Lynda Childress

In a world of stuffy, buttoned-up CEOs, Lynda Childress is a breath of fresh air. The daughter of a minister, she has a big, genuine smile that instantly puts people at ease and diffuses stereotypes.

But behind that friendly demeanor is a ferocious work ethic that propelled her to the top of Chattanooga's largest commercial real estate company.

"I cannot stand to be bored; I work very fast, and I multitask well," she said.

The new president and chief executive officer of Luken Holdings got her start as an accountant with Osborne Building Corp. in 1990. She stayed with the company when it was purchased by former Chattanooga mayor and now U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., in 1999, and then by investor Henry Luken in 2006.

When Mr. Luken first asked her if she was interested in the job, she hesitated.

"After much prayer and knowing that this was exactly what I was supposed to do, I took on this role and I am knocking it out," she said.

Her move to CEO was to become official Wednesday, but Ms. Childress stepped in early, making June 22 her first day. She replaces former CEO Kim White, who left in June to run downtown development group RiverCity Co. While Mrs. White was CEO for The Corker Group and then Luken Holdings, Ms. Childress worked as chief financial officer.

"All of those rumors about women can't work together -- we blew all those away," Mrs. White said. "Lynda is a very genuine person who has great integrity and you know she always has the company at the forefront of her mind."

Today, Ms. Childress is responsible for the firm's 18 employees and approximately 3 million square feet of real estate. She also still takes care of both Mr. Luken's and Sen. Corker's personal accounting.

"I am motivated by responsibility and trust, that motivates me more than money," she said.

She remembers fondly the years she spent working for Sen. Corker, and she describes him as a wonderful employer who brought out the best in the people who worked for him.

"Bob Corker saw something in me that I never saw in myself," she said.

In those early years working at Osborne and later for The Corker Group, Ms. Childress, 50, was a single mother raising two children, who now have children of their own.

"I always worked two or three jobs raising them," she said. "You do what you have to do when you're a mom to provide for your family."

Her education comes from a combination of years of experience working in accounting and her work ethic. She graduated from Red Bank High School a year early at age 16. She earned a two-year degree from former business school McKenzie College while working full time.

The people who have worked closely with Ms. Childress describe her as a genuine person who works very hard.

"I always said that if Lynda left, it would take three people to replace her," Mrs. White said.