business briefs
• Tennessee District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration — the largest backer of loans to America’s small businesses — honored UT Federal Credit Union as a top SBA lender for federal fiscal year 2017 May 2. UTFCU earned Credit Union of the Year in Tennessee award for top volume. UTFCU also brought home this award in fiscal years 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
• Gentry Griffey Funeral Chapel and Crematory in Fountain City announces a new manager in Knoxville, Diane Hunter. A native East Tennessean, Hunter said she believes God called her into the funeral ministry to assist and protect grieving families during a time that can be the most difficult they may ever face. She is a Nationally Certified Funeral Service Practitioner and Tennessee licensed funeral director, embalmer and pre-need insurance producer. Receiving her Mortuary Science degree from Ogeechee Technical College in Statesboro, Georgia, Hunter served her apprenticeship at Memorial Funeral Home in Maryville. She currently is a board member of The Greater Knoxville Funeral Service Associates, Inc.
• Mike Tesoro, formerly a business consultant with First Data in Knoxville, and Janet Baugh, have joined Pinnacle Financial Partners’ Northshore office as merchant services advisor and financial advisor assistant, respectively. Tesoro brings more than 10 years of client services experience to Pinnacle and Baugh spent 19 years with Regions Bank.
• Barbara Funderburg has joined Coldwell Banker Wallace & Wallace, REALTORS, as a full-time real estate agent. She will be working out of the Farragut office at 10815 Kingston Pike.
