Jim Haslam, center, poses with actors James McGuire and Alison Feike of the Clarence Brown Theatre. They were "living mannequins" at the Moxley Carmichael client party.
To celebrate the great time we are having in our new offices in the historic Miller’s Department Store building at 445 S. Gay Street, we made “coming back to Miller’s” the theme of our annual mid-winter client party this year.
The invitation had historic photos from Miller’s in its heyday. And we chose the time setting for our party as 1947, the year Miller’s became the first building in Knoxville to install escalators, a move which they said at the time heralded “a vast program of progress and change.”
About 300 people took us up on our invitation and flocked to our offices on the third floor – it’s not Women’s Sportswear anymore! Our friend Shawn Hines from Knoxville Catering and Special Events whipped up some vintage eats in keeping with our theme: deviled eggs, cucumber sandwiches, pigs ‘n blankets, sweet and sour meatballs, shrimp cocktail, pimento cheese-stuffed celery and finger sandwiches. Samuel Franklin, our florist, provided old fashioned calla lily arrangements and the wonderful Johnson Swingtet played period jazz music.
I thought the flowers were stunning.
Historic black-and-white photos of the building were on display throughout our office space. Two guests — former Vice Mayor Jack Sharp and restaurateur Mike Connor’s mother, Helen Connor — paid particular attention to the photo of the last trolley run on Gay Street. They remembered being there when it happened. Mrs. Connor also used to work at Miller’s, which was fun to hear about.
As a special touch, we hired two actors from Clarence Brown Theatre, James McGuire and Alison Feike, to dress in vintage clothes and be “living mannequins,” posing with our guests throughout the evening. They were terrific!
Among those reliving old times at the soiree were Jim and Natalie Haslam, Jim Clayton, Knox County Mayor Tim and Allison Burchett, State Sen. Jamie and Bill Woodson, State Rep. Ryan Haynes, Nick and Joy Pavlis, Joe Bailey, Brad and Jennifer Anders, Mike Brown, Duane and Marsha Grieve, R. Larry and Sharon Smith, Brenda and Don Palmer, Dave Wright, Lindsay and John Duncan III, Mintha and Jon Roach, Larry and Jane Martin, Bill Lyons, Judge Tom Varlan, Judge Charles Susano, Judge John Rosson, Arthur and Susan Seymour, Jerry and Susan Becker, Barbara and Bernie Bernstein and Robert Campbell.
Other business types were Dale Keasling, Debra Smith, Rick Johnson, Mary Ellen Brewington, Kevin and Leann Burris, Mary Bogert, Leanna Belew, Kim Beets, Dennis Upton, Susan Edwards, Pam Jordan, Amy Styles, Max Shell, Tom and Deanene Catani, Kathy Darnell, Craig and Melissa Liston, Jack Hammontree, Jerry Harnish, Dennis Rowe, Kim Sepesi, Phyllis and Jim Nichols, Carolyn Pointer Neil, Burt and Carolyn Rosen, Lara Potts, Robin Hawn, Bill Regas, and Pace and Karen Robinson.
Media types included Patrick Birmingham, Bruce Hartmann, Janet Testerman, Chris and Martha Baker, Cindy Hassil, Harry and Victoria Moskos, Erin Donovan, Bill and Wanda Williams, Charley and Patsy Daniel, Scott Barker, Rebecca Ferrar, Betty Bean, Georgiana Vines, Vivian Vega, Barbara Aston-Wash, Mary Constantine, Donna Colburn, Michael Patrick, Terry Morrow and Shirley Nash-Pitts.
Visitors from Nashville included Janet McGaha, Hannah Parker, and Courtney and Carolyn Pearre.
Here are some photos from our fun annual event:
The living mannequins were show stoppers! Look at David Collins' mouth!
Jayne DeFiore reacts!
JIm Clayton took them in stride, of course!
Ranee Randby of the Knox County Health Department looks like she's trying to converse with them.
Folks seemed to enjoy the vintage food.
I loved the watermelon carving!
From left: Knox County Trustee John and Lindsay Duncan III, Sharon and County Commissioner R. Larry Smith
From left: WBIR's Erin Donovan, Tami and Bruce Hartmann
From left: Mintha Roach, Debra Smith, Dale Keasling, Joe Johnson and Bill Rukeyser
Allison and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett, center, pose with the actors, James McGuire and Alison Feike
From left: Harry and Victoria Moskos, Billy Tindell, Jim and Natalie Haslam
Kim Trent, center, poses with City Councilman Nick and Joy Pavlis
State Rep. Ryan Haynes and State Sen. Jamie Woodson
County Commissioner Dave Wright, left, with Wanda and Bill Williams, the beloved WBIR anchorman
Lawyers Jerry Becker, left, and Bernie Bernstein. Wonder what they are discussing!
County Commissioner Mike Brown, left, with former Vice Mayor Jack Sharp, center, and former City Councilman Gary Underwood
Carlyn Grieve and her dad, City Councilman Duane Grieve. Carlyn is a former Moxley Carmichael intern and it was great seeing her again.
Jack Hammontree, executive vice president of the McMinn County Economic Development Authority, and Knoxville mayoral candidate Madeline Rogero
Katie and Knoxville mayoral candidate Mark Padgett pose near the living mannequins.
Patsy Daniel and hubby Charlie, the editorial cartoonist for the News Sentinel. Patsy dressed in circa 1947 attire!
Here's a close-up of the authentic mink on her collar!
John Mills of Rural/Metro, right, and Judge Charles Susano
Federal Judge Tom Varlan, left, and Knox County Mayor Tim and Allison Burchett
County Commissioners Dave Wright, left, and Brad Anders
Barbara Aston-Wash, left, chats with Natalie Haslam and Sam Maynard
Bill Regas and his daughter, Sharon Scott
Debra Smith and Bob Page, both of Home Federal, study the living mannequins.
Former City Councilmen Larry Cox, left, and Jack Sharp kid around with Betty Bean of the Shopper-News.
Mary Ellen Brewington of Cherokee Distributing and Craig Shelton of The Drawing Room.
We served only the beers from our great client Cherokee Distributing at our party.
Chris Davis of The Drawing Room is tickled by something! That's Susan Brown in the yellow, Sara Rose to the right and Jenny Hines to the left.
From left: Richard and Bette Bryan, Bill and Sharon Laing
Children's Hospital CEO Keith Goodwin, center, with Dawn and Richard Ford
The food line stayed full.
We heard raves on the deviled eggs.
E.W. Scripps exec Bruce Hartmann, left, visited with his former colleague Harry Moskos and his wife, Victoria.
From left: Erin and former City Councilman Rob Frost, Scott Barker of the News Sentinel and Bill Lyons of the city of Knoxville
Georgiana Vines of the News Sentinel and her special friend, Gideon Fryer
From left, photographer Jack Rose, Vivian Vega of the News Sentinel, and Duncan Mansfield of TVA
Cute pic! Erin Donovan, left, of WBIR, and Janet Testerman, editor of Knoxville Magazine
Jim and Natalie Haslam
Jennifer Holder, left, with Mark and Laura Heinz
Leann and Kevin Burris with their son, Charlie, right, a former Moxley Carmichael intern.
Maribel Koella, left, and Elaine Streno of Second Harvest, a wonderful new client of Moxley Carmichael.
Dr. Margo Uri Simmons, left, and KUB CEO Mintha Roach
County Commissioner Mike Brown, left, and Rural/Metro Fire Chief Jerry Harnish
These are our fun new clients from PetSafe and their friends. From left: Kris Rhea, Robin Hawn, Lindsey Hughes, Laura Potts and Jordan Culp
Larry Martin of the city of Knoxville helps Patsy Daniel at the food table.
This is one of my favorite local bands, The Johnson Swingtet. We appreciate them playing for us!
Terry Morrow of the News Sentinel and WBIR's Erin Donovan
From left: Federal Judge Tom Varlan, KUB's Dennis Upton, Dr. Walter and Lynne Fain, and Gwen Brown
Zane Duncan, right, with his fiancee Hallie Richards
Steve Seifried, left, of the Knoxville Botanical Gardens, with Karen and Don Sproles of The Lunchbox
Sharon Pryse, left, with Don and Carol Parnell
Former Vice Mayor Jack and Doris Sharp with the mannequins. (I always called him the "Mayor of Vice!" Lovingly, of course.)
Long-time County Commissioner Mary Lou Horner, center, with her friends Seprenia and Richard Spille
Dr. Robert and Edwina Harvey with Warren Neel, right
Hannah Lee Parker and Harlow Sumerford. Hannah is one of those Knoxvillians who moved to Nashville to work for Gov. Bill Haslam.
Ellen Adcock and Jim Warchol
Covenant's Amy Styles, center, chats with Andie Ray, left, and WUOT's Cindy Hassil, right.
Former State Sen. Ben and Sue Atchley, at left, with County Commissioner Dave Wright
South College's Barbara Brimi and Gary Taylor
From left: Lawyer Jerry Becker, Lynda Evans of Dogwood Arts Festival, Realtor Bart Mitchell, and Gay Lyons of Knoxville Magazine and the News Sentinel
Bernie and Barbara Bernstein with Sara Rose, right
Billie Spicuzza of KCDC and her husband, Frank
Bob Marquis and Jane Martin
From left: Christi Branscom, Janet Testerman and Chris Davis
Justin and Kristin Cazana
Katie Kline, left, with Margaret and Clifford Rodgers
Dr. Joe DeFiore on the window sill in my office
From left: David Martin, Bob Campbell and Melinda Meador
Realtor Jim Nichols and Phyllis Nichols, president and CEO of the Knoxville Area Urban League
Carolyn and Courtney Pearre, right, came in from Nashville.
Our client Carolyn Pointer Neil, center, of Elder Advocates, flanked by Peter Acly and Ellen Robinson
Natalie Haslam, left, with Knox County Trustee John Duncan III and his wife, Lindsay
We even had door prizes! Cherokee Distributing donated this very hip cooler and our friend Bob Petrone of B&T Distributors gave us a case each of red and white wine! We had a drawing and County Commissioner Ed Shouse won the cooler, Kevin Burris of Premier Surgical won the white wine, and Mary Constantine of the News Sentinel won the red wine! Congrats!
Here are the prizes!
Professional partiers! These friends of ours from the Knoxville Convention Center hung with us to the bitter end! From left: Leanna Belew, Kim Beets and Mary Bogert. At right is Tami Hartmann of Moxley Carmichael
Scott Bird and Alan Carmichael at the end of the night. I think this photo kind of speaks for itself.
Photo credits: All photos by freelance photographer Wade Payne and Julie Bernal of Moxley Carmichael.
If you’d like to see even MORE photos of the party, click here to go to our Flickr page.
To read about our party last year, click here.
Looks like a great time was had by all! Glad the actors were a hit!
Robin: They were a tremendous hit! Thanks so much for helping us arrange for them. Their outfits were perfect, too! Missed you, though.
Best photo of Jim and Phyllis Nichols ever!
The photo of Scott & Alan is hilarious!
What a fun event — and a great way to highlight the history of our new digs!
We worked really hard on the theme. But, as everyone knows, it’s the people that make a party fun! We had the best guests!
Thought bubble caption for last photo:
Scott: “Take the picture NOW.”
Alan: “Is Krystal’s still open?”
Scott: Hahaha!
Your parties are always the best fun!!!!! Miss you in the neighborhood, but always look forward to the Blue Streak!!
Glo
Great party! Enjoyed seeing everyone.
This looks amazing!
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