Swanson chosen engineer of year

Malcolm Swanson, vice president of engineering of Astec Industries, was the recipient of the Jo Conn Guild Outstanding Engineer of the Year Award.

The award is the highest given to an individual by the Chattanooga Area Engineers Week Committee. It is presented to an engineer who has made outstanding professional contributions to the profession.

Swanson has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. He holds 30 patents and has written various articles and technical papers.

Moffitt receives Neyland Award

Caitlin Moffitt, assistant professor of civil engineering technology at Chattanooga State Community College, received the Gen. Robert Neyland Young Engineer of the Year award.

This award recognizes young engineers who have made outstanding contributions to the engineering profession and their communities during the early years of their career. The award was presented at the recent 2012 Chattanooga Engineers Week awards banquet.

Moffitt has a bachelor's and a master's degree in civil engineering from Tennessee Technology University.

Copeland receives Sutton award

Lulu Copeland, manager of technical training at Chattanooga State Community College, was the given the Phillip J. Sutton People to People award at the recent 2012 Chattanooga Engineers Week awards banquet.

This award is given to an individual by the Chattanooga Area E-Week Committee for their unselfish devotion to public service. It is presented to an individual who has made outstanding personal and professional contributions in service of the community.

Copeland has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in engineering management from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Channell wins sales citation

The Hilton Garden Inn in Tuscaloosa, Ala., has named Traci Whaley Channell as Hilton Garden Inn Director of Sales of the Year for the Central South Region.

Channell holds a degree from Dalton State College and is the daughter of Leo and Peggy Whaley, of Cohutta, Ga.

The Hilton Garden Inn brand recognizes fewer than 100 individual team members from the brand's portfolio of more than 530 hotels worldwide annually and honored Channell as one of its best.

Insurance firm expands team

Southern Insurance Associates has expanded its professional team with the hiring of Ashley Haynes, Ricky Johnson and Rebecca Whittenburg.

Haynes, of Kimball, Tenn., has joined the company as its director of marketing. She has five years of experience in commercial insurance.

Johnson, of Lookout Mountain, has been brought on as a new producer. Before joining Southern Insurance, he helped open and manage both Taco Mamacita locations in Chattanooga and Nashville.

Whittenburg, of Dunlap, Tenn., is the company's new insurance tech. She was a 2011 graduate from Miller-Motte Technical College, earning an associate degree in business.

Nationwide makes new hires

Hixson-based trucking insurance company Nationwide Transportation has added Pam Christian and George Schimpf.

Christian has taken over the role of head account executive. She has 10 years of experience in account managing.

Schimpf has joined the business as its newest producer.

Kenco promotes three executives

Chattanooga-based Kenco, a leading provider of value-added distribution, public warehousing, transportation services and intelligent information technology, has promoted three executives.

Brad Liddie has been named vice president of operations. He has taken full responsibility for supporting Kenco's service to Stryker-Medical.

Jason Minghini has been named vice president of best practices and extends his direction and oversight of Kenco's quality and engineering areas.

Shanon Weber has been selected as vice president of operations. She has taken responsibility for supporting Kenco's service to Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.

"We're fortunate to have a deep resource of experienced, dedicated people at Kenco," said Andy Smith, Kenco's chief operating officer.

Hutton names Fugate manager

Hutton Construction Inc., an entity of Chattanooga-based Hutton Co., has named Matt Fugate as a construction project manager.

He comes to Hutton from TDK Construction in Murfreesboro, Tenn., where he managed large student housing projects and multifamily housing developments.

He is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University.

Red Bank Life Care selects Heaton

Life Care Center of Red Bank recently named Tyler Heaton to the new position of customer service director.

In this role, Heaton will oversee customer service staff training and the new Guardian Angel program, in which associates "adopt" several residents and continually follow up with them to make sure their questions and concerns are answered.

This is the first position of its kind in the Chattanooga area.

Guy Crosson, executive director at Life Care Center of Red Bank, said the move is "part of our continued focus to exceed resident and family expectations."

Association cites First Volunteer

First Volunteer Bank mortgage loan officers Sandy Hodges and Gaye DeMars were recently recognized by the Chattanooga Mortgage Bankers Association as two of the top mortgage producers within the organization for 2011.

DeMars was awarded the Mortgage Bankers Bronze Award and Hodges received the Mortgage Bankers Silver Award. Hodges had been named Mortgage Banker of the Year in 2007.

"We are extremely proud of the success both Gaye and Sandy achieved in 2011, said First Volunteer President and Chief Executive Officer Patti Steele.

LBMC names two to security team

LBMC has named two people to its security services team.

Mark Burnette recently joined the company as a director in the division and Craig Zimberg was named a senior manager.

Both Burnette and Zimberg are recognized by the Information Systems Security Association's Fellow Program as performing in the top 5 percent of the information security profession.

"I viewed firsthand the successful information security programs that both Mark and Craig built at their respective organizations, and we are very excited to be able to add two individuals with their track records of success and their demonstrated leadership in the profession," said Thomas Lewis, partner and leader of LBMC's Security Services offerings.