Tricia King Mims, executive director of National Park Partners of Chickamauga, Chattanooga and Moccasin Bend, has been named a 2025 Woman of Distinction by the Women of Distinction of Greater Chattanooga committee.
Since 1983, the honor has recognized women who excel in their fields and give generously to their communities. Mims was selected for her leadership in merging the Friends of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park with the Friends of Moccasin Bend National Park in 2018, creating a unified nonprofit dedicated to preservation, education and community engagement.
Most recently, Mims spearheaded the Save the Bend initiative, uniting grassroots advocates, elected officials and tribal leaders to prevent non-federal development that threatened the cultural integrity of Moccasin Bend National Archeological District.
Mims, a 2020 graduate of the National Park Foundation’s Friends Leadership Institute, was elected in 2024 to the inaugural National Park Friends Alliance board of directors. Her selection also reflects her extensive volunteer service with Chattanooga nonprofits and her advocacy for local food systems and farmland preservation.
“In her family, community and professional life, Tricia embodies the properties of a Woman of Distinction,” says Becky Browder, board chair of National Park Partners. “Her passion and commitment mirrors that of the iconic Chattanooga women recognized for their contributions as she joins previous honorees like Jeannine Alday, Ruth Obear, Mai Bell Hurley and Ruth Holmberg.”
The 2025 Women of Distinction Awards Luncheon will be held Nov. 12 at 11 a.m. at the Chattanooga Convention Center, benefiting Signal Centers and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
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UTC Nursing director receives Patriot Award
Dr. Chris Smith, director of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga School of Nursing, has received the Patriot Award from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve program, recognizing her outstanding support for National Guard and Reserve employees.
The award honors supervisors who go above and beyond legal requirements to accommodate service members, offering flexible schedules, time off around deployments and other measures that ease the balance between military and civilian duties.
Smith, who also serves as UTC’s chief health affairs officer, was nominated by Terry Ellis, a first lieutenant in the Army National Guard and an assistant professor of practice in UTC’s accelerated nursing program.
The award was presented Aug. 12 at the Challenger STEM Learning Center during the College of Health, Education and Professional Studies’ annual faculty and staff event. Retired Army Lt. Col. Scott Hardin, Chattanooga ESGR committee chair, commended Smith for fostering a workplace that supports military service.
“If the service member, the family and the employer all work together, you get a great deployment and a great worker,” Hardin said.
Smith said the recognition reflects the culture within the School of Nursing.
“What means even more to me is how the School of Nursing embraces our faculty and students who have a commitment to serving this nation,” she said.
Dr. Valerie Rutledge, dean of the college, praised Smith’s leadership style, noting her investment in the personal and professional success of her team.
“That’s absolutely the type of place where people want to work and the department they want to work in,” Rutledge said.
Smith has led the School of Nursing since 2014 and is a UC Foundation Professor. She earned her master’s degree from UTC in 1997 as part of the school’s first family nurse practitioner cohort.
WTCI PBS selects Gefter for board chair
WTCI PBS has elected Dr. Jeffrey Gefter as chair of its board of directors for 2025-2026. A respected Chattanooga radiation oncologist since the early 1980s, Gefter will lead the Greater Chattanooga Public Television Corporation Board, which governs the station.
Joining him on the executive committee are David Martin, vice-chair; Cole Powell, treasurer; Kimberly Biddy, secretary; Cindy Todd, past chair; Agnes Richmond, chair of the Development Committee; and WTCI President and CEO Bob Culkeen.
Gefter, who helped establish full-service oncology programs at area hospitals, has earned honors including the American Cancer Society of Chattanooga’s Life Inspiration Award and Erlanger Foundation’s Dinner of Distinction recognition. He succeeds Todd, whom he praised for her leadership, and expressed support for Culkeen amid funding challenges facing public media.
Signal Centers adds 3 to board of directors
Signal Centers has announced the appointment of three new members to its board of directors. Sandy Zabel, Dr. Quincy Jenkins and Greg Eaves began their three-year terms this month with the 68-year-old nonprofit organization.
The board oversees the business and affairs of Signal Centers, while daily operations are managed by McConnico and supported by five working committees and six officers.
Zabel brings more than three decades of experience in accounting, finance, small business ownership and nonprofit development. She has served in Chattanooga, Richmond, Virginia and Overland Park, Kansas, contributing her expertise to organizations including Baylor School, Boy Scouts of America and Chattanooga Breakfast Rotary.
Most recently, Zabel was development director at the Speech and Hearing Center and development officer for the Northside Neighborhood House, where she remains a board member. A Kansas State University graduate with a degree in accounting and finance, she began her career with Ernst & Young before expanding into audit, financial analysis, sales, marketing and fundraising.
Jenkins serves as vice president of organizational culture and engagement at Chattanooga State Community College, overseeing human resources and drawing on more than 17 years in higher education. A Carrollton, Georgia, native, he previously led Latino outreach at Dalton State, helping it achieve recognition as Georgia’s first Hispanic-Serving Institution.
He earned his doctorate at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College and is fluent in English, Spanish, Italian and Chamorro/Guamanian.
Eaves is executive vice president and chief financial officer at EPB, where he has worked for nearly three decades. In addition to managing financial operations, budgeting, forecasting and debt management, he’s overseen the utility’s information technology, fiber optics sales and legal divisions.
A Chattanooga native, Eaves holds a Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and is a certified public accountant. He’s a member of the Rotary Club of Chattanooga, Financial Executives International and the Tennessee Society of CPAs.
Red Wolves promote Smith to executive post
The Chattanooga Red Wolves Soccer Club has named Kimberly Smith as its new chief business officer. Smith has been instrumental in expanding the club’s strategic vision, building partnerships and strengthening its operations. In her new role, she will lead all business functions, including marketing, sponsorships, fan engagement and revenue strategies.