Frist Art Museum Elects Five New Members to Board of Trustees

The Frist Art Museum has announced that five board members have been elected to the Frist Art Museum Board of Trustees. The new members—Kendra Deas, Bryan Frist, Kent Kirby, Ken Levitan, and Will Meyer—bring broad experience in fields ranging from architecture and entertainment to finance and HR. The new members join current Frist board members Phillip G. Billington, Clay Blevins, Laura Chadwick, Ramon L. Cisneros, Elizabeth Shaughnessy Dennis, Billy Frist (Chair and President), Frank Garrison Jr., Howard C. Gentry Jr., Bob Gordon, Donald R. Hardin Jr., Neil B. Krugman, Wanda Lyle, Dee Patel, Tara Scarlett, Jamaal B. Sheats, John Smithwick, Deborah E. Story, Julie W. Walker, and Gail P. Carr Williams.

Kendra Deas is an accomplished human resources leader with more than 15 years of progressive experience in talent acquisition, employee engagement, and strategic HR management. Currently serving as the vice president of human resources at HealthStream, she has built a distinguished career driving innovative HR practices that prioritize workforce development and organizational culture.

Throughout her professional journey, Deas has held leadership roles at prominent organizations including Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc., IQTalent Partners, Yum! Brands, and National City Bank, where she has consistently demonstrated her ability to develop strategic HR initiatives, manage large-scale workforce needs, and implement transformative talent acquisition strategies.

Deas is deeply committed to community leadership, serving as board chair of the Middle Tennessee YWCA. She is also a 2010 graduate of the Nashville Emerging Leaders Program, demonstrating her dedication to professional and community development. Deas has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisville and is an SHRM Senior Certified Professional, demonstrating her expertise and commitment to the HR profession. 

Bryan Frist is currently the CEO and Co-Founder of Yoshi Mobility, a tech enabled mobility services company backed by Y Combinator, General Motors, ExxonMobil, and Bridgestone. He is also the founder and managing partner of Friale Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm.

Prior, Frist spent three years living and working abroad in China, building the country’s first Sino-American tertiary care hospital group in partnership with the local government. The company was acquired by Bain Capital in 2017.

Frist has been named a winner of the Nashville Business Journal‘s “40 Under 40 Award” as well as one of the Business Journal‘s “Most Admired CEOs.” He earned his undergraduate degree from Princeton University and later graduated from Harvard Business School with honors.

Frist is an active participant in the local community, supporting causes such as the United Way through its Tocqueville Society, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He lives in Nashville with his wife, three kids, and two dogs.

For more than three decades, Kent Kirby has worked closely with individuals and families of significant means, helping them navigate the unique opportunities and challenges their wealth presents. Prior to joining UBS in 2008, he was a private wealth advisor with Merrill Lynch’s Private Banking and Investment Group. As managing director of UBS’s Family Office Partners team, Kirby directs client initiatives across multiple areas: investment management, financial planning, philanthropy, and wealth preservation and transfer services.

Kirby is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, and is very active in the Nashville community, serving on the boards of the Nashville Zoo, KIPP Nashville, and now the Frist Art Museum. When not at work, he enjoys traveling and spending time with his family.  

As the founder of Vector Management, Ken Levitan is part of one of the most formidable artist, lifestyle and brand management companies in the entertainment business today. Levitan has an active role in the successful careers of the company’s diverse list of artists such as the Struts, Peter Frampton, T Bone Burnett, Tom Morello, Molly Tuttle, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Emmylou Harris, John Hiatt, Hank Williams Jr., and others.

Levitan, who has received two Grammy® Awards, is an active member of multiple boards in Nashville where he resides. He is a member and current chairman of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau, a trustee on the Country Music Hall of Fame board, and is a member of the Nashville Health board, the Nashville Zoo board, and now the Frist Art Museum board.

Will Meyer brings more than 30 years of expertise in architecture and design. In 1999, he co-founded Meyer Davis, which has since evolved into a globally recognized, award-winning firm with offices in New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Dubai, and London. Meyer Davis specializes in hospitality, residential, and retail projects.

Born and raised in Nashville, Meyer pursued architecture at Auburn University before launching his career with significant roles at Peter Eisenman Architects and Gwathmey Siegel Associates. His deep passion for the arts is reflected in his work, as well as in his collaborations with museums, galleries, and artists. Beyond design, Meyer is committed to education and mentorship. He serves on the advisory boards of Montgomery Bell Academy and Auburn School of Architecture. His firm sponsors a Portfolio Prize, recognizing outstanding architecture students at Auburn. Meyer is based in Nashville with his wife and children.

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