Hamilton Herald Masthead

Editorial


Front Page - Friday, January 14, 2022

Newsmakers: Partnership COO Ladd to retire in August




Pam Ladd, chief operating officer of Partnership for Families, Children and Adults, will retire Aug. 24. Ladd has been COO of the agency since 2016.

Under Ladd’s leadership, the Partnership saw a reduction in administrative costs. Ladd ended programs other local organizations also provide, filled gaps in the programs the agency offers, expanded grant revenue and sold an underused facility.

Ladd holds a Master of Science in industrial organizational psychology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Before joining Partnership, she served as manager of custodial services at Tennessee Valley Authority and as assistant vice president of support services at Provident Life and Accident Insurance.

Ladd then founded and operated Custom Custodial, an industrial cleaning service. She also is a retired real estate agent with Real Estate Partners and served as city council representative for District 3 Chattanooga.

First Horizon names East Ridge manager

First Horizon Bank has tapped Kelly Schrader to serve as manager of its East Ridge branch.

Schrader began her career in retail financial services in Omaha, Nebraska, where she served as a vice president and regional bank director. She later served as senior client relations manager at Haberfield Associates before joining First Horizon.

Schrader earned a degree in business finance from the University of Nebraska.

Schrader, her husband and their four children relocated to southeast Tennessee in 2017.

Schrader serves as a mentor for TNAchieves and is active in her church.

Dillard to lead Food City Chattanooga division

Food City has promoted Rodney Dillard to executive vice president of operations of its Chattanooga division. Dillard brings 37 years of industry experience to the position.

Dillard began his grocery career in 1985 as a courtesy clerk for Red Food Stores. He also worked as a cashier, stocker, produce clerk, dairy manager, assistant manager, store manager, produce supervisor, regional produce manager and district manager.

In 1994, Dutch retail food conglomerate Ahold purchased Red Food, which it then merged into BI-LO in 1995. Dillard joined Food City as a district manager in 2015 when the company acquired 29 BI-LO supermarkets in Chattanooga and North Georgia.

Dillard will oversee the 31 stores that comprise the company’s Chattanooga division.

Dillard has a history of community service in Bradley County. In addition to serving on the Bradley County School Board, he is a three-time chairman of the Bradley County Board of Education and has served on the Bradley County Superintendent PTO Advisory and Bradley County Parent Advisory committees and volunteered with Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland.

Dillard is a graduate of Bradley Central High School and completed numerous Cornell University and other industry training courses. He currently resides in Cleveland with his wife, Kim. They are the parents of three.

Dillard replaces Rick Bishop, who is assuming the role of executive vice president of operations for Food City’s Tri-City division.