Presnell sworn in as Trial Advocates president

Friday, January 7, 2022, Vol. 46, No. 1

Todd Presnell, a partner in the Nashville office of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, has been sworn in as president of the Tennessee Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

A member of the firm’s litigation practice group, Presnell has an active trial practice, serves in discovery-counsel roles and leads and advises on internal corporate investigations. He represents major corporations, small businesses, governmental entities, tax-exempt organizations and individuals in litigation matters and has served as lead counsel in federal and state courts throughout the country.

Presnell has tried more than 25 cases to verdict and argued before the Tennessee Supreme Court and the Tennessee Court of Appeals, as well as the Sixth, Seventh and 10th U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeals. He also counsels and advises in-house legal departments on the attorney-client and other evidentiary privileges.

Schleicher, Dickson join Tennessee Oncology leadership

Tennessee Oncology has named Stephen Schleicher, M.D., MBA, chief medical officer and announced that CMO Natalie Dickson, M.D. and president, will remain in her role as president of the company while taking on the newly created role of Chief Strategy Officer. Ron Horowitz will remain chief executive officer.

Dickson will focus on Tennessee Oncology’s growth and long-term strategy, while Schleicher will oversee clinical programs.

During her time as CMO, Dickson helped Tennessee Oncology enter Medicare’s Oncology Care Model, created an internal palliative care program that is now one of the largest of its type in community oncology, grew a dedicated financial counseling team, and launched integrative oncology and genetics counseling programs.

Schleicher, who joined Tennessee Oncology three years ago, has already served as medical director of value-based care across both Tennessee Oncology and OneOncology, a national platform for independent community oncology practices that now includes over 700 oncology providers across the U.S.

Schleicher also serves as president of the Tennessee Oncology Practice Society.

Board of Regents appoints Blackwood vice chancellor

The Tennessee Board of Regents has appointed Jothany L. Blackwood, Ph.D., as vice chancellor for academic affairs for The College System of Tennessee, the state’s public community and technical colleges.

Blackwood previously served as vice president for academic success at San Antonio College in Texas, winner of The Aspen Institute’s 2021 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence, which recognizes high achievement and performance among America’s community colleges.

The vice chancellor leads the Office of Academic Affairs at the TBR system office and is the system’s chief academic officer, working with the presidents, faculty, and academic officers of the 13 community colleges and 27 colleges of applied technology governed by the Board of Regents.

Before her service at San Antonio College, Blackwood was liaison for strategic/integrated planning for State Center Community College District in California, dean of instruction for fine, performing and communication arts at Fresno City College, faculty member and coordinator of the composition program at Fresno Pacific University and director of the writing center and English instructor at Fisk University.

A native of Nashville, Blackwood earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Tennessee State University. She also earned her doctorate in educational leadership from the California State University, Fresno, and was selected to participate in a Leadership Institute at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Hendersonville Chamber’s Morton has new role

The Hendersonville Chamber has promoted Erin Morton to senior director of community development for the Hendersonville Area Chamber of Commerce.

Morton will design and implement a comprehensive plan for engaging authentic partnerships with new and existing members, as well as supervise and oversee all Chamber member and community events and serve as an active member of the Chamber’s management team, providing necessary leadership in the development of the Chamber’s strategic plan, continuous improvement process, and community and partner outreach.

Customs House announces staff additions, promotions

The Customs House Museum & Cultural Center has recently added one staff member and promoted another.

Channing Grimes has joined the museum management team as the membership, volunteer & development manager. Grimes is a Clarksville native and a graduate of Austin Peay State University and Belmont University, where she also earned a Certified Meeting Planner certification.

Previous experience includes marketing director with Concord Title, event planning manager for Nashville’s Airport Marriott and public relations with Holiday, Inc.

Another recent addition to the Museum team is Becky Wood as technical writer & managing editor of Second & Commerce, the Museum’s new quarterly magazine. Wood holds a master’s degree in marketing from Austin Peay State University and a certificate from the Columbia University Publishing Course.