Mayor-Elect Andy Berke has chosen Wade Hinton and Travis McDonough to lead his transition team.  

Also on the team are Al Chapman, Stefanie Crowe, Stephen Culp, Kimberly Gavin, Pastor Ternae Jordan, Alison Levovitz, Bill McDonald, Bart Quinn, Chantelle Roberson, Donna Roddy and Donna Williams.  

The transition team "will focus on identifying candidates for key positions in city government, reviewing operations of city departments and funded organizations and participating in a public engagement process to get public input on the citiy's priorities." 

Mr. Berke said at a press conference after speaking to students at UTC, "We want to use this time to begin to focus on the priorities that I have outlined in this campaign - reducing crime, creating jobs, supporting education and making government more efficient."

Mr. Berke will be sworn into office on April 15.

Wade Hinton currently serves as deputy general counsel for Volkswagen Group of America Chattanooga Operations. He is active in numerous community organizations including Chattanooga Rotary, Friends of the Festival, and the UC Foundation. Mr. Hinton is a Chattanooga native.

Travis McDonough is currently chairman of Miller Martin’s litigation department. He is a board member for the Engel Foundation and the United States Global Leadership Council. Mr. McDonough and his family are also active members of the New City Fellowship.

Al Chapman is the president of the Front Porch Alliance which works to align the work of over 50 community based organizations to tackle tough community problems. He also works closely with the MacClellan Foundation on their faith based initiatives in the Chattanooga region.

Stefanie Crowe is an executive vice president at CapitalMark Bank & Trust. She serves on the board of a number of community organizations including The United Way, The Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga, The Partnership for Families, Children and Adults, The Young Women’s Leadership Academy Foundation, Chattanooga Ballet, The Southern Literature Alliance, Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute and the City’s Health, Housing and Education Bond Board.

Stephen Culp is a founder of Smart Furniture, Delegator, Causeway, and a founding partner of the Chattanooga Renaissance Fund. He has served in an advisory capacity for a number of Chattanooga organizations including the Chamber of Commerce, the Theatre Center, and the Company Lab.

Kimberly Gavin owns a small business, Thrive Studio, on Chattanooga’s north shore. She is secretary of the board of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera and serves on the board of the Tennessee River Gorge Trust Organization.

Alison Lebovitz is an author, television host, nonprofit executive and community leader. She serves on numerous local and national nonprofit boards, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Chattanooga, Lyndhurst Foundation, Tennessee Aquarium, Read 20, Jordan Thomas Foundation and United Way of Greater Chattanooga.

Pastor Ternae Jordan is pastor at Mt. Canaan Baptist Church. In addition to his leadership at Mt. Canaan, Pastor Jordan also serves on or works with numerous community based organizations and initiatives including the Servant Leadership Council, the Midland Community Resource Center, and the Alternative Seminary.

Bill McDonald served as Chattanooga Public Works administrator from 2001 through 2005. He was also assistant commissioner of Finance & Administration for the State of Tennessee. Mr. McDonald is also the former chairman of the Advisory Council for the Trust for Public Land and remains an active committee member.

Chantelle Roberson is currently an attorney with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee. She has served on the boards of the Chattanooga History Center, the Chattanooga Housing Authority, the Urban League Young Professionals, Southern Lit Alliance and others.

Bart Quinn is an attorney at Chambliss, Bahner, & Stophel. He is a member of the Judicial Nominating Commission and a past member of the Hamilton county election commission.

Donna Roddy is the On Site Healthy educator at BlueCross Blueshield of Tennessee. She currently serves on the following boards: Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga, and a Trustee for the UC Foundation. She has also been appointed by Governors Sundquist and Bredesen to serve on the Tenn Board of nursing for 13 years.

Donna C. Williams is the executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area. She has also served on the board for the Trust for Public Land, Cornerstone Inc, and others.

Anyone interested in the transition or in serving in city government should visit Andyberke.com for updates or contact the transition team via email at admin@andyberke.com.