Catholic Business League

04/10/2026

In our first meeting after Easter Sunday, we are so grateful to Lauren Webb for sharing such a vast array of knowledge with all of us the current priorities and debates unfolding at the state legislature!

Webb covered the proposed budget, then highlighted policy discussions around health care, immigration, education and much more ... including a benefit to those interested in our state animal, the raccoon.

Click here for a full recap of the meeting! https://lnkd.in/evrzyYkn

03/26/2026

The Catholic Business League is excited to welcome Lauren Webb, a Nashville attorney and government affairs professional — and a Class of 2025 member of Leadership Catholic — to our next Breakfast Meeting on April 9!

A parishioner of Holy Family in Brentwood, Lauren has worked for more than a decade within state government, where she developed strong relationships with both the Tennessee General Assembly and the executive branch. Her work focuses on state government, policy strategy, government finance, and procurement, and she has worked closely with state and local leaders across a range of issues.

Since beginning her career in 2013, she has worked with the General Assembly to pass more than 125 pieces of legislation and has been actively involved in hundreds of additional bills. Her time in state government has provided the opportunity to work on a wide variety of issues and to engage directly with officials in all three branches of state government, local government leaders, and numerous stakeholders across Tennessee.

Prior to founding her firm in the fall of 2025, Lauren served on Governor Bill Haslam’s Legislative Team and as the Legislative Director for the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury. Lauren studied at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and received her law degree from Southern Illinois University School of Law. She is a member of the Tennessee Archaeological Advisory Council and serves on the Adoption Project’s Policy Committee.

The meeting begins at 7:30 a.m. in the Fleming Center at The Cathedral of the Incarnation. Mass is offered at 7:00 a.m.

All are welcome!

03/18/2026

Ever used an online recommendation to make a choice between products or vendors? What if you knew somebody who knew somebody? Even better! Come network with members of both the Catholic Business League and Nashville Catholic Business Women's League to build those connections yourself!

Join us on March 25 at 5:30pm for a joint Happy Hour at Coco’s Event Center (5105 Alabama Ave, Nashville, TN 37209). We'll have a cash bar to go along with delicious appetizers and plenty of networking throughout the evening! The event is free for members of CBL or NCBWL, or $15 for guests!

Please RSVP so that we can gauge attendance accordingly: https://www.ncbwl.org/event-details/joint-happy-hour-cbl-and-ncbwl

See you soon!

Ever used an online recommendation to make a choice between products or vendors? What if you knew somebody who knew somebody? Even better! Come meet the business people of the Catholic Business League and Nashville Catholic Business League and build those connections yourself!

03/09/2026

The founder of TomKats Hospitality. A pioneer in the revitalization of downtown Nashville. A product of Nashville Catholic schools. And one of the loudest advocates for saving the authenticity of an ever-changing Nashville: restaurateur Tom Morales.

Tom’s love for the city and dedication to its continued growth has led to several nationally acclaimed restaurants — including The Southern Steak & Oyster and Acme Feed & Seed — and we are excited to welcome him to our Breakfast Meeting on Thursday, March 12 to discuss Nashville's food scene and his family's experiences growing up in the Nashville Catholic community.

The meeting begins at 7:30 a.m. in the Fleming Center at The Cathedral of the Incarnation. Mass is offered at 7:00 a.m. All are welcome!

02/25/2026

Join us for the March 12 meeting of the Catholic Business League to hear Nashville restaurateur, businessman and civic voice Tom Morales. Tom will talk about Nashville's food scene and his and his family's experiences growing up in the Nashville Catholic community. The breakfast meeting begins at 7:30am in the Fleming Center of the Cathedral of the Incarnation. More information is available at https://catholicbusinessleague.org/events/march-2026-breakfast-meeting.

02/04/2026

We hope that all of you have persevered safely through the winter ice storm that has upended life in Nashville over the last couple of weeks.

As we look to rebound as a community, we would like to remind all of you to join us for our next breakfast meeting on Thursday, February 12!

The meeting begins at 7:45 a.m. in the Fleming Center at The Cathedral of the Incarnation. Mass is offered at 7:00 a.m. All are welcome!

01/08/2026

We were so pleased to welcome an engaged group for our first meeting of 2026! Our meeting this morning featured a pair of speakers, followed by some reflection and small-group discussions as we embark on a new year.

One of the primary intentions for the Catholic Business League is growing our organization, so we plan to be more intentional about integrating with other like-minded organizations in the area, including Young Catholic Professionals (YCP) Nashville — represented by Vanderbilt University Medical Center resident physician Roman E.G. Gusdorf, MD — and the NASHVILLE CATHOLIC BUSINESS WOMENS LEAGUE INC.

After Margaret A. Smith and Patricia M. Smith briefly discussed their experiences with Leadership Catholic and the NCBWL, respectively, CBL President Amy Sutton came forward with some prompts for attendees to consider in setting prayerful intentions for the upcoming year.
1. If 2026 had a single word to define how you show up, what would it be?
2. What do you want your business/career to be known for by the end of the year?
3. Where are you being invited to trust more deeply this year?
4. Fill in the blank: In 2026, I choose to live and lead with ___________.

After responding to the prompts, attendees discussed their thoughts in small groups with those around them at their tables. As we wrapped up the meeting, several members told us that this “table talk” discussion style was quite impactful, so we’ll be keeping it in mind for future meetings!

And speaking of future meetings, we look forward to seeing you all year long for our monthly meetings on the second Thursday of every month, and at Power Networking on the third Thursday of each month. Thank you to all who attended today’s meeting, and all the best to you in 2026!

For more on today’s meeting, visit: https://lnkd.in/ghW7_Vxb

01/07/2026

Happy New Year to all of our devoted Catholic Business League members!

Tomorrow's meeting will feature a variety of segments. As we move into 2026 and New Year's resolutions are top of mind for so many of us, we'll invite you all to think about them as well – from the perspectives of your faith, your personal life, and your career.

We'll also have some time for small-group discussions and networking throughout the morning, and we'll be welcoming representatives from Leadership Catholic, the Nashville Catholic Business Women's League, and the Nashville chapter of Young Catholic Professionals to speak briefly as well.

The meeting begins at 7:45 a.m. in the Fleming Center at The Cathedral of the Incarnation. Mass is offered at 7:00 a.m. All are welcome!

12/14/2025

John Gromos (Turner Construction Company) was honored as the 2025 Catholic Professional of the Year by the Catholic Business League, accepting the award in front of more than 80 members and guests at our breakfast meeting on Thursday at Cathedral. We were also delighted to welcome Mosaic, the Show Choir at Father Ryan High School, to begin our meeting with a wonderful selection of Christmas carols.

“I consider this such a great honor,” Gromos said in his opening remarks. “What a great organization – I’ve seen the Catholic Business League grow over the years, and I’ve had the pleasure of speaking here several times.”

Gromos saluted the previous winners of the Catholic Professional of the Year award, as well as the exemplary leadership of Most Reverend J. Mark Spalding, Bishop of the Diocese of Nashville. “We’re so blessed to have the leadership that he provides, and the positive energy … that he brings with him everywhere he goes and everything he does, and I think that’s an inspiration for me and for others to figure out how we emulate that even stronger, because that leadership is so important and makes such an impact.”

Emphasizing the power of relationships in leadership and career growth, Gromos continued: “Those relationships really lead to connections, to our networks. The Catholic Business League started as a networking organization and continues to do great work in that regard as well. So there’s an investment that we all have to make in relationships and networking. It’s a two-way street: In order to get something from the network, you have to give something to the network too.”

As a Vanderbilt University alumnus and former radio analyst, Gromos noted with a smile, “If I could vote in the Heisman, I know exactly where my Heisman vote would be, and it would bring me great joy if Diego Pavia could figure out a way to win that Heisman,” concluding with the “Anchor Down” that Commodore fans know well.

The Catholic Business League thanks John Gromos for his continued leadership through Catholic faith, and congratulates him once again as the 2025 Catholic Professional of the Year.

12/08/2025

REMINDER: Join us at our breakfast meeting on Thursday (December 11) as we honor John Gromos as the Catholic Business League's 2025 Catholic Professional of the Year! We are also delighted to welcome Mosaic, Father Ryan High School's Show Choir, to our meeting as they perform a selection of Christmas carols.

A parishioner of St. Henry and father of two Father Ryan alumnae, John has been in Nashville for four decades – and has been part of many major projects that have marked the city's growth. John came to Vanderbilt University from Chicago and was a three-year quarterback for the Commodores. He joined Smith Seckman Reid, Inc. — a local design services company — upon graduation, and ultimately rose to the rank of Vice President.

After more than 13 years with SSR, he joined Turner Construction Company in March 2004, and has remained there ever since, now a Senior Vice President and Director of Turner’s National Sports and Assembly Group. Turner is one of the primary firms involved in the construction of the new Nissan Stadium (home of the Tennessee Titans), and his leadership has been integral as the stadium has risen.

We look forward to celebrating John's expansive accomplishments — and hearing his insights on the role of his faith in his executive leadership — in addition to hearing Mosaic as we await the Nativity of Our Lord!

The meeting begins at 7:45 a.m. in the Fleming Center at The Cathedral of the Incarnation. Mass is offered at 7:00 a.m. All are welcome!

11/24/2025

The Catholic Business League thrives on exceptional leadership, and we are excited to honor John Gromos as the Catholic Business League's 2025 Catholic Professional of the Year, at our breakfast meeting on December 11. We are also delighted to welcome Mosaic, Father Ryan High School's Show Choir, to our meeting as they perform a selection of Christmas carols.

A parishioner of St. Henry and father of two Father Ryan alumnae, John has been in Nashville for four decades – and has been part of many major projects that have marked the city's growth. John came to Vanderbilt University from Chicago and was a three-year quarterback for the Commodores. Upon graduating from Vanderbilt with a degree in mechanical engineering, he joined Smith Seckman Reid, Inc., a local design services company, and rose to the rank of Vice President.

After more than 13 years with SSR, he joined Turner Construction Company in March 2004, and has remained there ever since, now a Senior Vice President and Director of Turner’s National Sports and Assembly Group. Turner is one of the primary firms involved in the construction of the new Nissan Stadium (home of the Tennessee Titans), and his leadership has been integral as the stadium has risen.

We look forward to celebrating John's expansive accomplishments — and hearing his insights on the role of his faith in his executive leadership — in addition to hearing Mosaic as we await the Nativity of Our Lord!

The meeting begins at 7:45 a.m. in the Fleming Center at The Cathedral of the Incarnation. Mass is offered at 7:00 a.m. All are welcome!