Waupaca Foundry wins 2020 Green Foundry Sustainability Award and

Waupaca Foundry wins Sustainability Award

Waupaca Foundry Inc., a Hitachi Metals group company, is the winner of the 2020 Green Foundry Sustainability Award presented by the America Foundry Society. The iron casting component supplier was honored for outstanding leadership in integrating sustainable business practices throughout its manufacturing operations.

Waupaca Foundry was cited for implementing the ISO 50001 program to create a formal management system approach to energy reduction. Under the systemic approach, foundry leaders are able to gather and analyze data that identifies opportunities for additional energy reduction in plant operations. As compared to 2010, Waupaca was able to achieve an overall reduction in energy consumption of more than 20% at all United States plants.

Waupaca Foundry is the first United States metal caster to receive the accredited ISO 50001 Energy Management System certification.

SimplyBank adds four new officers

SimplyBank, the Spring City, Tennessee-based banking company that operates seven branches in Rhea, Polk, Roane and Meigs counties, has added four new team members.

Kevin J. Smith, who has more than 21 years of banking and financial services, joins as chief lending officer and will oversee all lending teams and programs. Prior to joining the SimplyBank team, Smith served as market senior vice president in Chattanooga at FNB Bank. Prior to FNB Bank, he served as group vice president and Eastern Tennessee commercial team lead at SunTrust. He is a graduate of Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.

Anthony Lastoria, who previously served as vice president of retail banking in Chattanooga for First Horizon Bank, joins SimplyBank as senior retail officer and will manage the retail line of business and branch banking network. Lastoria previously spent time at FSG Bank as assistant vice president and Cleveland retail market leader. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Lastoria received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Lee University. He also holds an MBA with a concentration in organizational leadership from the University of Phoenix, and is a member of Delta Mu Delta, International Honor Society in Business.

Courtney Jett, who has 15 years in the financial industry, joins SimplyBank as senior treasury management officer. Jett will build and manage SimplyBank’s comprehensive suite of commercial treasury banking services. Prior to joining the team at SimplyBank in August 2020, she helped lead treasury services at FSG Bank in Chattanooga.

Angela Patterson, who has nearly a decade of experience in community development and reinvestment at other banks, is the new Community Reinvestment Act Officer for SimplyBank. Patterson manages all community reinvestment and development functions and provide CRA counsel, expertise and direction. Patterson brings decades of banking experience to SimplyBank. Immediately prior to joining SimplyBank, Angela served as CRA Officer in the greater-Chattanooga market for Nashville-based FirstBank. She began as CRA Analyst at Atlantic Capital Bank in 2011.

ARC names Bridgett Massengill as leadership fellow

The Appalachian Regional Commission has named Bridgett Massengill, president and CEO of Thrive Regional Partnership, as a 2020-21 Appalachian Leadership Institute Fellow.

As a Fellow, Massengill will participate in the Appalachian Leadership Institute, an extensive nine-month series of online skill-building seminars featuring regional experts, peer-to-peer learning, and case study analysis beginning in mid-October through July, 2021. Upon completion of the program, Massengill will automatically become part of the Appalachian Leadership Institute Network.

“We are thrilled that Bridgett will represent Tennessee and the tri-state greater Chattanooga region at the national level in this fellowship program,” said Connie Vaughan, government relations manager for McKee Foods and chair of the Thrive Regional Partnership. “Her exemplary leadership is rooted in a love for the people of this region, and grows from a willingness to learn and implement new collaborative strategies that can improve quality of life across our region.”

Miriam Manda, Amy Lowdermilk joins ArtsBuild staff

ArtsBuild has named Miriam Manda as manager of grants and community engagement and Amy Lowdermilk as program manager.

The daughter of a Sudanese mother and Zambian father, Manda immigrated with her family to the U.S. at a young age and received her undergraduate degree at Wesleyan University. She is a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow and worked at the Presidio of San Francisco where she led the…