Veteran banker and Lexington native Chris Holmes will become the third president of FirstBank since it was purchased by businessman Jim Ayers in 1984. Doug Cruickshanks, who has served as FirstBank president since 2002, will become vice chairman of the bank’s board of directors.

Holmes was named chief banking officer and joined the FirstBank board of directors as part of the expansion of the bank’s management team in 2010. Prior to joining FirstBank, Holmes was director of corporate financial services and chief retail banking officer for Greenville, S.C.-based South Financial Group.

He earned a degree in business administration from the University of Memphis in 1986 and began his career with Ernst &Young in Memphis. He worked for 14 years in several management positions for National Commerce Financial, including CEO and president of National Commerce Bank Services before joining South Financial Group in South Carolina.

Cruickshanks joined FirstBank in 2002 after retiring from Bank of America, where he had a 33-year career, as Tennessee president. His volunteer work includes serving on the boards of the Canby Robinson Society and The Land Trust for Tennessee.

With $2.1 billion in total assets, FirstBank is among the top 5 percent of all U.S. banks, and the largest state-chartered bank in Tennessee. FirstBank employs 612 associates in 54 locations across the Southeast.

Barge Waggoner picks Ledford as chairman

Joseph A. Ledford, PE, has been appointed chairman of the board for architecture and engineering firm Barge, Waggoner, Sumner, and Cannon, Inc. Ledford has served on the board since 2002 and is manager for the Barge Waggoner Knoxville office.

Ledford is stepping into the position following the recent retirement of Chairman Emeritus Charles Goforth.

Ledford has been employed with Barge Waggoner since 1985 and has led multiple large-scale project engagements for the firm over his tenure. A 1980 graduate of the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Ledford is a member of the East Tennessee Industrial Council, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, and is current Treasurer of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Tennessee.

Waller Lansden fills key positions

Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis has announced that two partners have been appointed to key positions in the firm.

Miranda K. Kelley will serve as chair of Women of Waller, an internal initiative that provides opportunities to the firm’s female attorneys for mentoring, community service, work-life balance and leadership development.

MaryEllen Sullivan Pickrell will serve as professional development partner, overseeing a firm-wide leadership training program.

Kelley is a partner at Waller Lansden whose practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions and securities law. She also has experience in real estate syndications and reporting of equity and debt offerings. Kelley earned her J.D. from Vanderbilt University and received her B.S. from Lipscomb University.

Pickrell was previously leader of Waller Lansden’s corporate group, focusing on mergers and acquisitions. She earned her J.D. from Vanderbilt University and received her B.A. from Williams College.

Stewart Parking names Burbank its new GM

Brasher Burbank has been promoted to general manager of Stewart Parking Solutions.

In this new role, Burbank will direct large-scale event parking planning and procedures for the company’s contract clients. Burbank has nine years of experience managing parking services at some of the largest venues and events in Nashville, including Country Music Association’s Music Fest, the Music City Bowl and Olympic soccer events at LP Field.

A top priority for Burbank will be managing operations for two recently awarded contracts, Nashville’s Metropolitan Sports Authority and the Tennessee Titans. SPS will manage parking Lot E operations on a daily basis as well as many large-scale events including the Fourth of July, New Year’s Eve, the Country Music Marathon, Titans home games, Tennessee State Football, Music City Bowl, concerts and other special events.

Burbank has a bachelor’s degree in business management from Western Kentucky University.

YLC non-profit board graduates announced

Young Leaders Council, a Nashville-based nonprofit organization that has trained 2,000 women and men to effectively participate on the boards of nonprofit agencies, has announces graduates of its nonprofit board training program partnership with the Junior League of Nashville.

2012 graduates are:

• Courtney Bach (Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain, P.C.)
• Reca Barwin (TriStar Health/HCA)
• Julie Brink (C3 Consulting)
• Dana Bybee (State of Tennessee)
• Ashley Childers (The Evelyn Frye Center)
• Katie Davis (U.S. Senator Bob Corker)
• Caitlin Franklin (Brookdale Senior Living)
• Lauren Louise Hansen (OB/GYN & Associates)
• Shannon Kazmerowski (Avenue Bank)
• Michelle Lacewell (Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce)
• Jennifer Martin (Baptist Hospital)
• Brenna McDaniel (business development candidate)
• Elizabeth Michels (YMCA of Middle Tennessee)
• Brittiney Norman (HCA Healthcare)
• Laurel Petty (iostudio)
• Becky Stephens (Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police)
• Jade Tanumijaya (Vanderbilt University Medical Center)
• Marion Warfield (Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau).

More information about Young Leaders Council is available at ylcnashville.org.

Wiseman Ashworth expands in Memphis

Minton P. Mayer has joined Wiseman Ashworth Law Group, PLC. Mayer, previously affiliated with Adelman Law Firm, PLLC in Memphis, will work with attorneys in Wiseman Ashworth’s Nashville and Memphis offices on civil litigation matters in the areas of medical malpractice, long-term health care, personal injury defense, and professional negligence defense.

Mayer was associated with Adelman Law Firm for more than five years. During this time, his practice was concentrated on civil litigation related to malpractice, long-term health care, personal injury and professional negligence defense cases. His experience also includes a nine-year association as attorney and partner at Memphis law firm Spicer, Flynn & Rudstrom.

Mayer is a graduate of the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis (1996) and holds a B.A. degree in rhetoric and communications cum laude from Kent State University.

Tulane honors Moses as distinguished alum

The Newcomb Alumnae Association has announced Marlene Eskind Moses, a 1972 graduate of Newcomb College, as recipient of the 2012 Distinguished Alumna Award.

Moses earned her undergraduate degree in psychology, and stayed at Tulane, receiving a master’s degree in social work in 1973. She continued her studies at the Nashville School of Law, graduating in 1980 with a Juris Doctor degree.

Moses is managing partner and founder of Nashville’s matrimonial and family law firm of Moses Townsend & Russ PLLC.

Stewart Transportation changes leadership

Eddie Stewart has assumed the title of chief executive officer of Stewart Transportation Solutions, Inc. (STS) and president of Stewart Logistics, Inc., which includes the newly formed Stewart Parking Solutions, a parking operations and management company. Karen Robbins, a longtime vice president, has been named president of Stewart Transportation Solutions, Inc.

Stewart Parking Solutions (SPS) is being launched to meet the growing demand for parking management and planning services in Nashville and nationally. SPS and STS offer sophisticated ground logistics and parking facilities management services, helping clients streamline and simplify the transportation and parking process.

Stewart founded Stewart Transportation in 1990 and has grown the company to one of the largest transportation logistics planning and operations firms in the country. Stewart, who has 27 years of professional experience, is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University.

Robbins, who joined STS in 1996, is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and resident of Murfreesboro.

McNeely Pigott & Fox adds staff associate

McNeely Pigott & Fox Public Relations has added Mara Naylor as the firm’s newest staff associate.

Naylor, a Chattanooga native, graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science degree in communication. She majored in public relations and obtained a minor in business administration.

Prior to joining MP&F, Naylor interned with SourceYourCity to create and maintain local market prospect lists, write and edit news releases, and help manage social media channels for media relations efforts.

Christ Presbyterian hires new coordinator

Sarah McCandless has joined Christ Presbyterian Church and Academy as communications coordinator for the Academy.

Originally from Chattanooga, McCandless is a 2006 graduate of Clemson University, where she majored in English and communications.

Living in Nashville for the past three years, She previously served as account coordinator at Brentwood Communications.

Red Cross gets director of communications

Beth Ferguson, development director for the Heart of Tennessee chapter, has been promoted to regional communications director for the Volunteer Region of the American Red Cross.

Ferguson, who began her career with the Greater Chattanooga Area Red Cross in 2004, is a veteran of public affairs work for Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Gustav, the Good Friday Tornado and the historic May 2010 Flooding.

She will lead a team in shaping the Red Cross message to the residents of the 62 counties that comprise the Volunteer Region in Middle and West Tennessee.

Thomas Nelson promotes Schwartz

Russ Schwartz has been promoted to vice president of independent christian retail sales for Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Schwartz previously served as director of independent retail sales for the past two and a-half years. He began his tenure with Thomas Nelson in 2004 as a field sales representative.