The Carnegie Society brings together civic-minded leaders to invest in one of our most vital community resources, Nashville Public Library. Each year, co-chairs are selected for a one-year term to guide the group and offer ideas that strengthen its impact.
This year, the Nashville Public Library Foundation is pleased to announce six individuals as co-chairs for the coming fiscal year: Susan Edwards, Kristin Paine, Joyce Espy Searcy and Walter T. Searcy III, and Caroline and Gary Shockley. These community leaders will help shape the Carnegie Society’s work in the year ahead, supporting literacy, life skills, and connection at Nashville Public Library. Get to know the new co-chairs and the unique expertise each brings to this important role.
Susan Edwards
Susan Edwards is the former Executive Director and CEO of the Frist Art Museum. During her tenure, the Frist was awarded accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums and presented over two hundred critically acclaimed and popular exhibitions. Dr. Edwards holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in art history. She is currently a graduate student in fiction writing at Johns Hopkins University. Throughout her career as a curator and academic, Edwards relied upon public and university libraries and their librarians.
Edwards was appointed Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government in 2011. She was a Founding Fellow at the Liguria Study Center for the Arts & Humanities, Genoa, Italy. She is a member of the Association of Art Museum Directors (former board member), American Alliance of Museums, and the International Council of Museums (ICOM-Paris), where she is on the board of the International Committee for Sustainability. She is a board member of The Porch Nashville and serves on numerous advisory boards.
Kristin Paine
Kristin Paine is a community volunteer with a long history of involvement throughout our city and a professional background in the arts and cultural sector. She joined the Board of Directors of the Nashville Public Library Foundation in 2024, and served as a Co-Chairman of the 2023 Nashville Public Library Award Weekend honoring Kate DiCamillo, the first children’s author to receive this honor at NPLF. She also serves on the Board of The Land Trust for Tennessee, having served as a Co-Chairman of the “Once in a Blue Moon” annual fundraiser in 2022, and is both a certified Master Gardener at the Tennessee Extension and a Tennessee Naturalist at Owl’s Hill Nature Sanctuary.
For over a decade, Kristin previously worked for Cheekwood Estate & Gardens in a number of roles, including Deputy Director of the institution overseeing all External Affairs, Chief Advancement Officer, Director of Campaign, and Senior Director of Special Projects. Prior to her time in Nashville, she worked at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco and at Sotheby’s auction house in New York. Both graduates of the University of Virginia, she and her husband Carter have two children, Palmer and Fite, who attend Ensworth School and Montgomery Bell Academy, and are also involved in LEAD Public Schools, as well as Christ Church Cathedral.
Joyce Espy Searcy and Walter T. Searcy III
Friends at first, Joyce Espy and Walter Searcy frequently met on the closed stack steps of the Fisk University Library, where they collided in debate over a book they had both read. What started as a spirited intellectual exchange and advising each other on their respective romances soon blossomed into deep friendship, and eventually a 54-year marriage built on curiosity, respect, and love. Together, they’ve raised two accomplished women children and now delight in the brilliance of their 11-year-old granddaughter.
Joyce is the Founding Director of the Office of Community Relations at Belmont University and principal of Momentum LLC, her consulting firm. A former National Vice-President for the Mid-States Region of the YWCA, she currently chairs the Board of the Nashville Public Library and serves on the boards of Leadership Nashville and the Rotary Club of Nashville.
Though retired from legal practice, Walter remains a committed servant leader, channeling his time and expertise into public policy and community advancement. He serves on the Community Review Board, Mayor O’Connell’s “Choose How You Move” Advisory Committee, and co-chairs NOAH’s Economic Equity, Jobs & Transportation Task Force. He is also an active Steward at Greater Bethel A.M.E. Church.
Their love for the Nashville Public Library remains strong, especially the Edgehill branch, whose staff nurtured their daughters from infancy through high school. Now, as grandparents and lifelong learners, they continue to invest in the people and places that shaped their journey.
Caroline and Gary Shockley
For over 30 years, Caroline has enjoyed serving the community through volunteering for local non-profit organizations and foundations. She has had the privilege to serve on the Junior League of Nashville Executive Board, Westminster School for Young Children Chair, University School of Nashville Parent Organization President, and West End Home Foundation Board President. This year, Caroline is looking forward to being Chair of The Women’s Fund and being a Co-Chair of The Carnegie Society of the Nashville Public Library Foundation. Professionally, she enjoyed a career in banking and as a consultant for workforce development and relocation. Gary and Caroline have two adult sons who live in Nashville. In her spare time, she loves to travel, read, see movies at the Belcourt, and spend time at the library.
Gary Shockley is a Tennessee native, a proud UT alum, and a lawyer in Nashville. He has served on the Board of Governors of the Tennessee Bar Association and in leadership roles in his firm and church. He has published more than 25 articles and book reviews, often on legal or historical topics. When not spending time with family, he enjoys travel, reading, running, and playing music.
Thank you to Susan, Kristin, Joyce, Walter, Caroline, and Gary for serving as this year’s Carnegie Society co-chairs!