Erin Coleman

Erin Coleman
Nashville, TN

Career and Family
I am married for the past 10 1/2 years to my husband, Micah. We have three kids, Batya, Hirsh and Yael, ages 8, 6, and almost four.

I have a varied career. I am a prior service military engineer officer. After the military I went to law school in Baltimore; I started the day after my wedding -- no use in wasting time! After law school I served as an assistant district attorney for the US Army Corps of Engineers in both the Baltimore and Nashville District. In 2014, I decided to start my own business, a project management consulting firm, Yad Consulting LLC, which I still run. For the past two years, I was a candidate for local office and then state Senate. It was a wonderful experience and allowed me to meet people from all over my city. Now, along with running Yad, I run a construction labor firm called Skilled Warrior Labor and my own criminal defense firm. I have also stayed very involved in local politics and nonprofits around town.

How did you get involved with Hadassah?
I got involved in Hadassah because my friend Nili asked me to put together a lobbying event for our chapter. How could I say no? I knew of Hadassah because of my mom's involvement, and I knew I could complete her task easily due to my political involvement. From there, I was asked to be the advocacy chair, which is such an honor.
 
What is it about Hadassah that resonates with you?
I love that the women of Hadassah are active in their communities and that their actions create impacts that the entire world prospers from. From creating a world-renown hospital and research center to being in the forefront of legislative actions that help every woman and family in America, Hadassah gives us so much to be proud of.
 
Share something you would like people to know about you.
Something about me is hard to pinpoint. I find my inspiration to work in the community from the women around me. From the awe-inspiring work of women who came before me like Jane Eskind, the first woman (also Jewish) to hold statewide elected office, to my peers, like Nili Freidman, who is our current Hadassah president, they inspire me to give and do more. They also help me explore new ways and opportunities to make my community a better place. 
 
My favorite thing to do with my downtime is knit and binge on Bravo TV shows. My goal is to one day take an entire day doing this. Not sure it is in my near future, but I will get there!