Torch

Waller, a provider of legal services to the health care, financial services, retail and hospitality industries, has named Paula Torch executive director of the firm’s health care department.

In her role, Torch will work closely with the firm’s health care industry team, board of directors and practice group leaders to expand the firm’s work in the health care industry, broaden its focus in emerging markets and sectors, and lead the development and execution of the department’s strategic business plan.

With over a decade of equity research experience, Torch most recently served as vice president and senior research analyst for Avondale Partners, a Nashville-based investment banking and asset management firm nationally known for its health care expertise.

Prior to joining Avondale Partners, Torch served as vice president of equity research for Barclays Capital in San Francisco, and before that with Needham & Company in San Francisco and New York, most recently serving as vice president.

Torch is a graduate of Fordham University. She is a member of Leadership Health Care and has made multiple appearances on the Nashville Health Care Council’s signature panel “Wall Street’s View on Prospects for the Health Care Industry.”

Patterson Law welcomes Huffstutter as associate

Huffstutter

Registered Patent Agent Alex Huffstutter has joined Patterson Intellectual Property Law as an associate. He will work in the firm’s electrical patent and software IP practices.

A Nashville native, Huffstutter’s areas of expertise include recent technical innovations in electrical engineering including graphene synthesis.

He is a 2017 graduate of Belmont University College of Law and earned a degree in electrical engineering at Vanderbilt University in 2013. Huffstutter is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers.

Baker Donelson hires Maruna as associate

Maruna

Baker Donelson has hired Dawn M. Maruna to the firm’s Nashville office.

Maruna joins as an associate in the firm’s Commercial Transactions and Business Counseling Group, where she concentrates her practice on regulatory compliance, vendor management and general corporate transactions for tech, financial services, health care and hospitality companies.

Maruna formerly worked as an insurance coverage litigator for catastrophic manufacturing, construction, hospitality, energy and aviation matters and as an information technology generalist and manager. Prior to joining Baker Donelson, she served as in-house technology and corporate counsel for a Southeastern bank of the U.S. Farm Credit System.

A graduate of St. John’s University School of Law, Maruna has been listed as a “Rising Star” in New York City Metro Area Super Lawyers since 2014 and is the founder of an equal access to justice initiative that serves multilingual legal clients.

Templeman is new GM of Westin Nashville

Templeman

Castlerock Asset Management has appointed Hugh Templeman as general manager of The Westin Nashville. Templeton has three decades of experience working in both luxury and lifestyle hotels, most recently as regional vice president for Viceroy Snowmass in Snowmass Village, Colorado.

Prior to his work at Viceroy Snowmass, Templeman opened Viceroy New York, managed ownership transitions in Viceroy New York, Viceroy Miami and Cassa New York, assisted in securing Viceroy Chicago to the portfolio, and implemented a revised operational incentive plan.

Additionally, Templeman has served as GM of Avalon Hotel Beverly Hills, hotel manager and director of sales for The Four Seasons Hotel Dublin and had six years of service with the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company both as a director of sales and marketing and directing room operations for international and domestic locations.

FBMM’s Watkins selected for Leadership Academy

Watkins

Elizabeth Watkins, a tax preparer with Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, has been selected by the American Institute of CPAs as a member of the Leadership Academy’s ninth graduating class.

Watkins is a licensed CPA in Tennessee and works as a tax preparer in Nashville at FBMM, an entertainment business management firm. She specializes in foreign tax accounting and reporting and is in her four-year career with FBMM. She was one of 38 individuals in the country selected to participate in this year’s Leadership Academy.

Watkins was selected based on her extensive knowledge of foreign and domestic tax reporting and her leadership initiative for the four-day Leadership Academy program. The 2017 attendees were recommended by their employers, state CPA societies or both. To date, more than 270 CPAs have participated in the AICPA Leadership Academy, many of whom have gone on to take on leadership positions in their firms, businesses and volunteer organizations.

Cumberland Trust promotes five

Berry

Cumberland Trust, a Nashville-based independent corporate trustee with nine offices serving clients in 48 states, has promoted five in its Nashville office to senior vice president. They are:

Bradshaw

Buckley

Butler

Thoeny

Jaclyn K. Berry, who joined Cumberland Trust as a trust officer in 2006. Berry manages relationships and has administered trusts. She focuses on clients with special needs and those with special care concerns. Previously, Berry was a legal assistant and real estate closer. She holds a degree in sociology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Caroline L. H. Bradshaw joined Cumberland as a trust officer in 2007. She is responsible for relationship management and account administration, with a focus on high-net-worth families and their needs. Prior to Cumberland Trust, Bradshaw worked in the investment banking division of JP Morgan and later as vice president and senior client manager for the firm. She holds a degree in Economics from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Christopher Dale Buckley joined the Cumberland Trust team as a trust officer in 2006 and is responsible for relationship management and trust account administration. He specializes in serving high-net-worth individuals and families. Buckley previously worked as an operations supervisor at Independence Trust Company. He is a chartered financial analyst and certified trust and financial advisor. He holds a degree in finance and economics from Lipscomb University and is a graduate of Southern Trust School.

Debbie L. Butler joined Cumberland Trust in 2005. Her focus is on client relationships and account administration, especially special care and senior care services. She is a graduate of the three-year trust program with Cannon Financial Institute.

Lori L. Thoeny joined Cumberland Trust in 2008 after working for more than 15 years in the brokerage industry. Prior to Cumberland Trust, Thoeny worked for Merrill Lynch in its institutional sales division, as well as serving as a registered associate in the Private Wealth Management group. She holds a degree psychology and sociology from Western Kentucky University.

Thiel Audio selects McKenna as its new CEO

McKenna

Nashville-based Products Thiel Audio has picked music industry veteran Elyse McKenna as its new chief executive officer.

McKenna first joined the company in March 2017 as director of strategic partnerships and is focused on the rollout of the company’s first wireless streaming speakers for the home, the AURORA Home and the AURORA Tour, as well as the promotion of Thiel Studios, the company’s showroom and event space in Nashville.

McKenna has a 14-year background in marketing and business development, with positions at companies including Applauze, Crowdsurge/Songkick and Topspin.

Before joining Topspin in 2013, McKenna founded and served as president of Welcome Mat Entertainment & Modern Family Music, where she managed a variety of clients including multi-platinum recording artist Young Buck, Compassion International and TD1.

She also established the Nashville office of Sparkart South, a web development agency headquartered in Oakland, California, and has additionally held marketing and publicity positions at Third Coast Artist Agency, Brite Entertainment, Greg Oliver Agency, and L.A.B. Media following her move to Nashville in 2002.

Crosslin announces promotions in departments

Crosslin has promoted several team members within the company’s tax and audit departments. They include:

Dan Warren to tax director, Damien Wynn to audit manager, David Middlebrook and Jamie Templer to tax supervisor, Lindsey Ellis to audit supervisor and Aarika Williams to tax senior.