Hamilton Herald Masthead

Editorial


Front Page - Friday, June 3, 2022

Newsmakers: HHM CPAs welcomes manager, accountant




HHM Certified Public Accountants has hired Blake Kinder as a manager and Joseph Burd as a staff accountant.

Kinder is a manager in HHM’s advisory services group. With over a decade of experience in corporate and private finance, he specializes in mergers and acquisitions, valuations and general advisory for the firm’s clients.

Before joining HHM, Kinder worked seven years in corporate strategy and treasury at a Fortune 500 company. He also gained experience in managing treasury, capital and risk for a private equity portfolio company.

Kinder holds a Chartered Financial Analyst designation and received an MBA from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga after completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Burd interned a year and a-half in the audit department of HHM. In his position, he prepares individual and business tax returns, completes audit fieldwork and prepares financial statements.

Before joining HHM, Burd completed an internship with a Fortune 500 insurance company in their Accounting Center of Excellence. He graduated magna cum laude from UTC in May with a degree in business administration.

First Horizon names treasury sales officer

First Horizon Bank recently named Scott Smith its treasury management sales officer. Smith has 17 years of banking experience, including more than 13 years in commercial banking.

He began his career with JPMorgan Chase Bank in the commercial real estate group and later moved into corporate banking. Smith’s career progressed as he became a commercial risk and compliance officer before moving to Chattanooga to become relationship manager for another bank.

He holds a degree in economics from the University of Houston.

As treasury management sales officer, Smith will develop prospective treasury management clients throughout commercial lines of business within the Chattanooga and Northwest Georgia markets. He will work with relationship managers to develop, review and analyze client needs as well as provide consultative solutions.

Smith is also charged with assisting customers in finding efficiencies using multiple banking and financial products.

Smith is a board member of the Tennessee River Gorge Trust and RiseUP Cooperative and a volunteer with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Chattanooga. He and his wife reside in North Chattanooga.

Phillips joins WWTA board

The City of Red Bank has appointed Commissioner Pete Phillips to serve on the board of commissioners for the Hamilton County Water & Waste Treatment Authority.

Phillips brings 20 years of experience as a Red Bank business owner and resident to the board.

Austin Hatcher expands team

The Austin Hatcher Foundation recently added Shayna Ryan and Rachel Youngblood to its staff and promoted Emily Osborne.

As marketing coordinator, Ryan will support the foundation’s efforts through community engagement, traffic engagement and marketing initiatives.

Ryan graduated from Lee University in May with a degree in digital media journalism and public relations.

As patient navigator, Youngblood will greet families as they enter the foundation’s Education Advancement Center and interact with patients. She will also help monitor and organize the foundation’s electronic medical records system and schedule visits for patients.

Youngblood earned a degree in psychology and master’s in social work from UTC. She has a background in health care administration and organizational development and is pursuing her license in clinical social work.

As executive assistant, Osborne will work with the foundation’s president and CEO to manage schedules and appointments, create proposals and reports and support partnership efforts. Osborne is working toward an MBA at Middle Tennessee State University.

Chattanooga BASF manager receives national award

The Manufacturing Institute recognized BASF operations manager Brittany Davis as an emerging industry leader at the 10th annual STEP Ahead Awards. Focusing on science, technology, engineering and production, the program honors women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership across every level of the manufacturing industry.

Davis, who has been with BASF full-time for seven years, is involved in the BASF TECH Academy, a program that introduces students to technical and craft careers through hands-on demonstrations and experiments at Chattanooga State, tours of local employers and career-focused discussions with BASF employees.

Learn more at www.basf.us/women.