A woman who made a transition from 30 years in the banking business to a prominent role in the fashion industry will share her expertise with MTSU students and the public.

Van Tucker

Van Tucker, chief executive officer of the Nashville Fashion Alliance, will speak to textile, merchandising and design majors at 11:20 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 20, in Room N116 of MTSU’s Cason-Kennedy Nursing Building.

The event is free and open to the public.

A searchable campus parking map is available at http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParking2015-16. Off-campus visitors attending the event should obtain a special one-day permit from MTSU’s Office of Parking and Transportation at www.mtsu.edu/parking/visit.php.

Tucker left banking in 2008 to start a consulting firm after a career of helping professionals in the creative arts build business structures.

After realizing that fashion was a creative endeavor that needed a business infrastructure, she joined with community leaders in fashion and commerce to create the Nashville Fashion Alliance in May 2015.

“Van Tucker has one of the best business and organizational minds in Middle Tennessee,” said Rick Cottle, an assistant professor in the MTSU Department of Human Sciences.

“She is passionate about the apparel/fashion industry in the Midstate and has utilized her expertise in the founding of the Nashville Fashion Alliance.”

For more information, contact Cottle at 615-494-8752 or rick.cottle@mtsu.edu. To learn more about the Nashville Fashion Alliance, go to www.nashvillefashionalliance.com.

— Gina K. Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)