Bredesen
Nashville’s hospitality industry will honor former Gov. and Nashville Mayor Phil Bredesen as the second recipient of the E.W. “Bud” Wendell Award at the fourth annual National Travel & Tourism Week Hospitality Industry Luncheon on May 4.
“One of our strongest assets is having leaders from all types of business be champions for hospitality,” says Ken Levitan, chair of the NCVC board of directors and president of Vector Management.
“Particularly during his time as Mayor, Phil Bredesen believed in the city’s potential to grow without eroding our authenticity. His contributions to our music and entertainment offerings have been critical in putting Nashville on the map.”
The award, named after the former president and CEO of Gaylord Entertainment, recognizes an individual not directly affiliated with the hospitality industry who has contributed above and beyond to the overall success of tourism and convention business in Nashville.
Gov. Bredesen is credited with recruiting the NFL Tennessee Titans and NHL Nashville Predators to Music City, as well as building Bridgestone Arena and LP Field.
Lifepoint names two new vice presidents
Sasser
LifePoint Hospitals has appointed Kathryn Hays Sasser as vice president, litigation, and Bennet Waters as vice president, strategic resource group.
As vice president, litigation, Sasser will join the Legal & Information Governance Department and lead the litigation and investigatory functions of the department.
Sasser has more than 20 years of experience in the legal industry. Prior to LifePoint, she served as litigation counsel for Asurion, LLC, an international insurance company, where she was responsible for managing the company’s litigation, arbitrations and investigations, as well as advising the company on business practices designed to reduce the potential for future litigation and arbitrations. Prior to joining Asurion, Sasser was a partner at Walker, Tipps & Malone, PLC.
Sasser earned her undergraduate and legal degrees from Louisiana State University.
Waters
As vice president, strategic resource group, Waters will lead and execute growth strategies across LifePoint’s hospitals, including hospital strategic planning processes, service line development, post-acute service lines, strategic process improvements, physician relationship initiatives, and marketing and business development. Prior to joining LifePoint, Waters was president and CEO for VIGILINT Protective Health Solutions.
Waters earned his doctorate in health administration from the Medical University of South Carolina. He holds a master’s degree in public health from Boston University and a bachelor’s degree in medical ethics from Davidson College.
Baker Donelson announces newly elected shareholders
Metrock
Baker Donelson has elected 14 new shareholders across the firm, including two attorneys in its Nashville office: Lori B. Metrock and Scott Newman.
Metrock is a member of the firm’s corporate finance and securities group, focusing her practice on the representation of public companies, including securities offerings, corporate governance and Exchange Act compliance work.
A graduate of Vanderbilt University Law School, Metrock is actively involved in Baker Donelson’s Women’s Initiative, currently serving as co-chair of the initiative’s retention committee. She also serves on the firm’s recruiting committee for the Nashville office.
Newman
Newman, a member of Baker Donelson’s health law group, focuses on corporate and transactional issues in the health care industry.
A graduate of the University of Dayton School of Law, he serves on the recruiting committee for the firm’s Nashville office and is a firm parental leave advisor.
Stites & Harbison welcomes finance specialist
Goode
Stites & Harbison, PLLC has hired attorney Michael S. Goode to the firm’s Business & Finance and Trusts & Estate Planning Service Groups.
Goode primarily practices in the areas of tax, business and estate planning. He has resolved tax and estate planning issues for clients in both Tennessee and Georgia, as well as international clients.
He earned his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law and his J.D. from William and Mary School of Law. Prior to joining Stites & Harbison, Goode was a Partner at a boutique trusts & estate planning law firm in Atlanta.
Frost Brown Todd adds business litigation attorney
Dietrich
Frost Brown Todd has hired Adam Dietrich as an associate to serve in the firm’s Nashville office and business litigation practice group.
Before joining FBT, Dietrich represented a variety of organizations, from large corporations to small businesses and governmental entities, in civil litigation, primarily involving construction defects, workers’ compensation and commercial premises.
The Nashville native earned his J.D. from the University of Tennessee, where he served as editor of the Tennessee Law Review and the Tennessee Journal of Business Law. He also received a B.S.B.A. in finance and political science from UT.
Stokes, Smith elected to Barge Waggoner board
Stokes
Carrie Stokes and John Smith were elected to the board of directors of Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon, Inc., during the recent 2015 stockholders’ meeting.
As director of the Environment & Water Resources business unit, Stokes is responsible for the development of growth strategies and business opportunities within the energy, water resources and environmental sectors.
A project management professional, Stokes joined the firm in 1997 and is a registered professional engineer in Tennessee. She holds both a master’s of engineering and a bachelor of engineering from Vanderbilt University.
John Smith
Smith serves as the Birmingham office manager and has been with Barge Waggoner for 11 years.
Seven Board members were re-elected during this year’s Annual Stockholders’ Meeting.
Joe Ledford, chairman
Bob Higgins, president & CEO
Randy Ferguson, chief operating officer, executive vice president
Paula Harris, chief marketing officer, executive vice president, secretary
Matt Stovall, director of land resources, vice president
Steve Fritts, parks and recreation discipline lead, vice president
Charlie Smith
Ed Walker, project manager, vice president
The board also elected new vice presidents during its annual stockholders’ meeting, including two from Nashville. They are:
Abt
Charlie Smith, PE, is the Nashville Civil Group leader. Smith, a United States Air Force veteran, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southern Illinois University Carbondale in Civil Engineering, as well as a MBA from Northern Illinois University.
Mike Abt, PE, has more than 30 years of experience in engineering design and construction management as manager of project services for the Industrial and Building Services business unit. He earned a degree in civil engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Deitte named vice chair of education in Radiology
Deitte
Radiology education expert Lori Deitte, M.D., has joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center as vice chair of education and associate professor in the Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences.
Deitte comes to Vanderbilt from the University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, where she served as professor of radiology, graduate medical education clinical milestone liaison, fourth-year medical student radiology clerkship director and fourth-year medical student radiology advisor.
She earned her medical degree from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, where she also completed her radiology residency and received fellowship training. Prior to joining the University of Florida faculty, she served as chair of the Department of Radiology at Johnson City Medical Center Hospital in Johnson City.
Melnyk to assume CFO role at T.W. Frierson
Melnyk
Michael Melnyk of Franklin will become chief financial officer of T. W. Frierson Contractor Inc., replacing retiring CFO Michael W. Dodson.
Prior to joining Frierson, Melnyk had been a principal partner in the firm of Melnyk & Melnyk, CPAs in Franklin since September 2011. After graduation from Purdue University, he became a CPA in November 1995. At Crowe Horwath, LLP in Brentwood, he was audit senior manager with oversight of assurance engagements.