Janice Wendell

Noble Dury, Ericson Advertising

Janice Wendell began her professional career in 1965 with the Noble-Dury Advertising Agency, where she produced such seminal nationally syndicated country, R&B and gospel television programs as The Porter Wagoner Show, The !!!! Beat and Gospel Jubilee with Les Beasley and the Florida Boys. In 1969, Janice and Eric Ericson, co-founded the Eric Ericson and Associates advertising agency. Representing clients such as the National Life and Accident Insurance Co., Third National Bank (now SunTrust), Opryland USA, Martha White Foods and Murray Ohio, the agency grew to be the largest agency in the southeast, outside of Atlanta. In 1988, local business magazine
Advantage named Janice Woman of the Year. Savvy magazine named her one of America's 60 leading businesswomen in 1990. That same year, the Nashville Ad Federation
honored Janice with a Silver Medal, the trade group's highest accolade. In 1987, Janice became sole owner of Eric Ericson and Associates. She sold the agency and retired from her advertising career in 1992. Janice joined the Country Music Association board of directors in 1982 and served until 1996.

She also served on the boards of the Arthritis Foundation, the Nashville Symphony, the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation, the Country Music Foundation and the Nashville Tourism Commission. In the 1990s, Janice served on the board, including a term as chairman, of the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. Janice has been married to former Gaylord chairman, E.W. "Bud" Wendell since 1983, with whom she enjoys traveling. She also savors time spent with children and grandchildren as well as reading and knitting.