Pam Lewis, FRSA, FOUNDER OF PLA MEDIA
Since its inception in 1754, the prestigious society has bestowed honor to 30,000 individuals for “outstanding achievements and social changes and development.” Along with her entrepreneurship and business success, RSA judges chose Lewis for her decades of charity work, social activism, and generous philanthropy.
Lewis’s recent RSA induction groups her in an elite group of leaders. FSA fellows include Benjamin Franklin, Martin Luther King Jr., Judi Dench, David Attenborough, Prince Charles, Helen Keller, Stephen Hawking, Anne Frank, and Marie Curie. As a fellow, she is titled to include FRSA after her name.
“I am honored and pleasantly surprised to be bestowed this title, most especially in 2022 during her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee Year, commemorating her 70-year reign. I am very grateful to join this historic group of change-makers and, moreover, inspired to do more for the world,” enthuses Lewis.
Lewis is currently involved in a global mental health and music initiative, The Road to Nashville with Liverpool, UK City Council and Nashville, Tennessee City Council through The Unity of Faiths Foundation (TUFF), a global non-profit organization. The project is saving hundreds of musicians with mental health issues while fighting the stigma of mental illness. For decades, PLA has placed clients in high-profile outlets including, Associated Press, Yahoo, national TV stations like KTLA, RFD-TV, The World News, Newswire, UK Herald, and World Governments Watch.
About Pam Lewis
New York state native, Pamela Lewis, is an entrepreneur, preservationist, philanthropist and author. Lewis is a graduate of Wells College with a B.A. in Economics/Marketing and a minor in French and Communications. She spent a year in Paris studying at COUP (Center of Overseas Undergraduate Program) affiliated with The Sorbonne University. In New York City, she did additional graduate coursework at Fordham University, The New York School for Social Research, The Publicity Club of New York and Scarritt Bennett. Lewis is also a graduate of University of Tennessee’s Institute of Public Service Local Government Leadership Program (third level), of the Belmont University College of Business Administration’s Scarlett Leadership Institute Mini Executive MBA program, of Leadership Music, and of the Leadership Middle Tennessee 2020 program.
Lewis was part of the original publicity/marketing team of WASEC (Warner Amex Satellite Entertainment Company), a joint venture of Warner Communications and American Express that launched MTV to the world, along with MTV’s sister cable channels Nickelodeon, The Movie Channel, and the Arts & Entertainment Network (A&E). Lewis was relocated to Nashville from New York City to accept the position of RCA National Media Director helping to shape the careers of top country stars such as Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, The Judds, and Alabama.
Career highlights include Lewis forming her own PR firm, Pam Lewis and Associates (which later became PLA Media), as well as teaming with Bob Doyle to start award-winning Doyle/Lewis Management. The first client Lewis agreed to represent was an unknown Oklahoma crooner named Garth Brooks, who she worked with until 1994. Lewis also managed Trisha Yearwood‘s early career, landing her a record deal at MCA Records. Under Lewis’ guidance, Yearwood released her debut self-titled album in 1991, becoming the first female country musician to sell one million records off her first single “She’s In Love With The Boy.” The album went on to be certified double platinum, with Yearwood winning the Academy of Country Music award for Top Female Vocalist later that year. The two enjoyed a successful partnership which broke new ground in music, winning all of the following: Performance Magazine’s “Country Music Managers of the Year” two consecutive years ’92 and ’93, Pollstar Award “Personal Manager of the Year ’92, Country Music Association’s “Artist Manager of the Year”, SRO Award ’01 (The first female executive to win this award), Nashville Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 listing in ’95 & ’96, Who’s Who in Executives, International Society of Poets Distinguished Member, Franklin Police Department Order of Excellence ’15 & Tennessee Association of Museums Award. Eventually, Doyle and Lewis parted ways, and Pam turned her focus solely to PLA Media.
In 2003, Lewis made her first foray into the world of politics running for office of Franklin, TN alderman. She won a four-year term and was the only female on the board for two years. She also served as Vice Mayor and was elected to the Franklin Planning Commission and Historic Zoning Commission. In 2016, she was voted as a the top Female Entrepreneur by Your Williamson Magazine.
Lewis has served on or chaired multiple committees, including: The Tennessee State Museum, Tennessee First Lady Andrea Conte’s You Have The Power, BRIDGES Domestic Violence Center, Sister Cities of Franklin, Civil War Historic Commission, Friends of Franklin Parks, mayor-appointed Franklin Housing Commission, Nashville Historic Commission, Historic Cemetery Commission, ARC Board and the Tennessee Preservation Trust.
She has been recognized for her business success/entrepreneurship, community outreach and preservation efforts by the Metro Nashville Historic Commission, The Heritage Foundation, African American Heritage Foundation, Tennessee State Museum and Tennessee Preservation Trust. In 2017, she produced a documentary of African American remembrances and contributions and was honored to give the commencement address at her alma mater Wells College in 2017. She is a 2020 graduate of Leadership Middle Tennessee.
Her other community outreach efforts include historic preservation and green space climate change causes, women and children’s advocacy, educational scholarships, fair housing and environmental and animal rights protection. Since its inception, the Pam Lewis Foundation has given away over a million dollars to numerous charities.
Mark Logsdon
PLA Media
615-327-0100
mark.logsdon@plamedia.com
