TSU selects chief research officer

Friday, May 30, 2014, Vol. 38, No. 22

Tennessee State University has named Lesia Crumpton-Young, a longtime educator, award-winning scientist and director of the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence at the University of Central Florida, as associate vice president for research and sponsored programs.

Crumpton-Young, who will also serve as the university’s chief research officer, will assist the vice president for academic affairs in the development of the vision, direction and guidance of the university’s research mission and policy formulation.

Additionally, she will provide oversight for the research process, education and creative thinking, as well as promote the creation of an environment that encourages and supports leading-edge scholarly research.

An industrial engineer by training, Crumpton-Young has had a long experience as a professor, a research scientist and university administrator. Prior to her recent role at the University of Central Florida, where she served in several other capacities, she was the associate provost at Texas A&M University, program director in the Education and Human Resource Directorate of the National Science Foundation and associate dean of engineering at Mississippi State University.

A recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, she has been the principal investigator and co-principal investigator on many public and private grants totaling several million dollars. Crumpton-Young has published and co-published several articles on engineering leadership, innovation and STEM education.

Crumpton-Young, who will also be responsible for patents, copyrights, and technology transfers at TSU, holds a Ph.D., an M.S. and a B.S. in industrial engineering from Texas A&M University.

Connell joins MTR Family Law

Virginia (Ginger) J. Connell, previously an attorney with Jackson, Kweller, McKinney, Hayes, Lewis & Garrett, has joined MTR Family Law.

Prior to completing law school, she was a paralegal at the firm for 10 years. She also spent two years as a paralegal for Child Support Services of Davidson County.

Connell earned her J.D. from Nashville School of Law in 2010. She is a 2005 cum laude graduate of Trevecca Nazarene University with a B.A. in management and human relations.

Werthan announces new hire, promotion

Nashville-based stone fabricator Werthan, LLC has hired David Crockett as vice president of outside sales and promoted Ken Krebs to vice president of commercial sales.

Previously, Crockett was sales and operations manager at Spartan Roofing and Construction, Inc. The Hyles-Anderson College graduate brings more than 10 years of sales and marketing experience to his new role at Werthan.

Krebs had been a commercial sales representative at Werthan. He previously served as vice president of OHM International and owned a stone fabrication and installation company. Krebs is a former president of the Marble Institute of America and has been on the board for several years.

Synovus/Bank of Nashville expands mortgage division

Two well-known mortgage banking teams and an additional experienced mortgage loan originator have joined Synovus Mortgage Corporation, located at The Bank of Nashville, a division of Synovus Bank.

Alene Gnyp joins as vice president and mortgage loan consultant at the West End location of The Bank of Nashville. Gnyp brings more than 20 years of mortgage lending experience, focused on the mortgage needs of medical professionals. Gnyp previously was a mortgage consultant with SunTrust Mortgage.

Joining Gnyp at the West End location are Paige Underwood, marketing assistant, and Elizabeth Drury, mortgage production specialist. Both were previously loan officer assistants at SunTrust Mortgage.

Carolyn Daniels joins as vice president and mortgage loan consultant at the Green Hills location. Daniels also brings more than 20 years of mortgage lending experience focused on the mortgage needs of medical professionals. She also was previously a mortgage consultant with SunTrust Mortgage.

Joining Daniels are Gicola Lane as marketing assistant and Jennifer Houston as production specialist. Lane and Houston previously worked as loan officer assistants with SunTrust Mortgage.

Also, Justin Frizzell joins Synovus Mortgage Corp. as assistant vice president and mortgage loan originator at the Cool Springs location. Frizzell has 12 years of mortgage lending experience, and previously worked as a mortgage banking officer at Fifth Third Bank.

VUMC hires alum for pediatric sleep efforts

Atia Jordan, M.D., a Vanderbilt School of Medicine alumna, has been hired as a pediatrician whose primary focus is on sleep medicine in children.

Jordan, one of few board-certified pediatric sleep specialists in the region, will see patients in the Pulmonary Medicine Clinic on the 10th floor of the Doctors’ Office Tower at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and at the new Children’s Hospital subspecialty clinic in Hendersonville.

Jordan earned her degree in women’s studies and child development from Vanderbilt University in 2005, and graduated from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 2009. She went on to complete her residency in Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, returning to Vanderbilt in July 2012 for a Sleep Medicine Fellowship within the Department of Neurology.

Parthenon Publishing adds 3 to Nashville office

Parthenon Publishing has hired Laurabeth Thurmond as senior designer, Betsy Hindman as marketing strategist and Claire Hughes Dineen as art director.

Thurmond will be developing brand identity, creating marketing materials and designing websites for clients. Most recently, she worked as a UX Designer for YouScience and has been in the design industry for nearly 10 years.

Hindman works with potential and existing clients to identify new opportunities for growth through content-based communications strategies. Most recently, Hindman was a national account manager for Walt Disney Home Entertainment.

Dineen will be responsible for overseeing the ongoing development and production of magazines, newsletters and other print media, as well as supervising web-based design content from a team of developers. She comes to Parthenon from New York, where she worked as the associate art director for Condé Nast Traveler Magazine.

Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin hires Denton

The law firm of Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin PLLC has added attorney Joshua R. Denton to the firm. Denton joins the firm as a member and will practice mainly in the firm’s litigation section.

Prior to joining GSRM, Denton was a member of Bass, Berry & Sims, PLC and, before moving to Nashville 11 years ago, practiced with Stoll, Keenon & Park, LLP in Louisville.

Obeo taps Davis as chief information officer

Bob Davis, who brings over 35 years of experience in managing both technology and operations in companies from high-tech start-ups to multi-million dollar corporations, has been hired by Obeo as its Chief Information Officer.

Prior to joining Obeo, Bob was the managing partner of a consulting firm that specializes in transforming the technology and operations of medium-size companies. In this capacity, Davis had been consulting with Obeo for the past six months on a transformation effort.

Since 2000, Obeo has been involved in Real Estate Marketing technologies with property websites, interactive floor plans, virtual staging, interactive room decorating and more.

GNAR names Roberts affiliates relations manager

The Greater Nashville Association of Realtors has appointed Robin Roberts as its new affiliates relations manager.

Roberts will be responsible for supervising all associate affiliate memberships and coordinating the sale of sponsorships for events and programs.

Roberts has served in the marketing and sales field for more than 16 years. Before joining GNAR, she was regional marketing and sales executive for the Chamber Consulting Group of South Carolina and North Carolina.

She has experience managing sales and sponsorships for the Coastal Carolinas Association of Realtors and has worked as the marketing manager for the East Coast Region of Raw Iraq Wounded Soldiers Group for six years.

YLC graduates Williamson class

Young Leaders Council, a nonprofit organization that has trained more than 2,000 men and women to effectively participate on the boards of nonprofits for the past 29 years, has announced the graduates of its second Williamson County class.

The 18 participants, who are members of the Williamson County Chamber of Commerce, completed more than 30 hours of leadership training, including board member responsibilities, strategic planning, nonprofit financials, legal responsibilities, conflict resolution and fundraising, all of which are crucial skills needed for today’s nonprofit leadership roles.

Graduates of the program will now serve a one-year internship on a Williamson County nonprofit board.

The 2014 class includes:

• Kate Abrams (OZ Nashville)

• David Biggs (Regions Private Wealth)

• Matt Boeshore (eVolve Benefits)

• Katie Stockell Bouldin (Rock City Construction)

• Justin Callaway (GenSpring Family Offices)

• Lauren Carpenter (Williamson, Inc.)

• Taylor Constantine (Wealth Access, Inc.)

• Trey Darnell (Hoar Construction)

• Frank Duvall (Capital Financial Group)

• Byran Fort (Eakins Partners)

• Laurie Gunnells (Spark: Lipscomb’s Idea Center)

• Scott Newell (Avenue Bank)

• Chris Potter (Hoar Construction)

• Jeremiah Pyron (Williamson, Inc.)

• Jennifer Roberts (PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP)

• Josie Russell (King University)

• Jennifer Vazquez (Healthways, Inc.)

• Beth Veloz (Capital Financial Group).