The Heritage Foundation of Williamson County, TN, is set to host the 48th Annual Heritage Ball, Williamson County’s longest-running black-tie affair and the foundation’s largest fundraiser on October 2, 2021 after having to postpone the 2020 event due to COVID restrictions. To kick off ball planning, the foundation is proud to announce that Dr. Allen Sills and Mrs. Shawne Sills will serve as Heritage Ball Chairs for the 2021 annual event, according to Bari Beasley, Heritage Foundation CEO.

“Our goal this year is to bring the Heritage Ball back in a celebratory way, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome Allen and Shawne Sills to chair this beloved event,” said Beasley. “They are going to bring great energy and enthusiasm to this ball, along with added health and medical expertise for a safe event, and we can’t wait to begin planning in the coming weeks.”

The Sills are long-standing residents of Franklin and active in the greater Middle Tennessee community. Both are members of the Heritage Foundation and Allen Sills serves on the foundation’s board.

“Shawne and I are pleased to serve as chairs for the Heritage Ball this year,” Allen Sills said. “We are most excited to lend our voices to support the ongoing efforts to preserve and enhance the quality of life for everyone in our amazing community. We hope this year’s ball will be a major boost to that goal.”

Allen Sills currently serves as the National Football League’s first Chief Medical Officer, having joined the league in 2017 from Vanderbilt University Medical Center. As the NFL’s CMO, Allen Sills works closely with team medical staffs across the league, the NFL Players Association and its advisors, and many medical and scientific experts to lead the league’s efforts to advance the health and safety of the sport of football. He led the NFL’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic helping the league to safely complete the 2020 season as well as help to inform public policy, including a recent joint publication between the NFL and the CDC which highlighted the public health implications of the NFL’s work. Allen Sills also spearheaded the league’s Injury Reduction Plan—a three-pronged approach aiming to reduce the incidence of concussions—which has supported an average of 24% decrease per season from the previous five-year period.

As a neurosurgeon specializing in the treatment of athletes, Allen Sills continues to serve at Vanderbilt as a Professor of Neurological Surgery and the Founder and Co-Director of the Vanderbilt Sports Concussion Center.

Before joining the NFL, Allen Sills served as a consulting neurosurgeon for the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, the NHL’s Nashville Predators, the US Equestrian Foundation, and the athletic programs at Vanderbilt University, Belmont University and Mississippi State University. He also served as an Unaffiliated Neurotrauma Consultant on the NFL sidelines, and as a neurological consultant to the NCAA and the International Equestrian Foundation.

Allen Sills graduated summa cum laude from Mississippi State University and received his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, where he also went on to complete his internship in General Surgery, his residency training in Neurological Surgery and an NIH-funded Neuro-Oncology Fellowship. An industry thought leader, he has authored more than 175 scientific published articles and presentations.

Active in the community, Allen Sills serves on the Board of Directors for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Middle Tennessee and has served as a youth baseball coach for more than 25 years. He has also been a volunteer and board member for Franklin Baseball Club, as well as a volunteer for Battle Ground Academy’s athletic programs. He formerly served on the Board of Directors for the Friends of Franklin Parks and is currently on the Board for the Mississippi State University Foundation. He has been a volunteer for Special Olympics, and previously served as a deacon and elder at Hope Church in Memphis.

Shawne Sills is a native of Baltimore where she worked in neurosurgery administration at the Johns Hopkins Hospital for 16 years. Since relocating to Tennessee in 1998, she has served with multiple community organizations including the Special Olympics, Germantown Youth Athletic Association, Evangelical Christian School, the Franklin Baseball Club, GraceWorks Ministries and Cross Point Community Church. She also served as women’s Bible study leader, women’s ministries volunteer and deacon at Hope Church in Memphis.

Shawne Sills currently serves on the Battle Ground Academy (BGA) Board of Trustees and has previously served BGA as an athletics volunteer, member of the Parent Advisory Board and co-chair of the Wildcat Club for two years.

The Sills are the parents of four children and nine grandchildren. They enjoy such hobbies as hiking, trail running, cycling, skiing, kayaking, cooking and travel.

The annual Heritage Ball typically attracts more than 800 guests to support and celebrate the work of the Heritage Foundation and raise funds for future preservation projects. In addition to a seated dinner, live music and entertainment, the ball will feature an auction, Patrons Party and Late Party, along with other fundraising opportunities.

Tickets and tables for the 48th Annual Heritage Ball October 2, 2021 will go on sale in August; CLICK HERE for more information. Sponsorship opportunities are available now; contact Carla Denham at cdenham@williamsonheritage.org.