Smith

Stites & Harbison, PLLC veteran attorney Gregory D. Smith has been named office executive member for the firm’s Nashville office.

A partner with Stites & Harbison since March 1998, Smith will continue to serve clients as a member of the Family Law Service Group. As the new office executive member, Smith will lead the Nashville office and assist the firm’s chair in executing the strategic plan and policies.

Smith’s practice focuses primarily on family law cases in courts in Nashville and surrounding counties and he has an active practice as a Rule 31 Mediator. He has helped clients find and recover children abducted by former spouses, obtained help for children with disabilities and resolved difficult property and financial issues related to their domestic disputes. He has experience in international custody litigation in both state and federal courts.

He is a graduate of The University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University Law School.

Keller elected president, COO of Baker Donelson

Keller

Baker Donelson has elected Jennifer P. Keller as the firm’s next president and chief operating officer. Keller will assume the role effective April 1, 2015.

A shareholder in the Tri-Cities office of Baker Donelson, Keller is a member of Baker Donelson’s Board of Directors and currently chairs the Firm’s Labor & Employment Department.

Keller will assume the role from Jerry Stauffer, who has served as the firm’s president and COO for 10 years. During Stauffer’s tenure, Baker Donelson has grown from around 400 attorneys across 11 offices to more than 650 attorneys across 19 offices in seven states and Washington, D.C.

After stepping down as president and COO, Stauffer will remain with Baker Donelson and will continue his practice focused on general corporate law and business litigation.

Keller is an employment litigator who regularly appears before various administrative agencies, including the Department of Labor, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Tennessee Human Rights Commission and National Labor Relations Board. She advises clients on employment law matters including discipline and terminations, benefits issues, leave, disability accommodation, and policy formulation and enforcement.

She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee School of Law.

Waller names 11 new partners

Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP has elected eight attorneys as partners – Tyson Bickley, Daniel Flournoy, Jon Gaston, Kristen Larremore (Birmingham), Laura Merritt, Wes Scott (Memphis), Lauran Sturm, Chris Wilson – and brought three new partners Frances Fenelon, John Burns, and Jeff Parrish into the firm.

Bickley’s experience includes assisting publicly traded corporations as well as early-stage companies. He earned his J.D. from the University of Georgia and received a B.S., from University of Alabama in accounting.

Flournoy works for clients in the health care, banking and financial services industries. He earned his J.D. from Vanderbilt University and an M.P.A. from the University of Kentucky in policy studies, as well as a B.A., from University of Kentucky in political science.

Gaston earned his J.D., cum laude, from Samford University and his LL.M. from Georgetown University in Taxation. He received an M.B.A. from Samford University as well as a B.B.A. from Emory University.

Merritt focuses on intellectual property and commercial disputes in Waller’s litigation and dispute resolution practice. She earned her J.D. from American University and also received a B.A., cum laude, from the University of Florida in political science, as well as a B.S. from the University of Florida in journalism.

Sturm serves clients in the health care, manufacturing, media, mining, and utilities industries in a variety of litigation matters, including environmental litigation, public records, and regulatory law. She earned her J.D., from Indiana University and received a B.S. from the University of Notre Dame in environmental science.

Wilson assists clients in industries such as manufacturing, retail, cable television, real estate, professional services, and software in a range of tax-related matters. He also advises not-for-profit organizations in tax-exemption matters. He earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Memphis and received a LL.M. from the University of Florida and a B.S. from the University of Tennessee at Martin in political science, communications.

Fenelon is an advocate for health care providers, pharmaceutical and medical device companies, and manufacturers across a wide range of industries. Fenelon earned her J.D. from Vanderbilt University and received a B.S. from the University of Tennessee.

Burns is an advisor to closely held and family-owned businesses. He earned his J.D. from The University of Mississippi and received an LL.M from the University of Florida as well as a B.A. from the University of Mississippi.

Parrish is a registered lobbyist who represents health care providers, manufacturers and other clients in government relations matters. He earned his J.D. from the University of Memphis and a B.B.A. from the University of Memphis in economics.

Chamber names Coleman chief growth officer

Coleman

Stephanie Coleman has been named chief growth officer of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce.

Coleman replaces Donna Mattick, who is leaving a 23-year career with the Nashville Area Chamber to join global nonprofit Soles4Souls as the organization’s chief investor relations officer.

Coleman joined the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce in 2008 after leaving a congressional staff position in Washington, D.C. She has served in a variety of roles at the Chamber, including vice president of communications and marketing, vice president of policy and most recently, vice president of member value and strategic alliances.

She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and the University of Kentucky’s Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce.

GSRM attorney to chair Tennessee Lobbyist Association

Scanlan

Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin PLLC attorney Matt Scanlan has been elected to a one-year term as chairman of the Tennessee Lobbyist Association. His legal practice is dedicated to protecting clients’ interests before Tennessee state and local governments.

He has extensive experience lobbying on behalf of a variety of clients before the Tennessee General Assembly. He also assists clients with Alcoholic Beverage Regulations and assists clients with corporate transactions. He joined GSRM in 2009 after serving as deputy general counsel for the Tennessee Department of Health.

Young Leaders Council announced program grads

Young Leaders Council, a Nashville-based nonprofit organization that has trained more than 2,000 men and women to effectively participate on the boards of nonprofit agencies for the past 30 years, has announced the graduates of Class 63.

After completing more than 30 hours of leadership training, these individuals will now serve one-year internships on local nonprofit boards:

• Katharine Appel (PricewaterhouseCoopers)
• Bobbie Jo Beach (Center for Executive Education at Belmont University)
• Brent Blane (Qualifacts Systems)
• Colby Block (Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs, LLP)
• Jenni Bradley (Nashville Health Care Council)
• John Burch III (FirstBank)
• Shane Caldwell (Arthur J. Gallagher and Co.)
• Kelly Cathey (Gresham, Smith and Partners)
• Robert Chapski (Lewis, Thomason, King, Krieg & Waldrop, P.C.)
• Hayden Cook (MissionPoint Health Partners)
• Jason Dobbs (Avenue Bank)
• Lesley Edens (HCA Healthcare)
• Adam England (Mechanical Resource Group)
• Cyrus Farhangi (Deloitte & Touche LLP)
• Kristi Fireline (BKD, LLP)
• Ben Flatt (AMSURG)
• Taylor Fortune (Ernst & Young)
• Daniel Green (HCA Healthcare)
• Linda Claire Guttery (Genesco Inc.)
• Michael Harmon (Waller Lansden Dortch and Davis)
• Matt Howlett (Metropolitan Nashville Police Department)
• Brittany Irby (Center for Nonprofit Management)
• Catrice James (Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain)
• Courtney Keenan (Bank of America)
• Samantha Lacey (HCA Healthcare)
• Bailey Lathem (Fifth Third Bank)
• Marston Maddox (c3/consulting)
• Sarah Martino (Dollar General Corporation)
• Chase Miller (The Crichton Group)
• Sabrina Miller (SunTrust Bank)
• Chris Otillio (Wells Fargo Advisors)
• Raquel Parker (Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC)
• Nick Pilkington (Northwestern Mutual)
• Erica Saeger (Crosslin & Associates, PC)
• Grant Starrett (Tennesseans for Judicial Accountability)
• Jenn Wade (Caterpillar Financial)
• Jim Ward (2nd Generation Capital)
• Emily Warth (Walker Tipps & Malone, PLC)
• Katie Shmerling Wayne (XMi Property Management)
• Lyndsay Berry Wilkinson (Youth Villages)
• Laura Williams (Regions Bank)
• Michael Winter (Diversified Trust).

Since 1985, Young Leaders Council has been the premier organization for training nonprofit board members in the Nashville area and was created to address the need to broaden and strengthen Nashville’s volunteer leadership base by training diverse and committed individuals to effectively participate on the boards of nonprofit organizations. More than 130 graduates enter the nonprofit community each year from five different Young Leaders Council classes, including two in Davidson County, one in Williamson County, and two in partnerships with the Junior League of Nashville and Jackson National Life in Franklin. Information: www.ylcnashville.org.

Andrews Agency selects Locke as vice president

Locke

The Andrews Agency has promoted Jena Locke to vice president. Formerly an account supervisor, Locke’s client work at The Andrews Agency includes public relations and strategic marketing efforts for restaurant, development and automotive clients.

Prior to joining The Andrews Agency in 2013, Locke spent more than four years as a consultant at Hall Strategies with expertise in media relations, special events and social media.

Locke is a Belmont University graduate with a degree in public relations, and she supplemented her courses with internships at the Onion in Los Angeles and Katcher Vaughn & Bailey Public Relations.

Motes takes leadership role at Capella Healthcare

Motes

Capella Healthcare has announced the appointment of Jane Motes as vice-president-revenue cycle operations.

With more than 20 years of health care experience, Motes most recently served as senior director, revenue cycle, at University of Arizona Health Network in Tucson, Arizona. Prior to that, she served in a variety of roles at St. Luke’s Health System in Boise, Idaho, including positions at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center, rising to System Director-Revenue Cycle for the five-hospital system.

Motes earned a bachelor’s of science degree, focusing on public health, from Western Illinois University. She is a member of Healthcare Financial Management Association. Previous community work has included service on the boards of Boise Philharmonic Association and Idaho Shakespeare Festival.