The Chattanooga 2.0 executive search committee has named Molly Blankenship permanent executive director.
Since March 2019, Blankenship has served as Chattanooga 2.0 interim executive director while working as the vice president of talent initiatives at the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce.
Before moving to Chattanooga, Blankenship consulted with communities across the country and supported the launch of numerous collective impact initiatives addressing cradle-to-career education outcomes, work-based learning collaborations and college completion strategies
Blankenship will continue on a part-time basis as vice president of talent initiatives at the Chamber.
Reese and Qualey join Pinnacle
Gary Reese and Roger Qualey have joined Pinnacle Financial Partners as senior vice presidents. They are temporarily working from Pinnacle’s office located at 6180 Shallowford Road in Chattanooga.
Reese brings 15 years of financial services experience to his role. Before joining Pinnacle, he spent 12 years with SunTrust Bank, where he was branch manager for its Snow Hill office in Ooltewah.
Previously, Reese worked with AmSouth Bank, where he served in branch manager roles for the bank’s Collegedale office in Ooltewah and Brainerd South office in Chattanooga.
Reese earned a degree in business administration with a marketing concentration at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Qualey joins Pinnacle from Atlantic Capital Bank (FSG Bank), where he was a vice president, branch manager and business development officer.
During his 17 years with Atlantic Capital, Qualey helped develop the bank’s branch startup in Ooltewah. Previously, he spent 17 years with Pioneer Bank (AmSouth Bank), where he was a vice president and branch manager of the bank’s Collegedale office.
Qualey earned a degree in business and general management from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and a master’s in international business from the University of Georgia.
He’s a graduate of the Tennessee School of Banking in Nashville and received the Legion of Honor Award for 25 years of membership and service from the Kiwanis Club of Ooltewah Collegedale.