Dr. Ronald “Ron” H. Kirkland, a board-certified otolaryngologist from Jackson, has been installed as the 167th president of the Tennessee Medical Association, the statewide professional association for more than 9,500 member physicians and their patients.

A TMA member since 1983, Kirkland has already served the organization in numerous capacities including chair of the TMA Legislative Committee, a board member of TMA’s IMPACT political action committee since 2015, chair of the Professional Relations Committee of TMA and a delegate at the House of Delegates annual meeting.

Kirkland assumed the presidency from Dr. Kevin Smith of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, who commandeered the organization through a crisis-oriented year involving the COVID pandemic.

Kirkland has filled many medical advisory roles, including board chair of American Medical Group Association and its foundation. He served as the American Medical Association delegate from AMGA for 10 years, and is currently the Secretary of the Consolidated Medical Assembly of West Tennessee.

Kirkland earned both his medical degree and his MBA from the University of Tennessee, and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee-Martin. He was president of Phi Chi Medical Fraternity at University of Tennessee health Science Center and later served as president of the University of Tennessee National Alumni Association.

LifePoint expands development team

LifePoint Health has expanded its development team with two new vice president appointments. Anthony Belott has been named vice president of in-market development, and Ford Charman has been named vice president of development.

Belott will work closely with division and individual market leadership to identify and execute acquisition and joint venture transactions that complement and enhance the services we provide our communities.

He joins LifePoint with nearly 20 years of strategic planning and growth opportunity sourcing and execution. He most recently served as chief development officer for CleanSlate Centers Inc., where he was instrumental in expanding the company’s treatment center footprint from 14 in two states to 83 centers in 11 states.

He holds a degree in economics from The University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School in Philadelphia, and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management in Los Angeles, California.

Charman is responsible for sourcing, evaluating and executing transactions and partnerships that support LifePoint’s strategic growth priorities outside of its traditional service line footprints.

He joins the organization following a nearly eight-year tenure with Citigroup Global Markets in New York, where he filled several roles in the Global Healthcare Investment Banking Group – most recently as vice president. At Citigroup, he served in financial and strategic advisory capacities to several marquee health care services companies and investors.

He holds a degree in economics from Hamilton College in Clinton, New York.

Nashville EO chapter adds 36 members

The Nashville chapter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization has added 36 members to its group of entrepreneurs and local business owners, remaining the largest EO chapter in the United States and the third-largest in the world.

The addition of the new members brings EO Nashville’s total membership to 283. The global EO network has more than 14,000 members across 198 chapters in 61 countries. Entrepreneurs must be a founder, co-founder, owner or controlling shareholder of a company with gross annual sales exceeding $1 million to join the organization.

The new EO Nashville members are:

• Cameron Bailey, owner of Empire Homes, a manufactured home supplier and mobile home park operator

• John Bell, CEO of Bell Law, Settlement Services, LLC, a title company and real estate law firm

• Chris Blair, founder and president of The Listening Room Cafe, a live music venue

• Ross Booher, co-founder and CEO of Latitude, a contract attorney and paralegal provider

• Colin Callahan, co-founder and CEO of Acklen Avenue, a software development company

• John Casacarano, founder of Beast Brands, Inc., a personal care and grooming product company

• Dave Childers, founder and CEO of Residential Investment Advisors, a multifamily investment brokerage firm

• Andrew Denny, owner and managing member of Textures Nashville, a custom hardwood flooring company

• Sarah Douglass, founder and CEO of Back to Nature LLC, which delivers products through various e-commerce channels

• John Dyke, founder and owner of The Turnip Truck, a natural foods grocer

• Austin Evans, vice president of Evans Glass Company, a residential and commercial glass company

• John Farrell, founder and president of Import Flowers, a flower retailer

• Luke Freeman, president of Wizard Creations, a branded merchandise supplier

• Craig Fulcher, vice president of DWC Construction, a general contracting firm

• David Gilpin, owner and president of Gilpin Facial Plastics, a facial plastic surgeon

• Brent Lawrence, owner and chief operating officer of Global Product Sources, LLC, a global sourcing

• Johan Madriz, founder and CEO of Distribuidora Limena Inc., an ethnic foods distributor

• Jonathan May, founder and president of Y&J Music LLC, a piano lessons business

• John Montgomery, founder of Montgomery Classic Construction, a luxury homebuilder

• Matt Neuhaus, founder of Neuhaus Foot & Ankle, a podiatric medical practice

• Clay Nicholas, founder and CEO of Vibronyx, Inc., a supply chain technology and analytics services company

• Ivan Ospina, owner of Qubits Energy LLC, a service provider for critical power facilities, data centers and buildings

• William Paddock, co-founder and managing director of WAP Sustainability, a sustainability strategist company

• Joel Pape, founder and CEO of Pape Ventures, Inc., a web product development and business optimization company

• Ilex Pounders, founder and CEO of Made in TN gift shop

• Susan Richardson, co-founder and owner of MillarRich, LLC, a family-based residential and day services company for children and adults with developmental disabilities

• Aimee Romero, founder and CEO of Love and Science, a digital business strategy boutique

• Caleb Roth, founder and CEO of Stain & Seal Experts, a staining and sealing contractor

• Scott Russo, owner and president of Misco Industrial LLC, an industrial and specialty maintenance chemical company

• Drew Sloss, co-founder and CEO of Climb, a rock climbing, yoga and fitness gym

• Scott Spiro, co-founder of SugarShot, an IT support, consulting, cybersecurity and network services provider (transferred from EO Los Angeles)

• Mark Stoner, founder and president of Ashbusters Chimney Service, Inc., a chimney sweeping company

• Kyle Trafton, co-founder and CEO of Matter Collective, LLC, a content accelerator and multi-entertainment network

• Taylor Thomas, co-founder and CEO at Samplize, Corp., a peel and stick paint sample company

• Dean Wegner, founder and CEO of Authentically American, a Made in USA apparel and merchandise company that supports veterans and first responders

• Robert Young, founder and CEO of Covert Results, a private investigation, security and training firm company

MP&F names senior digital strategist

MP&F Strategic Communications has named Lisa Swinson senior digital strategist, adding to its integrated marketing and data analytics team.

Swinson joined MP&F as a senior account executive in 2017 and was subsequently promoted to account supervisor. During her time at MP&F, she has used data to guide award-winning marketing, advertising and public relations campaigns for clients in the health care, tech, education and government sectors.

A graduate of James Madison University, Swinson joined MP&F with six years of agency experience.

Hunter expands FiftyForward role

FiftyForward’s Ashley Hunter is assuming a new position as director of FiftyForward J. L. Turner Center. The center, located inside the Bellevue Family YMCA, offers activities and programs for those 50 and older and has been a collaborative partnership for events and programs with the Bellevue Y for more than a decade.

Hunter has for the past three years directed FiftyForward’s Victory Over Crime program, working to aid adults 50 and older who have been affected by crime. Hunter is a licensed master level social worker who has devoted her career to advocating for the well-being of the older adult population.

She is the chair of Middle TN Elder Watch Committee, a local committee that fosters collaboration among service providers that work to combat elder abuse. Hunter currently serves as secretary for the TN Vulnerable Adult Coalition, a statewide volunteer-member organization whose mission is to bring public and private entities together to raise awareness of and help prevent elder and vulnerable adult abuse.

Hunter received her master of social work at the University of Tennessee, where her primary focus of study was health care and gerontology. Before coming to FiftyForward, Hunter was a medical social worker at NHC Place Cool Springs.

Bundshuh moves to BancorpSouth Bank

BancorpSouth Bank has hired Buffy Bundshuh as a relationship manager in Nashville.

Bundshuh is responsible for managing and growing commercial banking relationships within the local market. She has more than 28 years of experience in consumer and small business banking, including 14 years in Nashville.

Bundshuh earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix in Tempe, Arizona, and completed the Southeastern School of Commercial Lending and Advanced Commercial Lending from the Tennessee Bankers Association.

She serves as finance chair of Nashville Cable, board member for the United Way of Rutherford and Cannon counties and advisory council member for its Women United group and a diplomat for the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and a council member for Leadership Rutherford.