Smart Bank names local advisory board
SmartBank, a subsidiary of the Knoxville-basaed SmartFinancial Inc., has formed its local advisory board of directors in Chattanooga. The local board is comprised of eight professionals who will help lead the SmartBank movement in the Chattanooga market.
SmartBank merged with the former Cornerstone Bank in Chattanooga in February to create an East Tennessee bank with more than $1 billion in assets.
“Forming this team of bright, forward-thinking local business leaders has been an exciting process for us,” said SmartBank Chairman Miller Welborn, the former chairman of Cornerstone Bank in Chattanooga. “It’s gives us the opportunity to spearhead the execution of our strategic business model which focuses on offering a dynamic banking platform through innovation and the latest technology.”
The advisory board includes Barry Large, co-founder of Lamp Post Group; Hodgen Mainda, vice president of Noon Development; Kirby Yost, an attorney for Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel; Marsha Yessick, owner of Yessick’s Design Center & Yessick’s Collection; Matt McGauley, owner and president of Fidelity Trust Co.; Matt Wood, owner of MPL Construction Co.; Roshan Amin, president and CEO of Dynamic Grou, and Trip Farmer, a CPA and partner with Henderson, Hutcherson and McCullough, PLLC.
“I am thrilled to work hand-in-hand with the individuals of our local board,” said SmartBank Chattanooga Regional President Barry Watson, “Their extensive knowledge of Chattanooga’s market landscape coupled with the local relationships they have formed will contribute to SmartBank’s continued success.”
Hemphill, Ramjee joins Chattanooga Heart Institute
The Chattanooga Heart Institute at CHI Memorial has added Carter Hemphill, M.D., FACC., and Vinal Ramjee, M.D. to its staf.
Hemphill received his medical degree from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. He completed his residency in internal medicine and cardiovascular disease fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center. He completed a fellowship in interventional cardiology at Texas A&M College of Medicine.
Dr. Hemphill is board certified in internal medicine, nuclear cardiology, endovascular medicine, cardiovascular diseases and interventional cardiology.
Dr. Ramjee received his medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Emory Hospital in Atlanta. He completed a fellowship in cardiovascular disease, and advanced cardiovascular imaging and translational research at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
Dr. Ramjee is board certified in cardiovascular diseases, internal medicine, echocardiography, and advanced cardiovascular life support.
The Chattanooga Heart Institute has six locations and 22 board-certified cardiologists with specialties in interventional procedures, imaging, electrophysiology and vascular disease.
McGraw heads human resources at U.S. Xpress
U.S. Xpress Enterprises Inc. has named Kelly McGraw director of human resources.
She has been employed with U.S. Xpress Inc. for more than 14 years as a human resource generalist, human resource team leader, employee relations manager, and most recently, human resource business manager.
McGraw graduated from Tennessee Technological University and earned an MBA from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Her extensive knowledge, background and experience in human resources will be most beneficial to her in her new role, as she will focus on compliance with state and federal regulations, as well as manage and develop U.S. Xpress Inc.’s new employee engagement initiatives.
McGraw, a native of Paint Rock, Tenn., currently resides in Ooltewah.
Board named for CHI Memorial Foundation
CHI Memorial Foundation, the fundraising arm of CHI Memorial, has picked the officers and members of the board of directors for 2016-2017.
MaryStewart Lewis will continue her role as chairwoman of the board. Hodgen Mainda will serve as vice chairman; Dan Norton will serve as treasurer, and Sue Culpepper will serve as secretary. Members at large include Lee Jackson, M.D., and Rich Kramer.
Eric Campbell, Janie Jones, Steve Newton and Stephanie Sinkfield are new members of the foundation board. They join Carlos Baleeiro, M.D.; Julie Brandao; Leo Brown; Jayne Brzezienski; Brad Burcham; Bruce Hartmann; Warren Logan; Lisa Maclellan; Susan Maclellan; Dana Perry; Betsy Ranalli; Sanford Sharp, M.D.; Dawn Shea; Paula Shuford; David Wendt, M.D.; and James Woods.
Members ex-officio are Jennifer Nicely, president, CHI Memorial Foundation, and Larry Schumacher, CEO, CHI Memorial, and senior vice president, operations, S/E division, Catholic Health Initiatives.
Gaither earns designation for long-term care
Todd Gaither, a financial advisor with Tandem Financial Partners, of Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. in Chattanooga, has become Certified in Long-Term Care (CLTC). The designation recognizes financial service professionals with expertise to address long-term care planning with their clients.
Cooling to lead BlueCross pharmacy operations
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has promoted Andrea Cooling to director of pharmacy operations.
Cooling will oversee clinical and business functions for commercial, ACA marketplace and Medicare business. In this role, she will also be responsible for pharmacy benefits management and the specialty pharmacy network.
“Andrea brings more than 30 years of experience within BlueCross to this role,” said Dr. Natalie Tate, vice president of pharmacy management for BlueCross. “The breadth of knowledge from her pharmacy, commercial and government positions make her well-suited to lead our pharmacy teams as they work to serve our members.”
Cooling joined BlueCross in 1984. She was most recently pharmacy operations manager and has experience in several BlueCross business areas, including business engineering, marketing and Medicare.
She earned a bachelor of science in business administration from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
UC Foundation adds new members, officers
The University of Chattanooga Foundation Inc. has appointed two new trustees to its board of directors and elected its 2016-2017 slate of officers.
James L. “Bucky” Wolford, president and CEO of Wolford Development, Inc., will serve as chairman, while River City Co. President Kim H. White will be vice chairwoman. John Foy, chairman of Noon Management, is the foundation treasurer while Corrine Allen, retired head of the Benwood Foundation, is the new foundation secretary. Dr. Bryan K. Rowland will remain as executive director of the UC Foundation.
The foundation also added two new trustees. Mike Kramer, president of Atlantic Capital Bank, and Mitch Patel, president of Vision Hospitality, are joining the board for four years.
In addition to the new members, four current trustees were reappointed to four-year terms: Alan W. Derthick, co-founder of Derthick, Henley & Wilkerson Architects; Breege A. Farrell, chief investment officer at Unum; F. Scott LeRoy, attorney at LeRoy Law Firm PLLC, and JoAnn C. Yates, community volunteer.
The University of Chattanooga Foundation was created in 1969 when the University of Chattanooga merged with The University of Tennessee system. The UC Foundation supports academic initiatives and educational excellence at UTC with an endowment valued at more than $118 million.
Sara Ridley joins Crye-Leike Ooltewah
Sara Ridley of Harrison has become affiliated with the Ooltewah branch office of CryeLeike Real Estate Services.
As a Realtor and affiliate broker, Ridley specializes in residential real estate with a focus on new home construction and helping first-time home buyers. She is a member of the National Association of Realtors, Tennessee Association of Realtors and Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors.
CryeLeike Real Estate Services, the nation’s sixth largest residential real estate brokerage firm and the largest in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and the MidSouth, has eight branch and franchise offices located in Southeast Tennessee to serve buyers and sellers.
Airnet Group named Microsoft Rising Star Partner of the Year
Airnet Group was named a Microsoft Rising Start Partner for 2016 during Microsoft’s US Public Sector Industry Solution University (ISU) 2016 yearly event.
Winners were chosen from more than 100 organizations across public sector segment areas of U.S. government, and health and life sciences.
JHM CPA promotes eight professionals
Johnson Hickey and Murchison, P.C., a Chattanooga-based CPA firm approaching its 40th year in business, promoted eight employees in the firm this summer.
Senior audit manager promotions include Julie Davis and Derek Young. Davis is a graduate of Berry College and has been with JHM since 1998. She primarily serves clients in the not-for-profit and governmental areas. Young is a graduate of Tennessee Technological University and has worked with JHM since 2003. He primarily works in the areas of real estate, not-for-profit, governmental and employee benefit plans.
Audit manager promotions include Alicia Juhl and Scott Miller. Juhl and Miller each attended UTC and serve JHM clients in a variety of industries.
Tax supervisor promotions include Tina Howard and Dianna Morrison. Howard and Morrison each attended UTC and have more than 20 years of public accounting tax experience.
Adam Bridges was promoted to tax senior. Bridges is a 2013 graduate of the University of Tennessee Knoxville.
Jessie Ferrell was promoted to audit senior. Ferrell is a 2010 graduate of Auburn University.
Cleveland Food Mart added as U-Haul unit
U-Haul Company of Tennessee has added Food Mart 3 as a neighborhood dealer to serve the Cleveland, Tenn., community.
Food Mart at 3218 Harrison Pike, which is owned by Sukhir Patel, will offer U-Haul trucks, towing equipment, support rental items and in-store pick-up for boxes. Hours of operation for U-Haul rentals are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m.-noon Saturday. After-hours drop-off is available for customer convenience.
U-Haul estimates that every truck placed in a community helps keep 19 personally owned, large-capacity vehicles, pickups, SUVs and vans off the road.
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