business briefs
• Local EXIT Realty affiliated offices recently announced Dawson Wood joined EXIT Realty Pros, 9821 Cogdill Road. Suite 1A, Knoxville.
• Cathy Ackermann recently was appointed to SmartBank’s board of directors. Ackermann is founder and CEO of Ackermann Marketing & PR, headquartered in Knoxville.
• Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine is set to open in April at the new Tennova Health Park, 1240 Tennova Medical Way, Knoxville, in phases beginning with geriatric care, with adult services opening soon after. The 64-bed adult and geriatric behavioral health center is a partnership among National HealthCare Corporation, Tennova Healthcare and University of Tennessee Medical Center.
• Weichert, Realtors - Advantage Plus in Knoxville recently was named to the Weichert Premier Client Group for 2022. The Weichert affiliate is one of only 30 companies — out of more than 260 from the Weichert national franchise network — named to this elite group of real estate brokerages. The 30 PCG members are identified based on outstanding sales performance from 2021.
• Mitch and Debby Steenrod, who spearheaded the McNabb Center’s Military Services program, recently were honored at the 2022 Spirit Award Dinner in Knoxville Convention Center.
The Spirit Award Dinner began in 2004 to recognize individuals who have supported the McNabb Center’s efforts and worked
selflessly to improve the community as a whole. The Steenrods worked with McNabb Center leadership to address gaps in mental health care directly related to veterans and this partnership led to a clinical veteran program.
• Century 21 Real Estate, LLC, recently recognized Leah Sabol, a sales affiliate of CENTURY 21 Legacy with the CENTURY 21 2020 Quality Service Pinnacle Producer Award, which is based on results from the CENTURY 21 Quality Service Survey (QSS) e-mailed to consumers immediately after the purchase or sale of a home.
To earn the CENTURY 21 Quality Service Pinnacle Producer Award, an agent must receive completed customer surveys for at least 80 percent of his or her transactions surveyed from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 with an average survey score of at least 95 percent or better for two consecutive years.
• Tennessee Small Business Development Center honored Knoxville’s Advent Electric Inc. on Wednesday, March 16,
with its 2021 Rising Star Award, the highest honor TSBDC has to recognize growing small businesses in the Knoxville area. It honors business owners who have achieved sustainability and success and who contribute to the growth and development of Tennessee’s economy.
• Michael Stewart, associate professor of music education with University of Tennessee, Knoxville, School of Music and associate director of bands, recently was named director of the Pride of the Southland Marchinig and Athletic Bands, associate director of wind studies and W.J. Julian Endowed Professor. He will begin his new roles on July 1.
• The American Association for the Advancement of Science recently announced the 2021 AAAS Fellows. Five faculty members from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s, College of Arts and Sciences and two from the UT Institute of Agriculture are in this year’s class. Election of AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor.
Elected faculty are Brad Day, Mircea Podar and Steven Wilhelm in the Department of Microbiology; Linda Kah in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; Hanno Weitering in the Department of Physics and Astronomy; David Anderson in the College of Veterinary Medicine; and Carl Sams in the Department of Plant Sciences.
• University of Tennessee forestry professor Adam Taylor recently was awarded a Fulbright-Saastamoinen Foundation Grant in health and environmental sciences. He will spend much of 2023 at the University of Eastern Finland European Forest Institute in Joensuu, researching the carbon connections between forests and forest products and climate change.
• Chris Boyer, associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, recently received the Distinguished Professional Contribution Award from the Southern Agricultural Economics Association.The award is given to individuals who have demonstrated significant service to the association. Boyer accepted the award at the 2022 SAEA annual meeting held Feb. 12-15 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
• American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges recently named Dr. Barry T. Rouse, a veterinarian and an immunologist in the Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Services at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, as the recipient of the 2022 AAVMC Excellence in Research Award. Presented annually, this national award recognizes an individual who, over the course of his or her career, has demonstrated excellence in original research, leadership in the scientific community and mentoring of trainees and colleagues in any discipline of veterinary medicine.
• The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s, The Tickle College of Engineering remained highly placed in the latest U.S. News and World Report ranking of online master’s engineering programs. The college is now 20th among public schools, 27th overall.
The college offers several online master’s and graduate certificate options, including in advanced manufacturing, hypersonics, engineering management and will soon begin teaching classes in computer science.
• The University of Tennessee Medical Center recently announced the Center for Perioperative Medicine as its eighth Center of Excellence. The center has been established to create a safe, high-quality surgical and anesthesia experience for patients, team members.
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville, assistant professor Mahshid Ahmadi recently was selected to receive the Sloan Research Fellow for her work in chemistry. She is the fifth UT faculty member to be honored since the fellowship’s beginning in 1955.
• Matt Perkins, co-owner of Business To Business Logistics, LLC, recently was selected to be a member of a chief executive peer advisory board in Knoxville by Vistage Worldwide Inc. He joined more than 300 senior executives, business owners and CEOs across Tennessee who are Vistage members. Matt has 30 years of combined sales, distribution and operations experience, which he has leveraged to start and run BTB for the last 10-plus years.
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Knoxville-based advertising agency, Tombras, recently partnered to create the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations, a landmark program and investment plan to modernize and expand advertising and public relations education.
Dvid Smith recently joined the staff of University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy as its inaugural director of external affairs. Smith is the former director of communications for Tennesssee Education Lottery Corporation and former Gov. Bill Haslam.
• Knoxville Center for Behavioral Medicine is set to open in April at the new Tennova Health Park, 1240 Tennova Medical Way, Knoxville, in phases beginning with geriatric care, with adult services opening soon after. The 64-bed adult and geriatric behavioral health center is a partnership among National HealthCare Corporation, Tennova Healthcare and University of Tennessee Medical Center.
• Shane Archer Concept’s grow Knoxville recently was selected by Knoxville Chamber of Commerce as the winner of the 2022 Pinnacle Business Impact Award winner, which is presented to a business displaying a strong commitment to making East Tennessee a better place to live through the development and support of a community project or program.
• Ken Hayes, first vice president-investment officer of Wells Fargo Advisors Knoxville, and Nelson Patterson, senior vice president –investment officer, recently were recognized on the Premier Advisor list by Wells Fargo Advisors. This accolade represents a list of professionals who come to work with one goal on their minds – helping their clients succeed.
The Premier Advisor distinction is held by a select group of financial advisors within Wells Fargo Advisors as measured by completion of educational components, business production based on either of the past two years and professionalism. Additional criteria, including length of service, may also be used to determine recipients.
• Mitch and Debby Steenrod, who spearheaded the McNabb Center’s Military Services program, will be honored at the 2022 Spirit Award Dinner Tuesday, April 5, in Knoxville Convention Center.
The Spirit Award Dinner began in 2004 to recognize individuals who have supported the McNabb Center’s efforts and worked selflessly to improve the community as a whole. Mitch and Debby worked directly with McNabb Center leadership to address gaps in mental health care directly related to veterans. This partnership led to an innovative clinical program created for individuals and families who sacrificed so much for the country.
For ticket information, visit McNabbFoundation.org/Spirit or contact Rebecca McKnight, 865-329-9176 or rebecca.mcknight@mcnabb.org
• Tennessee Small Business Development Center honored Knoxville’s Advent Electric Inc. on Wednesday, March 16,
with its 2021 Rising Star Award, the highest honor TSBDC has to recognize growing small businesses in the Knoxville area. It honors business owners who have achieved sustainability and success and who contribute to the growth and development of Tennessee’s economy.
• Michael Stewart, associate professor of music education with University of Tennessee, Knoxville, School of Music and associate director of bands, recently was named director of the Pride of the Southland Marchinig and Athletic Bands, associate director of wind studies and W.J. Julian Endowed Professor. He will begin his new roles on July 1.
• The American Association for the Advancement of Science recently announced the 2021 AAAS Fellows. Five faculty members from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s, College of Arts and Sciences and two from the UT Institute of Agriculture are in this year’s class. Election of AAAS Fellow is a lifetime honor.
Elected faculty are Brad Day, Mircea Podar and Steven Wilhelm in the Department of Microbiology; Linda Kah in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences; Hanno Weitering in the Department of Physics and Astronomy; David Anderson in the College of Veterinary Medicine; and Carl Sams in the Department of Plant Sciences.
• University of Tennessee forestry professor Adam Taylor recently was awarded a Fulbright-Saastamoinen Foundation Grant in health and environmental sciences. He will spend much of 2023 at the University of Eastern Finland European Forest Institute in Joensuu, researching the carbon connections between forests and forest products and climate change.
• Chris Boyer, associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, recently received the Distinguished Professional Contribution Award from the Southern Agricultural Economics Association.The award is given to individuals who have demonstrated significant service to the association. Boyer accepted the award at the 2022 SAEA annual meeting held Feb. 12-15 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
• American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges recently named Dr. Barry T. Rouse, a veterinarian and an immunologist in the Department of Biomedical and Diagnostic Services at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, as the recipient of the 2022 AAVMC Excellence in Research Award. Presented annually, this national award recognizes an individual who, over the course of his or her career, has demonstrated excellence in original research, leadership in the scientific community and mentoring of trainees and colleagues in any discipline of veterinary medicine.
• The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s, The Tickle College of Engineering remained highly placed in the latest U.S. News and World Report ranking of online master’s engineering programs. The college is now 20th among public schools, 27th overall.
The college offers several online master’s and graduate certificate options, including in advanced manufacturing, hypersonics, engineering management and will soon begin teaching classes in computer science.
• The University of Tennessee Medical Center recently announced the Center for Perioperative Medicine as its eighth Center of Excellence. The center has been established to create a safe, high-quality surgical and anesthesia experience for patients, team members.
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville, assistant professor Mahshid Ahmadi recently was selected to receive the Sloan Research Fellow for her work in chemistry. She is the fifth UT faculty member to be honored since the fellowship’s beginning in 1955.
• Matt Perkins, co-owner of Business To Business Logistics, LLC, recently was selected to be a member of a chief executive peer advisory board in Knoxville by Vistage Worldwide Inc. He joined more than 300 senior executives, business owners and CEOs across Tennessee who are Vistage members. Matt has 30 years of combined sales, distribution and operations experience, which he has leveraged to start and run BTB for the last 10-plus years.
• University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Knoxville-based advertising agency, Tombras, recently partnered to create the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations, a landmark program and investment plan to modernize and expand advertising and public relations education.
Dvid Smith recently joined the staff of University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy as its inaugural director of external affairs. Smith is the former director of communications for Tennesssee Education Lottery Corporation and former Gov. Bill Haslam.
