PNC Foundation Receives Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Philanthropy

The PNC Foundation was formally presented with the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Philanthropy during a recognition ceremony on Nashville State Community College’s North Davidson campus.

In attendance were left to right, Stanley Young, coordinator of advanced academics, Metro Nashville Public Schools; Kim Silverman, associate vice president, extended campuses and high school initiatives, Nashville State Community College; Jeremy Calico, director, high school initiatives, Nashville State Community College; Nancy Eisenbrandt, chair, Nashville State Community College Foundation Board of Trustees; Dr. Shanna L. Jackson, president, Nashville State Community College; Mike Johnson, regional president for Tennessee, PNC; Dr. Adrienne Battle, superintendent, Metro Nashville Public Schools; Melissa Brooks, principal, Whites Creek High School; Dr. Brian Mells, executive director, Metro Nashville Public Schools; Ryan Parker, executive director, Nashville State Community College Foundation.

The prestigious award honors organizations that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to student success through both generous financial support and meaningful volunteer engagement with a TBR institution.

“The Early College program at Whites Creek High School provides a clear pathway for students to complete college, while being supported,” said Dr. Shanna L. Jackson, president of Nashville State Community College. “PNC Foundation’s investment is helping remove barriers and strengthen our Better Together partnership with Metro Schools to increase college readiness and completion.”

The impact of PNC’s support of Nashville State and Metro Nashville Public Schools is clear. The Early College program at Whites Creek High School is made possible through the steadfast commitment of PNC and the PNC Foundation.

In 2021, Nashville State received a $306,000 PNC Foundation grant to launch an Early College partnership with Metro Nashville Public Schools at Whites Creek High School, opening new pathways for students to earn college credentials while still in high school.

“Our collaboration with Nashville State has represented an important step toward closing the educational achievement gap in our community,” said Mike D. Johnson, PNC regional president for Tennessee. “The PNC Foundation’s support is creating lasting pathways for students to succeed by increasing access to higher education and building skills that lead to lifelong economic opportunity.”

That investment is already changing lives. In May 2025, the program celebrated its first cohort, with 21 Whites Creek students earning both their high school diplomas and college degrees, while more than a dozen additional students earned significant college credit.

The program’s momentum continued in May 2026, when a second cohort of 32 students graduated, further expanding access to higher education and opportunity for Nashville’s students.

“The choice of PNC for the TBR Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Philanthropy is so appropriate and fitting,” said Dr. Adrienne Battle, Superintendent of Metro Nashville Public Schools. “We are proud to partner with PNC, with Nashville State, and with the Tennessee Board of Regents to create opportunities to match the talents of our young people at Whites Creek High School.”