The Leadership Chattanooga Alumni Association (LCAA) elected several new officers and board members at its annual meeting Jan. 31. Sponsored by the Chattanooga Chamber Foundation, LCAA’s mission is to provide continued leadership training, provide networking opportunities for graduates of Leadership Chattanooga and continue being a positive and influential organization in the community.

Hodgen Mainda, director of legal operations and government relations at Dale L. Buchanan & Associates, will serve as LCAA President in 2013. He has been a member of the LCAA board since graduating from Leadership Chattanooga in 2010 and has served on the organization’s Curriculum Committee, as well as facilitated several class sessions. Mr. Mainda’s leadership and community service was recognized in July 2010 when Chatter Magazine featured him as an “Emerging Leader” in the community.                      

“The individuals who pass through the Leadership Chattanooga class are some of the city’s most motivated leaders,” said Mr. Mainda. “The LCAA board is working on many exciting programs for 2013 to expand networking and leadership development opportunities for program graduates, which we hope will help these leaders make an even bigger impact in shaping Chattanooga’s future. We also want to create an environment where the recent program’s graduates have an immediate opportunity to plug into the community and be resourceful.”

Other 2013 LCAA officers include:

·         Stephen Ratterman (Treasurer), BB&T

·         Ken Smith (Immediate Past President and Chair, Bylaws and Nominating Committees), The Johnson Group

·         Mike Sarvis (President-Elect), Cohutta Banking Company

·         Carlene Vital (Secretary), Independent Healthcare Properties, LLC

Board members for 2013 include:

·         Vince Butler, Butler Consulting

·         Dennis Culver, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee

·         Rafe Goldbach, SuiteLaunch, LLC

·         Jay Hudson, Keller Williams

·         JJ Jerman, Office Furniture Warehouse, LLC

·         MaryStewart Lewis, AT&T

·         Christa Payne, Public Education Foundation

·         Meredith Rivers, Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce

·         Chinyere Ubamadu, LearningRx Chattanooga Brain Training Center

Representatives from the 2012-2013 Leadership Chattanooga class include:

·         Peterson Hostetler, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

·         Gideon Thomas, Partnership for Families, Children and Adults

The LCAA board is also supported by several volunteer committee chairs, including:

·         Vince Butler (Communications/Technology), Butler Consulting

·         MaryStewart Lewis (Graduate Programs), ATT&T

·         Christa Payne (Community Education), Public Education Foundation

·         Meredith Rivers (Social Enrichment), Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce

Diane Parks, who leads the Leadership Chattanooga program and serves as the director of leadership and community development for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, also represents her organization on the LCAA board.

Leadership Chattanooga is accepting nominations for the 2013-2014 class through March 8. To nominate a candidate, click here.