Business Digest: Lowery joins First National Bank

Lowery joins First National Bank

Patricia R. Lowery has joined First National Community Bank as a mortgage originator at the bank's Dalton Mortgage Office, said Laurice Tatum, the bank's chief executive.

Lowery is the latest addition to the growing mortgage department, joining Connie Johnson and Marla Zuspan as mortgage lenders.

Lowery has also received certification in trust administration from the Southern Trust School in Birmingham.

Most recently, she served as a mortgage loan officer for Cornerstone Home Lending and has previously been affiliated with First Tennessee Bank, Bank of America and SunTrust Mortgage in the mortgage lending functions of the banks.


Tucker named to NAR board

Crye-Leike broker Kathy Tucker has been elected to serve as a director for the National Association of Realtors through 2015.

She will be headed to Washington, D.C., in May to meet with political leaders to discuss the importance of homeownership and how having a strong housing market helps support the economy.

For many years, Tucker has served on boards and committees with the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors and the Tennessee Association of Realtors and has been an active member of the National Association of Realtors since she started her real estate career. She served as the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors president in 2004 and 2006.

She has been a licensed Realtor in Chattanooga for 36 years and the managing broker of Crye-Leike's Hixson branch office since 1977.


Cabe named at Cornerstone

Kimberly Cabe, a 14-year mortgage industry veteran, recently joined Cornerstone Home Lending as a loan officer for the company's Chattanooga branch.

Cornerstone currently has five offices throughout Georgia and Tennessee and more than 70 across the nation.

"I am thrilled to be working with Cornerstone as well as partnering with our Tennessee team," she said.

"Kimberly is an outstanding addition to our Chattanooga branch, and we are proud to have her on our team," said Regional Manager David Bravo.


Tandus helps Boys & Girls Clubs

More than 200 employees from Dalton, Ga.-based Tandus and Centiva joined forces recently to offer helping hands to assist three locations of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego.

The Tandus and Centiva workforce of account executives, designers, manufacturing personnel and management were in San Diego for an annual conference that included a day of community service.

"We always look forward to these types of community projects," said Glen Hussmann, president of Tandus and Centiva.


Smith in new role at Crye-Leike

Priscilla Smith recently transitioned from working with Crye-Leike as a marketing director into a career as a full-time agent.

"For two years, I have been working with the best Realtors in the industry providing marketing services to nearly 300 real estate agents," she said.

She is working with buyers and sellers in and around Hamilton and Bradley counties specializing in residential real estate sales and new home construction. Smith is a member of the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors.


University Surgical names manager

University Surgical Associates has hired Vanessa McNeil Guin as the organization's new marketing manager, said Chief Executive Craig Sarine.

She will oversee the direction and guidance of the marketing and public relations functions that take place at USA.

Guin is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and has worked for Unum, Siskin Children's Institute and owned her own marketing consulting firm. Prior to joining USA she worked for SunTrust Bank's Eastern Tennessee Region and oversaw marketing and community outreach efforts.


NCCC launches mapping model

After more than a year of data collection, North Chickamauga Creek Conservancy has launched a new mapping platform.

The visual display of data incorporates more than 25 layers, or filters, of data that will ultimately be integrated into the policy-making process of the Conservancy.

"We will use it internally as a tool for making land-based decisions, and hope to provide similar mapping inventories to other organizations in the Chattanooga area and around the country," said Charlie Mix, geographic information systems coordinator for NCCC.

NCCC Director Gregory Vickrey said it was created as a model for use by other organizations as well.


Walker marks manufacturing

The Walker County Chamber of Commerce will celebrate Walker County manufacturers in conjunction with the Northwest Georgia Joint Development Authority at the Walker County Chamber of Commerce's April membership luncheon April 23 at the Walker County Civic Center.

Carl Campbell, regional project manager for Region 1 with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, will speak on economic development and the manufacturing climate of Northwest Georgia.


Groups take part in health pilot

Four health care organizations in Chattanooga will participate in the pilot phase of the Health eShare Direct Project, an initiative designed to improve health care by helping providers securely share electronic health information.

The Chattanooga-based providers are HealthSouth Chattanooga Rehabilitation Hospital, Erlanger Health System, Southeast Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability, Home Health Care of East Tennessee Inc. and Hospice.

The project is spearheaded by the Tennessee Regional Extension Center, a division of Qsource, a Tennessee-based nonprofit health care quality improvement and information technology company.


Regions targets small business

Regions Bank has created a new Business and Community Banking line of business led by veteran banker Joe DiNicolantonio, who previously headed AmSouth and Regions operations in Chattanooga and Memphis.

The new division is dedicated to providing a full array of bankings services to businesses with up to $20 million in sales.

Previously Regions managed business and community banking, including small business, as part of the company's business services group.

Establishing the Business and Community Banking division will allow Regions to increase its historically strong focus on serving small business customers through both branch and relationship-managed channels.

DiNicolantonio joined Regions Bank in 1998 and has held a number of leadership roles in the retail and small business banking arena.


Treasure Box opens in Brainerd

The Treasure Box has opened at 5701 Brainerd Road, providing women of Chattanooga with a variety of exotic virgin hair extensions such as celebrities wear, custom wigs, and hair care products for their extensions as well as their own.

Montrice Hampton, the owner of The Treasure Box, is a Memphis native and college student at UTC.

The Treasure Box held its grand opening Saturday.

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