Harris

Chelsia Harris, associate director of nursing for degree development in the Lipscomb College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, has been named executive director of the university’s School of Nursing.

Harris, who helped the university launch its RN-to-BSN program last year, joined the Lipscomb faculty in 2017.

Before her work at Lipscomb, Harris taught for eight years as an associate professor of nursing in a baccalaureate program at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri. Harris’ experience includes practice in medical-surgical acute care, outpatient cardiology, preventive health, primary family practice, and occupational and home health. She has also spoken locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally to a variety of health care audiences.

The Hartman, Arkansas, native is a graduate of Arkansas Tech University and earned her Master of Science in Nursing degree as a family nurse practitioner from Vanderbilt University in 2008 and her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with an emphasis in Educational Leadership from Case Western Reserve University in 2015.

Harris’s publications include topics such as physician-assisted suicide, compassion fatigue, advanced practice nursing and nursing education, as well as her book “Created & Called: A Journey to and through Nursing” (New Leaf Press) and her children’s book “Hannah Visits Nana in the Nursing Home” (Christian Faith Publishing). Her research includes the exploration of compassion fatigue and daily spiritual experience among nursing assistants working in long-term care. Harris also serves as a peer reviewer for the Journal of Christian Nursing and the American Nurses’ Association publication American Nurse Today.

Campbell

Also at Lipscomb, Dr. Tom Campbell has been selected as interim dean of the Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy. Campbell, who has served as associate dean for academic affairs and associate professor of pharmacy practice, succeeds Dr. Roger Davis, founding dean of the college who was promoted to vice provost for health affairs.

Campbell has been part of the college’s administrative team since its founding in 2007 and has played a significant role in building the program with Davis.

Campbell earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Tennessee College of Pharmacy and received board certification in pharmacotherapy. His prior work experience includes a pharmacy practice residency with emphasis on geriatric medicine with Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Memphis, clinical pharmacy and research coordinator at Columbus Regional Health System in Columbus, Georgia, and senior director for cardiovascular medical affairs at Sanofi Pharmaceuticals.

Campbell also served as clinical assistant professor at Auburn University. He has served as president of the Tennessee Pharmacists Association and served on the board of directors. He is a member of AACP, APhA, ASHP, TPA and ACCP.

Wright to chair VUMC orthopaedic surgery

Wright

Rick W. Wright, M.D., has been named chair of the department of orthopaedic surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He will join the faculty Sept. 1.

Wright comes to VUMC from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis where he is the Jerome J. Gilden Distinguished Professor and executive vice chairman of the department of orthopaedic surgery. He is also head team physician for the National Hockey League’s St. Louis Blues.

At Vanderbilt, Wright will lead a nationally ranked department that is currently home to more than 40 full-time faculty. The department is internationally recognized for its training programs and innovative research across the continuum of orthopaedic conditions and diseases.

Miller, Pitts join Pinnacle Financial Partners

Miller

Pinnacle Financial Partners has added a financial adviser and financial specialist to the firm’s College Street office in Murfreesboro. Larry Miller joins Pinnacle as a senior vice president and financial adviser, and Cindy Pitts is a financial adviser assistant.

Miller brings 22 years of financial services experience from First Tennessee Bank, where he most recently was a vice president and financial center manager helping clients achieve their financial goals.

Miller holds a degree in business administration and accounting from the University of Mount Olive in Mount Olive, North Carolina

Pitts

He served as an avionics technician with the United States Air Force from 1982-1990. Miller is a 2017 graduate and serves on the advisory council of Leadership Rutherford.

Before joining Pinnacle, Pitts spent 11 years with First National Bank, where she was assistant vice president of loan operations. Previously she was an auto claims representative for State Farm Insurance in Murfreesboro.

Pitts earned a degree in business administration with a concentration in finance and insurance from Middle Tennessee State University.

Also at Pinnacle, Caroline Kelly and Laurie Wooley have joined Pinnacle Financial Partners to serve clients’ cash management needs. They are based at the firm’s headquarters located in downtown Nashville.

Kelly

Kelly brings 11 years of financial services experience to her role of treasury management analyst. She comes to the firm from Waddell & Associates, LLC, where she was a paraplanner and office administrator.

Wooley

Kelly earned a degree in business administration from California State University in Fullerton and holds National Automated Clearing House Association and Association for Financial Professionals designations.

Wooley, with 19 years of experience, is a merchant services adviser for Pinnacle. Previous roles included serving as regional sales director for AxiaMed, commercial midmarket sales executive with First Data Corporation and a merchant services account officer for SunTrust Bank.

Wooley earned a degree in business administration from the University of Mississippi.

Senior educators complete TICUA leadership program

Twenty senior officials from private and independent colleges in Tennessee have graduated from the third cohort of the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association’s Executive Leadership Institute, an innovative leadership development program to prepare university leaders with the knowledge and skills they need to build healthy campuses and serve students.

The 2019 Pressnell Fellows:

William C. Smart, associate provost, Aquinas College

Phillip E. Johnston, associate provost, Belmont University

Seth Martin, executive assistant, finance & special projects, Bethel University

Douglas Mann, provost, Bryan College

LeAnn S. Davis, dean, College of Arts & Letters, Freed-Hardeman University

Cindy Barnard, vice president, finance, Johnson University

Deborah J. Rogers, director, Student Success Initiatives, Lane College

Phil Cook, vice president, enrollment, Lee University

Donnie Lipscomb, director, advancement, Lincoln Memorial University

Kristine LaLonde, associate dean, College of Leadership & Public Service, Lipscomb University

Robby Shelton, executive vice president & chief operating officer, Martin Methodist University

Jeffery S. Ingle, vice president, finance & administration, Maryville College

Rusty Gentry, program manager, Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia

Jacqui Steadman, vice president, finance, Milligan College

Eric E. Hartman, vice president, risk management & institutional effectiveness, Sewanee: The University of the South

Melinda Wolf Miller, executive director, admissions, Trevecca Nazarene University

Jill Salyers, vice president, institutional advancement, Tusculum University

Dan Griffin, vice president, enrollment, Union University

Laura Nairon, associate vice president, business services, Vanderbilt University

Kevin L. Hester, associate vice president, institutional effectiveness dean, School of Theology, Welch College

First Farmers adds 4 experienced bankers

First Farmers and Merchants Bank – a community bank serving Middle Tennessee – has added four experienced bankers to its team of 22 banking locations in seven counties.

Jacob Kassinger joins as a private banker at First Farmers’ newest location on 21st Avenue in Nashville. He brings more than a decade of experience with several financial institutions. He previously was vice president and financial sales manager at First Citizens Bank in Franklin, where he focused on health care and professional services clients. He is a graduate of Western Kentucky University.

Kent Bowden brings more than 25 years of experience to his role as a mortgage loan originator serving First Farmers locations in Lewisburg, Spring Hill and Port Royal. A graduate of Memphis State University, he most recently served as a mortgage loan officer with Franklin Synergy Bank in Spring Hill and previously held mortgage loan officer roles with SunTrust, BancorpSouth and Bank of America.

Ryan Carey is a private banker at First Farmers’ main office in Columbia. Carey was the branch manager for Reliant Bank’s Thompson Station branch for the past two years and was previously an assistant branch manager with SunTrust. He is a graduate of Western Kentucky University.

Marcus Williams joins First Farmers as branch manager of the McEwen office in Franklin, where he also will assist customers with personal, business and mortgage loans. He previously served as branch manager at The Bank of Nashville and a retail market manager at Synovus Bank. Williams brings over 22 years of banking experience to his new role with First Farmers.

MP&F welcomes 2 new staff associates

Hays

MP&F Strategic Communications has hired Fallon Acker and Caylan Hays as the firm’s newest staff associates.

Acker

Caylan Hays graduated from Belmont University in 2018 with a degree in public relations and songwriting. She spent the past year working at Downtown Music Publishing in Nashville, assisting in global client services and synchronization licensing.

During her time at Belmont, Hays interned for Music Services, Aspiration Entertainment, Big Loud Publishing and BMG, and completed a study abroad program in Ireland.

Acker graduated from the University of Alabama in May 2018 with a degree in public relations and a minor in entrepreneurship.

While at UA, she served as the communications director for the Alabama Hockey Club and as the brand management director for Crimson Chaos.