Business Digest
Carden, Purgason join Market Street Partners
Market Street Partners PLLC, a dualmarket Chattanooga-based accounting firm, has added James Purgason, CPA, as a principal in the firm and Nick Carden, CPA, as a senior manager.
A U.S. Army veteran, Purgason brings experience from two top-100 accounting firms and more than a decade of public accounting expertise with him to Market Street Partners. His practice primarily revolves around mergers and acquisitions, private equity, real estate, and high net worth individuals.
Carden, who is closing in on a decade of service in public accounting, has worked with companies in stages from pre-revenue to over $1 billion in a variety of industries, including manufacturing and distribution, automotive, baked foods, industrial machinery, and many more. He also has experience in investments including hedge funds, fund of funds, and private equity.
“When we founded Market Street Partners in 2016, we wanted to grow both fast and strategically,” said Kyle Bryant, founding partner at Market Street Partners. “To achieve those goals, we knew we would need to bring in the best of the best CPA talent possible, and professionals like James and Nick are exactly what we, and our clients, need.”
Blevins to head Area Food Bank
The Chattanooga Area Food Bank has appointed Melissa Blevins as president and chief executive officer, effective
Sept. 21.
Blevins has served as chief executive officer of Girls Inc. of Chattanooga for more than three years. Previously, she was director of programs and operations with the Food Bank from 2011 to 2017.
“The Food Bank is here to lead a network of partners in solving hunger, and that’s only possible with the generous support of our community, the hard work of staff members and the dedication of volunteers,” Blevins said. “While it is bittersweet to leave a wonderful team at Girls Inc., I am thrilled to rejoin the Food Bank and accelerate our efforts to solve hunger.”
Last fiscal year, the Food Bank distributed the equivalent of approximately 13 million meals, or more than 17 million pounds, across its 20-county, 7,000-square-mile service area in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. One in five people — including one in four children — are projected to be food insecure due to the pandemic.
“As director of programs and operations, Melissa worked on the front lines to fight hunger and serve people in their greatest time of need,” said Food Bank Board Chair Jim Catanzaro. “Coupled with her experience at the helm of Girls Inc. of Chattanooga, she will lead the Food Bank through the pandemic and position it to grow strategically in its service to our area.”
Cadena joins Prime Hospitality Management
Rick Cadena has joined Prime Hospitality Management and Investment
Group as vice president of operations.
Drawing on his extensive hotel leadership experience he will oversee several hotels and serve as a liaison between general managers, owners, and communities in various markets.
Cadena has more than 32 years of hotel management experience, primarily with Marriott International after serving 12 years in the U.S. Navy. He currently serves as a board member for the Greater Chattanooga Hospitality Association as well as a volunteer for the Chattanooga Area Chamber, Southern Adventist University, and the Family Justice Center. He is a 2015 graduate of Leadership Chattanooga.
Cummins named designer at Office Furniture Warehouse
Adelyn Cummins has joined the Office Furniture Warehouse team as an in-house designer, assisting the company’s sales team with drafting and renders to give clients a more complete perspective on their investment.
Originally from Salt Lake City, Cummins has an Interior Design degree and experience in marketing as well as customer service.
“Office Furniture Warehouse is so happy to add Ms. Cummins’ expertise to our roster — maintaining design intent on a project is essential to the designer and the client,” said Beverly Jerman, vice president of business development at Office Furniture Warehouse.
Office Furniture Warehouse, winner of the 2014 and 2019 Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business of the Year Award, provides new and used office furniture as well as office furniture services to organizations and individuals throughout the Southeast.
Miller named partner at Mauldin & Jenkins
The CPA firm Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC, has appointed Jameson Miller as a partner in the Chattanooga office.
Miller has been with the firm since 2006. He graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 2007 and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant, a Certified Information Systems Auditor, and a Certified Information Systems Security Professional.
His experience includes audits for financial institutions, public SEC companies, manufacturers, not for profit organizations and higher education Institutions. Additionally, he has extensive experience performing information systems regulatory compliance and framework reviews, SSAE 18 System and Organization Controls Reporting, and Technical audits and cybersecurity assessments for information systems. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants, ISC2, and ISACA. He previously served on the board of directors for the Chattanooga Chapter of the TSCPA as chair of the Career Awareness and the Community Service committees. He currently serves as the treasurer/secretary on the Board of Directors of the Cumberland Trails Conference.
Mauldin & Jenkins LLC is a Top 100 Certified Public Accounting firm providing assurance, tax, consulting and advisory services since 1918.
Armstrong and Soufer join CHI Heart Institute
The Chattanooga Heart Institute at CHI Memorial welcomes cardiologists Chad Armstrong, MD, and Aaron Soufer, MD.
Dr. Armstrong received his medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson. He completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at
Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. Dr. Armstrong is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Soufer received his medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine in Farmington. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut, as well as a fellowship in cardiovascular medicine and an advanced fellowship in multimodality cardiac imaging. Dr. Soufer is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Freeman joins board for Boys & Girls Clubs
Evann Freeman, director of government relations and economic development at EPB, has been appointed to the board of the Boys & Girls Club of Chattanooga.
Before working at EPB, Evann spent the previous 11 years working for U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander across Tennessee. He serves on several nonprofit boards and has dedicated his career to building strong communities throughout Tennessee.
“We are thrilled to welcome Evann to the Boys & Girls Club of Chattanooga board to channel, his talent, expertise, and energy into furthering our mission” said Trae Vaughan, Board Chair.