About Us

Bill Hagerty, Chairman - TN Department of Economic & Community Development

Commissioner William F. Hagerty, IV was sworn in as Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development by Governor Bill Haslam on January 15, 2011. As head of the state agency primarily responsible for job creation in Tennessee, Commissioner Hagerty is on leave from Hagerty Peterson, LLC, a merchant bank and private equity firm he founded. Commissioner Hagerty has founded, funded and grown a number of successful business enterprises. As an executive, he has served as CFO, COO, CEO and Chairman of a variety of domestic and international firms. He serves on the board of directors of global publishing company Houghton, Mifflin Harcourt and R.J. O’Brien, the largest independent futures brokerage in the United States.

Commissioner Hagerty has served in a number of senior executive positions with companies such as CyMed, the nation’s third largest medical records company, NEW Customer Services Company, the nation’s largest electronics warranty company, Sound Advice, a home entertainment retailer and Powerway, Inc, an automotive supply chain management software company. Commissioner Hagerty also has extensive experience in international business, having served as CEO of ALAM, Ltd, a joint venture private equity investment platform majority owned by Lehman Brothers, which he helped establish with offices in Hong Kong and Beijing, China. He also worked for the Boston Consulting Group for seven years and spent three years based in Tokyo, Japan where he served as senior expatriate with responsibilities throughout Asia.

In 2007 and 2008, Commissioner Hagerty served on a voluntary basis as a National Finance Chairman for the Romney for President campaign and later served on the transition planning team in the 2008 general election for John McCain’s presidential campaign. Commissioner Hagerty has also served on the White House Domestic Policy team as a member of the President’s Council on Competitiveness where his portfolio included international trade, financial markets, telecommunications and defense. Commissioner Hagerty was also a White House Fellow, where he served on the staffs of the NASA Administrator and the Vice President. Commissioner Hagerty attended Vanderbilt University where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in economics. He also attended Vanderbilt University Law School where he was a Wilson Scholar and associate editor of the Law Review.

A.J. Bahou - Prism Technologies, LLC.

A.J. Bahou is Vice President and Chief Intellectual Property Officer at Prism Technologies LLC. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation (TTDC) and holds the office of Treasurer for the Tennessee Intellectual Property Law Association (TIPLA). Mr. Bahou earned his LL.M. in Intellectual Property Law and is a Registered Patent Attorney whose practice includes strategic counseling and management of patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets. He has extensive experience in all aspects of patent infringement litigation, from pre-complaint investigation through trial and appeal. As a Professional Engineer, a former small business owner and entrepreneur, Mr. Bahou approaches his counseling, enforcement, protection, and licensing of intellectual property from the perspective of growing a business. Mr. Bahou holds a B.S. in Engineering from Tennessee Technological University, a M.B.A. from Middle Tennessee State University, and a J.D. and LL.M from Franklin Pierce Law Center.

Tom Ballard - Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Thomas B. Ballard is the inaugural Director of the Partnerships Directorate for UT-Battelle, the managing contractor for Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The new organization added two strategic responsibilities – industrial and educational partnerships – to the former Technology Transfer and Economic Development directorate which Ballard had headed as interim director since 2007. Mr. Ballard serves on the board of directors of several organizations, including the East Tennessee Economic Council (past chair), East Tennessee State University’s Innovation Park, National Transportation Research Center Inc., Oak Ridge Economic Partnership (chair), Technology 2020, Tennessee Valley Corridor, Inc. (past chair) and Tennessee Valley Corridor Foundation (chair). He also serves on the advisory board for The University of Tennessee’s Center for Industrial Services and is a member of the Southern Technology Council. He was named the second “Tennessee Valley Corridor Champion” in 2005. 

Tom Beehan - City of Oak Ridge, TN

Mayor Tom Beehan has served on Oak Ridge City Council since 2001. After serving as Mayor ProTem for his first six years on City Council, he became Mayor in 2007. He was again named Mayor by City Council in June 2009. Mayor Beehan serves as Vice Chair of the Energy Communities Alliance, and he serves on the board of directors of the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce and the Oak Ridge Economic Partnership. He is a member of the East Tennessee Economic Council. He is past President of the Tennessee Municipal League, the state association of local elected officials.                       

A native of Nashville, he is a graduate of Father Ryan High School in Nashville and St. Pius X Seminary in Erlanger, Kentucky, where he received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He attended graduate school at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore and Xavier University in Cincinnati. He and Kay have three children and three grandchildren. Retired from State Farm Insurance Company after a 25-year career, Beehan is an affiliate broker with Betsy Coleman Realty in Oak Ridge.

Bruce Doeg - Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz

Bruce C. Doeg, chair of Baker Donelson’s Business Department, concentrates his practice in the area of business law, with an emphasis on technology. He previously chaired both the Mergers & Acquisitions Group and the Business Technology Group for the firm. Mr. Doeg also has formed and represented venture and seed capital funds. He has authored numerous articles and is a frequent speaker on business and technology law topics. Doeg currently serves on the board of the Nashville Technology Council and the International Business Council of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. He has authored several publications and is an active member of the Tennessee Bar Association.

Bill Evans - St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Dr. William E. Evans, is Director and Chief Executive Officer of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and holds the St. Jude professorship and endowed chair at the University of Tennessee Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy. For the past 30 years, his research at St. Jude has focused on the pharmacogenomics of anticancer agents in children, for which he has received three consecutive National Institutes of Health MERIT Awards from the National Cancer Institute. Dr. Evans has authored more than 300 articles and numerous book chapters, has been the editor of several textbooks and scientific journals, and has received several national awards for his research. He is recognized by ISI as a “Highly Cited Scientist” because citations of his publications are among the top one percentile of scientists worldwide in his field. He was elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences in 2002. 

Ron Feinbaum - Scripps Networks

Ron H. Feinbaum is the Senior Vice President of Consumer Products for HGTV at Scripps Networks, where he is responsible for expanding the brand offerings by growing the existing businesses in new directions and looking externally for partners and acquisitions. Prior to this position, Mr. Feinbaum led the strategy and management of all Scripps Networks Interactive properties. Mr. Feinbaum joined The E.W. Scripps Company, the corporate parent of Scripps Networks, in 1998 as its first analyst dedicated to the Internet and new media. He then acted as director of Web services before moving to Scripps Networks in 2000 to lead the online division. Prior to joining Scripps, he spent time at Trader Publishing where he worked as a project manager for Auto Trader online. He then went to work for InfiNet, a newspaper consortium tasked with putting publications online during the infancy of the Internet and exploring possible expansion by publishers into the Internet service provider business.

Craig Fitzhugh - Tennessee House of Representatives

Rep. Craig Fitzhugh has represented Tennessee’s 82nd legislative district as a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives since 1994. He is the current chairman of the House Finance, Ways and Means Committee and chairman of the Council on Pension and Insurance. Rep. Fitzhugh also serves as the chairman and CEO of the Bank of Ripley, which he joined in 1992. Through the Bank of Ripley, he created a grant program that has provided more than $200,000 to supplement classroom resources for local teachers. The Bank of Ripley has earned six State Quality Awards and was named one of the Best Employers in Tennessee in 2007. Rep. Fitzhugh is active in the Tennessee Banker's Association and will serve as chairman of the state-wide organization in 2010. 

Jim Frierson - Compass Innovation

Jim Frierson serves as Founder of Compass Innovation. In 2001, he founded the Kruesi Center for Innovation. The family-supported Kruesi Award, given by the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, is the nation’s first community-based award for innovative products, technologies and services. He is also vice chairman of the Tennessee District Export Council. Mr. Frierson serves as the public representative on the board of the Tennessee Architecture Foundation and is a board member of the Chattanooga Technology Council.

Ken Holroyd - Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Dr. Kenneth J. Holroyd currently serves as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he also works as an attending anesthesiologist. He works closely with faculty and the Office of Technology Transfer and Enterprise Development to move the best opportunities in research into active development through research agreements with industry, licensing, or the creation of new companies. Dr. Holroyd previously served as chief operating officer of Genaera Corporation, formerly known as Magainin Pharmaceuticals, in Plymouth Meeting, PA. There, he helped shepherd development of squalamine, a natural compound now in clinical trials for the treatment of macular degeneration, as well as other products for the treatment of asthma and cystic fibrosis. After leaving the company in 2004, he served briefly as director for Technology Transfer and Corporate Relations in the Department of Anesthesia at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Kevin Humphries - FedEx

Kevin Humphries is the Senior Vice President of Technology Systems for FedEx Corporate Services. In this role, Mr. Humphries is responsible for setting technology direction, as well as providing data center, network and field infrastructure support. Mr. Humphries is also responsible for the technology systems used to capture information important to package movement, including scanning systems, label strategies and bar code formats. Other key areas of responsibility include Information Security, Business Alignment and Customer Technology Services. Previously, Mr. Humphries served as senior vice president of the Information Technology Division and chief information officer for FedEx Express. Prior to joining FedEx, he worked for Andersen Consulting.

Ted Nelson - ThermaMasters, Inc.

Ted Nelson is currently the Chairman of Thermamasters, Inc. He is also the chief manager of Mar-Lin Medical, LLC, and participates in other local companies. From 1994-1997, he served as President of MK Rail Corporation. Prior MK Rail, he worked at Touchstone where he progressed from assistant sales manager to executive vice president in 1981. In December 1982, Mr. Nelson acquired controlling interest of Touchstone, becoming president and CEO. Mr. Nelson is active in industry, professional, community and civic affairs. He is involved with the West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation; Greenbrier Railroad and Supply Group Conference as Program Chairman; is a member of World Presidents Organization and Chief Executive Organization; and has served on the boards of the Railroad Supply Association, Jackson Utility Division, Jackson Arts Council, the Star Center, Red Cross, YMCA, American Heart Association and others.  

Mike Niederhauser - MN Rentals

Mike Niederhauser is the owner of MN Mike Niederhauser's China and Gifts, MN Rentals, C&N Rentals and a founding member on the board of directors at First Vision Bank. Mr. Niederhauser has been actively involved throughout Tennessee. He has been elected president of both the Tullahoma and McMinnville Chambers of Commerce; he is a member of the Highland Rim Kiwanis Club; and has been a member of the Arnold Community Council for many years. He has also been involved with the Tennessee Jaycees, being chosen to serve as a state officer and honored with the Henry Boyd Award as McMinnville Jaycee of the Year. He is also on the board of directors of the Coffee County Leadership and the Hands-On Science Center in Tullahoma. 

Mark Norris - Tennessee State Legislature

Senator Mark Norris represents Tennessee’s 32nd District - Dyer, Lauderdale, Tipton, and Shelby Counties.  He was first elected to the Senate in 2000 after two terms on the Shelby County Commission.  Senator Norris sits on the Senate’s Calendar; Finance, Ways, & Means; and State & Local Government Committees.  He chairs the Senate Rules Committee and the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations.  He has been Senate Majority Leader since January 2007 and served as Republican Caucus Chairman in 2006.  In the summer of 2010, he was unanimously elected Chairman of the Southern Legislative Conference of the Council of State Governments, which consists of 15 southeastern states.  Among several awards and recognitions from his years in public service, Senator Norris has been named “legislator of the year” nine times by various statewide groups.  Senator Norris has practiced law since 1980 and works as Special Counsel with the firm of Adams & Reese, LLC in downtown Memphis.  He and his wife, Chris, have been married since 1978 and have two sons and one daughter-in-law.  The Norris family lives on their historic farm in Collierville.

Jim Phillips - Pinnacle Enterprises

James M. (Jim) Phillips is currently the CEO of Pinnacle Enterprises. Prior to that, he as served as chairman and CEO of Luminetx Corporation in Memphis, TN, where he is credited with inventing a Time magazine Medical Invention of the Year — the VeinViewer. He also was the founding chairman and CEO of the FedEx Institute of Technology at the University of Memphis. He founded and led iPix Corporation, at the time, the world's largest provider of digital imaging infrastructure for the internet and referred to as the "Kodak of the Internet" by Forbes magazine. Mr. Phillips has founded and co-founded many other successful corporations throughout his career: he was formerly vice president of Nortel Networks; president & co-founder of SkyTel, the nation’s largest messaging company; president & vice chairman of Telular Corp.; corporate vice president and general manager of Motorola, PCS and multimedia divisions, where his team invented the cable modem, and Mr. Phillips received the Motorola Patent Disclosure Award. Among his many honors and awards, Mr. Phillips was named Tennessee Businessman of the Year in 1999 by the U.S. Small Business Administration. In 2006, he was inducted into the Memphis Entrepreneurial Society.

Andrew Seamons - Pittco Management

Andrew Seamons is currently a Managing Partner at Pittco Capital Partners, a closely held private equity investment firm providing equity and mezzanine capital to entrepreneurial organizations throughout the United States, with an emphasis on the Southeast. Prior to forming Pittco Capital Partners, Mr. Seamons was a partner with Paradigm Capital Partners, a Southeastern-focused private equity firm. Previously, he was a member of the senior management team at LendingTree, the leading success story in online financial services. He also spent time as a consultant with McKinsey & Company. Mr. Seamons currently serves on the board of directors of a number of growth companies and on the advisory boards of private equity funds. He is a board member of EmergeMemphis, a non-profit business incubator.

Paula Short - Tennessee Board of Regents

Dr. Paula Myrick Short is Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the Tennessee Board of Regents, where she is responsible for approval of new academic programs, strategic planning, institutional effectiveness, student learning, program coordination, transfer and articulation. Dr. Short provides leadership and support for Student Affairs, Information Technology, Institutional Research, the Regents Online Degree Program and other system activities. Dr. Short previously served as associate vice president for academic affairs for the University of Missouri System. She has held tenure at the University of Missouri-Columbia, the Pennsylvania State University, Auburn University and Tennessee State University. In 1993, she received the Jack A. Culbertson Award, given nationally by the University Council for Educational Administration. Dr. Short has been president of the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration, the Southern Regional Council on Education Administration and the University Council for Educational Administration.

Leslie Wisner-Lynch - BioTN Foundation

Dr. Leslie Wisner-Lynch currently serves as TTDC's interim President & CEO as well as Executive Director for the BioTN Foundation, a recently formed not-for-profit designed to advance science and technology in Tennessee through the collaborative development and implementation of innovative programs to increase understanding, interest and pursuit of science, technology, engineering and math related professions. She previously served as the director of applied research for BioMimetic Therapeutics, Inc. in Franklin, TN, where she provided clinical and scientific expertise for products under development and in commercialization for use in craniomaxillofacial/skeletal regeneration. Prior to joining BioMimetic, Dr. Wisner-Lynch worked concurrently as a periodontist for Dental Group Practice in Port Jefferson, NY, and as a consultant for Osteohealth Company, a pharmaceutical company, in Shirley, NY. She currently serves as chair of the subcommittee on biotechnology for Middle Tennessee Mind2Marketplace.

Stewart Witzeman - Eastman Chemical

Dr. J. Stewart Witzeman currently serves as Director, Eastman Research Division, for Eastman Chemical Company. He joined Eastman Chemical Company in 1985. Dr. Witzeman is a member of the American Chemical Society and Sigma Xi and is a previous chairman of the Northeast Tennessee Section of the American Chemical Society. He currently serves as vice-chair for the Industrial Research Institute (IRI), where he chairs the membership committee and also serves on the program committee. He is also active in the IRI’s External Technology Directors Network and has previously served as co-chair on IRI Research-on-Research study groups related to open innovation and intellectual property management. He is inventor on 18 patents, author of 11 publications, three book chapters and has presented over 11 lectures at various universities, industrial sites and technical conferences.