The Urban League of Greater Chattanooga has appointed two board members who both possess a range of professional experience, a passion for Chattanooga and a commitment to lifting up underserved communities and individuals, officials said.
 
New to the board are Dalya Qualls, senior vice president and chief communications officer at BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, and Torrey M. Feldman, attorney at Rockridge Venture Law. 
 
Ms. Qualls is a longtime communications professional. She graduated from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2000 and earned a masters in mass communications from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Ms. Qualls has worked for Keene State College, Clark University, the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security and HCA Healthcare, before continuing her career with BlueCross. 
 
“BlueCross has been a longtime partner of the Urban League, so I’m honored to join its board of directors to help continue its work and inspire inclusion,” said Ms. Qualls. “I have a strong passion for equality and empowering the underserved, and I’m looking forward to this chance to serve our community.”
 
Ms. Feldman, in addition to her current role at Rockridge Venture Law, owns O&O productions, which provides photography and videography services for a variety of clients. She graduated from Appalachian State University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in communication and information, journalism and electronic media, before earning her master’s at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and a law degree from American University Washington College of Law. 
 
“I am so excited to serve the Urban League because I believe in the mission of this organization and its crucial role in serving Chattanooga’s African American community,” said Ms. Feldman. “The data doesn’t lie – disparities exist. I am honored to be a part of a board that is working to empower this community and to provide the resources necessary to invest in the future of Black Chattanooga.”
 
Ms. Feldman and Ms. Qualls will leverage their expertise in the areas of communications, business management and inclusion to further the Urban League’s goal of enabling African Americans, other ethnic minorities and disadvantaged persons to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights.
 
“I am thrilled to have two highly skilled professionals with a desire to see progress toward inclusion and equity in Chattanooga join our board,” said Candy Johnson, president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga. “This is a win for our emerging organization.”
 
To learn more about the Urban League of Greater Chattanooga, visit www.ulchatt.net, call 423-756-1762 or email info@ulchatt.net.