On July 1, attorney Sam Elliott of Gearhiser, Peters, Elliott & Cannon assumed the role of chairman of the Tennessee Bar Foundation board of trustees. Elliott, who’s served on the board since 2019, will hold the chairman position for a one-year term.
Founded in 1982, the Tennessee Bar Foundation oversees the state’s Interest On Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program, recognizes distinguished attorneys as Fellows, and supports public interest projects related to the law. The IOLTA program helps fund Tennessee’s Legal Aid programs and other nonprofit organizations that provide legal services to low-income residents or work to improve the administration of justice.
Elliott is a former president of both the Tennessee and Chattanooga bar associations and currently serves as chairman of the Tennessee Historical Commission.
Swafford added to Charter Schools Hall of Fame
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools has added Elaine Swafford, Ed.D., CEO of Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, to the list of 2025 inductees into the Charter Schools Hall of Fame. She was honored alongside three other national education leaders at the National Charter Schools Conference in Orlando.
Swafford has led CGLA since 2012, transforming Tennessee’s first all-girls public charter STEM school from the brink of closure to a model of academic excellence. Under her leadership, the school achieved Reward School status, the highest recognition under Tennessee’s federal accountability system.
“I’m blessed to have spent most of my 42-year educational career serving underserved youth, watching dreams become reality and families realize that success is within their reach – proving that a quality education is the great equalizer,” says Swafford.
The Charter Schools Hall of Fame has recognized leaders and philanthropists shaping the charter school movement nationwide since 2007. National Alliance CEO Starlee Coleman praised this year’s honorees, saying, “Every day, these transformative leaders show us what’s possible in public education through innovative approaches that meet student needs, open doors to opportunity and change lives.”
CGLA leaders celebrated the award as a reflection of what’s possible when student-first leadership transforms outcomes and futures.
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Erlanger names Stockett, Maclellen to board
Erlanger has announced the appointment of two new members to its board of directors. The updates come as Board Chair Sheila Boyington begins her ninth year of service and CEO Jim Coleman agrees to extend his contract beyond its current 2026 expiration.
Joining the board is Andy Stockett, founder and managing director of FourBridges Capital Advisors, a Chattanooga-based investment banking firm. Stockett brings decades of financial experience, including roles at Raymond James and as CFO and shareholder of Big River Grille. He has also served on numerous local nonprofit boards, including the Chattanooga Nature Center, Ronald McDonald House and YMCA.
Also joining is Dr. Reid Maclellan, founder and CEO of Cortina Health, a telehealth company focused on expanding dermatology access. An adjunct professor of plastic surgery at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital, Dr. Maclellan holds advanced degrees from Harvard Business School and Harvard Medical School.
Under the leadership of Boyington and Coleman, the Erlanger board has overseen major milestones, including the organization’s transition from a public health system to a private nonprofit and the completion of a master facilities plan that sets the stage for expanded access.
Other board updates include Barry Large as planning committee chair and Lemon Williams as head of the IT and Cybersecurity Special Committee. Vice Chair Vicky Gregg, John Germ, Warren McEwen, Dr. Chris Poole, Dr. Jay Sizemore, Larvizo Wright, and Lorie Runge continue their service.
Two UTC leaders win UT System President’s Awards
Two members of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga community, associate professor Rick Dierenfeldt and Student Success Center Director Erica Holmes Trujillo, have received 2025 UT System President’s Awards.
The announcement came from UT System President Randy Boyd during the annual UT board of trustees meeting, which was held on the UTC campus. Boyd praised the winners for their dedication, innovation and impact, saying, “Their contributions create a better University of Tennessee and also impact the state and far beyond.”
Dierenfeldt, head of UTC’s Department of Criminal Justice, received the award in the Optimistic and Visionary category. A former law enforcement officer, Dierenfeldt founded UTC’s Violence Reduction Initiative (VRI), a research and policy center focused on public safety and violence prevention. Under his leadership, the VRI has secured major federal grants, including nearly $2 million for the CURV project (Chattanooga United to Reduce Violence) and $844,000 for the Recidivism Reduction Initiative, advancing community partnerships and student research.
Holmes Trujillo was honored in the Nimble and Innovative category for her work transforming transfer student support at UTC. As director of the College of Arts and Sciences Student Success Center, known as The Hub, she launched Soar with the Mocs, an initiative focused on improving enrollment, persistence, and graduation for transfer students through mentorship and personalized outreach.
Established in 2016, the President’s Awards recognize outstanding UT System employees from campuses and institutes across the state. This year’s honorees represent UTC, UT Knoxville, UT Southern, UT Martin, UT Health Science Center, UT Institute for Agriculture, UT Institute for Public Service and the UT Space Institute in Tullahoma.
Bryant joins Evergreen wealth management group
CPA Kyle Bryant has joined Chattanooga’s Evergreen Advisors Wealth Management Group as Partner, bringing nearly 20 years of accounting experience to the firm. Bryant previously ran his own successful firm and will now help Evergreen expand its personalized financial services for a growing client base.
Bryant’s career has included roles at a prominent local CPA firm, TVA and the venture capital firm Lamp Post Group, where he helped guide the acquisition of Access America by Coyote Logistics. In 2016, he co-founded Market Street Partners, growing the firm from three CPAs to over 40 staff and earning honors such as Inc. and Financial Times’ fastest-growing business lists and the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2022 Small Business of the Year.
After Atlanta-based Smith + Howard acquired MSP in 2023, Bryant led the firm through the transition before joining Evergreen for the next chapter of his career.
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Clayton joins CHI Memorial Harrison
Charity Clayton has joined CHI Memorial Family Practice Associates in Harrison, bringing 14 years of nursing experience to the clinic. A Chattanooga native, Clayton earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Middle Tennessee State University and is certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Clayton previously spent a decade as a medical-surgical nurse at CHI Memorial Hospital Chattanooga and more than three years as a nurse practitioner in clinic settings. She now joins Dr. Erik Ewing at the Harrison practice, where both providers are accepting new patients.
The clinic, located at 6800 Harrison Park Drive, is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to noon.
Appointments: 423 344-7095; CHIMemorialMedicalGroup.org
Mayor names Rennich interim planning head
Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly has promoted Karen Rennich to interim administrator of the Department of Planning and interim executive director of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Agency (RPA). Rennich, who has served as deputy administrator for more than 14 years, steps into the role following the resignation of Dan Reuter. A permanent RPA executive director will be selected later by the RPA executive committee.