Williams and Striegel join RP Communities and more Chattanooga-area career moves

Williams and Striegel join RP Communities

Josh Williams has joined RP Communities as the new president of construction, and Ashland Striegel has joined the home building company as director of customer care.

Williams’ career has spanned a diverse array of projects, ranging from his early days as a homebuilder to more complex undertakings as a general manager with a national general contractor. He was vice president of Generation Constructors in Denver before he made the move to Tennessee and worked at EMJ Corp.

“I am truly honored to join RP Communities at such an exciting time of growth and transformation in Chattanooga,” Williams said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the talented team at RP Communities and leveraging my experience to contribute to the success of the company.”

Gabe Thomas, president of RP Communities, praised Williams for “his remarkable career journey and deep understanding of the construction industry.”

Striegel, who previously worked as warrant service manager for Mattamy Homes in Jacksonville, Florida, has worked in telemarketing, construction and retail after a successful career as a flight attendant. She is a graduate of Penn State.

“I am deeply committed to ensuring that every homeowner’s needs are met promptly and professionally,” Striegel said in a statement.

In her role, Striegel will oversee and manage the warranty process for RP Homes.

“Her extensive experience in diverse industries and her unwavering commitment to exceptional customer care make her the perfect fit for this role,” Thomas said in a statement about Striegel’s appointment.

Cempa places Thomas over community health

Joseph (Joey) Thomas has joined Cempa Community Care as director of community health. A new position at Cempa, the director of community health role was created to enhance the organization’s strategic growth and empower its team to continue identifying and solving community health needs in the Chattanooga area.

After earning his law degree from the University of Memphis in 2011, Thomas spent several years as a foster care home assessor and case manager. He also served with the Chattanooga Fire Department for 12 years and retired as a lieutenant. He earned his Master of Public Health from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2022.

“As soon as I heard about this new role at Cempa, I knew it was a perfect fit for my skills, experience and passions,” Thomas said in a news release about his new job. “As a Chattanooga native heavily involved in community health, I’ve had a front-row seat in watching Cempa’s rapid growth. I couldn’t be more excited to work alongside this team to continue expanding access to the critical services Cempa provides.”

Shannon Burger, CEO at Cempa Community Care, said Thomas “positions us for continued strategic growth that will help us better serve area residents in need of easy access to health and wellness services.”

St. Elmo Dental opens on Tennessee Avenue

St. Elmo Dental has opened in the heart of St. Elmo at 3918 Tennessee Ave. to provide dental care for both children and adults. The dental office offers general dentistry services, cosmetics, implants and restorative services.

St. Elmo Dental is led by Dr. Helen Jang and Dr. Sydney Olson.

Jang graduated from Loma Linda School of Dentistry. She chose to be a dentist after working in mobile dental ministry. She has traveled to Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Malawi, China and North Korea with medical and dental mission teams.

Olson is originally from the Nashville area. She graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a minor in chemistry and biology. She went on to earn her doctorate in dentistry in Memphis at the University of Tennessee. Olson is a member of the American Dental Association.

Dr. Kerschl named Parkridge’s CMO

Dr. Walter C. Kerschl has been named the chief medical officer of Parkridge Medical Center.

Prior to joining Parkridge, Kerschl most recently served as president for Evexia Healthcare Advisors. He previously served as vice president and chief medical officer at Camden Clark Medical Center in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and as chief medical officer and senior director at the Cerner Corporation of Kansas City, Missouri.

Kerschl served as an internist and practiced for more than 24 years before transitioning into being a positive change agent for health care and a champion of well-being through chief medical officer roles in recent years.

“We are honored to welcome Dr. Kerschl as our new chief medical officer at Parkridge Medical Center,” Chris Cosby, president and chief executive officer of Parkridge Health System, said in a statement. “His leadership, experience and medical expertise will greatly benefit our hospital and the community.”

Kerschl earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Rochester and Doctor of Medicine from Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College. He completed his residency at the University of Virginia. Kerschl also has completed a Master of Medical Management from Carnegie Mellon University and is a part of the Global Health Care Leaders Program at Harvard Medical School.

“Parkridge Medical Center is known for excellent patient care and is ranked among the best hospitals in the nation,” Kerschl said. “I am excited to be a part of Parkridge Medical Center and continue the great work being done here.”

Frizzell joins CHI Neurosurgery and Spine

Physician assistant Maegen Frizzell has joined CHI Memorial Neuroscience Institute’s Neurosurgery and Spine Center.

Frizzell received a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science from the University of South Florida in Tampa and a master’s in medical science, physician assistant studies, from Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn. She is board-certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

Frizzell has 10 years’ experience providing patient care in emergency room and neurosurgery clinic settings.

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