business briefs
• Ryan Dobbs, AIA, NCARB, recently was named president of BarberMcMurry Architects. He has been with BarberMcMurry since 2012 and was named a partner in 2017. He fills the shoes of Chuck Griffin, AIA, NCARB, who will remain CEO of BarberMcMurry until his planned retirement in early 2027.
Dobbs is responsible for several of the most awarded projects in BarberMcMurry’s history. During his leadership tenure, he has led initiatives related to design process, culture and community involvement, emphasizing BarberMcMurry’s vision and mission: “Be good people. Do great design.”
Griffin is a long-time tnAchieves mentor and serves on the Covenant Health Foundation board of directors. He previously has served on numerous boards and committees.
Dobbs and Griffin will continue to serve with BarberMcMurry’s other equity partners.
• Charles Martinez recently received the Emerging Scholar Award from the Southern Agricultural Economics Association as assistant professor and Extension specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. The award is presented to high-performing, early-career professionals with demonstrated research and resulting publication activity.
• Dogwood Arts announced the appointment of Eddie Mannis and Cory Dickson as 2025 Dogwood Arts co-chairs. “Since 1961, two community leaders have served as ambassadors for the organization, representing its mission with distinction and dedication,” a Dogwood Arts press release stated. “This longstanding tradition began alongside the inaugural Dogwood Arts Festival, following the planting of the first Dogwood Trail in 1955.”
As Dogwood Arts commemorated ‘Seven Decades in Bloom’ in 2025, the organization welcomed Mannis and Dickson into this leadership role.
As co-chairs, they also advocating for and support the year-round calendar of events and programs the organization produces each year.
• Jake Blevins, head trainer with Athletic Republic Knoxville, recently was chosen the recipient of the Trainer of the Year Award. This annual award honors an exceptional trainer who has demonstrated outstanding leadership, innovation and dedication to improving both athlete performance and the overall Athletic Republic experience.
• Visit Knoxville and Earthadelic recently partnered to convert the turf at Convenant Health Park from a field designed for baseball to a field designed for soccer and back again to baseball, allowing for the stadium to host an overlapping baseball season for the Knoxville Smokies alongside One Knoxville Sporting Club.
• A VOLthon Dance Marathon, presented by UT Federal Credit Union, recently raised
a record-breaking $271,257.56
for East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.
The event, which took place at University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Student Union and Pilot Company Grand Ballroom, had more than 600 students attending. The 12-hour dance marathon raised funds for ETCH’s greatest needs.
Hospital ambassadors also attended to share their stories. This was the program’s 30th anniversary and has raised more than $2.4 million for ETCH since its creation.
