Menu
The Gallatin area has so much to offer and we are eager to help you continue to make the most of it. Let us help you experience the support of our team, educate the community about your offerings, and engage with other members in meaningful ways.
Kim Baker began work with the Gallatin Area Chamber of Commerce in November 2013 and was named CEO in February 2015.
Calling Gallatin home since 2000, Kim is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Communication as well as University of Tennessee Center for Industrial Services, where she obtained her Tennessee Certified Economic Developer (TCEcD) designation. Additionally, Kim completed the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce Executives Institute as well as four years of U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute, obtaining the designation “IOM”. In 2020, Kim was selected to be a member of the 4th cohort of the US Chamber Foundation’s Business Leads Fellowship Program and is currently participating with other local and state Chambers to address pressing education and workforce challenges, nationwide.
Kim is a graduate of the Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee’s Transit Citizen Leadership Academy and the Leadership Sumner program, currently serves as a board member for Tennessee Association of Community Leadership (TACL), as a co-director for the Leadership Sumner Youth program, and the program coordinator for the Chamber’s recently launched, Leadership Gallatin. Additionally, Kim serves as a board member for Recovery Court of Sumner County as well as on the committee for the Sumner County Work Release Program. Kim considers herself to be a lifelong learner, valuing the importance of education in our community, and enjoys serving on the Gallatin First Presbyterian Preschool Board of Directors, Volunteer State Community College Foundation’s Annual Educate a Woman luncheon planning committee as well as on the Career and Technical Education Advisory Panels at her alma mater, Gallatin High School, and also Station Camp High School. As an alumna of Pope John Paul II High School, too, she is proud to serve as a member of their recently developed Innovation Advisory Team.
Kim and the Chamber are founding partners of StartUp Gallatin, a program focused on helping local entrepreneurs realize their dreams and equipping them with the tools, resources, and connections to do so. She currently serves as the lead facilitator for the program.
Prior to joining the Chamber team, Kim spent many years in the service industry tending bar as well as working as a nanny for local families. Because of this, Kim still enjoys free-lance bartending and working with children. Sometimes, you can find her and her husband serving as “local celebrity” bartenders at fundraisers where they donate their time and she considers some of her best days when she’s invited to read to local kiddos!
Kim is a Wonder Woman enthusiast (you won’t ever see the two of them at the same time – think about that), has a niche for event planning, and is passionate about small business as well as local growth and development. When Kim is not spreading the local love around Gallatin, she enjoys spending time just about anywhere with her history-lovin’ husband, Ryan, almost-an-Eagle Scout bonus son, Hayden, and wild, redheaded daughter, Annlyn Graham. Add their wild hound dog, Georgia, to the mix, and you can officially say Gallatin, Tennessee has a circus!
Zena Rodgers Parks began work with the Gallatin Area Chamber of Commerce in February 2007 as Assistant Director and was named Chief Operating Officer in November 2014. She celebrated her 12th year with the Chamber in 2019. Before coming to the Gallatin Chamber, Zena worked in the Optometry field as an Optometric Assistant and Administrative Assistant for over 20 years. She was also licensed in health, life, property and casualty insurance.
Zena is a lifelong resident of Gallatin, contributing a wealth of knowledge of the community to the Chamber and its visitors. She attended Middle Tennessee State University where she studied Business Administration. Zena completed her training in the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce Executives Institute in March of 2009 and continues to attend continuing education courses throughout the year.
She has served as Vice President of Historic Cragfont and on the Board of Directors for the Friends of the Gallatin Downtown Library. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Greater Gallatin, Inc. Zena was also active in the Junior Service League of Gallatin where she served on the Fundraising committee, the Board of Directors, as Secretary and President in 2009-2010. In 2007 she won the Junior Service League’s President’s Award.
In addition to her community involvement, Zena is quite the craftsman with her fabulously designed jewelry pieces created by hand and inspired by her nieces, Ella and Grace. She enjoys attending live sporting events as well as a variety of musical performances in and around the Nashville area. Zena loves to travel and is always looking forward to her next adventure.
Debby Haddock has been with the Chamber since the summer of 2010. As Director of Sales her main responsibility is handling the advertising sales for the annual Chamber publication, as well as membership and sponsorship sales.
Although a native of the Pittsburgh, PA, area, Debby lived in New Orleans for over 35 years and considers herself a true Southerner at heart—after all, her mother was from Texas. Debby and her family moved to Gallatin from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. She has been a Jazzercise Franchised Instructor since 1989 and owned two Jazzercise locations employing seven other instructors in the New Orleans area before moving here. She still teaches Jazzercise in Gallatin for a local Franchisee. Because of being a self-employed small business owner herself, Debby is able to understand the challenges many of our local business owners tackle to achieve success, especially advertising and marketing.
Debby and her family embraced Gallatin with a passion and feel very much at home here. The people, the beauty, and the lifestyle of Gallatin certainly made it easy to fall in love with Tennessee!
Debby’s husband, Doug, is a pharmaceutical sales representative. They have two grown sons, Alexander (and his wife named Angie) and Holden, who live in the area. Alexander and Angie had a baby boy named Charlie in November 2018, so Debby can add “Grandma” to her resume. She is also very proud of the fact that both of her sons are Eagle Scouts. Her hobbies include making pearl jewelry, traveling, and spending time with family—especially at our local restaurants.
Angela is the smiling face you see when you walk into the Chamber office.
After spending 27 years in Air Force life and being lucky enough to travel the world, Angela and her family decided to settle down in Gallatin in 2016. This transition was the first time Angela ever planted real roots for anywhere longer than 4 years so they had to pick a good place she says! The strong sense of community, along with the beautiful landscapes, amazing schools, and the small-town charm, were the main reasons they chose Gallatin.
She attended both Penn State University and the University of South Carolina where she studied Mass Communication. Additionally, Angela completed the first year of Tennessee Chamber of Commerce Executives Institute in March 2019 with plans to finish in 2020.
Prior to joining the Chamber team, Angela launched her own business, Anderson Lane Photography, capturing special life moments for her clients.
With a background in photography and marketing, her role as the Chamber’s Member Experience Assistant is to make sure we are getting your businesses news and events out into the community to reach as many people as possible. She’s also there to help you with the ins and outs of navigating your Chamber membership.
When Angela isn’t helping our members at the Chamber, she can be found cheering on Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles as well as spending time with her husband Gary while attempting to capture and photograph precious memories for their children Aiden, Brady, and Isabella and spending far too much money at Target (unless her husband is reading this; in that case, she just strolls around looking at things).
Fun, vibrant, and compassionate about others and her community, Christy is the newest staff member to the Gallatin Area Chamber of Commerce. After years of travel in the United States and abroad, Christy became a permanent resident of Gallatin in 2008.
A native of North Louisiana, Christy studied at the University of Louisiana at Monroe before following her passion for kids and traveling. From 2002-2007 she traveled as a team member with the gospel group The Martins and the bluegrass gospel group The Isaacs. While on tour with both groups, Christy fell in love with Tennessee. After her tenure with the gospel groups, she decided to remain in the Nashville area and quickly knew Gallatin was the place to make her home. With her extensive knowledge of the music and touring industry, Christy was an asset at local coach leasing companies and continues to maintain relationships in the music industry.
A small-town girl at heart, Christy says what she loves best about Gallatin is the people. She is an avid supporter of local businesses and can be seen around town at many events throughout the year. Christy brings her enthusiasm and love of community to the Chamber.
In Christy’s spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Allen, their son, Gibson, and Goldendoodle, Louie. Strolling around town, bicycling down the greenway, and planning DIY projects for the honey-do list are just a few of her favorite activities.
Paul Vaughn started at the Gallatin Chamber in the fall of 2020, interning as part of his senior project at Gallatin High School. Less than four months into his internship, he was offered a position to come on staff as a Marketing & Event Assistant. Though he has spent his entire life in Gallatin, he enjoys learning new things and meeting new people every day working at the Chamber.
One of Paul’s favorite activities is skiing in Beaver Creek, Colorado, with his family. He is a sweet tea fanatic, and his favorite shows include Gossip Girl, Dynasty, and Big Brother. It is not uncommon to see him walk in the office with a Chick Fil A bag in hand, as he frequents there at least twice a week. His favorite musician of all time is Taylor Swift. When asked what his favorite movie is, he would say The Sound of Music. Paul is a perfectionist and likes to keep things spit-spot and in their place, so he is constantly reorganizing and cleaning up the office.
At Gallatin High School, Paul was a dedicated member of GHS DECA and attended many conferences and competitions at the district, state, and national levels. He also served as a GHS Student Ambassador for two years, giving tours to community members & prospective students and working in the Anchor Shop. He was also a member of the National Honor Society and was a very committed student.
In the fall of 2021, Paul plans to attend the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and pursue a major in Business Management with a minor in Hospitality & Tourism Management. We will be sad to see him go, but we are so excited for his future and know he will come visit often!
