News - Friday, September 4, 2020

Growing up in an Indiana town of 5,000 might not have inspired Emily Mack to someday help build cities, but her travels throughout the U.S. and the world with her father did.

Mack’s father worked for the international sales division of Kimball International, which allowed Mack to see firsthand the people and places most youth read about in books or saw in movies.

Like many lawyers, Spears Moore attorney Brian Bush says he believes in justice. But he also believes, he adds, in giving someone a second chance.

Some might say this is a contradiction and insist there are opposing forces tugging for control of Bush’s perspective, but that’s not how he sees it.

The Tennessee Defense Lawyers Association has honored Mary Gadd, business development director and officer administrator for Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan, with the Defense Research Institute’s State and Legal Defense Organization Executive Director award.

Chief Judge Pamela Reeves of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee has announced the appointment of U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Shelley Rucker of Chattanooga as the next chief bankruptcy judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee. The appointment will be effective Oct. 1.

The American Bar Foundation has made Grant, Konvalinka & Harrison director Brittany Faith a fellow of the organization.

The board of the American Bar Foundation limits membership in the Fellows to 1% of lawyers licensed to practice in each jurisdiction. The selection process includes peer nomination, after which the ABF board votes on inclusion.

A new task force of attorneys and judges from across the state has been established to take on diversity challenges within the legal profession, looking specifically at recruitment, retention, investment and advancement.

Tennessee Bar Association Chief Diversity Officer Mary Beard of HCA Healthcare in Nashville will lead the effort.

When a person hears the word “crisis” or “pandemic,” he or she probably pictures a doctor, nurse or other first responder putting boots on the ground to help those in need.

However, lawyers can serve as “suits on the ground” that can make a difference when people are struggling to deal with the effects of sudden, unexpected crises like the coronavirus.

As part of its mission to promote equal opportunity and cultural diversity within the real estate industry, the Greater Chattanooga Realtors’ Diversity Inclusion Committee will host a free one-hour webinar titled “Understanding LGBTQI Homeownership in 2020 & Beyond” Tuesday, Sept. 22, 10 a.m.

I was recently discussing this very busy market with some colleagues and realized our country has five generations involved in real estate transactions – for the first time in over 100 years – all at the same time.

Included in these groups are two of the largest generations in the country, with immigration adding to current housing needs that took a hit in the recession.

Homeowners in the Chattanooga area are spending more time at home and continuing to transform their living spaces in new, innovative ways. The future of home design is being reimagined more than ever before as homeowners seek out ways to maximize the functionality of their living spaces.

In 1984, a budding interest in jazz made music stores one of my favorite haunts. One day, as I was browsing a Tower Records in Denver for something that would catch my eye, I came across a CD with a cool cover of a painted cityscape at night.

Called “Night-Lines,” I bought it for the theme song from “St. Elsewhere,” which never failed to draw me out of whatever room I was in at home to watch the show with my mom.

Each year, on the first Sunday after Labor Day, we observe National Grandparents Day. Although it’s not as widely recognized as Mother’s Day or Father’s Day, if you’re a grandparent, you probably want to do whatever you can to help your grandchildren on their journeys through life. So, you might want to consider the following moves:

The Boys & Girls Club of Chattanooga has appointed Evann Freeman to its board of directors.

Freeman is a Chattanooga native with more than a decade of experience in government relations. He serves as the director of government relations at EPB, where he leads their government relations and economic development efforts. Before working at EPB, Freeman spent the previous 11 years working for U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander across Tennessee. He serves on several nonprofit boards.

Volkswagen Chattanooga will hire approximately 150 production employees by the end of 2020 to meet growing demand and to prepare for electric vehicle production, the company announced this week.

This is the first time since 2009 Volkswagen will accept applications for production employees directly versus through a contract staffing agency.

The three major bond rating agencies have once again given Hamilton County a Triple A bond rating. Hamilton County has maintained this distinction since 2011.

Standard and Poor’s Global Ratings, Fitch Ratings and Moody’s Investment Services have all issued Triple A reports praising Hamilton County’s financial health, says Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger.

La Paz Chattanooga has canceled its 2020 Latino Leadership Awards ceremony, originally set for Sept. 17, in light of the pandemic.

In lieu of the annual banquet, La Paz will honor the contributions local Latinos have made across the Chattanooga community and within their organizations during the COVID-19 health crisis and the Easter tornadoes. La Paz will do so through a social media and video campaign as well as a special edition of its annual print publication, Heroes 2020.

Gov. Bill Lee has named Chattanooga-area commercial real estate developer Matt McGauley to serve on the Tennessee Housing Development Agency board of directors.

McGauley, 41, is the fourth-generation president and CEO of Fidelity Trust Company. The company manages and owns a portfolio of commercial properties in Chattanooga and features development, brokerage and management divisions.

Coming off three consecutive Pro Bowl seasons and a first-team, All-Pro selection in 2019, you wouldn’t think Titans punter Brett Kern would need much preparation for the upcoming season – even during a pandemic.

But Kern, entering his 13th NFL season and 12th with the Titans, still says there is plenty to improve upon.

File, file, read now, round file.

Manuals, left cabinet, bottom drawer. Contracts, right file cabinet in the next room, along with receipts. And because you’ll generate more paperwork today, you’ll get to file again tomorrow and won’t that be fun?