Amin takes job at Northwest bank

Beejal Amin has joined Northwest Georgia Bank as a business development officer at the Fort Oglethorpe office.

She previously worked as a business development executive for American Capital Venture Group, a Chattanooga-based commercial real estate finance company.

She has been certified as an economic development finance professional by the National Development Council.

She is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., and is a 2007 alumna of Leadership Chattanooga, sponsored by the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce.

Therapist Jones obtains certificate

Charlie Jones recently received his board certification in orthopedic manual therapy.

He is a local physical therapist and Chattanooga native.

He received his bachelor degree at the University of Chattanooga and completed the physical therapy requirements at the University of Tennessee Medical Unit in Memphis.

His office is at Rehab South in HIxson.

6 area residents pass CPA exam

Six area residents were among 77 who recently passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination, according to the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy.

Kari L. Blakney and Michael P. O'Donnell, of Ooltewah; Alicia Detweiler and Lucye E. Lamb, of Chattanooga; Lindy P. Hicks, of Dayton; and Charles W. Thornton Jr., of Hixson, passed the exam, the board said.

After passing the exam, candidates were inducted as members of the Tennessee Society of CPAs and its Chattanooga chapter.

Hodge, Stelzman join accountants

Randy Hodge, a certified public accountant, and Matthew Stelzman have joined Henderson Hutcherson & McCullough PLLC, a Chattanooga-based accounting firm.

Mr. Hodge will serve as senior tax manager while Mr. Stelzman will be accounting and audit senior.

Mr. Hodge has more than 18 years of experience in public accounting and publicly traded corporations. He has an MBA from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He and his wife, Paula, live in Hixson.

Mr. Stelzman has experience in business valuation, forecasts and projections, fairness opinions, litigation support and economic damage analysis. He also has an MBA from UTC and lives in Soddy-Daisy with his wife, Amanda, and daughter, Karlee.

Insurance agencies announce merger

Chattanooga-based Cornerstone Insurance Group has merged with C. Louis Patten Jr. CPCU and Associated-Patten Agency of Cleveland, Tenn.

Mr. Patten will join Cornerstone's Cleveland branch as an agent but he will retain some ownership of the operation.

Mr. Patten is a former state senator and worked as an independent insurance agent in the Cleveland area for about 30 years.

He will lead the group's Cleveland branch along with agent Jamie Mayton, said Cornerstone President M. Chris Scoggins. Mr. Mayton has led Cornerstone's Cleveland office for the past year. He has been in the insurance industry for nearly 10 years.

"It's exciting to have the experience and knowledge of three veteran insurance professionals," Mr. Scoggins said of the merger.

By joining the two agencies, Mr. Scoggins said Cornerstone will combine its resources with those of the Patten Agency. The group will spread 21 employees among its Chattanooga headquarters and its branch offices in Cleveland and Dayton, Tenn.

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