Business Digest: Blalock selected FSG Bank senior VP

Blalock selected FSG Bank senior VP

photo Bonnie Blalock

FSG Bank has appointed Bonnie Blalock as a senior vice president for commercial banking.

Blalock brings over 20 years of banking experience to her new role at FSG Bank, all spent serving the needs of business, commercial and corporate banking clients in the Chattanooga area.

Beginning her career with SunTrust, Blalock was most recently with CapitalMark Bank as executive vice president and director of client services.

"Bonnie's commitment to doing what she says she will do, when she says she will do it is well known and respected across the Chattanooga business community," said Mike Kramer, FSG Bank's chief executive officer.

Blalock earned her bachelor of science degree in corporate finance and investment management from the University of Alabama. She also furthered her professional education at the Southeastern School of Banking and the Tennessee School of Banking, both held in Nashville.


Cornerstone CFO pick is Barbee

Cornerstone Community Bank has appointed Felicia Barbee as chief financial officer.

Barbee joined Cornerstone in October 2012 as chief risk officer and will continue serving in that capacity, in addition to her new responsibilities as CFO of the bank.

Her previous experience includes working as a certified public accountant at Hazlett, Lewis & Bieter PLLC and, most recently, serving as CFO of a community bank in North Georgia for nine years.

Barbee graduated magna cum laude from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a bachelor's degree in accounting and earned her CPA designation.


Ketcham a partner at Husch Blackwell

Husch Blackwell has named Laura F. Ketcham as a partner.

Ketcham is a member of the financial services team and represents regional and national banks, floor-plan lenders and other creditors in commercial bankruptcy cases, loan workouts, loan documentation, foreclosures, lien priority disputes, enforcement of judgments and actions asserting the breach of loan documents -- including actions before the American Arbitration Association.

Ketcham is a member of the American Bankruptcy Institute and an executive council member of the Tennessee Bar Association's Bankruptcy Law section. She is an alumna of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce's Leadership Chattanooga Class of 2011-2012. Ketcham received her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School.


Long named at Learfield Sports

Learfield Sports has named Kristin Long as an account executive for its Mocs Sports Properties entity, the athletics multimedia rights holder for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Long joins MSP with expertise gained from two other Learfield Sports' properties.

Long will work alongside Mocs Sports Properties' General Manager Greg Gilmer to fulfill the numerous aspects of the UTC-Learfield Sports' multimedia rights partnership in support of the Mocs.

"Kristin has what it takes to make an immediate impact with our Mocs Sports Properties team, and we're happy to have her," said Learfield Sports' Vice President Pat Fagan.


photo Richard L. (Dick) Green

General Shale CEO Green to retire

General Shale has announced that Richard L. (Dick) Green will retire as chief executive effective April 1.

General Shale is the North American subsidiary of Wienerberger AG and a leading manufacturer of brick.

Spanning 40 years, Green's career has been spent entirely at General Shale, beginning in 1973 as a management trainee. After being promoted to manager of the Knoxville brick plant, Green was named regional production manager with the responsibility of supervising several of the company's manufacturing facilities.

Charles Smith, the current president of General Shale, will succeed Green as CEO.


BrightStar earns accreditation

BrightStar of Chattanooga, a full-service health care staffing agency that provides non-medical home care, has been accredited by the Joint Commission, a not-for-profit organization that accredits and certifies more than 18,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States.

By demonstrating compliance with the Joint Commission's national standards for health care quality and safety, the BrightStar location in Chattanooga has earned the Joint Commission's Gold Seal of Approval.

"We make a significant investment in quality on a day-to-day basis from the top down and we went after accreditation for our organization because we want to be the best, and we view obtaining Joint Commission accreditation as another step toward excellence," said Rick Collett, owner of BrightStar of Chattanooga.


Chambliss adds marketing head

photo Aricia C. Gallaher

Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel has chosen Aricia C. Gallaher as marketing and business development director.

She will focus her efforts on expanding firm awareness, building client relationships and seeking new business opportunities to support growth.

Gallaher, an East Tennessee native, comes to Chambliss with more than 15 years of professional experience in marketing services and operations, business development and client relationship management.

She joins the firm after more than 11 years with a nationally recognized healthcare marketing solution provider located in Chattanooga, where she most recently served as vice president of client services.

"Aricia has the level of experience and energy our firm was looking for to help uncover new opportunities and spearhead efforts toward continued growth," said Dana Perry, managing shareholder.


Flint joins Insurity as sales agent

Insurity Group LLC, a locally-based full-service insurance agency licensed in 50 states, has hired Fred Flint as a sales executive, according to President Jeff Lett. Flint will focus on providing businesses and individuals with customized health benefit solutions.

He comes to Insurity Group after serving 17 years with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee in a variety of management roles, serving most recently as the insurer's risk manager.

"Due to his experience purchasing complex insurance products for one of the city's largest employers, Fred brings a consultative, strategic approach to benefits management," according to Lett.

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