LBMC promotes managers in Chattanooga office
LBMC, one of the Southeast’s largest accounting and business consulting firms, has promoted four persons in its Chattanooga office.
Brent Jolly has been named manager in the audit department. Jolly joined LBMC in 2014 and has experience in manufacturing and distribution, not-for-profit, and employee benefit plans among other areas. Prior to joining LBMC, he served as assistant coach for the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga men’s basketball team. He holds his bachelor’s degree from Tennessee Tech University and his MBA from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Barry VanDelinder has been named manager in the Transaction Advisory Services department. VanDelinder has professional services experience in the manufacturing, distribution, healthcare, and technology industries. VanDelinder joined LBMC in 2014 after working as a staff accountant for U.S. Xpress Enterprise. He holds his bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University and his master’s degree from the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga and is an active CPA in the state of Tennessee.
Kris Kawalski has been named senior in the Audit department. Kawalski joined LBMC in 2017 full time after serving as an intern with the firm. He works in manufacturing, distribution and service related industries. He holds his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Amanda Zhou has been named senior in the Tax department. Zhou joined LBMC in 2016 as an intern. She works in a variety of industries, including healthcare and professional services, and has experience assisting managers and partners providing tax services to high wealth individuals, closely held business, consolidated corporations, and multi-state corporations. She holds her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Tennessee and is proficient in Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese).
“We are very pleased to recognize these talented members of our staff for their individual growth and professional achievement,” said Dennis Blanton, LBMC’s Chattanooga market leader. “We are experiencing vibrant growth in the Chattanooga market, and we’re fortunate to have this group of emerging leaders as part of our growing team of experts.”
CHI medical group adds Dr. Ewing
Erik Ewing, M.D., has joined CHI Memorial Family Practice Associates in Harrison.
Dr. Ewing received his medical degree from Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. He completed an internship and residency in family medicine at Floyd Medical Center in Rome, Georgia. Dr. Ewing is board certified in family medicine by the American Board of Family Medicine.
Dr. Ewing joins Janak H. Naik, M.D. at the CHI practice at 6800 Harrison Park Drive.
Kirkland joins SmartBank as regional credit officer
SmartBank has hired Tony Kirkland, Jr.,who will serve as a vice president and regional credit officer for the Chattanooga area. Kirkland previously served as vice president and community investment capital debt products manager for Regions Bank in Chattanooga.
“Tony is very familiar with our brand and our products, having been with us previously in Chattanooga as a credit underwriter, and we are excited for him to rejoin us in this new role,” said Billy Carroll, SmartBank President and CEO..”
In his new role, Kirkland will oversee the Chattanooga Credit Team and play a pivotal role in partnering with lending teams to analyze and approve credit for current and future client relationships within the Chattanooga market.
“This is like coming home for me,” Kirkland said. “SmartBank is an exciting place to work and I couldn’t be more thrilled to return.
Kirkland earned his degree from Columbus State University in 2001 in Business Administration with a concentration in Management.
Eric Buchanan adds Cockrill as associate
Dacey Cockrill will be joining the Chattanooga law firm of Eric Buchanan and Associates as an associate attorney in August after taking the Tennessee bar exam.
Cockrill recently graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law ranked number 2 in her class. During law school, she held positions in Law Women and the Pro Bono Executive Board and volunteered with numerous pro bono projects. In her third year of law school, she worked at the Domestic Violence Legal Clinic where she helped low-income clients in Knox County obtain Orders of Protection. Before law school, she graduated summa cum laude from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a degree in Political Science.
Cockrill has worked for the firm for over three years as both a client assistant and a law clerk.
Wilson gains certification as wound care specialist
Vascular Institute of Chattanooga (VIC) said that one of its nurse practitioners, Jenni Wilson, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, is now Certified Wound Specialist by the American Board of Wound Management.
Wilson joins Nurse Practitioner Shana Hilson in wound care certification at VIC.
“The benefits of a comprehensive wound center can provide rapid assessment and treatment for all wound types,” said Dr. Chris LeSar, a vascular surgeon and VIC’s founding physician. “At VIC, we are able to perform a vascular circulatory assessment to promote rapid healing, and provide our patients a broad bases wound program with access to innovative technology.”
The wound care clinic offers treatments including wound specific topical medications, compression wraps, total contact casting and offloading, incision draining and packing, biopsy, debridement, skin substitutes, and non-invasive vascular ultrasound assessments.
Wilson graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2009 before obtaining her nurse practitioner degree with the UT School of Medicine in 2013.
Vision Hospitality Group adds Vaughn as vice president
Vision Hospitality Group has named Ray Vaughn as vice president of FF&E & Procurement.
Vaughn joins Vision with more than 45 years of experience in the field. He previously worked in Memphis at the Holiday Inn Worldwide corporate headquarters before transitioning to a position with Promus Group, where he helped develop the very first Hampton Inn by Hilton.
Vaughn has spent the last 14 years in Chattanooga as principal of Bluepoint, LLC. It was in this capacity that he worked closely with Vision for numerous hotels, such as the DoubleTree by Hilton Chattanooga/Downtown, Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Chattanooga/Hamilton Place and the Hilton Garden Inn Chattanooga/Hamilton Place.
“Ray has been instrumental in the design and furnishing of Vision hotels for over a decade,” said Mitch Patel, president and CEO of Vision Hospitality. “His expertise and leadership as vice president of FF&E & Procurement will be significant as Vision continues to expand its footprint.”
HFMA elects Loveday as chapter vice president
Buffy Loveday, a resident of Chattanooga and vice president of strategic development for CarePayment Technologies in Nashville, was recently elected as a 2018-2019 vice president of the Tennessee chapter for the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).
Loveday has been active in the healthcare field for 29 years with specialty experience in revenue cycle management and operations.
HFMA is the predominant organization for the education and professional development of financial management professionals in healthcare and has more than than 38,000 members, including about 1,000 in Tennessee.
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