business briefs

• Jason Holliman recently was named new chief executive officer of East Tennessee-based Citizens National Bank.

He replaces David Verble, who recently announced his retirement.

A certified public accountant, Holliman graduated from Tennessee Tech University in 2002 with majors in accounting and finance.

Holliman, who will retain his title as president as well, has been with Citizens National Bank (CNB) for eight years and said customers can expect the same excellent service the bank has provided East Tennessee since its founding in 1973.

He plans to continue to differentiate the bank by being intensely local.

Holliman joined Citizens National Bank in 2014 as chief financial officer and senior vice president and was responsible for the finance and purchasing departments. He was promoted to bank president in 2018.

In addition to being a CPA and member of both Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Holliman is a certified valuation analyst and a member of National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts.

The bank’s branches, call center and board of directors are all local to Knox, Sevier, Jefferson, McMinn and Hamblen counties.

• University of Tennessee, Knoxville, recently took first place in the inaugural Southeastern Conference Machining Competition, which was held at UT’s new Manufacturing and Design Enterprise in Hardin Valley Friday, Nov. 18.

The competition challenged student-led teams of undergraduate and graduate students studying advanced materials and manufacturing to use computer numerically controlled machines to create a quadrant of the SEC logo.

It was made possible by the U.S. Department of Defense Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program. Project MFG ran the competition with support from America’s Cutting Edge, IACMI–The Composites Institute, UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute, Gene Haas Foundation and MSC Industrial Supply Co. In addition, 20 professional organizations staffed tables with representatives to speak to visiting students about future manufacturing-related careers.

Teams from Texas A&M University, Auburn University and Mississippi State University also competed.