Valerie NorwoodBuchanan and Asso. adds Norwood
Eric Buchanan and Associates, PLLC has added attorney Valerie Norwood to its disability team, which helps individuals who have been denied disability benefits.
Norwood has more than eight years of litigation experience in ERISA and non-ERISA short- and long-term disability, accident, occupational and health policies at the administrative appeal, trial and appellate levels in federal and state court. She has authored motions, summary judgments and appellate briefs in multiple federal jurisdictions and has presented oral arguments before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
Norwood graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in television, radio and film and worked in the entertainment industry as a producer before attending law school and earning her J.D. at South Texas College of Law in Houston in 2007.
Resource 1 certified for data destruction
Resource 1, a data security and destruction firm headquartered in Chattanooga, has attained the AAA Certification for Mobile Hard Drive Destruction from the National Association for Information Destruction.
The company is now the only nonfranchised data security and destruction company in Tennessee that holds this designation for onsite physical computer media destruction.
Resource 1 was founded in 2007 as a subsidiary of local systems integration firm Harwood International. In 2015 former Harwood Executive Chuck McDonald acquired the company. The company’s focus was shifted, and it now offers a highly secure method of eliminating the risk of data loss from retired server and computer data-bearing devices.
Its innovative mobile platform for destroying computer hard drives and magnetic tapes (containing private information) eliminates all chain-of-custody risks associated with traditional plant-based media destruction.
“We are proud to further prove our commitment to the growing data-security sector by helping organizations keep consumer and patient information private. This accreditation demonstrates our compliance with operational and security specifications created by the IT industry’s top information security professionals,” McDonald said.
Dr. Smith receives UT President’s Award
Chris Smith has received the 2017 President’s Award for CONNECT from the University of Tennessee for her outreach, engagement and service efforts and programs as director of the UTC School of Nursing and Student Health Services Clinic.
Dr. Smith developed and received a $1.2 million Health Resources and Services Administration grant to explore obesity across the lifespan.
Through this grant, the UTC School of Nursing and the UTC Department of Health and Human Performance has successfully partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, the Childhood Healthy Eating and Active Living program at Erlanger Health Systems and the Chattanooga Downtown YMCA.
The goal of this inter-professional project is to combat obesity and sedentary lifestyles for residents in Southeast Tennessee.
“She goes above the call of duty for her university and the larger Chattanooga community,” UTC Chancellor Steven Angle said.
During her tenure as director of the School of Nursing, faculty members launched a foot care clinic to combat chronic disease in the region’s homeless residents. This local program engages the nursing students in the community as well as providing hands-on experience.
Smith was selected from nominees representing every campus and institute in the University of Tennessee.
In addition to Smith, other UTC campus nominees for the UT President’s Awards include: Yancy Freeman, associate provost for enrollment services, SUPPORT category; Dr. Hope Klug, UC Foundation associate professor of biological and environmental sciences, DISCOVER category; and Laurie Melnik, executive director of the Southeast Center for Education in the Arts, EDUCATE category.
Mohawk wins Dealers’ Choice awards
Mohawk Industries took top honors from two leading industry publications for new products and services introduced at the annual flooring industry trade show in February.
In 2017’s Dealers’ Choice Awards program, the Calhoun, Ga.-based floorcovering firm won for ceramic tile with its Daltile Fabric Art, for carpet with its Mohawk SmartStrand Silk Reserve and in merchandise for its Mohawk Omnify.
Mohawk also earned the Innovation Award in the Best of Surfaces competition.
The sixth annual Best of Surfaces competition sponsored by Floor Covering News spotlighted new product excellence at the industry’s premier trade show.
Toles added to Youth & Family Centers board
Emily Toles, a service consultant with NetGain Technologies, has joined the board of Chattanooga Youth & Family Development Centers.
The organization’s 18 centers offer a variety of education, activities and rental space. Most programs are run with federal grant money that the city applies for each year.
“I look forward to serving on the Social Services Division,” Toles said. “Helping those in need is a fundamental part of our human existence.”
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