Business briefs

• Pellissippi State Community College’s Laura Overstreet, director of the Tennessee Small Business Development Center in Knoxville, recently was chosen as a State Star, the state’s highest honor from her peers, and was celebrated recently at America’s Small Business Development Center’s annual conference.

According to a press release, the State Stars, who were chosen by their SBDC networks, are among the “best of the best” – those who demonstrate exemplary performance, make significant contributions to their networks and are deeply committed to the success of America’s small businesses.

• Jim Driscoll, CPA, recently was appointed as chief financial officer at Shannondale Senior Living in Knoxville. He has 15 years of experience in healthcare accounting, financial and compliance management.

• Black Diamond Pest Control recently announced its newest branch in Knoxville is now open and offering Pest Control Services to residential and commercial clients in Knox, Campbell, Anderson, Union, Grainger, Roane, Loudon, Blount, Sevier, Jefferson and Hamblen Counties. Pest control specialist Brian Thornton leads the expansion as branch manager. For more information, call 877-DEAD BUG.

• University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s, Culinary Program director Greg Eisele recently received the Hospitality and Tourism Educator Award at the 2021 Governor’s Conference on Hospitality and Tourism held in Murfreesboro.

Eisele has been the executive chef for the UT Conference Center and director of the Culinary Program for the past nine years.

His statewide award comes on the heels of the Hospitality Educator Award he received in August at Greater Knoxville Hospitality Association’s Stars of the Industry awards and scholarship luncheon.

• The University of Tennessee Medical Center/University Health Center recently received Certificate of Need approval from the Tennessee Health Services and Development Agency for a Freestanding Satellite Emergency Department in Jamestown, which is in Fentress County, to provide emergency care in Jamestown.