Morning Pointe hires Summer Blizzard for optimization
Morning Pointe Senior Living has added Summer Blizzard as director of business optimization.
Blizzard will oversee the analysis of business and clinical systems, processes, data reporting and training across all departments. She joins Morning Pointe’s Chattanooga-based home office team from Elmcroft Senior Living’s corporate office in Louisville, where she held leadership positions in organizational development, marketing strategy, business analysis and information systems.
“We are proud to utilize Summer’s analytical skills as we enhance our strategy in making meaningful decisions to better serve residents and families,” said Greg A. Vital, president and CEO of Morning Pointe. “Her skills and passion are valuable and align with our goal to achieve effective business solutions for the senior living industry.”
The Georgetown native is a graduate of Meigs County High School and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Blizzard is a member of the National Investment Center for Senior Housing where she serves as co-chair of the Future Leaders Council. She brings 10 years of medical and healthcare systems experience to her new role and says she is excited to join the growing Morning Pointe family.
Chattanooga Theatre adds four staffers
The Chattanooga Theatre Centre has brought four new staff members to elevate the quality of its productions and expand its services to the community.
Ricardo Morris has joined the theatre as group sales and events manager. A graduate of Howard High School and Tennessee State University, Morris attended Yale University, where he earned an M.F.A. in Arts Administration. He was executive director of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame in Birmingham, Ala., where he founded the Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival. He also led the Harris Arts Center in Calhoun, Ga., where he created the International String Band Festival. He later founded the Green Street Arts Center in Middletown, Conn.
N. Eric Knauss, the Theatre Centre’s new Technical Director, has spent most of the last 25 years working full-time in professional theatre in the Washington, DC, area. He started at The Studio Theatre in 1992, moved to the Round House Theatre in 1999, then to the Olney Theatre in 2009. After leaving the Olney in 2012, he spent three years working in the theatre department at George Washington University. Altogether, he has been a part of building more than 175 productions.
Nicole Coleman has joined the CTC as a box office operations assistant. Coleman holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee and a Master of Arts Journalism degree from DePaul University. She serves as an ArtsBuild panelist for the Community Cultural Connections Grant panel and program coordinator for the Martin Luther King Birthday Party Celebration sponsored by the Unity Group of Chattanooga. She won a Nashville Midsouth Regional Emmy Award while co-hosting KidsTalk for WRCB-TV.
Marie Dance is joining the Theatre Centre staff to assist in coordinating special events. She is a graduate of the Center for Creative Arts and Reinhardt University in Waleska, Ga. Dance has appeared on the Theatre Centre stage, acting, dancing and volunteering.
Founded in 1923, the Chattanooga Theatre Centre is one of the oldest and largest community theatres in the Southeast.
First Tennessee wins top honors for quality
Chattanooga’s biggest bank, First Tennessee, received top grades in the Phoenix-Hecht 2018 Quality Index for Middle Market Banking.
First Tennessee earned A-plus ratings for product operations, product satisfaction, customer service, technical support and relationship manager.More than 98 percent of customers surveyed indicated that they would recommend First Tennessee to a colleague, compared to a study-wide average of 86 percent for all banks.
“We’ve been a part of Chattanooga for more than 40 years and realize the importance of building relationships,” said Jeff Jackson, market president for First Tennessee in Chattanooga. “Whether it’s investing in the non-profits who make such a difference in Chattanooga or opening a savings account for college, it gives us even more reason to continue to do all we can to earn business one customer and one experience at a time.”
Forbes names Kelly as top wealth advisor
Bryan Kelly, a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial in Chattanooga, was named to the list of “Best-in-State Wealth Advisors” published by Forbes Magazine. The list recognizes financial advisors who have demonstrated high levels of ethical standards, professionalism and success in the business.
Kelly was chosen based on assets under management, industry experience, regulatory and compliance record and revenue produced over a three-year period. Kelly is part of Tandem Financial Partners, a financial advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc.
Robinson among top 5 for Southeast Keller Williams
Jay Robinson and members of the Robinson Team of Keller Williams were among the top five real estate teams in the Southeast last year for Keller Williams Realty.
Keller Williams operates 57 offices spanning across a three-state region that includes Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama.
Robinson team ended 2017 by closing 190 transactions totaling approximately $90 million in sales volume.
Jay Robinson has been a Realtor for 30 years, and in 2016 he was named Keller Williams local Agent of the Year.
Signature Brokers adds Schnek as Realtor
Denise Schnek is now a Realtor with Signature Brokers Better Homes and Garden in Ooltewah.
Schnek is a lifelong resident of Chattanooga and graduate of UTC.
For the past seven years she worked as a senior relocation specialist acclimating and assisting families transitioning to the Chattanooga community.
Common Cents Financial appoints program director
Common Cents Financial Literacy, Inc. has hired Laura Coleman as program director of the Chattanooga-based non-profit. As an Accredited Financial Counselor and Certified Workplace Money Coach, Coleman previously provided financial counseling and education to U.S. military service members and has 16 years of experience in the financial services industry.
Palmer earns GRI certification
Erik Palmer of Crye-Leike Chattanooga-East Brainerd has earned the Graduate, Realtor Institute (GRI) designation. Palmer completed 60+ hours of specific education outlined by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) to receive his GRI.
Palmer is licensed in Tennessee and Georgia, primarily serving real estate needs of home buyers and sellers in Hamilton, Catoosa, and Walker counties.
Myrick joins Crye-Leike Fort Oglethorpe branch
Crye-Leike Real Estate Services announces that Todd Myrick is now affiliated with CryeLeike Real Estate Service’s Fort Oglethorpe branch office as a licensed Realtor. Myrick will serve the residential real estate needs of buyers and sellers in and around North Georgia. He specializes in residential, farm and land, and new home construction
Prior to working in real estate, Myrick spent 30 years working in the information technology (IT) industry as a senior product marketing manager capped by a 20-year term at IBM.
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