Wolf
Stites & Harbison, PLLC has hired Jonathan Wolf to its Nashville office. Wolf joins the Intellectual Property & Technology and Domestic Relations/Family Law service groups.
Wolf works with clients on a wide range of copyright, trademark and other intellectual property law litigation and transactional matters related to the media and entertainment industry, as well as domestic relations/family law matters.
Previously, Wolf was an attorney with a boutique litigation practice in Memphis where he advised clients primarily in the areas of media and intellectual property rights in both a transactional and litigation context, as well as in creditors’ rights and collection law.
Before earning his law degree, he gained experience working with high-profile artists in the music industry, media companies and other rights holders by facilitating transactions in concert touring, music publishing and artist management. He earned his J.D. from the University of Memphis, Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and his undergraduate degree from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.
Elrod named dean of Lipscomb engineering
Elrod
Jacobs Technology executive David Elrod has been appointed dean of Lipscomb University’s Raymond B. Jones College of Engineering.
Elrod has an engineering career that spans nearly 40 years. The majority of his career has been with Jacobs Technology, a global provider of technical, professional and scientific services, including engineering, architecture, construction, operations and maintenance, as an engineer and executive.
During his tenure at Jacobs Technology, Elrod served as deputy director of the Technology and Development Facility at the Arnold Engineering Development Complex; deputy general manager of the AEDC group; vice president, Jacobs Technology, and general manager, Aerospace Testing Alliance, AEDC Group; regional vice president for business development; and most recently as division vice president of business development and technical fellow.
Prior to his work at Jacobs Technology, Elrod began his career at Calspan/AEDC as senior lead engineer and research project engineer. From 1989-1995, Elrod was manager of Calspan/AEDC’s Space Technology Department and of its Scene Generator Test Capability, Project Management Office.
A Lipscomb graduate, Elrod said preparing the next generation of engineers is an important opportunity and he is grateful for the opportunity to lead Lipscomb’s program.
Elrod holds a degree in physics from Lipscomb University, a master’s in engineering management from the University of Tennessee Space Institute and a Ph.D. in industrial and systems engineering and engineering management from the University of Alabama, Huntsville.
He has published numerous articles and papers. Elrod is past chairman of the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics Technical Committee on Management, president of the Hospice of the Highland Rim Foundation, and has served as a board member of the UTSI Space Institute Research Corporation. In addition, he serves as an elder at Forest Mill Church of Christ in Manchester.
Scanlan to lead VUMC govt., community relations
Scanlan
Matthew Scanlan, J.D., has joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center as the its first senior director of government and community relations.
Scanlan will serve as adviser to the Medical Center’s leaders on matters related to city, county and state government relations, and will assist with maintaining effective communications with local, county and state elected officials, community groups and state organizations focused on research and health care.
This new role marks Scanlan’s second tenure at VUMC. From 1996-2000, he served as national news coordinator in the Office of News & Communications, where he wrote for the Medical Center’s publications and worked with national news organizations to obtain positive news coverage about clinical and basic science research advancements.
Also at VUMC:
Zeena M. Abdulahad, vice president of development at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, has been named VUMC’s executive vice president and chief development officer. In this role, Abdulahad will be responsible for creating a multi-year development plan that will help fund the Medical Center’s strategic priorities.
Echegaray
Christina Echegaray, editor of the Children’s Hospital biannual publication, Hope, has been promoted to the director of communications at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital. Echegaray joined the Vanderbilt team in 2010, coming from The Tennessean, where she was a reporter covering medicine and life sciences. In her new role, she will represent News & Communications in a broader way in partnership with the Children’s leadership team. Echegaray earned a degree in journalism and Spanish from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Prior to The Tennessean, she worked as a reporter for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Telegram & Gazette in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Pasley
Jessica Pasley, a senior information officer with the News and Communications Office at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has been named the new media relations manager at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Pasley, who has worked at VUMC since 1999, writes for a variety of Medical Center publications, with her primary focus on the Vanderbilt Eye Institute, and the Transplant Center. She also served as a general assignment reporter for the communications division. A native of Nashville, Pasley graduated from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. Her writing career began more than 30 years ago at the Nashville Banner. After eight years, Pasley became the publications director at Saint Thomas Hospital before joining the Vanderbilt’s Office of News and Communications. She will serve as the main point of contact for media on behalf of Children’s Hospital, respond to media requests for sources and stories and proactively pitch stories to media.
Hall named FirstBank president for Franklin
Hall
Veteran banker and businessman Keely Hall has been named FirstBank’s city president in Franklin, with leadership and development responsibility for its Five Points Financial Center.
Hall comes to this position with over 16 years of financial services experience. Prior to joining FirstBank, he served as a vice president, branch manager at a community bank and most recently served as vice president, commercial relationship manager at FirstBank.
Hall is a graduate of Pepperdine University, where he earned a degree in theology.
Back Yard Burgers selects Shotter as CEO
Shotter
Back Yard Burgers has announced the hiring of Scott Shotter as its new chief executive officer. Axum Capital Partners, Back Yard Burgers’ private equity firm, selected Shotter for his proven track record in operations and success in guest loyalty and team building strategies.
Shotter joins Back Yard Burgers from Moe’s Southwest Grill, where he was vice president of operations. While at Moe’s, he helped bring about exponential growth for the brand, which expanded from 200 locations to more than 700 locations during his nine-year tenure.
Prior to Moe’s, Shotter managed operations for more than 30 national and regional brands, including Starbucks, Sbarro, Popeye’s, Johnny Rockets and Burger King.
Centerstone hires Reid as VP for public affairs
Reid
Centerstone, a behavioral health care provider, recently announced the hiring of Johnel Reid as vice president for public affairs.
Reid will help lead and oversee Centerstone’s marketing and communications efforts and provide strategic brand management to support the company’s overall growth.
Reid has nearly 15 years of health care marketing and public relations experience. She previously worked as vice president for strategic planning and marketing for Community Health Systems in Franklin, where she provided strategic support to its operating division, including 38 hospitals in Tennessee, Indiana, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. Prior to CHS, she served as the director of marketing and public relations for HCA.
Reid holds a degree in sociology and political science from Longwood University in Virginia.
Centerstone also has named new officers for the organization’s Board of Directors, as well as its Foundation, Military Services, Research Institute and Tennessee operations Board of Directors. They are:
Centerstone: A John Rose, board chair; Lee Brackett, vice-chair; Peter Garrison, secretary
Centerstone Foundation: Dick Fitzgerald, board chair; Jack Wallace, vice-chair; Tom Mahler, secretary
Centerstone Military Services: Mike Enos, vice-chair; Wes Pass, secretary
Centerstone Research Institute: David Melby, board chair; Jonathan Morphett, vice-chair; Dr. Bob Williams, secretary
Centerstone’s Tennessee Operations: Jim Sweeten, board chair; Dana Oman, vice-chair; Kate Satz, secretary
FiftyForward director Jernigan to retire
Jernigan
After a 52-year career in Middle Tennessee nonprofit leadership positions, Janet Jernigan, executive director of FiftyForward, has announced her plan to retire from the 62-year-old nonprofit at the end of the calendar year.
Don Greene, past president of the FiftyForward Board of Directors, is chairing the search committee efforts to find her replacement.
To ensure a smooth transition and overlapping roles during the last quarter of the calendar year, FiftyForward is conducting a national search to fill the executive director position with the intent of finding a replacement by early October.
YWCA hires 2 for leadership positions
Williams
Latrina Williams has been named vice president and controller for YWCA Nashville & Middle Tennessee, and Landon Funk has joined the YWCA as director of operations of the AMEND Together program.
Williams manages the financial, technological and administrative activities of the YWCA.
She is responsible for accounting, billing, financial planning and forecasting, IT/ technology, treasury management, risk management, property and administration.
She is a graduate of Davenport University and earned an MBA from Strayer University.
Funk
In her newly created position, Funk manages the product development, grant outcomes, training and administrative activities of the AMEND Together program, formerly known as MEND.
Funk served as the outreach specialist for Metro Nashville’s Office of Family Safety. The Nashville native graduated from Princeton University with a degree in English and African-American studies. She is a J.D. candidate, scheduled to complete in 2021, and a certified power yoga and trauma-informed yoga instructor.