Tom Edd Wilson, former president of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, longtime civic leader, banker and noted fundraiser for community causes, died Saturday at his home on Signal Mountain.
Just last week, Wilson was among the group of dignitaries breaking ground for the new children’s hospital at Erlanger after leading a fundraising drive that raised $20 million for the project.
“He’s been involved in so many organizations in town over the years, and every one of those organizations has benefited from his leadership and involvement. He left them better than they were when he came on board,” said state Rep. Patsy Hazlewood. She was the chamber board chairwoman when Wilson was hired and worked closely with him over the years, as well as serving together as elders at Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church.
“He had a lot of talent and a lot of skills. He was really a master of structuring, organization, and being able to look at what needed to be done, working out a structure, and finding the right people to work the strategy to meet those goals. He made Chattanooga a better place for all of us,” Hazlewood said.
Wilson, a graduate of the University of Tennessee and the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University, was named chamber president and CEO after retiring in 2001 from a 35-year career in the banking industry, where he rose to become president of Bank of America’s East Tennessee region.