July 2008 Article Archive7/16/2008 - 2:30 PMIt was 20 years ago today… Two decades of The Business JournalBy Scott Robertson This is Volume 21, Number 1. Two decades worth of The Business Journal have been written, printed, read and — hopefully — have done you some good. In looking back over 20 years worth of back issues of The Business Journal of Tri-Cities, Tennessee/Virginia (and if you think that’s an unwieldy brand name, just remember, we started off as The Business Journal of Upper East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia) two somewhat contradictory phrases come to mind: Change is the only constant in life — and — The more things change, the more they stay the same. Just a cursory glance at the premiere issue of The Journal, for instance, shows both striking similarities and remarkable differences between the Tri-Cities regional business community of 1988 and that of today. Notable changes include the fact that a Book of Lists style list of major employers from 1988 was dominated by manufacturers: Phillips Consumer Electronics, Beecham Laboratories, Raytheon, Arcata Graphics, North American Rayon Corp., and Texas Instruments all held spots in the top 10. The cover story hailed the expansion of retail malls and the secondary cover story told of AFG founder Randall Hubbard’s efforts to wrest AFG back into private ownership from its place on the New York Stock Exchange. The page 3 story was titled, “Black Days Color Southwest Va. Coal Industry.” Yet just as there are striking changes, so too, can you see the foundations of today’s business community being laid. Dr. Paul E. Stanton, Jr., is noted in the premiere issue for his appointment as interim dean and vice president for health affairs at ETSU. The next page notes that the Johnson City/Washington County Area Chamber of Commerce has just named Gary Mabrey its executive vice president. A few pages later, First Tennessee director Louis Gump is noted to be starting a new firm called Impact Management. And ETSU’s Dr. Steb Hipple offers a report on labor market conditions. With the dual theme of constancy and change in mind, I read Eddie Byrd’s first letter from the editor. Eddie made three distinct statements of mission in that column, which for brevity’s sake I’ll paraphrase: 1. Cover business and finance, commerce and industry, focusing on the facts, perspective and analyses those doing business here need to know. 2. Provide a tailwind for regional business growth through the supply of information and news. 3. Act as a voice for the region’s business community. Since Eddie wrote those words, factors including the Internet, email and massively changed world and regional economies have boomed. Those of us who have had responsibility for The Journal have responded by making many decisions, many adjustments and a few broad changes in that time. Yet it is our contention that The Journal’s founding ideals – to inform the business community with solid journalism, to support it with soundly formed insight, and to advocate for it with a strong and articulate voice — are more important than ever. We strive to remain true to that mission each day. And we thank you, our readers and advertisers, for giving us the chance to do so for the last 20 years – and for allowing us to continue. 7/16/2008 - 2:30 PMThe Last Word: Twenty years later...By Gregg Jones November 27, 1987, was decision day. The decision was “Go!”Months earlier, Alex Jones, who was then covering the media for The New York Times, had come across a concept in New England that he thought might work in our neck of the woods. It was a regional business publication, he said, that had been founded to fill the void between the national business publications, which are too large to focus consistently on local and regional business news, and the daily press, which is not staffed or set up to give detailed coverage of regional business news. Alex’ idea was instantly appealing to my father, John M. Jones, to my brother, John M. Jones, Jr., to my brother-in-law, Steve Harbison, and to me. That’s when the head-scratching began. Was the Tri-Cities region ready for such a publication? Were we? What made sense in terms of geographic boundaries? Could we build a publication that offered value to the defined region’s business decision-makers? Would they read it? Would they support it with advertising? What should its format be? Who would staff it? How could we find the answers to these and a multitude of other questions? Instinct told us that there was a need for a publication focused exclusively on the business needs of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. No such publication currently existed, and it was our sense that business leaders in our dynamic, fast-growing region could benefit from a publication that addressed their needs and interests. But, were we correct? We decided to find out. Enthusiastically led by my father, we enlisted Dick Smith, a clear-thinking Mississippian with more than 30 years of accomplishment in the newspaper industry, to help us put the pieces together. Then the real work began. The first step was obvious. If our goal was to create a publication that appealed to the region’s decision-makers and would depend on their support, why not ask them what they thought of the idea? So, we did. Dozens of them. The response we received was heartening and eye-opening. “Yes,” they repeatedly told us, “we need such a publication. And, what’s more, here’s what needs to be in it!” As the enormous scope of the task we were undertaking emerged, it was clear that the publication was going to require outstanding editorial leadership. We turned to Eddie Byrd, who turned out to be the perfect choice. At that time, Byrd was a celebrated writer for the Atlanta Business Chronicle and was a frequent target of recruiters. In late November 1987, he accepted the job as editor because, as he said in his acceptance letter, the position “offers a challenge that jump-starts my juices, and its location in Upper East Tennessee strikes me as Eden.” With Eddie on board, the final major piece was in place and we set about to launch the first issue of The Business Journal of Upper East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia in the spring of 1988. It is a decision of which we have always been proud. In his first editorial, Eddie stated that “Our mission is simple: provide a tailwind for regional business growth …” Inform, entertain and advocate became the watchwords of The Business Journal from the outset. Twenty years later, they still are. Gregg Jones is co-publisher of The Greeneville Sun and president and CEO of Greeneville-based Jones Media, Inc. 7/16/2008 - 2:00 PMJournal 100 100 names you need to know in the Tri-Cities business community Over the course of 20 years, we’ve come to know a great many businesspeople in the Tri-Cities, TN/VA. Some are highly visible in the community. Others quietly tend to their own businesses. What follows is not a who’s who list, by necessity, and there is no ranking involved. These are merely 100 people who make an impact day-in and day-out on the economy of the region. Most have done so for some time. Some are in the private sector, others in government. Some are retired and working in the not-for-profit sector. But all have made an impact on business in the Tri-Cities, TN/VA over the last 20 years and will likely continue to do so. William C. Argabrite Managing Partner, Hunter Smith & Davis Argabrite works primarily in corporate/business law. Specific practice areas include health care law and corporate, banking and commercial transaction law. A member and past president of the Kingsport Bar Association, Argabrite is also a Fellow of the Tennessee Bar Association. He is a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International. A former notes and comments editor of the Wake Forest Law Review, Argabrite holds an AV rating from Martindale Hubbard. Robert L. Arrington Shareholder,Chairman of the Executive Committee, Wilson, Worley, Moore, Gamble & Stout Arrignton’s practice includes employment law and litigation, commercial litigation, including bankruptcy (creditor practice only), probate litigation, arbitration and mediation. A member of the Kingsport, Tennessee, American and Federal Bar associations, Arrington is also a member of the American Arbitration Association’s Roster of Neutrals for arbitration of commercial and employment disputes, and is a member of the Panel of Neutrals of the National Arbitration Forum. Arrington is past president of the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club of Kingsport (Downtown), the Kingsport Jaycees and the Kingsport Center of Opportunity Inc. He is president of the Kingsport Chamber Foundation Inc. Pal Barger Owner, Pal’s Sudden Service If there is one business that is associated closely with the Tri-Cities, TN/VA and nowhere else on Earth, it is Pal’s. From humble beginnings as a carhop at Skoby’s in Kingsport, Fred “Pal” Barger has grown a Malcolm-Baldrige-Award-winning restaurant. The colorful Pal’s buildings with their gigantic hamburgers and hot dogs are iconic in the region. Barger opened the first Pal’s location on Revere Street in Kingsport in 1956. Today there are more than 20 locations. Barger is a member of the Tennessee Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. Wayne Basler Managing Partner, BC Realty Best known in the Tri-Cities as the former president of AFG Industries, Basler has been one of the region’s most staunch supporters of education and workforce development. Basler created two Chairs of Excellence at East Tennessee State University, including one that bears his name and an incentive scholarship program also in Basler’s name. He is a former president of the ETSU Foundation. The Northeast State Technical Community College library is also named for Basler. He is involved in several smaller business ventures now, including holding a seat on the board of ProteoGenesis in Johnson City, Tenn. Rock Baty, Chairman, President, CEO, NN Inc. Roderick R. “Rock” Baty has been running NN Inc. since before it was NN Inc. When he was named president and CEO in 1997 and chairman in 2001, the company was called NN Ball & Roller. Baty is a member of the board of directors of the American Bearing Manufacturers Association and a member of the board of the Northeast State Technical Community College Foundation. Wall Street analysts have recently praised NN for its “conservative financial structure” under Baty, saying the firm is poised for growth from sales in the world market. Kent Bewley President, CEO, Bewley Properties Inc. Bewley is involved in real estate development and property management, as well as contract and commercial warehousing. In addition to Bewley Properties, Bewley is also president of Morristown Chevrolet-Buick Inc.; president of Carolina Chevrolet Inc.; president of Toyota of Bristol; chairman of the Heritage Community Bank Board of Directors; and a stockholder and officer of Mountain Mazda Inc., Lawson Chevrolet Inc. and Gateway Ford-Lincoln-Mercury Inc. Bewley is chairman of the Tri-City and Southwest Virginia Regional Junior Achievement Board and a board member of Junior Achievement of Greeneville/Greene County and a classroom volunteer at Greeneville High School. Deborah L. Boggs Executive Director, Northeast Tennessee Technology Council Boggs has been in her current position since 2006. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Virginia Tech. She is also a graduate of the National Center for Paralegal Training in Atlanta. Prior to joining NETTC, Boggs served as the director of campaign and resource development for United Way of Greater Kingsport for four years. She also worked as a private banker for three years and has seven years paralegal experience. Boggs is a graduate of the Leadership Kingsport class of 2000. She serves on the board of Girls Inc. and has held prior chair positions with the American Heart Association and the SHOUT! Committee, among others. Rick Boucher Ninth District U.S. Congressman, Virginia As America debates how to meet its energy needs for the future, Rick Boucher is uniquely positioned to have a great deal of influence on the discussion. Boucher, a 13-term Democrat, is chairman of the Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Boucher has proven to be an effective advocate for the region in the past. In 1996, Boucher originated the House Internet Caucus. Since that time, Southwest Virginia has become one of the leading rural region’s for IT job growth in the country. Mike Browder CEO, Bristol Tennessee Essential Services Browder has served in his current position since 1977. Prior to that, he was the director of engineering and operations at BTES. He earned his doctorate of educational leadership and policy analysis from ETSU, his master of administrative science from the University of Alabama Huntsville and a bachelor of electrical engineering from Auburn University. He is a registered professional engineer. Browder has served as chairman of the American Public Power Association and as a member of the Board of Directors at Tennessee Valley Public Power Association, among others. His long history of involvement in economic development includes serving as chairman of the Sullivan County Economic Development Commission and the Northeast Tennessee Regional Industrial Development Association, among others. Miles Burdine President, CEO, Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce Under Burdine’s leadership, the Kingsport Chamber has grown to become one of the largest business organizations in Tennessee with nearly 1,000 members. Burdine is a member of the Tennessee Business Roundtable and serves on the board of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry. Burdine also is active in the Marine Reserves and most recently served in Iraq as a liaison between the US military and the Al Anbar government as commander of the 6th Civil Affairs Group’s Government Support Team. Andy Burke President, CEO, The Regional Alliance for Economic Development When the region’s business leaders decided to create a new, regionally unified economic development effort they decided to ask the best economic developers in the nation to recommend candidates to lead the organization. When they asked Andy Burke whom he would recommend, he remembered his time vacationing in the region and threw his own name in the mix. Since then he’s worked to create alliances among local economic development organizations and to bring the region to the attention of site selection firms and commercial realtors who decide where companies will locate. Jeff Byrd President, Bristol Motor Speedway Byrd has run Bristol Motor Speedway since its 1996 acquisition by Speedway Motorsports Inc. In addition to being a 30-year veteran of the motorsports industry, Byrd also boasts some of the best journalism credentials in the region. The son of two parents in the newspaper business, Byrd worked for The Winston-Salem Journal as a sportswriter after graduating from Wake Forest University. He then worked for R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company/RJR Nabisco where he worked for 12 years in race-related marketing. He is a member of the Wellmont board of directors and the board’s executive committee and is active in several other community organizations, often making the speedway accessible to organizations for key meetings and events. Luther Cain CEO, GoinsRashCain / Founder, CainRashWest Cain graduated with honors from the University of Tennessee School of Architecture. After having grown up in his father’s construction business, Cain started his career with David Leonard Architects and later worked for Rentenbach & Wright, where he was quickly promoted to vice president of the company. In 1988, Cain became one of the founding partners of GoinsRashCain Construction and CainRashWest Architects. Cain has served as CEO of GoinsRashCain since its founding. He is past president of the Board of Associated General Contractors, and currently serves on the Board of Kingsport Rotary Club and Citizens Bank. Cain is also a member of the American Institute of Architects. John Campbell City Manager, City of Kingsport Kingsport City Manager John Campbell began his professional career as a city planner for Johnson City in 1976, followed by promotion to assistant city manager in 1979. In 1984, Campbell was elected to the city manager position. After more than 16 years as Johnson City manager, during which he was twice named Tennessee City Manager of the Year, Campbell retired in 2001. Following his retirement, Campbell worked for four years as a private consultant in both business and government. Campbell moved back into the public sector when chosen in early 2005 as the first permanent CEO of NETWORKS Sullivan County Partnership. In 2006, Campbell accepted the offer to become city manager of Kingsport. Campbell has a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s of public administration from the University of Tennessee. Jose Castillo Founder, thinkjose.com Castillo, of thinkjose.com, is an expert in the convergence of business, technology and media. He speaks to groups around the world, produces content through print, audio, video and online media and consults with Fortune 500 companies and start-ups. Castillo has spent more than 10 years in the experiential education field working in the areas of idea generation, corporate facilitation and technology consulting. Castillo has launched four companies and worked in sales, technology, marketing and leadership roles. Castillo is currently a marketing consultant specializing in web 2.0 technology, the open source revolution and how to use the latest technology to grow business. Lois A. Clarke Executive Vice President, Chief Investment Officer and Treasurer, The United Company In addition to her listed title, Clarke is also president and chief investment officer of United Management Company LLC, a family office that manages individual, corporate, trusts and charitable foundations investments. Clarke serves as vice chair of the Board of Directors of TriSummit Bank, Bristol, Tenn., and as chair of the board’s asset liability committee. She serves on the Board of Directors of The United Company Charitable Foundation as its treasurer and chief investment officer. In addition to her professional board affiliation, Clarke serves on the national Presbyterian Church Foundation Board of Trustees, among many others. Mitch Cox Principal Broker, President, CEO, Mitch Cox Development Group If you’re looking into commercial real estate in Johnson City, Tenn., you will hear Mitch Cox’s name a great deal. The odds are good that you’ll wind up working with him. Cox started his firm in 1979, building the 2020 Northpark complex, and today it handles everything from design-build to general construction to electrical contracting to facilities management to sales and leasing. Cox is a member of the CCIM Institute and the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors. He is active in select community organizations including Junior Achievement. Thom Crosby President and CEO, Pal’s Sudden Service From the moment he began work with Pal’s as an owner/operator in 1981, Crosby understood that the fast food chain offered opportunities others didn’t see. Over the next 20 years, Crosby and company owner Pal Barger reshaped the restaurant’s culture, focusing on quality and efficiency. The company was rewarded with both the Tennessee Quality Award and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. During his career with Pal’s, Crosby has held positions of owner/operator, vice-president/COO, president/COO, and currently president/CEO. Crosby also serves as CEO of the Business Excellence Institute, an educational subsidiary of Pal’s Sudden Service. Andy Czuchry AFG Industries Chair of Excellence in Business and Technology Chairholder, ETSU Czuchry holds a dual appointment as a tenured professor in both the department of management and marketing and the department of technology and geomatics within the ETSU College of Business and Technology. Czuchry created the Entrepreneurial Leadership Graduate Certificate Program and the Entrepreneurial Leadership Concentration in the university’s Master of Technology Program to help students, faculty and staff embark on new technology ventures. Since 1993, he has served as a member of the panel of judges for the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCPE). Before arriving at ETSU, Czuchry was president of the Bedford, Mass., IRISS Corp., a joint venture between Raytheon Company and General Dynamics. He came to the university with more than 20 years of experience as a professional manager in the electronics industry. David Davis First District U.S. Congressman, Tennessee Davis, who represents the first congressional district of Tennessee in the US House of Representatives, is a member of the House Small Business Committee, the House Education and Labor Committee, the Homeland Security Committee and the Republican House Policy Committee. Raised in Limestone Cove, Tenn., he worked his way through college to become a respiratory therapist. He received his respiratory therapy certification from East Tennessee State University in 1979 and an AAS in respiratory therapy from California College in 1983. Davis received a bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Milligan College in 1991. Davis owns Shared Health Services, which provides wound-care and hyperbaric oxygen and healthcare services. Jack Dempsey General Manager, WJHL-TV Dempsey is the second of only two general managers in the 55-year history of WJHL-TV in Johnson City, Tenn. Prior to 1985, he worked at television stations in Kentucky and West Virginia. When not operating WJHL’s studios, Dempsey spends time with his family and is an avid golfer. He’s also a member of numerous media and local organizations including the Barter Theatre board and the Rotary Club. Betty DeVinney Former Vice President, Eastman Chemical Company DeVinney retired in 2003, as senior vice president of Eastman Chemical Company with global responsibility for human resources, communications and public affairs. DeVinney was born in Hattiesburg, Miss.,, and received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1964. She completed the Executive Development Program at the University of Tennessee in 1993. From 1973 to her retirement, DeVinney held positions of increasing responsibility and she became senior vice president in 2002. She now serves on the boards of BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, East Tennessee State University Foundation and many others. She currently works at both the national level and local level with Susan G. Komen for the Cure to help find a cure for breast cancer. Bill Dudney President, Citizens Bank Dudney has served in his current position since 1995. Before he joined Citizens, Dudney was Kingsport-Bristol regional president for First Tennessee Bank. Dudney received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Tennessee. He graduated from Louisiana State University’s Graduate School of Banking of the South in 1987. Dudney serves as secretary and treasurer of the Kingsport Economic Development Board and as the president of the Kingsport Chamber Foundation. He is past president of the Kingsport Chamber, Downtown Kingsport Association and the DKA Foundation. He is a past board member of the United Way, Kingsport Tomorrow and Girls Inc. William E. “Bill” Edwards, III Vice chairman, President, CEO, Mountain Commerce Bancorp. Inc., Mountain Commerce Bank Edwards has more than 28 years of commercial banking experience. In the late 1980s, he worked for the FDIC. As a group vice president with SunTrust Bank, he managed its Northeast Tennessee commercial, corporate and real estate lending division. He worked for its subsidiary SunTrust Robinson Humphrey Capital Markets from 2003 to 2005. Edwards earned his bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Tennessee. He is also a certified financial planner. and a member of the East Tennessee State University Foundation Board of Directors, the Sequoyah Council of Boy Scouts Board of Directors, and a member of the advisory board for the ETSU Innovation Laboratory. Joseph F. “Joe” Ellis, Jr. Founder, President, CEO, TEDS Inc. Ellis founded an Atkins, Va.-based multi-million dollar software company. TEDS provides human capital development software and services for companies including Verizon, Chrysler, Dominion and Eastman Chemical. He has — along with his wife, Susie — renovated and opened the historic General Francis Marion Hotel and other properties in downtown Marion, Va. He was active in the restoration of The Lincoln Theatre and is a member of the theatre’s board of directors. He sits on the Board of Trustees of Emory & Henry College, where he received bachelor’s degrees in chemistry, biology and mathematics. Ellis has been involved with The Song of the Mountains, the nationally syndicated PBS television series produced from the stage of The Lincoln Theatre, from its concept and has liberally contributed to the project, both in time and money. Mark Esposito Attorney, Penn Stuart Esposito is an officer in PennStuart’s Bristol, Tenn. office. Esposito represents clients in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee in commercial litigation and bankruptcy matters. He also serves on the First District Hearing Committee of the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, which adjudicates ethics complaints against attorneys and the Board of Zoning Appeals for the City of Bristol, Va. Esposito is a member of the firm’s management committee and is active in numerous civic and cultural groups. Esposito is a graduate of the University of Richmond’s T.C. Williams School of Law. Dwight B. Ferguson Jr President, CEO, Nuclear Fuel Services In Nuclear Fuel Services, Ferguson oversees the sole provider of nuclear fuel to the United States Navy. Ferguson began his career with a degree in accounting earned at the University of Virginia. In 1987, he became a part of Nuclear Fuel Services. During his tenure, he has served as chief financial officer, executive vice president, president and currently is chief executive officer and member of the board of directors. A longtime supporter of East Tennessee State University, his leadership has placed Nuclear Fuel Services in the Distinguished President’s Trust. Ferguson also sits on the Mountain Commerce Bank board. J. Brian Ferguson Chairman, CEO, Eastman Chemical Company Ferguson joined Eastman in 1977. He was named vice president, industry and federal affairs in 1994, became managing director, Greater China in 1996, was named president, Eastman Chemical Asia Pacific in 1998, became president, Polymers Group in 1999, became president, Chemicals Group in 2001, and was elected to his current position in 2002. Ferguson currently serves as a member of the American Chemistry Council board and executive committee and East Tennessee State University Foundation and board. He also serves on the executive committee of the Society of the Chemical Industry, US Section and the Business Roundtable. In February of 2003, he was appointed to the President’s Export Council. In July of 2003, he was elected to the Board of Trustees of the United States Council for International Business. In 2004, he became a member of the First Tennessee Bank Advisory Board. Tom Ferguson Founder, Ferguson Development Network Ferguson’s firm provides a variety of economic and community development consulting services to chambers of commerce, economic development organizations and communities. From 1992, to 2001, he served as president of the Greene County Partnership, an organization that received considerable state and national recognition as a model for replication. In 1999, 2000 and 2001, Area Development Magazine ranked Greene County among the top 10 small markets in America for new and expanded facilities. In 2001, he founded Ferguson Development Network in Greeneville. Ferguson serves as a member of the Tusculum College Board of Trustees and is the chairman of the institutional advancement committee and a member of the executive committee. Scott Folsom Market President, SunTrust Bank Folsom, a 22-year banking veteran, joined SunTrust Bank in Atlanta in 1986. After 10 years in Atlanta, Folsom moved to SunTrust Bank in Knoxville, Tenn., where he managed for five years. He now serves as market president of SunTrust Bank in Johnson City, Tenn. Folsom has been active in the community and currently serves as the 2008 Campaign chairman for the local United Way, board member and executive committee for the Johnson City/Washington County Chamber of Commerce, vice president of the Southern Appalachian Ronald McDonald House and board member of the ETSU Innovation Lab. Folsom was recently elected a member of the ETSU Foundation Board. Charlie Floyd Vice President, Plant Manager, Domtar In 2003, shortly after Willamette was purchased by the Weyerhaeuser Company, Floyd was asked to relocate to Kingsport, Tennessee, to lead the Kingsport Mill through the completion of its $500 million modernization project. Floyd and his family located to the area, where he recently completed his fifth year of service to the mill as the vice president/plant manager. In 2007, Weyerhaeuser combined its fine paper and related assets with Domtar Inc. Floyd’s involvement in the Kingsport community includes serving on the board of directors for the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce, acting as treasurer for the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce, serving on the Holston Valley Hospital board, the Kingsport United Way board and the Northeast State Technical Community College Foundation board. Homer G’Fellers General Manager, Johnson City Power Board G’Fellers’ utility career began in October 1974, when he was employed as a meter reader. A Jonesborough native, he has been involved in local politics for the past 16 years, serving the Town of Jonesborough as both alderman and mayor. G’Fellers is a representative of the Johnson City Power Board to several local organizations including the East Tennessee State University Foundation, the Johnson City Senior Center Foundation, the Johnson City/Jonesborough/Washington County Economic Development Board, Network Partnership Sullivan County, Northeast Tennessee Valley Industrial Development Association and serves as president of the Appalachian District Public Power Distributors Association. Dr. Linda Garceau Dean, ETSU College of Business and Technology Garceau presides over a college that enrolls more than 2,700 students and acts as an engine for the region’s economy. Garceau holds master’s degrees in accountancy and business administration, and a doctorate of business administration with a specialization in information systems from Boston University. She is secretary/treasurer of the Southern Business Administration Association; chair of Women Administrators in Management Education; member of the pre-accreditation committee of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business; regional board member and past chairperson of Junior Achievement, Northeast Tennessee; incoming chairperson of the MSHA Washington County Board; member of the Johnson City/Washington County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and vice chairperson of the Convention and Visitors Bureau; treasurer of Executive Women’s Golf of the Tri-Cities and incoming chairperson of the Finance Committee of St. Mary’s Church, Johnson City. C.M. “Bill” Gatton Owner, The Gatton Family of Automobile Dealerships Gatton is most recognizable to many in the business community as the car dealer who would do almost anything on a television commercial. The business community, however, is more aware of the businessman for whom the College of Business at the University of Kentucky and the College of Pharmacy at East Tennessee State University are named. A banker and real estate investor, Gatton has in recent years become one of the community’s leading philanthropists, especially in the area of education. Richard “Dick” Green President ,CEO, General Shale Brick Inc. Green began his career as a management trainee with General Shale. After having been promoted to plant manager of the Knoxville brick plant, he returned to Johnson City and was given the position of regional production manager. He continued to excel and was promoted to vice president of marketing for the company in the early 90s and then to executive vice president. In 1994, he assumed his current position as president and CEO. Green is past president and a current board member of The Sequoyah Council, the division of Boy Scouts of America serving Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia, and serves on several boards in the region. William B. “Bill” Greene, Jr. Chairman, Carter County Bank At age 24, Bill Greene became the youngest bank president and CEO in the United States. In 1964, Greene became the primary stockholder and president of Carter County Bank. Five years later, Greene formed the first statewide banking organization in Tennessee history. As a former director of Northwestern Financial Corporation, Greene was a part of the first major banking merger in the US with First Union Corporation, now Wachovia Bank. Greene co-founded Bank of Tennessee and is currently the chairman of BancTenn Corporation, along with Carter County Bank and Carter County BanCorp in Elizabethton. Greene founded the Elizabethton Municipal Airport and has been its chairman for the past 40 years. Tommy Greer Managing Partner, Blackburn Childers & Steagall PLC Greer specializes in accounting, auditing, consulting, management, budgeting and leadership. Greer has been with BCS the last 14 years. Having lived in the region for more than 40 years, Greer is an ETSU graduate. He has served as president of the Appalachian Chapter of the TSCPA, was a founding board member of the local Ronald McDonald House, and was a member of the inaugural class of The Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty. Greer is also an alumnus of Johnson City/Washington County Leadership 2000, the Advisory Board for the ETSU Department of Accounting and the President’s Executive Council for Milligan College. He serves on the board of The Regional Alliance for Economic Development. John M. Gregory Managing Partner, SJ Strategic Investments LLC In addition to SJ Strategic Investments, Gregory founded three other successful businesses with his entrepreneurial family. In 2002, John received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, honored as the winner in the health sciences category. After graduating from the University of Maryland with a degree in pharmacy, Gregory moved to Bastian, Va., where he opened the town’s first retail pharmacy. In 1984, Gregory co-founded General Injectables & Vaccines (GIV). GIV grew into a successful enterprise with 550 employees and annual revenues exceeding $150 million per year. In 1993, Gregory and his brothers purchased a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Bristol, Tennessee. Under Gregory’s leadership as chairman and CEO, King Pharmaceuticals grew from a 90-employee family business to an S&P 500 Index company on the New York Stock Exchange with revenues exceeding $1 billion. Joseph R. Gregory Owner, Gregory Management Company Gregory, the former president of Monarch Pharmaceuticals and vice-chairman of King Pharmaceuticals, now leads an organization which has substantial investments in coal and energy, real estate, software and publishing, recreational sports equipment and a diversified portfolio of investments. Gregory is also the president and CEO of Epic Secure Solutions, a software technology provider battling pornography on the Internet. Gregory is co-chair of the Gregory Leadership Council for the Lloyd L. Gregory School of Pharmacy at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for Regent University. Gregory is also on the board of Adams Golf Inc. Louis H. Gump Founder, Impact Management Gump’s demeanor belies his status as a man who can get things done. From 1971 to 1986 he ran Smith-Higgins Co., a pharmaceutical wholesaler. Under Gump’s leadership, sales improved from $3 million a year to $60 million. Gump sold the firm in 1983, but stayed on as chairman until he started Impact Management in 1987. Gump is a member of the ETSU Distinguished President’s Trust and the chair of the ETSU Roan Scholar Steering Committee, guiding the program he established. Gump also serves as a member of The Business Journal Board of Advisors. Roy L. Harmon, Jr. Chairman, CEO, President, Bank of Tennessee Harmon has 30 years of financial services and banking experience. During his tenure with Bank of Tennessee he has also served as chief operating officer, executive vice president and senior lending officer. The Kingsport, Tenn., native has served as Kingsport Alderman, chairman of Fun Fest and has been a member of numerous community organizations. He is also a certified public accountant and a member of the World Presidents Organization. Randy Harrell President, CEO, Greene County Partnership Harrell is relatively new to the region, having joined the partnership in September 2007. From March 1999 to August 2007, Harrell was employed as executive director of the Salisbury-Rowan Economic Development Commission. He has 25 years experience in economic development. Harrell received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and a master’s degree in education from Old Dominion University. Harrell is a past president and former board member of the NC Economic Developers Association, a past member of the NC State Economic Development Board (governor appointee), a former board member of the Southern Economic Development Council, and a past Chairman of the NC Economic Development Advisory Committee. He is a past president of the Rotary Club of Salisbury and a Paul Harris Fellow. Tony Hewitt Director of Commercial Development, Royal Ordnance North America Inc. Royal Ordnance North America Inc., a subsidiary of BAE Systems, is the operating contractor of Holston Army Ammunition Plant in Kingsport, Tenn. Hewitt, formerly of Sussex, England, is responsible for the strategic development of the Holston site and for attracting new business and industry to the site. Prior to his new position with Royal Ordnance, Tony worked with British Aerospace Royal Ordnance as a consultant in joint venture activity and management contracting. He is a member of the International Institute of Risk and Safety Managers and an associate member of the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. Allen Hurley President, Touchstone Wireless From a company started in Hurley’s garage, Touchstone Wireless has grown to become one of the leading employers in the region. Touchstone was formed when Hurley and his brother merged their company, Image I Wireless Inc., with another garage-based start-up, Eastern Wireless LP. Hurley has almost 20 years of experience in the field, having previously held technical and sales positions for carriers such as GTE, Centel Cellular, Sprint Cellular and 360 Communications. At one time, Hurley owned four wireless retail outlets in Tennessee. Hurley is one of the region’s finest examples of what a dedicated and skilled entrepreneur can accomplish. Don Jeanes President, Milligan College Jeanes, a Milligan alumnus (Class of ’68) was chosen to be Milligan’s fourteenth president in 1997. Jeanes had previously served First Christian Church in Johnson City, Tenn., as senior minister, beginning in 1991. Jeanes served as the administrative vice president at Atlanta Christian College in East Point, Ga., from 1978 to 1984. There he managed and supervised all fiscal operations, non-faculty personnel, campus operations and the student financial aid program. He has been an active member of Milligan’s board since 1981 and most recently served as the chairman of the Board of Trustees. Jeanes holds a master’s of divinity degree from Emmanuel and has done doctoral coursework at Emory University. Liesa Jenkins Executive Director, CareSpark Jenkins has made it her mission to have the region’s health records online through CareSpark. She is well-known for her skills as a facilitator, resource developer and project manager, serving her community in the areas of education, literacy, neighborhood revitalization, civic leadership, cultural arts, recreation, environmental and health issues, diversity and economic development. A native of Glade Spring, Va., she holds degrees in French from King College, University of Kentucky and Universite of Besancon, France. Professionally, she has worked as a teacher, director of an after-school program in public housing neighborhoods and executive director of Kingsport Tomorrow. Steve Johnson President, Johnson Commercial Development Johnson graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education from Virginia Tech, where he played tight end on a football scholarship. Johnson joined his father-in-law, Don Nicewonder, in 1991, to develop The Virginian Golf Club. In 1995, Johnson opened Johnson & Associates, a commercial real estate development firm. Johnson says the company, now Johnson Commercial Development, maintains relationships with Food City, Verizon Wireless, Lowe’s Home Improvement and Wellmont Health System, and says he is currently busy with new developments in Florida, Tennessee and the Carolinas. Johnson is also known for his work in the development of Exit 7 off I-81. Gregg K. Jones Co-publisher, The Greeneville Sun; President, CEO, Jones Media Inc. Jones is a member of a multi-generation East Tennessee newspaper family. As the president of JMI, he supervises the operations of his family's media interests and is very active in state, regional and national media organizations. Jones is a past president of the Tennessee Press Association and is also a past president, director and committee chairman of the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association. Jones is past chairman of the Newspaper Association of America, the largest newspaper association in the United States. He served nine years on the board of the Associated Press. Jones has served as past president of the East Tennessee Foundation, a director of the Greene County Partnership, a director of the Open Spaces Conservancy in Northeast Tennessee, a member of the executive board of the Sequoyah Council, Boy Scouts of America and president of Morgan Square Inc. Jones currently serves as a board member of The Regional Alliance for Economic Development. Olan Jones President, CEO, Eastman Credit Union Jones was appointed president and CEO of Eastman Credit Union in 1998, after serving nine months as chief operations officers. Prior to this, he worked 20 years with Eastman Kodak and Eastman Chemical Company, taking many different assignments in corporate human resources and finance. Jones is involved in both charitable and community organizations and serves on the boards of numerous regional and national organizations. In 2003, Jones was named by the Federal Reserve Board to the Thrift Institutions Advisory Council. In 2006, Jones received the ETSU College of Business and Technology’s Lifetime Achievement in Business Award. Greg Jordan President, King College Jordan joined King College in 1980 and served in various positions before becoming president in 1997. Shortly after, he led the school in a $50 million capital campaign. Under Jordan’s guidance King has become a comprehensive college, expanding academic, athletic and international travel programs as well as campus facilities. The college has established nearly a dozen instructional locations throughout the region and has doubled in size in the last five years. Jordan holds a PhD from Hebrew-Union College and a master’s degree in business administration from Wake Forest University. Francis L. “Frank” Leonard Chairman, CEO, Electro-Mechanical Corp. Leonard is a native of Bristol, a Korean War Veteran with both the Navy and Army. He attended Virginia Tech and is a graduate of the Milwaukee School of Engineering and General Electric Engineering Training Program. After a short stint for GE in New York, he returned to Bristol, Va., and founded a one-man business in 1958, with $400 of borrowed money. Since that time, the company has experienced major expansions and spin-offs of new businesses to include Line Power Manufacturing Corp. and Electric Motor Repair and Sales, among others. In addition, Leonard has served as chairman of the board for Charter Federal Savings Bank; board of directors member for Dominion Bank, chairman of the board of the Paramount Center for the Arts and president of the Electrical Apparatus Service Association. William W. “Bill” Locke President, Northeast State Technical Community College Locke is a native of Kingsport, Tenn., and a graduate of Dobyns-Bennett High School. He received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree from East Tennessee State University. He also received a doctorate of education at ETSU in 1976. Locke is a Vietnam Veteran and retired as a lieutenant colonel from the US Army Reserves. Locke also completed post-doctoral study at the National Defense University and the United States Army Command and General Staff College. He was named president of Northeast State Technical Community College in 1996. He had previously served as president of Walters State Community College. Gary K. Mabrey III President, CEO, The Johnson City/ Jonesborough/Washington County Chamber of Commerce Like The Business Journal, Mabrey is entering his twenty-first year of service to the Tri-Cities. His professional background is in city management, local and regional planning, human resource management and consulting/facilitating on organizational development and strategic thinking/retreat sessions. Mabrey is a board member of the US Chamber of Commerce, one of only two chamber executives on the 125-member board. He is a member of several US Chamber committees including the Committee of 100 and the Small Business Council. Mabrey was The Business Journal’s Executive of the Year in 2002. He has served on several boards and committees at ETSU, chaired a record setting United Way campaign and is a past president of the United Way board, of which he remains a member. James “Jim” W. McGlothlin Founder, Chairman, CEO, The United Company What Jim McGlothlin started was a coal company. Today, United is the parent company of several diversified subsidiaries with interests in coal mining, oil and gas, real estate, financial services, technology and pharmaceutical manufacturing and golf. McGlothlin received his Doctorate of Jurisprudence from Marshall-Wythe School of Law, College of William and Mary in 1964. He partnered in the law firm of Street, Street & McGlothlin, in Grundy, Va., from 1964 to 1972. Since 1970, McGlothlin has served as chairman and CEO of The United Company and its subsidiaries. He serves on the board of directors for CSX Corporation in Richmond, and Star Oil & Gas Ltd., in Canada. Dan Mahoney Owner, Mahoney’s Sportsman’s Paradise Mahoney is one of the region’s most successful retailers. He is also a former Johnson City mayor, and 12-year city commissioner. He served on the Johnson City Board of Education for six years, and is a former chairman. He is also a former chairman and board member of the Johnson City Planning Board, the Johnson City/Washington County Economic Development Board, and First United Methodist Church Board. He is a former vice chairman and board member of the Johnson City Medical Center, as well as a former member of the Johnson City Convention and Visitors Board and the Johnson City Heart Association Board. He is a former chairman of the Tri-Cities Regional Airport Commission, and former vice chairman of the Foreign Trade Zone board, and has served on the boards of the ETSU National Alumni Association, SunTrust Bank, the ETSU Foundation and the Mountain States Hospital Foundation. Brian Markison Chairman, President, CEO, King Pharmaceuticals Markison was elected as King Pharmaceuticals’ chairman of the board in May 2007. He has served as president and CEO and a director since July 2004. Previously, Markison held various positions with Bristol-Myers Squibb beginning in 1982, and was president of the company’s Oncology, Virology and Oncology Therapeutics Network businesses. Between 1998 and 2001, he served in other sales and marketing positions. Markison is a member of the board of directors of Immunomedics Inc., a publicly-held corporation. Lisa Meadows President, CEO, Bristol TN/VA Chamber of Commerce Meadows has held her position since August 2001, serving as the first female chamber executive in the Tri-Cities. She started her chamber-affiliated career in 1994, when she became vice president of special events and vice president/executive director of the Bristol Convention and Visitors Bureau. Prior to joining the chamber, Meadows spent 19 years with BB&T. Meadows is a 2000 graduate of the United States Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for Organizational Management and a 1999 graduate of the Certified Tennessee Tourism Professional Program. Currently she serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce Executives and president of the Bristol Morning Rotary Club. Dr. Jerry Miller Founder, Holston Medical Group An active family practice physician for 40 years, Miller is founder and president of Holston Medical Group (HMG), a private medical practice he founded by providing care for its first patient on January 3, 1977. He also served as medical director until June 2004. HMG has grown to become the region’s largest multi-specialty provider with more than 100 physicians, specialists and mid-level providers. Miller received his medical degree in 1965 from Medical College of Virginia and completed his internship at Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Ohio. He is a member of numerous professional societies, including the American Medical Association, American Academy of Family Practice, Association of Clinical Research Professionals, Tennessee Medical Association, Tennessee Association of Family Physicians and the Medical Group Management Association. Paul Montgomery VP, Talent Management, Eastman Chemical Company Montgomery became vice president of talent management for Eastman in 2007. Previously, Montgomery was vice president for communications and public affairs. He joined Eastman in 1991. Born in Glade Springs, Va., Montgomery received his bachelor’s degree in history and an MBA from King College. He currently serves on the boards of the Tennessee Board of Regents, East Tennessee State University Foundation and Northeast State Community College Foundation. He has served as a member of the Kingsport Regional Planning Commission, as president of the Kingsport Board of Education, as president of the Kingsport Branch of the NAACP, as president of the South Kingsport Optimist Club, as a Paul Harris Fellow of the Kingsport Rotary Club, as president of the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce and as chairman of the Tri-Cities All America City Partnership. Roger K. Mowen, Jr. Chairman, Wellmont Health System Mowen will lead the search for a successor to outgoing CEO Richard Salluzzo. Before his retirement from Eastman Chemical Co., Mowen served as senior vice president and was a member of the executive team. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Philadelphia Textile University and a master’s degree from North Carolina State University. His areas of interest include community volunteering, business innovation and strategy development. Along with his service as a Wellmont board member, he is an active board member for Friends in Need, the YMCA, Contact Concern and the ETSU Innovation Lab. He is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Kingsport. Jason Mumpower Tennessee House Minority Leader Still one of the youngest members of the Tennessee House, Mumpower is a six-term representative with committee experience to rival many of his more seasoned colleagues. Mumpower has served on the House Rules, Ethics, Finance, Ways & Means, Government Operations, Health and Human Resources and Joint Lottery Oversight and Joint TACIR committees as well as the House Professional Occupations Subcommittee. He is a 40 Under Forty alumni and the 1999 winner of the Kingsport Jaycees’ Outstanding Young Man award. He is active in the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, the King College Alumni Association, the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce and the National Conference of State Legislators. Scott M. Niswonger Founder and CEO, Landair Niswonger co-founded Landair Transport in 1981 with a $4,000 investment. If his generosity to the community is any indication, his investment has paid off well. Last year Niswonger donated $10 million to the Children’s Hospital at the Johnson City Medical Center and was named executive of the year by The Business Journal. He currently serves as chairman of the Regional Alliance for Economic Development. He is a generous supporter of education and workforce development initiatives and was granted an honorary doctorate by his alma mater, Purdue University in 2004. His name can be found on projects ranging from the ETSU Digital Media Center to the Greeneville performing arts center he helped fund. Christianne E. Parker Assistant County Administrator/ Community and Economic Development Director,Washington County, Virginia Parker has held her current position since January 1996. She provides staff support to the county administrator and the Washington County Board of Supervisors, along with the Washington County Industrial Development Authority. Parker received certified economic developer (CEcD) status through the International Economic Development Council in 2005. She has served on the board of directors for the Virginia Economic Developers Association, among others. Parker holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration/political science from James Madison University and completed honors work in Public Policy at Deakin University in Geelong, Australia, as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar in 1991. Pete Peterson City Manager, City of Johnson City Pete Peterson has served in his current position for three years. With a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering technology, Peterson joined the city as a development specialist with the planning department in 1991. In 1995, he became assistant city manager for community services, and in July 2002, became assistant city manager. Peterson served as interim city manager for eight months prior to being appointed to the job by the City Commission. Peterson holds a master’s degree in city management from East Tennessee State University and certification as an International City/County Management Association Manager, one of roughly 1,000 local government managers worldwide granted the credentials that are based on experience, education, adherence to high standards of integrity and commitment to lifelong learning and professional development. Jerry Petzoldt General Manager, Principal Broker, TCI Group-Jerry Petzoldt Agency LLC Petzoldt has been in the real estate business since 1971, and began his career as a real estate appraiser in commercial and investment property in Clearwater, Fla. He has an associate degree in architecture and a broker’s license in Tennessee, Virginia and Florida. He is a certified residential appraiser in Tennessee and was awarded the SRA designation in 1976, from the Appraisal Institute in Chicago. In 1982, Petzoldt relocated his family to Blountville, Tenn., to establish East Tennessee Realty Group and in 1996, changed his company name to TCI Group - Jerry Petzoldt Agency LLC, became a regional partner and specializes exclusively in commercial and industrial real estate. James J. “Jim” Powell President, Founder, Powell Companies In 1969, with $15,000, a used 30-ton crane, a pickup truck, a welder and two employees James J. “Jim” Powell started Powell Construction in Greeneville, Tenn. The self-professed habitual early riser began catching a great deal of the available business. In 1983, the company entered in to a partnership with an Australian company, founding Decanter Machine. In 1991, Powell started Powell Building Group, a commercial division of PCC in Nashville. In 2007, combined sales for all Powell Companies was $120 million with 550 employees. That figure includes sales in Canada, Australia, Poland, Russia, China, India, Mexico and Brazil. Powell typically contributes 10 percent of corporate earnings to local organizations including Boy Scouts, Boys Club, Girls Scouts, Girls Club, Girls Inc., Holston Home For Children, Mountain Mission Home, Johnson City Symphony, East Tennessee State University, University of Tennessee, and many others. Art Powers Publisher, Johnson City Press Powers has published The Johnson City Press since May 2002. His tenure as a publisher in the Tri-Cities, however, is somewhat longer. Powers first came to the market as publisher of the Bristol Herald-Courier in 1981. He held that position for 17 years before leaving, to purchase three newspapers in Western North Carolina. When The Johnson City Press was sold to Sandusky Newspapers Inc., Powers accepted the job as publisher. Powers has a bachelor’s in marketing from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. He serves on the boards of the Johnson City/Jonesborough/Washington County Chamber of Commerce, the Johnson City/Jonesborough/Washington County United Way and the Children’s Advocacy Center. He is a member of the Johnson City Rotary Club and sits on the advisory board of First Tennessee Bank. He serves as vice president of the Tennessee Press Association. Mike Quillen Chairman ,CEO, Alpha Natural Resources With more than 35 years of experience in the coal industry, Quillen was an easy choice to work with Jim McGlothlin in a series of acquisitions that led to the formation of Alpha Natural Resources. Quillen joined its management team in August 2002 as president. Since Alpha Natural Resources Inc. was incorporated in 2004, Quillen has been president and chief executive officer and a member of the company’s board of directors. He was elected chairman in October 2006. Alpha Natural Resources is a leading supplier of high-quality Appalachian coal to electric utilities, steel producers and heavy industry. K. Newton “Newt” Raff Chairman CEO, First Tennessee Bank Northeast Tennessee Over the Business Journal’s 20 years, Raff has built a reputation for accomplishment. As regional president for First Tennessee Bank in the 1980s, he doubled the bank’s size in four years. In 1992, as chairman and CEO of First Tennessee Bank Northeast Tennessee he orchestrated the purchase of Home Federal, an $840 million-savings and loan. In 1998, Raff was awarded Executive of the Year at the Greater Tri-Cities Business Awards. He serves on the board of directors and executive committee for the Salvation Army. He was the founding chairman of the Northeast State Technical Community College Foundation. He serves on ETSU’s College of Business and Technology Advisory Board and has served on the ETSU Foundation Board. He serves as chair-elect of the Regional Alliance for Economic Development, is a Paul Harris Fellow and Sustainer of the Rotary Club of Johnson City. Ron Ramsey Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee Ramsey’s is a classic hometown-boy-makes-good story. A graduate of Sullivan Central High School and East Tennessee State University, Ramsey achieved business success as a realtor and auctioneer in his native Blountville, Tenn., before entering politics. He was elected to the state house for the 98th and 99th general assembly sessions before being elected to the state senate for the 100th through 105th sessions. He became Tennessee’s first republican lieutenant governor since reconstruction in 2006. He is a past-president and member of the Bristol TN-VA Association of Realtors and is past-president of the Blountville Business Association. Ronald S. Range Managing Partner, Baker Donelson Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz Range concentrates his practice in the area of litigation, with particular emphasis on appellate, product liability & casualty, employment, commercial and civil rights litigation. He has extensive experience in general civil, appellate, product liability and casualty, commercial, and employment litigation, in addition to civil rights defense. He also has experience in antitrust litigation and white-collar criminal defense. Range was admitted to the Tennessee bar in 1989, having graduated summa cum laude from Washington and Lee University’s College of Law. Dr. Rosalind Reichard President, Emory & Henry College Within the first two years of her administration, Emory & Henry College’s twentieth president, Dr. Rosalind Reichard, has demonstrated an unceasing commitment to the advancement of the college and its enlarging role in the future of the Tri-Cities. Under her leadership, the college has undertaken numerous new construction projects, revitalized its core curriculum and enlarged its commitment to service in the region. Reichard holds a PhD in mathematics from Michigan State University. Prior to coming to Emory & Henry, she served as senior vice president and vice president of academic affairs at Meredith College. Susan Reid Executive Director, First Tennessee Development District Susan Reid joined the First Tennessee Development District 35 years ago and has served as executive director since 1988. The Development District is a regional association of local governments involved in economic and community development and acts as liaison for local governments with various state and federal agencies. The service area includes the eight counties of Northeast Tennessee. Reid has served as president of the Development District Association of Appalachia, and currently serves as a board member representing the Tennessee districts. She has also served as secretary of the Tennessee Development District Association. Reid is secretary of the First Tennessee Workforce Investment Board and serves on several local economic development boards. Richard Rose Artistic Director, Barter Theatre Now in his 16th season with Barter Theatre, Richard Rose is only the third artistic director in Barter’s 75-year history. During Rose’s tenure at Barter, annual attendance has tripled, setting a record-breaking season in 2006, with more than 160,000 attending Barter’s programs. He has overseen the renovation of historic Barter Theatre, the improvements to Stonewall Square and the renovation and expansion of Barter Stage II, including the addition of The Barter Café. Under Rose’s leadership, Barter received the prestigious “Business of the Year Award” for the Tri-Cities Virginia/Tennessee region. Rick currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, The Southwest Virginia Economic Development Group, as President of Southern Highlands Attractions and is a Paul Harris Fellow from the Abingdon Rotary Club, where he was previously a board member. Wes Rosenbalm President, CEO, Bristol Virginia Utilities Rosenbalm manages all aspects of the municipality’s $55 million utility budget and its 170 full-time employees. He recently negotiated a contract to move the utility back under the umbrella of the Tennessee Valley Authority after a ten-year absence. Rosenbalm led the company’s successful deployment of the first municipally owned fiber-to-the-premise system offering phone, cable and broadband services in America. The telecommunications and information system, known as BVU OptiNet, has garnered national and international attention. Rosenbalm has created a consulting operation called BVU Focus to help other communities follow the BVU model. He currently serves as chairman for the Bristol Chamber of Commerce and is the chairman of the board at Tri-Cities Christian Schools. Ken Ross President, Ken Ross Architects Inc. Ross’ firm is an award-winning company practicing architecture, interior design and planning. Under Ross’ direction, the firm has completed works in almost 20 states. In the Tri Cities area alone, Ross has provided leadership on projects that well exceed $300 million. Notable local works include the ETSU Library, King College Convocation Center, Johnson City Power Board, Northeast State Library, Millennium Center and Bank of Tennessee. Ross is a former Executive of the Year in the Greater Tri-Cities Business Awards. Additionally, Ross has given back to his community and region by serving on numerous boards and philanthropic organizations. Lottie Fields Ryans Director, Sales and Care, East Region, Embarq Lottie Fields Ryans is the director of sales and care for the east region of Embarq having call center responsibilities for offices in Johnson City, Tenn., and five other markets. She is responsible for revenues and customer service for customers in the 18 states in which Embarq operates. Ryans is also an elected member of the Johnson City Board of Education. Ryans is a member of the Northeast Tennessee Workforce Investment Board on which she has served for more than 8 years. Ryans also serves as a board member for Frontier Health, as a board member for the Johnson City/Jonesborough/Washington County Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the East Tennessee State University Foundation Board. Lee Shillito Founder, CEO, Triad Packaging Few folks who enjoy performances at the Paramount Theatre in Bristol today realize that Shillito makes their evening possible. In 1989, the theatre was destined for the wrecking ball, but Shillito was instrumental in raising $1.5 million to keep the theatre standing. Also during that time, Shillito was building his own company, a local box-making company modeled after the work he’d done at Boise Cascade some years earlier. Today Shillito is one of the region’s best-respected businessmen. He is ending a term as chairman of the board at Wellmont Health System during which the system earned the Tennessee Excellence Award and added four new hospitals. Lynn Shipley Chairman ,CEO, TriSummit Bank Shipley’s face is one of the most recognizable in the Tri-Cities banking community. He has served clients in the Tri-Cities with First American Bank and, after its merger, with AmSouth. As AmSouth merged with Regions Bank, Shipley began looking for a new challenge. Just two years ago, Shipley chartered TriSummit Bank, cherry-picking staff members from among the banking professionals he’d known in the region for years. Today the bank reports record successes in growth and assets. With decades of banking experience, Shipley has made TriSummit’s primary goal to become a community bank for Tri-Cities region and to personally serve local customers. J. Parker Smith Vice President, General Manager, Worldwide Manufacturing Support, Eastman Chemical Company Smith, a native of Kingsport, Tenn., began his career with Eastman as a co-op student while attending North Carolina State University and after graduation, began a full-time career with Eastman in Kingsport. In his current position, Smith is involved in the day-to-day implementation of Eastman’s $1.3 billion Project Re-invest. Smith is currently working with several community organizations including the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce, Tri-Cities Airport Commission, Boy Scouts of America -Sequoyah Council, United Way of Greater Kingsport - Industry I Campaign, Kingsport Library Commission, Kiwanis Club of Kingsport, Kingsport Tomorrow Board of Directors and the Boys & Girls Club Board of Directors. Steve Smith President, CEO, K-VA-T Food Stores Smith has grown the Food City brand to 95 retail outlets in Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. Smith worked his way up through his family company, holding numerous key positions, including district manager, director of meat operations, director of advertising, store operations divisional VP, VP of store operations and COO before assuming his current role. He recently began his term as chair of the Food Marketing Institute board of directors. He has also served on the boards of Topco, Wellmont Health Care System, Bristol Chamber of Commerce and Weis Supermarkets, and is a member of Sequoyah Council Boy Scouts of America and the National Grocers Association, serving as chairman from 2000 to 2002. P.C. Snapp Executive Director, Johnson City/Jonesborough/ Washington County Economic Development Board Snapp has been in his current position since 1998. During his time at the EDB, several new companies have started up or relocated to the county including Mullican Flooring, Crown Laboratories, Newbegin Enterprise, n-tara, Cingular Wireless (now AT&T), Advanced Call Center Technology, J.D. Squared, Borla Performance Systems, Bush Hog, LLC, Koyo Corporation of America and Nakatetsu Machining Technologies. Over the last 10 years Washington County has had a lower unemployment rate than the US, Tennessee, and surrounding counties. Prior to that, Snapp served as a member of the Johnson City Commission from 1987 until 1999, including two years as mayor. W. Bradford Stallard Managing Director, PennStuart Stallard represents a broad range of clients, including businesses, governmental entities, individuals and insurance carriers, before state and federal trial and appellate courts and the State Corporation Commission, in matters involving commercial and business disputes, civil rights and governmental liability, employment law, insurance defense, ERISA and tort defense. He is also a member of PennStuart’s three-member management committee, and served as chairman of the litigation department from 1999-2001. Stallard earned his JD from the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond, where he served on the University of Richmond Law Review and was elected to membership in the McNeill Law Society. Dr. Paul E. Stanton, Jr. President, East Tennessee State University Stanton will always be a polarizing figure in the community. Some will never be able to see him as anything other than the president who cut the football program. Others will recall the creation of the Honors College, the expansion of the College of Nursing, the new doctoral programs created in Psychology and Public Health, the creation of the College of Pharmacy, the development of the Gray Fossil Site, the creation and implementation of a new athletic facilities plan and the $100 million capital campaign, all of which happened on Stanton’s watch. Stanton has announced he plans to retire effective March 1, 2009, due to health concerns. Jim Street Founder ,CEO, J.A. Street & Associates You often hear about successful businesspeople who have built their own dreams. Jim Street has become a successful businessman by building other businesspeople’s dreams for them – from the ground up. One of the region’s most successful commercial builders, Street graduated from Virginia Tech before returning to the Tri-Cities. After 13 years working for other builders, Street formed his own company. Since that decision, JA Street & Associates has grown in profitability and respect, at one point receiving the General Contractor of the Year Award eight times over a nine-year span. Street is a Laureate of the JA Business Hall of Fame, class of 2007. The accolades for Street are not limited to business. He’s been honored with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Medallion and the National Service to Youth Award. Alicia T. Summers Executive Director, Northeast Tennessee Valley Regional Industrial Development Association Summers runs a multi-county economic development organization founded by TVA and local power companies. The association pursues its goals through a comprehensive marketing program working in concert with local economic development organizations, TVA and the State of Tennessee. Summers is a graduate of the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma and is currently pursuing a degree in urban planning and organizational management through East Tennessee State University. She is a member of the Japan-American Society of Tennessee, Tennessee Industrial Development Council and Southern Economic Development Council. Robert T. “Rab” Summers Chairman, President, Summers-Taylor Construction Summers is the third generation of his family to preside over Summers-Taylor Inc. and the odds are strong that if you drove on a road, street or highway in East Tennessee today, then Rab Summers’ company had something to do with its construction. Summers’ strategy has been to eschew business opportunities outside the region in favor of acquiring as much local market share as possible. Summers is very active in the local community. He has been a member of the ETSU Foundation board of directors, president of Hands On! RegionalMuseum, chairman of Johnson City Regional Planning Commission, the Sequoyah Council, Boy Scouts of America and president of Tennessee Asphalt Paving Association. Summers graduated from Duke University in 1968, with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, and a master’s in business administration from Emory University in 1970. David Temple CEO, Saratoga Technologies Born and raised in South Africa, Temple graduated the University of Cape Town with a master’s degree in accounting. He is a CPA equivalent and was the youngest CFO ever within the largest publicly listed food company in South Africa – Tiger Foods. After moving to America in 2001, Temple started Saratoga Technologies and has led the company through several mergers, acquisitions and remarkable growth. Today Saratoga has three American-based offices with 65 employees. John D. Tickle President, Strongwell Corporation Tickle has been with Strongwell in Bristol since 1972. Tickle was also president of Strongwell Lenoir City (polymer concrete operations) from 1998 to 2006. Tickle received his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in 1965. He is a member of the American Ladder Institute, president of American Composites Manufacturers Association, advisor to the Board of Molded Fiber Glass Companies and past chairman of Bristol Regional Medical Center. He was the recipient of the Pultrusion Industry Council’s “Award of Excellence,” the first such award ever presented. Tickle also received the Ernst & Young “2005 Virginia Distribution/Manufacturing Entrepreneur of the Year” award. Carol D. Trahan President, Spherion Recruiting and Staffing Services When Carol Trahan opened her Spherion franchise in Johnson City in September 1996, she was new to the area and had no contacts in the community. Today she and her company employ 12 recruiting and staffing professionals. In 2005, Trahan received the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Johnson City/Jonesborough/Washington County Chamber of Commerce for exemplary service and commitment to the community. Currently she is the immediate past chair of the Johnson City/Washington County/Jonesborough Chamber of Commerce and serves on the Workforce Investment Board, The Johnson City, Jonesborough, Washington County Economic Development Board, The Southern Appalachian Ronald McDonald House Board, the United Way, The Dawn of Hope Board and is the chairman of the Melting Pot Community for Munsey Church. Gary L. Tysinger President, Tysinger, Hampton & Partners Inc. Tysinger has a 42-year engineering career including three years with an international design/build contractor, 13 years with a major utility and developer and 26 years of various engineering and management roles with Tysinger, Hampton & Partners Inc. He has served as president for the firm since 1982. Tysinger is a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, past president of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Tennessee and a member of American Railway Engineers Association. He has been a conference speaker and has had articles published for ASCE and AREA. He graduated from North Carolina State University with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and construction. He is a registered engineer in 15 states and a professional surveyor in West Virginia. E. Douglas Varney President, CEO, Frontier Health In 1997, Varney initiated the merger of three local mental health systems to create Frontier Health. Since that time, Frontier has become the region’s leading provider of behavioral health, substance abuse and developmental disability services. Frontier Health treats patients in Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and Washington counties in Tennessee; and Lee, Scott, Wise and Washington counties in Virginia. Born in Southwest Virginia, Varney received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in clinical psychology from East Tennessee State University. He completed postgraduate work at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. Varney has also served a three-year tour of duty with the US Army 82nd Airborne. Nathan Vaughn Tennessee State Representative Vaughn , a former Kingsport alderman, is a 1975 graduate of Bristol’s King College. For 25 years he has also operated his State Farm Insurance Agency. In the state legislature, he has been appointed to several committees, including Children and Family Affairs, Finance Ways & Means, Transportation and is Secretary of Calendar and Rules. In the community, Vaughn has taken part in the Sesquicentennial Commission, Tennessee Economic Council on Women, Kiwanis Club of Kingsport and was 2008 Legislator of the year for ARC of Tennessee. Richard Venable, CEO, Sullivan Networks Partnership When the Sullivan County economic development organization found itself searching for a leader after the departure of John Campbell to become Kingsport city manager in 2006, it would have been hard to find a more qualified candidate than Venable. Not only is he a 34-year resident of Sullivan County and a past county mayor, he is a former member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, where he served the Third District of Sullivan and Johnson counties. He is also a former chairman of the Sullivan County Board of Commissioners. For the last 19 years he has owned and operated RSV Inc., a trucking firm with 42 Landstar trucks. Dennis Vonderfecht President, CEO, Mountain States Health Alliance Vonderfecht arrived in Johnson City, Tenn., in 1990, as president and chief executive officer of the Johnson City Medical Center. In 1998, Vonderfecht guided JCMC in the purchase of six hospitals to form Mountain States Health Alliance. Since that time, MSHA has grown to 14 hospitals in Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. He has been involved in multiple local organizations including United Way and the Hands On! Regional Museum. He has also been recognized with the Health Care Heroes Award, as well as named a finalist for Executive of the Year in the Greater Tri-Cities Business Awards. Greg Williams President, General Manager, Edwards & Associates A new face in the region, Williams replaces Phil Dietrich in his position at the Piney Flats, Tenn., helicopter firm. Williams has 31 years of experience with helicopter sales and service, making him well-suited to run Edwards. Williams has held numerous positions in Bell Customer Support & Services, Systems Development, Finance, Inventory Management and Distribution. Most recently, he held the position of executive director, Integrated Support Solutions, with responsibility, accountability and authority for Bell’s $700 million supply support operations, including order administration, inventory management, worldwide distribution and customer relationship management for Bell’s military and commercial service parts business. Guy B. Wilson, Jr. Chairman, CEO, Wilson Pharmacy The Wilson family has been a major part of the Johnson City business community for as long as most of us can remember. His great grandfather was the first fire chief of Johnson City. The family legacy continued in 1936, when Guy B. Wilson, Sr. established Wilson Pharmacy. The firm is now a full-service pharmacy serving the entire region. Wilson currently serves as Chairman and CEO of the family company and is active in the day-to-day operations, along with his wife Debra, who is also a pharmacist and serves as president. Wilson is also a board member of URA, a downtown Johnson City commercial real estate development company. Keith Wilson Publisher, Kingsport Times-News Wilson is an active and involved member of the community in which he has been a publisher since 1993. He will quote a boilerplate definition of what a newspaper does when asked for the Times News’ mission: collecting, packaging and disseminating news and information and providing advertisers a way to reach an audience. Yet his own approach to his position suggests a man who wants to do more than inform. “You can’t run a healthy company in an unhealthy community,” Wilson says, and to that end he has worked to improve the city’s quality of life, notably as a champion for higher education. Patrick Wilson Executive Director, Tri-Cities Regional Airport A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Wilson held the position of operations manager with the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority from 1993 through 1997. In August of 1997, he had the opportunity to move to the Tri-Cities area and became the director of operations for the Tri-Cities Regional Airport. He was promoted to deputy executive director in 1999, when he began to oversee the various operational functions of the airport. In March of 2005, Wilson was selected to be the executive director. Wilson is a member the Tri-Cities Airport Area Rotary Club. Stuart E. Wood Owner, Holston Distributing In addition to Holston Distributing, Wood is also owner of Warehouse Central, a warehousing and logistics company located in Johnson City, Tenn. Wood is the former chairman and president of the East Tennessee State University Foundation Board. Wood earned his degree from East Tennessee State University. He has held numerous positions in organizations such as the Johnson City Power Board, Johnson City Development Authority, Public Building Authority and the Johnson City Regional Planning Commission. He has served as a board member for as the Sequoyah Council of the Boy Scouts, the National Beer Wholesalers Association, the Tennessee Malt Beverage Association and the Anheuser-Busch Wholesaler Panel, which he served as chairman in 1982. 7/16/2008 - 2:00 PMOn the Move - July 2008ADVERTISING/MARKETINGn-tara interactive is expanding its business development team. Tim Story and Suzanne Sowards-Hamm recently joined the company as directors of business development. They will be responsible for developing and managing new client relationships and consulting with customers to develop best-in-class interactive solutions. Story is well known in the Tri-Cities for his background in technology, marketing and entrepreneurship. Story was most recently senior vice present for Syndeo Alliance LLC where he spearheaded the company’s sales and developed and led all sales and customer development programs for the company’s Internet, print and A/V media. Prior to joining Syndeo Alliance he held the positions of senior vice president of customer relations for Saratoga Technologies and chief operations officer for Saratoga. Story holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from East Tennessee State University (ETSU). Sowards-Hamm is based in Orlando, Fla. Prior to joining n-tara interactive, Sowards-Hamm was account executive and public relations manager for Cre8tive Group of Wilmore, Ky. There she managed all account relationships and marketing strategy development for the advertising agency. She also developed and executed the company’s public relations efforts. Sowards-Hamm holds a bachelor’s degree in integrated strategic communications from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from Campbellsville University. ARTS William King Regional Arts Center’s Board of Trustees and Betsy White announce her plans to retire as executive director in late December. White has served as the Abingdon museum’s executive director 20 years except for a three-year period during the 1990s when she initiated and led the Center’s Cultural Heritage Project field survey of regional decorative arts and material culture. White serves as a peer reviewer for the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the American Association of Museums and is a past reviewer for the Institute of Museum and Library Services. She is past vice-president of the Virginia Association of Museums and recently completed two terms on Abingdon’s Architectural Review Board, where she served as chair for three years. She currently represents Southwest Virginia on the board of Virginians for the Arts, is on the founding board of the new, craft-based regional organization, ‘Round the Mountain, and is on the management team for the new artisan center, Heartwood: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Gateway. COMMUNICATIONS EMBARQ has a new face for external communications and media relations in the company's mid-Atlantic region. Vernon Fraley, formerly the main evening news anchor for News 14 Carolina, has joined the EMBARQ team. He replaces Tom Matthews, who is moving to Florida to handle the company's external communications. Originally from Atlanta, Ga., Fraley has 16 years of news media and public relations experience, mostly in North Carolina. Fraley began his career as a reporter and weekend anchor in Florence and Myrtle Beach, S.C. Fraley replaces Tom Matthews, who is in his twenty-third year with the company and has assumed media and public relations responsibilities for the company in Florida and Texas. He will be based in the company's regional headquarters in Apopka, Fla. Matthews began his career as a newspaper and magazine writer in Virginia, Tennessee and the Tri-Cities area. He started working for United Telephone in internal communications in Bristol, Tenn., in 1986. From there he transitioned to Sprint, handling external communications for the Mid-Atlantic region until EMBARQ was created in 2006. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Melissa Morgan has been named general manager for TVA Economic Development Business Resources based in Nashville. Morgan will oversee TVA’s economic growth efforts to support partners in job creation and capital investment in the TVA service territory. She will focus on the support of existing businesses and industries, retail recruitment, minority- and women-owned businesses, business incubation, Appalachian Regional Commission partnership activities and economic development’s loan portfolio administration. Morgan joined TVA in 2003, and most recently served as economic development senior project manager coordinating TVA’s community development activities in Kentucky. Morgan is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in communications. She is currently participating in TVA’s Leadership and Management for Accelerated Performance Program in partnership with the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University. EDUCATION Tara Hodges has accepted the position of senior director of development for Tri-Cities Christian Schools. She comes to the school with a wealth of experience in development. She recently resigned as the financial director for the Child Advocacy Center of the third judicial district. She worked as executive director for the advocacy center until she accepted the financial director position. She has also worked as a grant writer and consultant for Children’s Bible Ministries. Con Sauls has rejoined the staff of Virginia Intermont College as vice president for central operations. Sauls previously worked for the college for three years before taking a position at Johnson Controls. His duties include oversight of all facility operations including campus planning, construction, remodeling and utility management. In addition to his experience at Virginia Intermont, Sauls has 27 years of experience in the contracting and heating and cooling industries. He also has almost 20 years of experience teaching management courses at the college level. Sauls holds a master’s degree in organizational management from Tusculum College and a bachelor’s degree in religion from Oklahoma Baptist University. Virginia Intermont College officials recently announced that William E. “Bud” King of Johnson City, Tenn., has been appointed the college’s vice president for financial affairs. For more than 20 years, King directed the financial management of Morrill Motors Inc., an electric motor manufacturer in Johnson City, and dedicated 34 years to that company before retiring Jan. 1. King earned bachelor’s degrees in business administration and psychology from Milligan College and went on to receive a master’s of business administration from ETSU. He is a certified public accountant, is licensed to work in Tennessee and Virginia and is a member of the AICPA and TSCPA. EXECUTIVE Tony Trigiani is the new president of Diversified Power International (DPI), a Piney Flats, Tenn., company that manufacturers battery charging systems. A co-founder of the company who served as vice president and engineering manager, Trigiani replaces long-time associate Jerry Fagan, who was DPI’s president since its founding in 1997. Both men are electrical engineers who worked during the 1980s for Exide Technologies until they launched DPI together. The two men launched DPI in Trigiani’s home garage in Bristol, Tenn. The business has gradually built a customer base of hundreds of companies across North America. FINANCIAL Banking associates Michelle Willis Ricker, Sherry Harris, Rena Bailey and Shawn Kenney recently transferred to the new Erwin North Main Street branch of Mountain Commerce Bank (MCB). Michelle Willis Ricker, assistant vice president, has been named branch manager of the North Main Street branch. Ricker, an employee of MCB since 2006, has more than 10 years of experience in the financial services industry. Her current responsibilities include overseeing the operations and growth of the new branch and assisting customers with their financial needs. Ricker is a registered Life and Health Insurance Agent and is preparing to take the Series 6 Registered Securities Representative examination. She was named MCB's Employee of the Year in 2007. Sherry Harris will fill the assistant branch manager role at the new location. She has been with MCB working in Erwin for the past 10 months and has more than 22 years of experience in the financial services industry. Harris received her two-year degree in banking from the American Institute of Banking in Atlanta, Ga. Rena Bailey, branch service associate, has been employed with MCB for the past 11 years and was previously located at the MCB Erwin main office. Her current responsibilities include assisting customers with their banking and financial services needs. Shawn Kenney, branch service associate, joined MCB in January 2007. She joins the North Main Street branch from the Erwin main office. Her current responsibilities include assisting customers with their banking and financial services needs. Andrew Johnson Bank announces the promotion of two bank employees, Doug DeBusk and Shane Hite. These promotions were made during the Board of Directors meeting in May. DeBusk has been named executive vice-president, with duties including business development and overseeing all lending for Greene County, as well as the secondary mortgage department for the bank. DeBusk began his banking career with Andrew Johnson Bank as a bank teller in 1994. He has been a vital employee in the growth and success of Andrew Johnson Bank over the past 14 years. DeBusk is a graduate of Greeneville High School and Tusculum College. Hite has been promoted to executive vice-president and chief operating officer of the bank. He has served in various capacities since joining this organization in 2000. His new duties will include overseeing many different areas of the bank, including compliance, information technology, bookkeeping, human resources, retail banking as well as the bank’s insurance division, Andrew Johnson Insurance Services Inc. Hite is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the Tennessee School of Banking. Bob Klinker has been named vice president and client advisor in the private wealth management group for SunTrust Bank. Klinker earned his master’s degree in health services administration from Arizona State University and bachelor’s degrees in business administration and pre-law from the College of Great Falls. Klinker has been involved in healthcare management for the past 11 years and was actively involved in politics before that time. IT Bailey Computing Technologies Inc. (BCTI), in Gray, Tenn., is growing as it pursues new business avenues. As part of the expansion strategy, BCTI has hired several new employees over the past few months including Allison Stewart as marketing coordinator. Stewart, has more than 10 years experience providing business support services. She most recently spent three years in El Salvador as a municipal development volunteer through Peace Corps. She holds an MBA from ETSU and a bachelor’s degree in political science/mass communications from Emory & Henry College. Part of BCTI’s expansion strategy includes increasing BCTI staff by more than 20 percent in 2008. BCTI hired Amanda Hall as a recruiter and HR representative. Hall is leading the recruiting efforts for technical and administrative staff. Hall’s background includes recruiting, marketing and sales. UTILITIES Sandra Munsey is the new marketing director at Bristol Virginia Utilities after serving as marketing coordinator for BVU FOCUS, the utility’s new business unit. In her position, Munsey oversees all marketing activities for BVU and its OptiNet and FOCUS divisions. In addition, she supervises all marketing employees, helps develop and provide training to customer service representatives and coordinates internal employee functions and activities. Munsey is a veteran telecommunications professional with more than 20 years of experience in the industry. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from ETSU. 7/16/2008 - 2:00 PMAwards & Achievements - July 2008Thomas J. Burleson, president of Burleson Construction Company Inc., recently earned the LEED Accredited Professional credential. This designation enables Burleson Construction Company Inc. to be on the leading edge of advanced technology and advanced construction practices. Burleson Construction Company Inc. is a member of the US Green Building Council and The Associated General Contractors of America.Frank Glasscock, CEO of Superior Distribution Company has been nominated to serve a three-year position on the Vendor Committee of Nemeon, the largest co-op of independent distributors in the roofing and exteriors supplies industry. The committee negotiates with each supplier on all national rebate programs for the Nemeon members as a whole. Nemeon is a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise. The organization has annual meetings and more than 400 locations participating. The Electric Circuits KitBook from Edamar Inc. has been named one of the nation’s best science workbooks for elementary students by two independent organizations. On June 6, the Association of Educational Publishers presented the KitBook with a 2008 Distinguished Achievement Award in the science instruction workbook category for grades K-5. Earlier, the Parents' Choice Foundation gave the KitBook a silver honor award in the Spring 2008 doing and learning category for ages 7-13, naming co-authors Ed Basconi and David Jones of Johnson City and illustrator Rick Soldin of Electronic Publishing Services, Jonesborough. First Bank & Trust Company announced that Leton L. Harding, EVP, will serve as chairman of the Risk Management Association’s (RMA) Community Bank Council, a select group of 12 community bankers from around the United States. As chairman, Harding will also serve on the RMA’s Board of Directors. RMA is a non-profit, member-driven association that was founded in 1914. The primary purpose of the organization is to assist commercial bankers by promoting an enterprise-wide approach to risk management that focuses on credit, market and operational risk. Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee has received a four-star rating for sound fiscal management from Charity Navigator. About a quarter of the charities evaluated by Charity Navigator receive this high ranking indicating that Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee outperforms the majority of nonprofits in America with respect to fiscal responsibility. Charity Navigator, America’s premier charity evaluator, highlights the work of efficient charities and provides donors with essential information needed to give them greater confidence in the charitable choices they make. Congressman David Davis announced that Tri-Cities Regional Airport has received a grant from the United States Department of Transportation in the amount of $2,350,000. The grant, which is part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s grant program, will help fund the rehabilitation of the primary apron serving air carrier aircraft due to age and condition. The YWCA Children’s Center and Wellmont Child Development Center (satellite facility managed by the YWCA) have each achieved a three star rating in the State of Tennessee Star Quality Program. The State of Tennessee implemented the program in 2000 as a part of the annual licensing process for all licensed childcare centers throughout the state. The program provides parents a valuable tool when looking for quality childcare. Outstanding staff members at East Tennessee State University (ETSU) are honored by their peers through the Distinguished Staff Awards, which are presented annually. A $1,000 check, provided by the ETSU Foundation, is presented to each recipient, along with a plaque from the staff senate. Dr. Debbie Harley, assistant vice president for community engagement, learning and leadership, won the distinguished staff award in the executive/administrative/managerial category. Tammy Hamm, associate director of human resources, received the professional/non-faculty category award. In the clerical/secretarial category, the award was presented to Marty Harvey, supply store lead worker in central receiving. The winner in the technical and paraprofessional category is Bob Calkins, arts technician in the department of art and design. Vaughn Simerly, electrical shop supervisor accepted the skilled crafts category award. Vanessa Stephens, custodial forewoman, received the service/maintenance category award. The career award, which recognizes longtime service to ETSU and excellence throughout the employee’s tenure, was given to Roger Armstrong of the Buc-Mart in the D.P. Culp University Center. As the Southwest Virginia Community College recipient of the 2008 Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy Alex E. Booth, Jr., a philanthropist with strong ties to the region was recently honored as an outstanding Virginia Community College benefactor. The Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy is designed to recognize the vital role of community college support. Individuals eligible for this annual award include current and former foundation board members, community volunteers and benefactors. Each philanthropy leader becomes the namesake for one of the 23 Commonwealth Legacy Scholarships to be awarded to a student attending the community college in their region. Booth was co-owner of the Southwest Virginia Coal Corporation. Booth also operated several mines in Buchanan County from the late 1940s to 1980. Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz PC has been ranked among the top 100 trademark firms in the country by Intellectual Property Today, a monthly publication focused on legal issues in patent, trademark and copyright law. The list included 328 law firms ranked according to the number of trademark registrations issued in 2007. Baker Donelson was ranked seventy-fifth on the list. Families will receive improved homebuyer education services thanks to a $2,000 grant to Eastern Eight Community Development Corporation, which was awarded recently by Bank of America. Bank of America granted a total of $2,000 in grant funds as a supporter of Eastern Eight Community Development Corporation’s homebuyer education services in eight surrounding counties. Terri Hamby, Mountain States Health Alliance (MSHA) manager, corporate contracts and vendor relations, was a featured speaker at the Premier Healthcare Alliance’s Annual Breakthroughs Conference and Exhibition June 10-13, in Nashville, Tenn. She discussed the MSHA Vendor Certification Program on June 12. The Vendor Certification Program is a communication tool designed to educate and prepare vendors to be certified “business ready” with Mountain States Health Alliance in order to ensure patient safety and promote a successful business relationship. Congressman David Davis announced that the Jubilee Project Inc. has been awarded a $98,997 grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development. The grant, which is part of the Rural Business Enterprise grant program, will be used to fund a local food markets initiative. In particular, this grant project will help expand and diversity the markets for local farm and food enterprises in the Northeast Tennessee Region. This project is estimated to created 28 new jobs and save 31 jobs. The grant will be applied to entities in Hancock, Hawkins, Greene, Sullivan and Washington counties. The Wetlands at Sugar Hollow Park was officially named for Robert E. Childress in a recent dedication ceremony. Childress was honored for his 40 years of service as the City of Bristol Virginia’s director of parks and recreation. The honoree, who served as the city’s parks and recreation department director from 1968 until his retirement in March 2008, received a duplicate of the sign as a memento of the occasion. Tencarva Machinery Company, with branch offices in Johnson City, as well as Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga, has been ranked thirty-seventh in the 2008 Big 50 listing out of all the industrial distribution companies in the US, by Industrial Distribution magazine. Tencarva Machinery Company is a distributor of fluid handling, compressed air and vacuum systems and related products. Three team members at MSHA have been selected to the 2008 Board of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. For the third year, Tom Tull, senior director of guest services, will serve on the examining board. Others who will join Tull are Tony Benton and Rob Adams. Benton is vice president of strategic planning, and Adams is the corporate business excellence coordinator. The three were appointed by Dr. James M. Turner, acting director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The Award, created by public law in 1987, is the highest level of national recognition for performance excellence that a US organization can receive. As examiners, Tull, Benton and Adams are responsible for reviewing and evaluating applications submitted for the award. The board is composed of about 500 leading experts selected from industry, professional and trade organizations, education and healthcare organizations and government. The Northeast State Technical Community College Foundation honored 12 new members of the President’s Trust. The President’s Trust members for 2008 are: AccuForce Staffing Services represented by Larry Nunley; the Earl B. Bolling Memorial Trust; First Broad Street United Methodist Church represented by Mike McIntire; Johnson City Rotary Club; The Other Side Ministries Inc.; Ruritan National; Sullivan County, Tenn.; Tele-Optics Inc. represented by Frank Waldo; Walt Tittle; Triad Packaging Company Inc. represented by Lee Shillito; Washington County, Tenn.; and Wellmont Health System. Northeast State recognized new members of the President’s Trust as those contributors who have given $10,000 or more to the foundation for scholarship purposes. 7/16/2008 - 2:00 PMMed Briefs - July 2008Wellmont Officials Look for Interim CEOKINGSPORT, TENN. — Wellmont Health System is moving forward with a definitive search process that will result in the hiring of an interim chief executive officer, ensuring stability for the region’s premier healthcare system as it begins a national search for a permanent CEO. Dr. Richard Salluzzo, president and CEO of Wellmont, has accepted a position with a health system in his native New England and will leave the Tri-Cities in July after a nearly four-year tenure that propelled Wellmont to remarkable heights. The Wellmont board earlier this month approved a search process developed by the board’s executive committee. Internal and external candidates are being considered for the interim position. Roger K. Mowen Jr. is chairman-elect of the Wellmont board and replaced Shillito when his two-year term ended June 30. Mowen, who served as a senior vice president and member of the executive team at Eastman Chemical Co. prior to his retirement, said Wellmont is moving forward on both search fronts. Southwest Virginia EMS Council Names Med-Flight II Region’s Outstanding EMS Agency KINGSPORT, TENN. — Med-Flight II emergency air ambulance service was recently recognized by the Southwest Virginia EMS Council as the region’s outstanding emergency medical services agency and will be considered for a statewide award later this year. Wellmont Promotes Dr. Stephen Combs KINGSPORT, TENN. — Wellmont Health System officials recently announced the promotion of Dr. Stephen Combs as new senior vice president for medical affairs. Dr. Combs is not only Wellmont’s senior VPMA but also has served for almost a year as president of Wellmont Physician Services during a period of growth that has seen the healthcare network grow to 54 physician offices in the Tri-State region, with 150 providers for patients. Wellmont recently named Combs the system’s chief academic officer, a role in which he will help facilitate continuing physician education system-wide, as well as institute and maintain residency training programs at Wellmont hospitals. After graduating from East Tennessee State University (ETSU) and completing his training at Duke University Medical Center, Combs served as chief resident at Duke Children’s Hospital. Wellmont Marketing Communications Director Leads Session at National Conference KINGSPORT, TENN. — Amy Stevens, system director of marketing communications for Wellmont Health System, recently presented a program on internal communications at a national conference in Washington, D.C. Stevens’ presentation, “Bridging the Company Divide: Using Vocus to Enhance Internal Communications,” detailed Wellmont’s use of Vocus public relations management software to enhance communications with the health system’s board of directors. The best practices presentation was part of the 2008 Vocus Users’ Conference, held June 4 through June 6. Stevens has worked for Wellmont for nine years. ETSU to Host ‘Strength & Conditioning Symposium’ for Medical Professionals JOHNSON CITY, TENN. — A “Strength & Conditioning Symposium for the Medical Professions” will be hosted by ETSU Aug. 1 through Aug. 2, at The Millennium Centre, in Johnson City. The symposium, sponsored by the ETSU Sports Performance Enhancement Consortium (SPEC), Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Department of Kinesiology, Leisure and Sport Sciences, is designed to “bridge the gap between the weight room and the waiting room.” According to Meg Stone, SPEC founder and director, participants will gain a greater understanding of strength and conditioning principles in relation to athletic, injured and diseased populations. For registration, more information or special assistance for those with disabilities, contact Stone at 423.439.8479 or stoneme@etsu.edu. Bristol Regional Receives High Tech Award for CyberKnife BRISTOL, TENN. — Bristol Regional Medical Center recently received an award from the Southwestern Virginia Technology Council for its CyberKnife, a space-age treatment for cancer patients. The CyberKnife Stereotactic Radiosurgery System, located in Bristol Regional’s J.D. and Lorraine Nicewonder Cancer Center, uses a robotic arm to direct very precise, concentrated doses of radiation to tumors and other abnormalities. Frontier Health Programs Net CARF Accreditation GRAY, TENN. — CARF International announced in June that Frontier Health received a three-year term of accreditation through June 2011 for 19 program areas. The CARF survey summary noted exemplary conformance to standards through Frontier Health’s sharing of performance improvement and outcome information with persons served, personnel and other stakeholders and was commended for the agency’s very secure financial footing and an unusually strong financial position in times that are very challenging for many behavioral health organizations. Russell County Medical Center Names New CFO LEBANON, VA. — Michael H. Widener, CPA, has been named the new chief financial officer at Russell County Medical Center (RCMC) in Lebanon, Va. Widener is a 1977 graduate of the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Most recently, he was CFO at Lakeway Regional Hospital in Morristown, Tenn., a 135-bed, for-profit facility. New Team of Resident Physicians Arrive at Quillen College JOHNSON CITY, TENN. — Almost two months ago, they earned the title of doctor. And in June, some 85 new medical school graduates began their first training as resident physicians at ETUS’s James H. Quillen College of Medicine. Some are ETSU graduates, while others come from institutions such as the Medical College of Georgia, Wake Forest University, the University of Washington, East Carolina University and the University of Texas. About 280 resident physicians are currently completing their training at the Quillen College. ETSU Pharmacy School Receives Candidate Status From Accrediting Body JOHNSON CITY, TENN. – The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) announced today that the Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy at ETSU has been awarded candidate status. According to ETSU Dean of Pharmacy Dr. Larry Calhoun, “candidate status” is the highest level of designation the university is eligible for at this time. Full accreditation is only considered for pharmacy schools that have graduated their first class of students and have met other criteria. ETSU will graduate its first class of pharmacy students in 2010. The third class of pharmacy students has been accepted and will begin classes in August. Dr. Richard Gentry Elected President of Bristol Regional Medical Staff BRISTOL, TENN. — Dr. Richard Gentry of Blue Ridge Radiology has been elected president of the Bristol Regional Medical Center medical staff for 2008 and 2009. Joining Gentry in leadership roles are Dr. William Smith of Bristol Anesthesia Services PC, who will serve as vice president, and Dr. David Russell of Bristol Gynecology and Obstetrics, who will serve as secretary/treasurer. Dr. Ashvin Patel of Frontier Health Bristol Regional Counseling Center is the medical staff’s immediate past president. To serve as an officer of the medical staff, a physician must have been on staff at the hospital for at least three years. As vice president, Smith will automatically succeed Dr. Gentry as president next year. The medical staff officers will serve a one-year term. Vision for JCMC Campus Revealed JOHNSON CITY, TENN. — Mountain States Health Alliance President and CEO Dennis Vonderfecht revealed to local leaders in June a long-range plan for the Johnson City Medical Center campus. Vonderfecht emphasized that only the first phase of the plan had a timeline for implementation, while the remaining three phases would depend on numerous factors, including financial considerations. Phase 1 includes the construction of a new food court at the hospital, the expansion of the regional cancer center and the emergency department, the expansion of the operating department and a new connection from the main JCMC facility to the same day surgery building. The remaining phases would include further expansion of the regional cancer center and the construction of a 10-story bed tower to replace the aging bed towers at JCMC. The front entrance would move to what is now the back of JCMC. The current towers of JCMC, built in the late 1970s, could be demolished for future services on the campus. Additionally, outside of these phases, JCMC will begin the construction of a new parking structure in the near future. Walton Earns Top Healthcare Management Credential GREENEVILLE, TENN. — Carlyle Walton, president and chief executive officer of Takoma Regional Hospital, recently achieved fellow status with the American College of Healthcare Executives, the nation’s leading professional society for healthcare leaders. The fellow credential represents the highest standard of professional development recognized by ACHE. Walton passed a comprehensive examination, achieved specific academic and professional experience criteria, earned continuing education credits and demonstrated professional and community involvement. ACHE fellows must commit to ongoing professional development and undergo recertification every three years. Walton is a graduate of Columbia Union College in Maryland and the University of Mary Hardin Baylor in Texas, where he received a master’s degree in health services management. Kingsport First Assist Urgent Care Cuts Ribbon to New Facility KINGSPORT, TENN. — First Assist Urgent Care officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Kingsport in June. The Kingsport First Assist Urgent Care facility, located on Stone Drive in the Peachtree Centre, is the fifth urgent care site operated by Blue Ridge Physician Group in the region. The facility has four exam rooms, a procedure room and X-ray and lab facilities. Linda Horne is the practice management assistant on site. Wellmont Opens New Southwest Virginia Cancer Center NORTON, VA. — Wellmont Health System officials opened the new, state-of-the-art Southwest Virginia Cancer Center June 16. Located at 671 Highway 58 East, the new facility is across the highway and in sight of the existing cancer center on Trent Street. Patients will continue to receive radiation treatment at the Trent Street center, with future plans to move radiation therapy services to the new cancer center. More than 11,000 square feet is dedicated to medical oncology. The public will be invited to an open house and tours of the center in late July. ETSU Family Medicine Program Gains National Recognition JOHNSON CITY, TENN. — The Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) at ETSU’s James H. Quillen College of Medicine has been named as one of 10 recipients of the 2008 Program of Excellence Award from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). The FMIG is sponsored by the ETSU department of family medicine, which was recently ranked number 12 in the nation by U.S.News & World Report, and is designed to encourage and nurture an interest in family medicine among medical students. This is the sixth consecutive year the FMIG at Quillen has been honored by AAFP. 7/16/2008 - 2:00 PMNew Biz - July 2008Carter County, Tenn.Emeline Hills LLC 116 Tami Drive Johnson City, TN 37601 Michael B. Houser Highlander BBQ LLC 8407 US Highway 19E Roan Mountain, TN 37687 Darrell Turbyfill Mountain Harbour Bed and Breakfast LLC 9151 Highway 19 East Roan Mountain, TN 37687 Terence W. Hill Realty Executives Stout Real Estate LLC 2123 West Elk Avenue Elizabethton, TN 37643 Dottie M. Stout Signature Industries USA Inc. 5353 US 19E Hampton, TN 37658 Jay L. Cramblit Signature Packaging Group Inc. 5353 US 19E Hampton, TN 37658 Jay L. Cramblit Greene County, Tenn. AITO Developing LLC 350 McKee Way Greeneville, TN 37745 National Registered Agents Inc. All-Pro Contractors & Consulting LLC 126 Fairground Circle Greeneville, TN 37745 Heather Morgan Luigi’s Brick Oven LLC 1001 West Main Street Greeneville, TN 37743 Louie Hodges Marsh Plumbing LLC 1555 Mt. Carmel Road Mosheim, TN 37818 Michael Wade Marsh Nolichucky View Golf Club 5605 Asheville Highway Greeneville, TN 37743 Jimmy R. Schofield Union Jack LLC 306 Rheatown Road Chuckey, TN 37641 Karl Sabey Vertran LLC 206 Easy Street Greeneville, TN 37745 Brenda W. Adkins Hawkins County, Tenn. Dairy Hart Inc. 506 East Main Boulevard Church Hill, TN 37642 Donna Hensley Kuntree Ink LLC 856 Hickory Cove Road Rogersville, TN 37857 Scott Watkins Living Lovely Incorporated 180 Old Highway Road Rogersville, TN 37857 Martin A. Pope, Jr. Sabrosa Incorporated 318 Farside Road Rogersville, TN 37857 Scott Roberts Stoneworkx LLC 4881 Highway 66 North Rogersville, TN 37857 Travis Charles Vaughn & Son Construction LLC 156 Ridgemont Road Church Hill, TN 37642 Travis H. Vaughn Johnson County, Tenn. Butler Memorial Cemetery Inc. A Tennessee Non-Profit Corporation 198 Piercetown Road Butler, TN 37640 Glen McCloud Scott County, Va. Mother Nature Stone and Landscaping Supplies Inc. 316 Grogan Street Gate City, VA 24251 Tina Louise Gose Smyth County, Va. Halsey And Associates 1353 South Main Street Marion, VA 24354 Benjamin Bland Halsey Sullivan County, Tenn. Alan L. Gorrell MD RDMS FACDG LLC 1 Medical Park Boulevard, Suite 208 E Bristol, TN 37620 Corporation Service Company Better Homes Home Improvements LLC 1212 Jackson Hollow Road Kingsport, TN 37663 David F. Crawford Botts Family Pools LLC 1369 Chinquapin Grove Road Bluff City, TN 37618 Botts Family Pools LLC Classic Investments LLC 529 Pleasant Hill Road Blountville, TN 37617 Kimberly D. Rhoton, Esq. East Tennessee Acupuncture Clinic PLLC 1944 Brookside Drive, Suite 3 Blountville, TN 37617 Samuel R. Fitzpatrick, Jr. East Tennessee Q Crew LLC 5236 Memorial Boulevard Kingsport, TN 37664 National Registered Agents Inc. G & D Properties LLC 144 Bill Street Piney Flats, TN 37686 W. Leon Dunn HG Enterprise LLC 207 Tall Tree Drive Kingsport, TN 37663 Lillian Compton Impressive Publishing LLC 1400 East Shipley Ferry Road Kingsport, TN 37663 Louis Wayne Delph Indian Springs Discount Tobacco Inc. 5808 Memorial Boulevard Blountville, TN 37617 C. Faye Howard Inn & Suite Management Company LLC 1037 Oldham Court Kingsport, TN 37660 Maganlal L. Patel Jacobs & Jenner Builders LLC 3016 Wandring Drive Kingsport, TN 37660 Jacobs & Jenner Builders LLC Jones Adaptive Mobility LLC 129 Mulberry Lane Bristol, TN 37620 Brett Jones Kingsport Fasteners Inc. 405 East Market Street Kingsport, TN 37660 Cortland Freeman Legendary Fords Incorporated 467 Jenkins Hollow Road Bluff City, TN 37618 Janet Hatcher Rice Lodico Enterprises LLC 1112 Volunteer Parkway Bristol, TN 37620 National Registered Agents Inc. Marshall & Associates Developing LLC 1824 King College Road, C4 Bristol, TN 37620 Tim Marshall Rathi Narayan MD PC 1215 Barnsley Place Kingsport, TN 37660 Kimberly D. Rhoton, Esq. River’s Edge Marina Association 416 State Street, Suite A Bristol, TN 37620 Hale & Lyle Talkback Inc. 1037 Fiddlers Way Kingsport, TN 37664 Ashley Morris Taylor Consolidated LLC 293 Rocky Branch Road Blountville, TN 37617 National Registered Agents Inc. Travs Kids Corp. 2820 Highway 421 Bristol, TN 37620 Elizabeth Smith Jones Warhead Records Inc. 1417 Oak Street Kingsport, TN 37660 Tina Shipley Tazewell County, Va. Exact Welding & Fabricating Inc. 102 Industrial Drive Tazewell, VA 24651 Jeffrey Keith Brewster Unicoi County, Tenn. Bojoncy Properties LLC 1358 Suntree Road Unicoi, TN 37692 Tammy J. Pate Robinson Home Builders Inc. 1375 Rock Creek Road Erwin, TN 37650 John Robinson Washington County, Tenn. Acme Pharmacy Inc. 566 Wyndham Drive Gray, TN 37615 Corporation Service Company ALM Investment LLC 206 Princeton Road, Suite 25 Johnson City, TN 37601 Frederic H. Brandt Brian Hofung MD PLLC 119 East King Street, Suite 219 Johnson City, TN 37601 National Registered Agents Inc. Business Acceleration Inc. 136 Thomson Meadow Lane, Suite 1 Jonesborough, TN 37659 Business Acceleration Inc. Dog-Gone Daycare LLC 119 East King Street Johnson City, TN 37601 Dog-Gone Daycare LLC Help With Hearing Inc. 108 East 11th Avenue Johnson City, TN 37601 Christopher A. Burks Insight Training & Educational Center Inc. 130 Garden Drive Johnson City, TN 37604 Michael Cummings Jonesborough Community Chest 806 East Jackson Boulevard, Suite 1 Jonesborough, TN 37659 James E. Wheeler Mobile Octmed & Wellness PLLC 905 Katie’s Way Gray, TN 37615 Chad w. Whitfield Mozen, Etc. – Design/Build LLC 10 Garden Way Johnson City, TN 37604 Corporation Service Company New Dimension Properties LLC 1100 Skyline Drive Johnson City, TN 37604 Phyllis B. Brumit Olde Town Village Home Owner’s Association 103 Carriage Lane Jonesborough, TN 37659 Lewis Cox P & P Enterprise LLC 806 North Hills Drive Johnson City, TN 37604 Donald J. Haulsee Pat Marcum & Associates LLC 344 Wiltshire Drive Gray, TN 37615 Pat Marcum Personal Safety Instruction Group 4 Okeechobee Drive Johnson City, TN 37604 Ginny Gent Restorative Investments Inc. 445 Boones station Road Gray, TN 37615 Pacific Registered Agents Inc. Sleep Apnea Associates LLC 1735 West State of Franklin Road, Suite 5#186 Johnson City, TN 37604 National Registered Agents Inc. Team Nurse Legal Nurse Consultants LLC 215 Union Church Road Jonesborough, TN 37659 Amy Herrell The Little Dudes Ranch Project Inc. 146 Grand View Road Johnson City, TN 37601 Jim Phillips Weekend Ranchers LLC 445 Boone Station Road Gray, TN 37615 Michael A. Malone Washington County, Va. GDB Capital Inc. 309 Lindsey Street Bristol, VA 24201 Alicia Janeen Yates Hybrid Taxi & Transportation Inc. 837 Portsmouth Avenue, B5 Bristol, VA 24201 Angelina Beals Intermont Partners Ltd. 10 Spurgeon Lane Bristol, VA 24201 Preston L. Martin Jim Embree Insurance Company Inc. 199939 Benhams Road Bristol, VA 24202 Shirley Ann Pippin The Country Cupboard Inc. 22219 Fisher Hollow Road Damascus, VA 24236 John Leonard Smith Todd Yates Insurance Agency Inc. 480 West Main Street Abingdon, VA 24210 Todd Yates Zedan Inc. 1060 West Main Street, Suite 9 Abingdon, VA 24210 Mohamed Ahmed Wise County, Va. Green Earth Coal Resources Inc. 440 Park Avenue Northwest Norton, VA 24273 William J. Sturgill Mobile-Rec Inc. 615 Kentucky Avenue North Norton, VA 24273 Gladeville Insurance Agency Ltd Pro-Line Pipeline Inc. 14260 Lee Highway Bristol, VA 24202 Donald Woodward Virginia Small Operators Mine Rescue Inc. 440 Park Avenue Northwest Norton, VA 24273 William J. Sturgill 7/16/2008 - 2:00 PMFYI - July 2008 A quick check of conventional wisdom on who’s going in what direction in the Tri-Cities business community.  Virginia Air Pollution Control Board – The board ruled in favor of Dominion’s plan to build a power plant in Virginia City, but added conditions to protect air quality in the region. King Pharmaceuticals – It may not be the second coming of the Altace Hope Study, but the Bristol-based pharmaceuticals firm got good news with the positive test results for Acurox, a potential new pain relief product that deters common methods of abuse. An FDA New Drug Application could be filed by the end of the year.  Virginia’s “Streamlined” Government – The Commonwealth launched a single Internet portal aimed at making it easier for businesses to deal with state agencies. The Business One Stop, which will be backed up at the Grumman facility in Lebanon, allows businesses to fill in one form online that all state agencies will use. The solution to the problems that come from over-regulation is to regulate less, not to make it easier to over-regulate.Chamber Chatter: LEAD Bristol! Accepting Applications for 2008-2009 Class The Bristol Chamber’s nine-month training program is designed to provide skills essential to leadership development. It incorporates transcendental leadership skills as well as servant leadership and community issues. Local area colleges and universities partner with the chamber to provide professional personnel, facilities and other aspects of the sessions. Through the support of area businesses as sponsors, this program continues to be a model for other leadership programs throughout the country. LEAD Bristol! emphasizes two important components, leadership skills, such as communication, motivation and business ethics, amd community awareness. This course is recommended for the seasoned executive as well as other professionals who are looking to increase their knowledge base, learn about the community, establish new business contacts and form new relationships. Application deadline is August 8 (08/08/08). Tuition is $850. Applications can be accessed at bristolchamber.org. Contact Paula Hurt for more information, 423.989.4850 or phurt@bristolchamber.org. Feel Good Story of the Month: Bristol Regional Medical Center Hosts Video Conference Calls from Local Military Families to Troops in Iraq Working in conjunction with the Freedom Calls Foundation, a 501(c) 3 charity, and TANDBERG, a high-definition teleconferencing company, Wellmont Health System hosted families for 30-minute video calls to their soldiers in Iraq, July 1. Face-to-face connections were created between Bristol and five military installations: Al Asad Airbase, Camp Taji, Camp Fallujah, Camp Victory (Baghdad) and Camp Taqaddum. The Freedom Calls Foundation has built a satellite network to provide direct video connections between soldiers stationed in Afghanistan and Iraq with family members back home. The service is provided free of charge to the servicemen and women and their families. The foundation is supported mainly through corporate donations. TANDBERG provides the hardware to make use of the satellite network. Bristol Regional Medical Center was one of 31 locations across the United States hosting video conferencing on July 1. Book Shelf Made to Stick By Chip and Dan Heath Reviewed by Leighton Hart  I wish I had a dime for every time I’ve given a presentation or interjected a thought in a meeting or conversation only to have the message flow into one of my listener’s ears and out the other. In those instances, my first instinct has always been to blame myself for a poor delivery. Beyond that, if I know the delivery was rock-solid, I blame the audience for not listening.The analysis usually stops there. According to the business bestseller Made to Stick, it’s possible to make a great presentation to an attentive audience and still not get the point across. Maybe the idea or train of thought isn’t sticky enough. In the book, brothers Chip and Dan Heath make the case for why some ideas endure the test of time and why others are dead on arrival. They attempt to explain why businesspeople, teachers, politicians and others struggle to make their ideas stick, while other ideas like urban legends and conspiracy theories circulate effortlessly. Using a six-part framework, the authors lay out the attributes of truly sticky ideas. They say the ideas that tend to endure are those that are simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional and cased in a story. Jared Fogle, the Subway spokesman, is a prime example of a sticky idea. Almost anyone you ask could not only identify Jared, but also place him with Subway and tell the story of how he lost a load of weight by eating Subway sandwiches. Jared from Subway is a sticky idea. As a nice blend of economics, marketing and psychology, Made to Stick should be on the bookshelf of anyone in the business of communicating ideas, which is essentially all of us. I’d like to see the impact that a salesperson, fundraiser or corporate trainer could have if their essential message was shaped by the Made to Stick framework. 7/16/2008 - 2:00 PM5 Things You Need To Know About... Foliot FurnitureBy Scott Robertson5 Things You Need To Know About... Foliot Furniture.jpg) The idea that a furniture manufacturer would move into this region in 2008 is anathema to conventional wisdom. After all, furniture makers have been moving out for the better part of the last two decades. That’s why we chose Foliot Furniture for this feature in our twentieth anniversary issue. Theirs is a forward-looking story with a strong tie to the region’s past. It’s a story that starts in, of all places, Quebec.1) Foliot is pronounced folio. It’s French. Foliot has a plant in St. Jerome, Quebec, identical to the one in Greeneville. The firm became interested in Northeast Tennessee when it decided to stop contracting out its upholstery to take on the task in-house. Foliot now has two plants in Northeast Tennessee. One is in Newport, the other in Greeneville. The Newport plant opened before Greeneville, says Genevieve “Ginny” Briere, Greeneville plant manager. “Foliot initially opened the Newport plant to start producing their own seating products. Because East Tennessee is known as one of the upholstery capitals of the country, and because of the skilled labor, and because we had some contacts in this area that had already been helping us with seating products, we decided to come to Newport.” An increase in sales of case goods forced Foliot to find a new point of production close to Newport. Greeneville was ideal. 2) You won’t find Foliot products at your local retailer. Foliot makes furniture for institutional clients. Colleges, universities and hotels are Foliot’s biggest clients. The unique selling point for Foliot in this market is quality, says Briere. “Our craftsmen and engineers are committed to producing innovative furniture collections of discernable aesthetics, without compromising strength and durability.” To date, Foliot has furnished more than 200,000 rooms across the continent. 3) Foliot wants the Army and the Ritz. Foliot’s biggest goal right now, says Briere, is to open up its client list to include more non-seasonal buyers. “We need to get more hospitality orders during our off season (October through May). Because 80 percent of our current business is college and university, they all want their furniture built and delivered while the students are out. Gaining share in other markets, such as hospitality and the armed forces, would allow us to retain more employees in the off-season. We are committed to our employees, as they are to us, and we look forward to offering more full-time jobs instead of seasonal.” 4) They certainly are committed to making the work interesting. The first thing you notice when you walk onto the Greeneville factory floor is the sign that says “NASCAR.” It’s the theme of the entire production cycle at the plant. After parts for, say, a bookcase have been cut, they are moved into the pit area. The pits are named Toyota, Ford, Chevy and Dodge, after the four NASCAR manufacturers. One pit might have an order for 15 bookcases. When the pit has 15 of each bookcase part, a supervisor will raise the green flag at the front of the pit and a crew will pull the parts to an assembly area and go to work. At the Quebec plant, the NASCAR theme is replaced with a Formula 1 theme featuring Honda, BMW and Ferrari. 5) The efficiency of the system makes it possible to expand into an area that has historically been contracting. Some elements of Toyota’s manufacturing system can be found in the Greeneville plant, which is an exact copy of the Quebec facility. Parts are kept in stock using Cam bam methodology so it’s easy to see when anything needs to be replaced or replenished. There are several layers of leadership on the floor, from supervisors to team leaders to cell captains. That’s one reason Foliot wants more off-season work. It’s more efficient to keep workers in the plant than it is to bring new ones on for the heavy season only to see them depart in the fall. Still, says Bill Parker, plant manager, the ones who stay on do well. “It’s an incubator system that helps folks grow with the company. We want to promote from within and create accessible opportunities for our employees to aspire to. It’s harder to bring people in from the outside and have to teach them the Foliot way.” |
July 2008 Articles
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