business briefs
• Pellissippi State Community College was one of four finalists for the 2016 Student Success Award of Excellence, which is given by American Association of Community Colleges. The award recognizes a community college that has demonstrated a sustained commitment to and proactive advancement of student success. Nominees are evaluated based upon increases in degree completion, transfer rates and innovative programs encouraging retention, graduation and student success.
• Everett Ribakove, M.D., oncologist and hematologist, has joined Thomp-son Oncology Group’s West Knoxville office at 9711 Sherrill Blvd. Ribakove, who is board-certified in oncology and hematology, most recently served as an attending physician in the hematology department of Levine Cancer Center, North Carolina, while practicing outpatient medical
oncology.
• Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon Inc. has received an Outstanding Sports Facilities Award for The University of Tennessee RecSports Complex during the 2016 National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association conference in Orlando, Fla. The awards are given to facilities demonstrating excellence in architectural design, functionality and how well the facility meets its intended purpose.
• Leisa Gill, a veteran employee of LBMC, a South-east accounting and business consulting firm, has been named director of client experience, a new position at LBMC. She will develop, analyze and align the firm’s brand promise with the overall client experience.
• Suzanne Reed, formerly of FirstBank, has been named marketing di-rector at LBMC, a Southeast accounting and business consulting firm. She will oversee a new era of expansion. Reed has more than 25 years of senior sales and marketing experience in the financial and professional services industry.
• Tom Womack, who has nearly 30 years experience working for the State of Tennessee, has accepted a new role as deputy commissioner of Tennessee Department of Agriculture. Womack spent a majority of his tenure with the department as its spokesman and director of communications. Last year, he was appointed assistant commissioner for public affairs.
• Sophie Nguyen has been named development coordinator of Young-Williams Animal Center in West Knoxville. Nguyen has volunteered with the shelter since 2013. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from The University of Tennessee and spent a semester studying at the University of Dublin’s Animal Science program. Her background includes work with Catholic Charities of East Tennessee children’s emergency shelter, UT reptile laboratory and Wesley House Community Center.
• Courtney Kliman has been
promoted from development coordinator to marketing director of Young-Williams Animal Center in West Knoxville. Kli-man has a Bachelor of Science degree in communications from UT and had em-barked on a journalism ca-reer, having served as overnight and morning anchor for WVLT Local 8 News before joining Young-Williams Animal Center.
• Paul Arab, Home Federal Bank assistant vice president and internal audit department manager, has won the 2015 Elijah Watt Sells Award from American Institute of CPAs. Arab is one of 75 to receive the award in 2015.
• Ben Adams has been added as Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon Inc.’s new vice president and was elected to its 2016 board of directors. Adams has 12 years of experience in project management, design and construction administration and is the office lead for the firm’s Columbus, Ga., office. He served as project manager and/or lead engineer primarily for water distributin and wastewater collection.
• Andrew Clark has been added as Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon Inc.’s new vice president and was elected to its 2016 board of directors. As manager, Clark leads the Water Services team in the Knoxville office. His projects include water and wastewater planning and treatment, pumping stations, replacements and rehabilitations.
• Randy Hudgings, based in Memphis, has been added to Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon Inc.’s 2016 board of directors. He has 25 years of field and design office experience in civil and structural engineering. He has worked on design and construction projects for U.S. government, private and commercial clients.
• Kevin Lindsay, based in Birmingham, Ala., has been added to Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon Inc.’s 2016 board of directors. He has a 20-year tenure with the firm and has more than 33 years of experience in the design and construction of aviation, industrial, higher education and retail facilities throughout the Southeastern United States.
• RCN Technologies, a telecommunications company in Renaissance | farragut has received one of Cradlepoint Emerging Partners in 2016 during a Cradlepoint Partner Summit. This is the third year the company, which as grown from the basement of its president, Geoff Yearack, to an office of 15 employees.
• Janet Brewer has been named senior vice president and chief communications and marketing officer for Tennessee Valley Authority. She has served as vice president of communications since joining TVA in 2012. She will be responsible for brand reputation and marketing, internal and external strategic communications, media relations, digital and social media platforms and for assuring all of TVA’s communications reflect its mission of service. (no photo submitted)
• Nathan Lynn, Bearden High School athletic director and administrative assistant, has been named one of the Leadership Academy 7th Cohort of Fellows. The Leadership Academy is a collaborative venture between The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Knox County Schools and prepares talented individuals to become outstanding school principals. The full-time 15-month fellowship program is part of the Center for Educational Leadership and is housed in t he Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in UT College of Education, Health and Human Services.
• Barge, Waggoner, Sumner and Cannon Inc. Community Fund recently made a $2,500 donation to East Tennessee Kidney Foundation. This contribution directly aids daily operations of the Dialysis Transportation Program.
• Karen Tindal has been hired as Knoxville Track Club race director for the Farragut 13.1, 5K and Kids Mile, which is set for Oct. 29. Tindal, a Farragut native, is a group exercise instructor and personal trainer with local fitness facilities. She previously was director for Girls on the Run of Greater Knoxville and serves on a variety of local board of directors and committees.
• Scott Schmidt has been hired as head coach for Knoxville Track Club RunKNOX program, which hosts sessions year round. Schmidt is a senior training specialist with NSPS in Oak Ridge. His background is in health and fitness, which he will use in his new duties of writing programming for runners and walkers of all fitness levels.
• FirstBank Mortgage has announced 52 winners of its 2015 Next Generation Scholarship, giving $52,000 to customers within the communities it serves from a random drawing for a $1,000 scholarship for a child. Twenty six of the scholarships went to Tennessee customers.
