Partners of the Americas was saddened by the death of Adrian Moody, longtime member of the Tennessee Partners, who passed away in February. Adrian was a founding member of the Tennessee Partners of the Americas, who, with others, answered President Kenndey’s call to establish a grassroots organization that would be based on people-to-people exchanges and promote goodwill and better understanding among peoples living in the U.S. and Latin America. Adrian provided leadership and inspiration to the organization for a 20 year period spanning the 1960s through the mid 1980s, and was particularly interested in youth exchanges between the chapters.
Adrian left Nashville and Tennessee in the 1980s for an executive position with the YMCA in the Southeast Region. When he returned to Tennessee, Adrian took on the role of elder statesman in the organization and was relied upon for help with many Partners Projects. Adrian was involved with both Tennessee Partnerships–Venezuela and Amazonas. Highlights of his Partners tenure included a Partners leadership exchange in which the Governor of Tennessee and prominent state business and education officials traveled to Caracas and met with and planned programs with their counterparts there;annual basketball training clinics in Venezuela lead by Tennessee Coaches; Art programs and exchanges with the Amazonas Chapter involving the renowned Brazilian painter from Manaus, Moacir Andrade. Adrian has encouraged wide participation in the Tennessee Partners from all communities and regions of the State.
Gary Linn, Chair of the Tennessee Partners summed up Adrian’s legacy as “the enduring good will and commitment to work together on mutually defined goals among Partners members in Tennessee, Venezuela and Amazonas.”
