Who Is Making Careers In The Chattanooga Region Business?

Katie Harbison is being promoted to President / CEO of the Chambliss Center for Children through a five-year succession plan. Harbison has been with the Chambliss Center for Children for 16 years, becoming President / CEO on November 12, overseeing the organization and its partner agencies, with a budget of $ 10 million and more than 300 employees. During the planned five-year transition, Harbison worked alongside Acord as vice president and then president of the Chambliss Center for Children. Harbison, a native of Chattanooga, attended Baylor School and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She is a graduate of Leadership Chattanooga; a former board member and chairman of both Youth Leadership Chattanooga and the Association of Fundraising Professionals local chapter; a member of the Rotary Club of Downtown Chattanooga; and recently served on the Task Force on Child Welfare in the State of Tennessee. Harbison is currently co-chairing the local Early Matters Coalition and is involved in both the child welfare system and early childhood education.

Becky Carroll is being promoted to Vice President of Strategy and Assistant Administrator for Parkridge Health System. Carroll began her career at HCA Healthcare as a manager at HCA Healthcare Physicians Services, where she moved to a hospital as director of surgical sales. In 2013, she was named Vice President of Development, where she led business and strategic planning for the system. Carroll recently assumed additional leadership roles in the wound care, sleep medicine, inpatient / outpatient respiratory therapy service lines and the physician and provider relationships team for Parkridge Health System. During the COVID pandemic, she developed and directed the patient safety screener program and was responsible for the ambulance relationships and safety functions of the hospital.

Doug Brewer, MD, FASCRS, MSc, CPE, has been named Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for the Erlanger Health System. As CMO of the Erlanger Medical Group, Brewer works in partnership with executives to advance the interests of employed physicians, advanced practice providers, specialty services and ambulances. Brewer graduated with Honors from the Medical College of Georgia in 1987 and then completed a residency in general surgery from the University of Louisville. He then completed a one-year Research and Clinical Senior Registrar Fellowship at the University of Sydney with a dual role in clinical colorectal work and molecular genetic colorectal cancer research.

Carol W. Keur, who has worked as a paralegal specializing in labor law, disability, motor liability, workers’ compensation and personal injury for six years, joins the Chattanooga law firm Grant, Konvalinka and Harrison in 2000. She also brings 15 years of corporate experience from Unum and BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee with. While working in the corporate sector, Keur gained extensive knowledge of the insurance and defense sectors. She also gained legal assistant, intellectual property, branding and contract experience while at BlueCross. Most recently, Keur worked at Luther-Anderson before joining GKH.

Kirby Yost is the new section chairman of the Real Estate, Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, PC practice group, which advises local, regional and national clients on all aspects of commercial transactions and developments. Yost succeeds Michael Stewart, who was chairman of the section for several years. Since joining Chambliss in 2011, Yost has been a member of the real estate and business divisions and has been instrumental in opening new business for the company. She often assists owners and developers of all sizes with real estate transactions, including acquisitions, divestments and financings, retail and office rentals, and advises on land use, zoning and other real estate matters. In addition, she works with various regional and national companies on general business matters.

Abdiel Vallejo-Lopez (Vallejo), MFA, joins the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce as its new Marketing Communications Manager, working directly with Jeremy Henderson, Creative Director; Sybil Topel, MFA, IOM, Vice President, Marketing Communications; and Eric Lisica, interactive content designer, marketing communications. Vallejo is Senior Editor of Business Trend Magazine / ChattanoogaTrend.com and Senior Communications Writer for the Chattanooga Chamber. A native of Atlanta, Vallejo holds a bachelor’s degree in humanities from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and a master’s degree in writing from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, Georgia. Before joining the Chattanooga Chamber, Vallejo worked as a copywriter for the MOCK agency in Atlanta. Vallejo’s articles are featured in Paste Magazine and several literary journals, including Sequoya Review and Ivy Hall Review.

Derek Crouthers, a family doctor, comes to CHI Memorial Internal Medicine Associates on Hixson Pike in Chattanooga. Crouthers received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee’s Health Science Center at Memphis. At the same location, he also completed an internship and a family residence, where he worked as his main residence. Crouthers is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, and is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine. Crouthers joins Mario E. Mariani, MD, G. Michael Ozborn, MD, and Jerrold L. Selzer, MD, and a highly trained clinical staff of registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and medical assistants.

Jared Adams joins the law firm Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, PC in Chattanooga as an associate attorney serving the firm’s healthcare and nonprofit clients. Adams advises for-profit and nonprofit organizations across the Southeast and Middle Atlantic in the healthcare, biotechnology, transportation, professional services and manufacturing industries. With his previous experience as legal counsel to U.S. Senator Bob Corker and serving with the Tennessee General Assembly, Adams values ​​civil service and seeks to work with organizations to expand their community engagement and impact in a prudent and cost-effective manner. Prior to moving to the Chattanooga area, Adams practiced as a transactional attorney in Roanoke, Virginia, where he also served as an active board member for the Family Promise of Greater Roanoke and Feeding Southwest Virginia.

Akil Lloyd is appointed Human Resources Director of Cempa Community Care. Prior to joining Cempa in 2020, Lloyd worked for both the state of Tennessee and Republic Parking System, among others. He received his bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University and his masters degree in human resources management from Central Michigan University in 2010.

Ginny Kelly is named the new Southeast Director of The Land Trust for Tennessee. In her new role, Kelly builds and promotes the Land Trust’s partnerships with the community, landowners and donors in southeast Tennessee. As an outdoor enthusiast, Kelly has built connections with community partners across the region by being the owner and race director for Bad Beard Events and Rock / Creek Races, organizing biking, hiking, running and bouldering events throughout the southeast. Kelly is also involved in the nonprofit conservation community and serves on the boards of the Lula Lake Land Trust, Lookout Mountain Conservancy, and Wild Trails.