Nashville Bar Association’s 10-Year Anniversary of Chief Justice A.A. Birch Building and Commemorative Statue Unveiling
Multicultural Communications: Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority – Celebrating Black History Month through Flight and Sound

To learn more about Perri and what she does at dGC, visit duGard Communications‘ website.