Hullender to lead BlueCross legal
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has named Tony Hullender senior vice president and general counsel.
In his new role, Hullender provides legal counsel to the company and oversees enterprise-wide legal affairs and corporate governance. He reports directly to BlueCross CEO Vicky Gregg.
"In his years at BlueCross, Tony has demonstrated exceptional legal expertise across our operations. His legal knowledge and experience have helped us navigate the changing landscape of health care and prepared us to better serve our members in this new environment," Gregg said.
Hullender joined BlueCross in 2005 and during that time supported a number of areas of the company, including having overall responsibility for legal support for commercial operations. Most recently Hullender held the position of associate general counsel. In this position he focused on health care reform legislation and specialized in all aspects of the new law.
Prior to joining BlueCross, Hullender was an associate with Miller & Martin PLLC in the litigation department. He focused on commercial litigation, including contract disputes and construction litigation.
Hullender is a member of the State Bar of Georgia, Tennessee Bar Association, Chattanooga Bar Association, American Bar Association and the American Health Lawyers Association. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Arts and Education Council in Chattanooga.
He graduated from the University of Georgia, cum laude with general honors and earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in Knoxville, where he graduated summa cum laude, Order of the Coif. Additionally, Hullender served in the U.S. Army for 11 years, attaining the rank of Captain.
Cornerstone names Gallo as manager
Cornerstone Community Bank of Chattanooga has appointed Patrice Gallo as vice president and deposit operations manager.
Gallo brings to her new position at Cornerstone more than 30 years of corporate and financial institution expertise in treasury management. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin Graduate School of Banking, she also holds a permanent designation as a Certified Cash Manager.
Gallo has two sons and resides on Signal Mountain.
Ketterman to head HCA surgical units
Parkridge Health System has named Toni Ketterman as market director of surgical services, a role which includes responsibility for the surgical programs at Parkridge East Hospital and Parkridge Medical Center.
Ketterman comes to the Parkridge system from Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Chicago, where she served as surgical services director for the past five years. Previously, she worked as director of surgical services for Southern Hills Medical Center in Nashville, and held a position as director of surgical services at a hospital system in Chattanooga. She holds a Masters of Health Services in Administration and a Certified Nurse Operating Room (CNOR) certification, and her career has included extensive experience with open heart and robotic surgery programs. Ketterman will begin her new role on Oct. 31.
"We believe that Toni's level of experience and commitment to the nursing profession will serve as a great asset to our patients, physicians and staff," said Jerri Underwood, Parkridge Health System Chief Nursing Executive.
Lindsay to head Claris in city
Hunter Lindsay has been promoted to regional director over the Chattanooga area for Claris Networks.
Lindsay's tenure with the IT support and cloud computing company began in 2007, when the company expanded into Chattanooga. Lindsay will be responsible for increased direction and management over business development of Claris products and services in the Chattanooga market.
Decosimo CPAs promotes three
Decosimo Certified Public Accountants, a Top 100 accounting and business advisory firm, has promoted three of its accounts to manager posts in three of the firm's Tennessee offices.
Elena Harrill, CPA, has been promoted to assurance manager at the Chattanooga office of Decosimo Certified Public Accountants. Harrill practices in the area of financial statement audits with an emphasis in investment companies. She assists clients with financial reporting and disclosure requirements, as well as implementation of new accounting standards. She received her master's degree in accounting and auditing from Odessa State Agrarian University in the Ukraine and completed additional post-graduate work at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Nick Meals, CPA, has been promoted to manager with the tax practice at the Knoxville office of Decosimo Certified Public Accountants. Meals has specific experience serving clients in the restaurant, manufacturing and retail industries. In addition, he works with closely held businesses and their owners. Meals is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA), where he serves as a member of the Knoxville chapter Young CPA Committee. Meals is also a member of the Young Professionals of Knoxville and serves on the Board of Directors for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Maryville, Tennessee. Meals earned a Masters of Accountancy with a tax concentration, as well as a Bachelor degree in Business Administration, from the University of Tennessee.
Stephanie Chittom, CPA, has been promoted to manager with the assurance practice at the Memphis office of Decosimo Certified Public Accountants. Chittom has experience in corporate and individual income tax matters, as well as experience as an audit manager for not-for-profit, governmental and for-profit clients. She also manages audits for various types of employee benefit plans. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA), as well as the American Society of Women Accountants (ASWA). She is also a member of the Junior League of Memphis and volunteers with the Lester Elementary School on their Pre-K Outreach Program. Chittom holds a Bachelor of Accountancy degree from the University of Mississippi and a Masters of Business Administration with an emphasis in Accountancy from the University of North Alabama.
Waldrep named VP at Crossville Inc.
Lindsey Ann Waldrep has been named vice president of marketing for Crossville Inc.
Waldrep has 15 years of experience in marketing and advertising, which includes almost a decade in hard surface product and brand management. Most recently, she was senior director of creative marketing at Mohawk Industries, where she managed an internal creative group and three external agencies. Earlier in her career, she served as national account product manager and then creative manager for Tarkett Wood, Inc.
"In her new role, Waldrep will work with Crossville's marketing team to develop strategic, multi-faceted marketing campaigns with a strong focus on branding, advertising and point-of-purchase material development," Crossville President John E. Smith said.
A graduate of The Savannah College of Art and Design, Waldrep received a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honors; she also holds an MBA from Kennesaw State University. She belongs to the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) and is a Board Member of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera. Waldrep has been the recipient of awards from many organizations, including the American Advertising Federation (ADDY), Specialty Graphic Imaging Association, and Printing Industries of the Carolinas.
Crossville Inc. is a 25-year-old manufacturer of Porcelain Stone and tiles for both residential and commercial buildings.
Baker Donelson a top 10 employer
Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC has been ranked among the top 10 in the 2012 edition of Vault, Inc.'s "Best Law Firms to Work For." This prominent national ranking is based on feedback from thousands of law firm associates across the country who were asked to rate their law firms on a 1-to-10 scale for a number of quality-of-life categories.
In only its second year to participate in this annual survey, Baker Donelson achieved a ranking of seventh in the overall Best Law Firms to Work For list. The firm achieved a first place ranking in the category of transparency.
Earlier this year, Baker Donelson was ranked 50th on Fortune magazine's prestigious "100 Best Companies to Work For" list. In September 2010, the firm was ranked 20th among nearly 140 of the top law firms in the country in the American Lawyer's Associates Survey, an annual listing that ranks law firms as workplaces based on feedback from mid-level associates.
Nelson to direct TWC fundraising
Tennessee Wesleyan College has appointed Randy Nelson as chief advancement officer. Nelson brings an impressive professional background to the College with experience in fundraising and nonprofit leadership.
Nelson's responsibilities will be to develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan and assist TWC President Harley Knowles with the identification and achievement of development initiatives.
"Randy will be a great asset to our institution and the surrounding community," said Dr. Knowles. "He is a TWC alumnus and has a passion for the college."
Nelson served as director of major gifts and vice president for advancement at Hiwassee College for six years before becoming the director of ministry advancement at Doe River Gorge Ministries, a high-adventure camp for children and youth in upper East Tennessee.
Miller Martin adds 3 associates
The Chattanooga-based law firm of Miller & Martin PLLC has added three new associates.
Michael Dumitru has joined the firm's commercial department, with a specific focus on bankruptcy and creditor's rights. He attended Vanderbilt University Law School, where he focused his studies on advocacy. While in law school, Dumitru served as the chief justice of the Vanderbilt Moot Court Board.
Lin Ye has joined the firm's Corporate Department. She graduated from China University of Political Science and Law where she received a bachelor in law and a master's in civil and commercial law. She took the first place in her class in China's Master Candidate National Entrance Test. After her undergraduate and graduate studies at China University of Political Science and Law, Ye received a J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law where she was on the Dean's List and received the College of Law Scholarship. During her law school career, Ye was selected to serve in the ABA judicial intern opportunity program. She was also an editor for Transactions: The Tennessee Journal of Business Law. Ye is fluent in Chinese.
Ashonti Davis practices in the firm's Litigation Department. Davis graduated in 2005 from Berea College in Kentucky where she received a B.A., cum laude, in speech communication. Ashonti received her J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2009. While in law school, she was managing editor for the Tennessee Journal of Law and Policy, chair of the Moot Court Board, a member of the Evidence Moot Court Team, and coordinator of the Street Law Program. After graduation, Davis served a two-year term as a Judicial Clerk to Judge John W. McClarty in the Tennessee Court of Appeals, Eastern Section.
Business digest is published every Sunday to highlight career moves and promotions of managers of Chattanooga area companies and agencies. Announcements should be send to Business Editor Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or by calling 757-6340.