business briefs
• Five designers at BarberMcMurry Architects — Chad Boetger, Kristin Bowman, Megan Chafin, Abby Farr and Matt Jordan — recently earned the credential of WELL Accredited Professional certification.
They also were recognized for their proficiency in the field of design, health and wellness in the built environment. They join Tayler Johnston, WELL AP, in earning this credential.
The WELL AP is the world’s first building standard focused exclusively on human health and wellness, marrying best practices in design and construction with evidence-based medical and scientific research on human health and well-being.
“With six designers now credentialed as WELL APs — the most of any design firm in the greater Knoxville area — BarberMcMurry is demonstrating its commitment to sustainable design,” stated Heather Beck, communications manager with BMA.
• Jim Ayres, executive chairman of the FirstBank board of directors, recently announced he is stepping down from that role effective Friday, Jan. 1, 2021. Ayres, who owns 29 percent of the publicly traded bank, bought a tiny rural West Tennessee bank in 1984 and grew it to a $11 billion business. FirstBank has branches at 11820 Kingston Pike, 10216 Kingston Pike and other locations in Knoxville.
Stuart McWhorter was elected to serve as board chair.
• For the sixth consecutive year, UScellular kicks off The Future of Good program, highlighting young people who are helping create positive change in their communities.
Now through Thursday, Dec. 31, anyone over the age of 18 is encouraged to visit online at the futureofgood.com and nominate youth between the ages of 6 through 17 who are making an impact in their communities. At the end of the nomination phase, US Cellular will award each of three young heroes with a $10,000 contribution to support their respective cause. To nominate, visit the site, describe the nominee’s cause, how it helps its community and how the nominee could use the cash award to continue to grow its efforts.
• Knoxville’ EXIT Real Estate Professionals Network sales representatives Eric Allen and Colleen Reimer recently received the Bronze Award for closing between 20 and 39 real estate transactions during the production year July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020.
• University of Tennessee Medical Center recently earned numerous awards from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With the Guidelines program for the quality of care UT Medical Center provides. Among the awards, its teams in its Heart Lung Vascular Institute and Comprehensive Cardiac Center received the Get With It Guidelines — Heart Failure Plus Quality Achievement Award, which recognizes its commitment to assisting heart failure patients.
• The Association of Neurovascular Clinicians recently awarded the 2020 International Year of the Nurse and Midwife Award to Jennifer Henry, director of the University of Tennessee Medical Center stroke program and certified comprehensive stroke center. This year’s award recognizes the nurse and midwife for their contribution to stroke treatment in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale.
• The University of Tennessee officials recently announced the Primary Care Collaborative is the seventh Center of Excellence at the comprehensive academic medical center. The creation of the collaborative was intended to strengthen the overall care for patients by forging stronger bonds, communication and data sharing between primary care physicians and specialists affiliated with the medical center.
