Susan Harris
Chattanooga Market President Jay Dale announced the appointment of See Rock City President and CEO Susan Harris and businesswoman Robin Derryberry to First Horizon Bank’s Chattanooga Advisory Board.
First Horizon’s Chattanooga Advisory Board supports the bank by offering advice and insight, and advocating for the community.
Ms. Harris joined the executive staff at See Rock City, Inc. as the director of human resources & organizational development in June 2008, and was promoted to president in February 2013, COO in 2016 and CEO in 2020.
She holds current certifications as an HRCI certified Senior Professional in Human Resources and a SHRM Senior Certified Professional. She is the first female and the first person outside the founding family to hold the position of chief executive officer.
Ms. Harris serves on the board of directors of the Chattanooga Tourism Company and the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. Ms. Harris was co-chair for the Business & Industry Action Team of the Mayor’s Council Against Hate and served as a mentor for the 10 Project and the Principal Leadership Academy. She is a 2018 graduate of Leadership Chattanooga and a current member of the downtown Chattanooga Rotary Club.
Ms. Harris earned her undergraduate degree from Berry College and her master’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She is a native Chattanooga, and she and her husband, Jaye, reside in the city with their three rescue dogs.
Ms. Harris said, “See Rock City has had a great, long-standing relationship with First Horizon, and we have especially appreciated their partnership and support when we have navigated business growth opportunities, as well as the challenges of the pandemic. First Horizon realizes the importance of community, and I’m looking forward to serving with so many strong area leaders.”
A native Chattanoogan and seventh-generation Tennessean, Ms. Derryberry is the president of Derryberry Public Relations, a full-service, award-winning public relations, government relations and media relations firm.
Ms. Derryberry served as deputy chief of staff for a member of Congress and partner in a statewide public affairs firm before opening the doors to Derryberry PR in January 2006. Ms. Derryberry was appointed to the Tennessee Human Rights Commission in 2015 by former Speaker of the House Beth Harwell and has served as chair of the board since 2019. She also serves as a commissioner of the Hamilton County Juvenile Court and is an active member of the Chattanooga Rotary Club, where she also serves as secretary of the board.
Ms. Derryberry earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She and her husband, Andy, reside on Signal Mountain with their rescue dog, Gumbo.
“First Horizon has been a trusted financial partner within the community for many years,” said Ms. Derryberry. “As a fourth-generation customer, I look forward to working with members of the advisory board to continue to strengthen the reach and relationships enjoyed by the bank.”
Chattanooga Market President Jay Dale said, “We are honored to have the knowledge and expertise that Robin and Susan bring to our Chattanooga advisory board. Both bring unique business perspectives to our board and assist in reflecting the make-up of the communities we serve. Their willingness to provide their leadership to First Horizon is appreciated by our entire team.”
Robin Derryberry