Fuehrer director of J+J’s product
J+J Flooring Group, a leading manufacturer of commercial specified flooring, has appointed David Fuehrer as the company’s new director of product. Fuehrer is responsible for leading J+J’s product design studio and leads the company’s broader corporate product strategy.
Fuehrer comes to J+J Flooring Group after nearly two decades in the industry, most recently as associate and product design practice area leader for Gensler, working out of the firm’s New York office. During his five years with Gensler, Fuehrer oversaw more than 40 manufacturing partnerships and more than 50 product development projects.
Fuehrer and his team were also responsible for garnering several notable industry recognitions, including five “Best of NeoCon Awards” in multiple product categories.
“David’s talents and experience make him uniquely qualified for this important role,” said J+J Flooring Group Corporate Vice President of Marketing Ross Leonard. “Beyond his proven ability to combine manufacturing and production experience that yield innovative product solutions, he has demonstrated the ability to lead geographically and aesthetically diverse teams, develop consensus and meet critical deadlines.”
Prior to joining Gensler, Fuehrer was a product designer for various manufacturers. Fuehrer holds a master’s degree in industrial design from Pratt Institute and a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Design from ITT Technical Institute.
Habitat names new directors
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area has named business leaders Tracee D. Smith and Barbara Marter and longtime educator and community leader Veronica Herrera to its board of directors.
Jason Farmer, chairman of the Habitat for Humanity’s board, said the new directors “are accomplished community leaders who bring years of banking, fundraising, and community development experience to the organization. Their combined experience and insights will be extremely beneficial to Habitat as we seek to increase our community partnerships.”
Veronica Herrera is a middle school Spanish and Language Skills teacher at McCallie School. Prior to joining McCallie School in 2006, she worked in the field of Human Resources and Diversity Training & Development at Shaw Industries. Herrera earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and in Spanish from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. She earned a Master of Education from the University of Tennessee Chattanooga.
Chattanooga nativeBarbara Marter is the executive director of the Osborne Foundation, Inc. Prior to joining the foundation, Marter worked in the banking industry for nearly 15 years. Marter earned degrees in Management and Leadership from Chattanooga State, University of Tennessee Chattanooga and Warren National University.
Tracee Smith is the market branch manager for Cohutta Banking Company’s Dalton offices. She has been working in the banking industry for more than 20 years. Smith is a graduate of Martin University and a 2015 graduate of Leadership Dalton.
Herrera, Marter, and Smith join 14 other board members at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area.
Powers relocates to Chattanooga
Dr. David Powers, CEO and lead cultural architect at Master of the Art of Living, has moved his company headquarters and all operations to the Chattanooga area from South Carolina.
An author and futurist, his company helps clients achieve better results utilizing rapid skill acquisition methods.
Attorney Klein will head ABA
Linda Klein, managing shareholder of Baker Donelson’s Georgia offices, has been elected as president-elect of the American Bar Association. She will serve a one-year term as president-elect before becoming ABA president in August 2016.
Klein’s practice area includes most types of business dispute resolution, including contract law, employment law and professional liability, working extensively with clients in the construction, higher education and pharmaceutical industries.
In June 1997, Ms. Klein became the first woman to serve as president of the State Bar of Georgia. During her term, she devised a proposal and advocated for the state to allocate funding for Georgia Legal Services and Atlanta Legal Aid to hire lawyers to help indigent victims of domestic violence. She organized a statewide group of community organizations and local and minority bar associations that together convinced the General Assembly to appropriate $2 million. Since then, the annual appropriations have helped thousands in Georgia with legal issues related to domestic violence.
Clarity names 3 in management
Clarity, a division of Plantronics, has promoted three seasoned executives to senior leadership positions.
Karen Windham, formerly senior marketing manager, has been named director of sales and marketing. She joined Clarity in 2002 and has more than 15 years of experience spanning across product development and marketing lifecycle. Windham earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.
Corina Sandulescu, who joined Clarity in 1998 and has served as engineering manager and senior program manager, has been promoted to director of engineering. Previously, she served as Clarity’s engineering manager and senior program manager. Sandulescu earned her engineering degree from Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest, School of Electronics in Romania.
Jonathan Gray, a six-year employee of Clarity who was previously business unit manager for the special needs channel, has been named Clarity’s senior product manager. He previously served as outreach manager with Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc. (FTRI), a statewide nonprofit organization committed to providing solutions to Floridians with hearing loss and speech challenges. Gray received his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University.
“Karen, Corina and Jon are proven leaders at Clarity and within our industry,” said Jamie van den Bergh, president of Clarity. “From product research and design to marketing and sales, each of these individuals has played a pivotal role at Clarity.”
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