Bass, Berry & Sims welcomes 13 to firm

Friday, December 11, 2015, Vol. 39, No. 50

Bass, Berry & Sims PLC is recently hired 13 attorneys for its Nashville office.

Elaina Al-Nimri (associate) represents clients in breach of contract disputes and complex business litigation. Al-Nimri earned her law degree from Emory University School of Law and a B.A. degree from Providence College.

Alexandria Wood Davenport (associate) represents companies on intellectual property matters, helping clients protect their IP assets. Davenport earned her law degree from Belmont University College of Law and holds a B.A. degree from the University of Tennessee.

Richard Eiler (associate) assists health care clients in operational, compliance and transactional matters. Eiler earned his law degree and a B.S. degree from the University of Tennessee.

Jamie A. Gordon (associate) assists health care clients in operational, compliance and transactional matters. Gordon, a Vanderbilt graduate, earned her law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law.

Nick L. Grunenwald (associate) counsels clients on corporate and securities issues. Grunenwald earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law. He earned an M.S. degree from Idaho State University and a B.A. from Louisiana Tech University.

Robert C. Guth (attorney) represents clients in a wide range of tax matters involving Tennessee franchise, excise, sales and use, and Hall income taxes. Prior to joining the firm, Guth served as assistant general counsel for taxation and as the special counsel to the Financial Control Division at the Tennessee Department of Revenue. Guth earned his LL.M. in taxation and his law degree from Boston University School of Law and a B.A. from the University of Chicago.

Robert R. Laser (associate) represents clients in compliance investigations and related civil and criminal litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Laser was a litigation attorney at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP and served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Judge David J. Hale of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. Laser earned his law degree from Columbia Law School and a B.A. from the University of Tennessee.

David H. Mayer (associate) represents clients related to aspects of trust and estate planning and in the administration and litigation of trust and probate estates. Mayer earned his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. He earned an MAcc from Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management and a B.S. from Vanderbilt University.

David W. Roberts (associate) counsels clients on corporate and securities issues. Roberts earned his law degree from Vanderbilt Law School and a B.S. from Florida State University.

Lucas B. Salyers (associate) represents health care providers and hospital systems in managed care disputes and risk management matters. Salyers earned his law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law and a B.S.B.A. degree from Auburn University.

Kurt Vincent (associate) represents clients on corporate and securities issues. Vincent earned his law degree from Vanderbilt Law School. He earned a B.A. from the University of Tennessee.

Brian K. Wilke (associate) represents clients on corporate and securities issues. Wilke earned his law degree from Duke University School of Law. He earned a B.A. degree from Vanderbilt University.

Talley K. Wood (associate) represents clients on corporate and securities issues. Wood earned her law degree from Duke University School of Law and received a B.A. degree from Wake Forest University.

Veteran developer Sneed joins Spectrum | Emery

Spectrum | Emery, which provides leasing, property management, development and brokerage services, has hired Rick Sneed as vice president of construction.

Sneed, who has 32 years of experience in architecture and construction, will play an important role in the execution of Spectrum | Emery’s upcoming projects including Fifth + Broadway, the Nashville Convention Center redevelopment, Class A office project Two Franklin Park, and residential developments the Cameron at Franklin Park and the Stockyards.

Sneed has spent the majority of his career with R. J. Griffin & Company, a national commercial contractor with offices in Atlanta, Charlotte and Nashville. While there, Sneed managed offices in California and North Carolina. He also served on the company’s board of directors and was a company shareholder until its acquisition by JE Dunn in 2000. Sneed began his professional career at Gresham, Smith and Partners as a registered architect after earning his architecture degree and licensure from the University of Tennessee in 1979.

Lupus Foundation adds 3, promotes 1

The Mid-South Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America has added three to its staff and promoted one employee.

Tracy Rode has joined as president & CEO of the organization. Abby Henry joins as program & outreach manager, and Becky Wynne joins as development & events manager. Anne Goad has been promoted to patient educator.

Rode most recently served as director of education and programs for cancer nonprofit Vital Options International and previously as director of client services for the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation. In 1995, Rode founded Vision3 Interactive Media, an Internet consulting company specializing in developing online solutions to organizational challenges for both nonprofits and corporations.

Rode is a graduate of Vanderbilt University with a degree in political science and psychology.

Henry began her experience with health-related nonprofit organizations at PearlPoint Cancer Support. She is a graduate of Belmont University with a degree in English and history.

Wynne’s diverse experience ranges from production and event management to non-profit operations. Most recently with Sullivan Branding, she previously served as administrative director at Susan G. Komen for the Cure Greater Nashville affiliate, where her responsibilities included the annual Race for the Cure.

Goad has been employed at the Chapter since August 2012. A Nashville native, she graduated from Lipscomb University with a degree in history.

Haslam appoints Grissom as ECS Commissioner

Governor Bill Haslam has appointed Tammy Grissom, TSBA executive director, to the Education Commission of the States as a representative of state education policymaking.

ECS supports all 50 states and four territories. Each state appoints seven commissioners who help guide the work of ECS and their own state’s education agendas.

Commissioners also have the authority to approve amendments to bylaws and provide strategic information to ECS staff regarding state education policy issues.

Dollar General removes Garratt’s ‘interim’ tag

Dollar General Corporation has promoted John W. Garratt to executive vice president and chief financial officer (CFO). Garratt has served as Dollar General’s interim CFO since June 2015 and previously served as its senior vice president of finance and strategy since joining the company in October 2014.

Additionally, Anita C. Elliott, senior vice president and controller at Dollar General since 2005, has been appointed chief accounting officer. Elliott will report to Garratt in his role as CFO, effective December 2, 2015.

Garratt will oversee all aspects of the Company’s financial and information technology operations. Prior to joining Dollar General in 2014, Garratt held various positions of increasing responsibility in the finance organization of Yum! Brands between May 2004 and October 2014, and held leadership positions in corporate strategy and financial planning. Most recently, he was vice president, finance and division controller for KFC. Prior to Yum! Brands, Garratt served as Plant Controller for Alcoa from April 2002 to May 2004.

Prior to joining Dollar General in August 2005, Elliott served as vice president and controller at Big Lots Inc. and as vice president and controller for Jitney-Jungle Stores of America, Inc., a grocery retailer.

Moore is mayor’s education liaison

Mayor Megan Barry has appointed Laura Ashley Moore to serve as education liaison for the Mayor’s Office.

Moore will work with MNPS and the School Board to strengthen the relationship between our public schools and the Mayor’s Office, while also working with Nashville’s non-profit and educational institutions to promote policies that will spur innovation and support our parents and teachers.

Moore joins the administration after having served as vice president of policy with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce since 2014. Prior to joining the Chamber, Moore worked with the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) from 2011 to 2014, where she served as a special project coordinator and director of innovation.