Lucy J's Bakery Opens in Crosstown Concourse

Lucy J’s Bakery opened on 901 Day, Saturday Sept. 1, in Crosstown Concourse.

The retail shop offers a daily assortment of croissants, danish, muffins, cakes, pies and breads. The staff also can create custom cakes for special events. The retail shop is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Many of the bakery’s staff are current or former residents of the Dorothy Day House, which provides transitional housing and support for homeless families. Bakery employees earn $15 an hour and receive a health plan through Church Health.

The nonprofit bakery’s board of directors include chair, Scott Ready of Forever Ready Productions; Sister Maureen Griner of the Dorothy Day House; and Ed Cabigao of South of Beale, Zaka Bowl and Interim Restaurant & Bar.

“Our work throughout the years with the Dorothy Day House has shown us that many parents need education and/or job skills, access to health care, a stable job history and professional references and a living wage,” Josh Burgess, the bakery’s executive director, said in a release. “These needs can all be met through employment at the bakery.”

The bakery will serve Ugly Mug coffee on a “pay-what-you-can” scale. Proceeds of the coffee sales are donated to the Dorothy Day House.

For more information, visit www.lucyjbakery.com and www.dorothydaymemphis.org.

-Special to the Daily News

FedEx President/COO To Speak at Aviation Conference in Memphis

A worldwide organization for women who hold leadership positions in aviation and aerospace will host its 30th annual conference in Memphis next month.

The International Aviation Women’s Association will host the conference, “Making Connections in Memphis,” Oct. 24-26 at The Peabody.

David Bronczek, president and COO of FedEx Corp., and Ursula English, vice president of environmental, health and safety at The Boeing Co., will be the keynote speakers. Panel topics will include global markets, trends disrupting the industry, space and big data, as well as sessions on navigating the workplace and developing the workforce pipeline.

Participants also will be on hand for the IAWA Aviation Industry Woman of Excellence Award presentation and interview of Marion Blakey. Blakey, who recently retired as Rolls-Royce North America’s president and CEO, will speak about her aviation career, including leadership positions at the Aerospace Industries Association and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“We encourage female leaders of aviation and aerospace organizations around the world to join us as we connect, inspire and lead to support the advancement of women in our industry,” Alina Nassar, IAWA’s president, said in a release.

Professional development sessions that still have openings include a “Be Mindful” executive education course, for an additional fee, and a tour of the FedEx operations hub. Social outings will include a tour of the National Civil Rights Museum and Graceland.

Registration for the conference is open. More information can be found here. 

-Special to the Daily News

Pulitzer Prize Winner to Lecture at Rhodes

As a part of the Memphis Reads series, author Colson Whitehead will give a lecture, participate in a Q&A and hold a book signing, focused on his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Underground Railroad.”

The event is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 6 at Rhodes College’s McNeill Concert Hall. It is free and open to the public.

The novel, part historical fiction, part dystopian novel, recounts life in the era and slavery and the struggle of African-Americans for freedom, while also capturing the lingering effects of racial subjugation to the present. It won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, the 2016 National Book Award and is a New York Times bestseller

Whitehead’s talk, which will focus on his life and his writings, will be followed by a panel discussion of faculty and students on Whitehead’s book.

His appearance is part of Rhodes’ “Communities in Conversation” lecture series as well as the “Rhodes Reads” series.

Whitehead has published seven other texts and will be releasing a new novel in the summer of 2019.

-Special to the Daily News

Memphis in May Adds Four to Festival Board

Memphis in May International Festival is adding four members to its board of directors for the 2019 festival.

They are Dow McVean, principal of McVean Trading and Investments; Al Gossett, president and CEO of Gossett Motor Cars; Ron Cohen, territory account manager for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. and Pat Kerr Tigrett, chairwoman, president and CEO of Pat Kerr Inc. and a past Memphis in May board member.

Members serve three-year terms.

“Each of these Memphians are passionate about the City of Memphis and the Memphis in May Festival, and we’re excited to have their unique perspectives and talents on our board of directors,” James L. Holt, president and CEO of Memphis in May, said in a news release.

Board officers for 2019 are board chair Barry Yoakum, principal at archimania; chair-elect Charles Ewing, president and CEO of Ewing Moving and Storage; vice chair Leigh Shockey, CEO of Drexel Chemical; treasurer Stacy McCall, CEO and president of ServiceMaster by Stratos; and secretary Austin Baker, president of HRO Partners.

The other board members include local philanthropist Susan Arney; Shannon Brown, SVP and Chief HR & Diversity Officer of FedEx; Doug Browne, president of Peabody Hotels and Resorts; John Carroll, executive director of City Leadership; Jinliang Cai, VP of international business development at the Greater Memphis Chamber; Wei Chen, CEO of Sunshine Enterprises; Kim Denbow, representing the Shelby County Mayor’s office; Ken Moody, representing City of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland; Lenoir Owens, representing Memphis in May volunteer committees; Bathsheba Sams, VP of HR Operations at International Paper. John Farris of the Memphis River Parks Partnership and Kristen Wright, EVP and general counsel at AutoZone, are serving as ex-officio members. Councilman J. Ford Canale of the Memphis City Council and Prince Chambliss with the City of Memphis Attorney’s Office serve as board liaisons.

-Special to the Daily News