Red Cross hires senior director of philanthropy

The American Red Cross has added Brenda Black as senior director of philanthropy for the Tennessee Volunteer Region.

Black worked most recently as the director of community development for The Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Prior to that role, she served as the director of Iroquois Steeplechase. 

A graduate of the University of Alabama, Black has also worked at other nonprofit organizations such as the Make-a-Wish Foundation, The American Lung Association of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

 

Fair association names event manager

The Tennessee State Fair Association has added Kelsey Ross as event manager. Ross will handle sponsorships, marketing and event management for the fair.

Ross was most recently employed with Farm Bureau Credit Services of Mid-America as a customer service representative.

Ross holds a bachelor of science degree in agriculture communications from the University of Tennessee at Martin.

 

Disney joins Worthy Publishing

Worthy Publishing has added Dennis Disney as vice president of marketing.

Disney will provide leadership in strategic planning as well as operational execution of marketing for Worthy’s trade products.  

Previously, Disney served as president of D-Squared Entertainment and Zondervan and Thomas Nelson.

Disney, who serves as an adjunct instructor at Belmont University in the Curb College of Entertainment & Music Business, began his career at Word Inc., before serving for nearly a decade as vice president of marketing at Provident/Benson Music. 

 

Regions adds regional operations head

Regions Bank has hired veteran trust banker Carl Esterhay to lead its Middle and East Tennessee operations.

Esterhay will oversee a group covering a footprint that includes Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga. During his 25-year career, Esterhay has held market manager and business development positions in institutional investments, endowments, foundations, retirement services and wealth management.

Most recently, Esterhay was institutional trust regional market manager for Wells Fargo in Los Angeles.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in government from Harvard University, his law degree from Case Western Reserve University and his MBA from the University of Minnesota.

 

Baptist Hospital names chief medical officer

Baptist Hospital has named Geoffrey H. Smallwood as chief medical officer. Since 1991, Smallwood has been a practicing OB-GYN and member of the Baptist Hospital medical staff.

Smallwood began his career in private practice at Hoag Memorial Hospital in Newport Beach, Calif., before coming to Nashville in the early 1990s to be in private practice with Growdon, VanHooydonk, Bressman and Adkins, now part of Tennessee Women’s Care.

Smallwood attended the Tulane University School of Medicine. He completed his internship in obstetrics and gynecology at UCLA Medical Center and his residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.