The American Heart Association has re-launched their Chattanooga Board of Directors and announced their officers for the coming year.
 
Officials said, "Dr. Christopher LeSar, Vascular Institute of Chattanooga, will serve as the board’s president. Dr. LeSar is an experienced vascular surgeon who has worked in the Chattanooga region for over 15 years, he is board certified by the American Board of Surgery and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
 
"Serving as the board’s chair, Glenn Morris of M&M Industries is passionate about our community’s health. Mr. Morris is the owner and operator of M&M Industries, which has several hundred employees at plants in Chattanooga and Phoenix, Az."
 
“We are proud and excited to have Dr. LeSar’s and Mr. Morris’ leadership and expertise as we work together to advance our organization’s mission,” said Emily Niespodziany, executive director of the American Heart Association in Chattanooga. “We are looking forward to working with them and the rest of our board members to create a healthier Tennessee Valley through research, awareness, diversity and advocacy.”
 
Also serving on the 2020-2021 Board of Directors are:

• John Anderson, Grant, Konvalinka & Harrison, P. C.
• Dr. Alison Bailey, Center for Heart, Lung and Vascular Health at Parkridge 
• Dr. Thomas Devlin, CHI Memorial
• Renee Ford, CPA, Elliott Davis, LLC
• Gregg T. Gentry, Erlanger Health System
• Corinne Henderson, Henderson + Gouger, LLC
• Chris Hopkins, Barnett & Company
• Anthony A. Houston, FACHE, CHI Memorial
• Shewanee Howard-Baptiste, PHD, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga 
• Quincy Jenkins, Chattanooga State Community College
• Dr. Bryan Johnson, Hamilton County Schools 
• Twila Layne, We R CPR
• Dr. Harish Manyam, Erlanger Health System
• D. Channing Muller, DCM Communications
• Thomas H. Ozburn, FACHE, Parkridge Health System 
• Scott Rowe, PT, Encompass Health
• Cherie Pashley, Unum
• Maura Black Sullivan, City of Chattanooga 
• Pastor Carlos D. Williams, Orchard Knob Missionary Baptist Church 
• Will Young, Engineered Floors
 
Board members will assist the organization in guiding local efforts to reduce the incidences of heart disease and stroke, the Nos. 1 and 4 leading killers, respectively, of Tennesseans. Currently, the American Heart Association is funding 69 research awards in Tennessee totaling $24,028,586.