Month: June 2011

East Tennessee Medical Group Longtime Employees Honored

Posted by Lisa Hood Skinner – June 30, 2011

ALCOA, Tenn. – East Tennessee Medical Group (ETMG) recently honored its longtime employees who have worked at the multi-specialty physician practice for more than five years.

The presentation was one highlight of the companywide picnic held Saturday, May 21 in Springbrook Park, Alcoa.

Recipients of the five-year longevity awards included:

  • Karen Click
  • Glenda Gibson
  • Teresa Russell
  • Brandi Byrd
  • Stephanie Tipton
  • Peggy Young
  • Jenny Lewis
  • Susan Wilson
  • Alma Evans
  • Judy Kubik
  • Amanda Cummings
  • Jennifer Malonee
  • Carolyn Tompkins
  • Melissa Pendleton
  • Nelda Kagley
  • Cheree Broscious
  • Jackie Hopkins
  • Dustin Bowen
  • Keema Kidd
  • Stephanie Wyatt
  • Megan Bender
  • Chandra Hearon
  • Charity Ward
  • Nadine Derksen
  • Dianne Gruber

Recipients of the 10-year awards included:

  • Deloris A. Hendrickson
  • Beth Russell
  • Jessica Patty
  • Amanda Hendrick
  • Patti Seigler
  • Dr. Alma Leaird
  • Bobbie Bullock
  • Jocelyn Carroll
  • Heather Zweifel
  • Jim Long

Recipients of the 15+ year awards included:

  • Lissa Baldwin
  • Sherry Reagan
  • Lucy Mckeehan
  • Jan Cope
  • Katie Turner
  • Mike Clapp
  • Sandy Russell
  • Regina Piuma
  • Patsy McCall
  • Pat Cox
  • Patti Lawson
  • Rhonda Taylor
  • Carol Wicks
  • Jo Rasar
  • Sandra Bonds
  • Belinda Riegle

Of East Tennessee Medical Group’s 200 employees, over 60 percent have been employed for more than five years.

East Tennessee Medical Group is a 50-provider multi-specialty medical group in Alcoa, serving Blount County for over 15 years. For the third consecutive year, ETMG has been recognized as the #1 Healthcare facility in Blount County by The Daily Times Readers’ Choice Awards. For more information, call 984-ETMG or visit its website at www.etmg.net.

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Media Contact:
Ron German
(865)984-ETMG
rgerman@etmg.net

New teen sensations Jenny and Ashley will shoot concert video at Wilderness at the Smokies resort July 16

Posted by Erin Freeman – June 30, 2011

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – Following in the footsteps of Disney superstars Miley Cyrus (“Hannah Montana”), Selena Gomez, and the Jonas Brothers, Jenny and Ashley Cooke, better known as “Jenny & Ashley,” will perform and shoot a video at Wilderness at the Smokies resort in Sevierville on Saturday night, July 16, 2011.

Jenny & Ashley

Not only will the video shoot be free and open to our guests and some members of the general public, but everyone who shows up for the video shoot will also receive a pass to come back and spend an entire day for FREE at Wilderness at the Smokies resort.  Although the resort has been open for three years, it has never been open to the general public (only resort guests can use the waterparks at Wilderness at the Smokies). During the concert, a limited number of outside guests will be permitted to watch the concert and participate in the shoot.

The concert / video shoot begins at 8 p.m. ET and those who wish to be in the video are asked to be at the resort by 7 p.m.  Special parking will be provided at Wilderness at the Smokies and those who wish to participate in the music video shoot will be directed once they arrive.

To get a free pass to participate in this event, you will need to make a donation to Soles4Souls, a charity group that gives shoes to those in need.  We will know in coming days where people can drop off new or gently used shoes in exchange for passes to the Jenny & Ashley concert event at Wilderness at the Smokies.  Please note that ONLY those who have obtained passes to this concert by donating shoes to Soles4Souls will be allowed to attend.

Jenny and Ashley’s complete touring band will be joining them at Wilderness at the Smokies and a production team and director are coming in to manage the music video shoot.  Rick Laney, vice president of Knoxville’s Ackermann PR who has also worked with National Geographic Television, MTV Productions, Travel Channel, and has produced live concert DVDs in the past, is serving as a production consultant to the project.

Those who come to the video shoot are asked to bring their swimsuits.  Although some people will be directed to be in the water during the video shoot, not everyone will be and many of our attractions (waterslides, Surf Rider, etc.) may be closed.  You may be asked to follow the direction and instructions of the production crew while the video is being shot.  After the shoot, Wilderness at the Smokies will show our appreciation for your involvement in this production by giving everyone in attendance a FREE wristband good for one entire day – from open to close – at our waterpark resort (to be used any time in the next two months).

Jenny (15) and Ashley (14) are originally from Wisconsin, but moved to Pleasanton, Calif. when they were in elementary school.  The sisters discovered their talents early while performing in a number of theatre productions and quickly made the move to acting and modeling. Jenny appeared as a model and cover girl for Kohl’s television and print advertising and also started acting.  Ashley quickly caught the bug too, and modeled for both Levi’s and Kohl’s in television and print advertising. They followed their dreams to Los Angeles, where Jenny and Ashley picked up work with Disney, Nickelodeon and Fox Television.

Quickly realizing their love and passion for music the girls switched gears and headed to Nashville to pursue music.  Jenny & Ashley caught the eye of some very important players in Nashville and soon found themselves in studio recording their first EP.  The EP, “Songs About You,” has songs the girls wrote as well as great songs from famous Nashville writers.  Darran Smith, Tim McGraw’s co-producer and lead guitarist, produced the entire product and Tim’s band, The Dance Hall Doctors, tracked every instrument you hear.  “Songs About You,” available now on iTunes, is an upbeat pop/country album which includes “Indescribable” co-written by Ashley and received national radio airplay.

Stay tuned to find out how YOU can join us for a FREE evening of music and fun while Jenny and Ashley shoot their music video on July 16 at 8 p.m.  We will also be announcing the drop-off location where you can donate shoes in exchange for passes to the concert.  Jenny and Ashley will stick around after the concert to meet our guests.  As our way of thanking you for helping with this video production, we want you to then bring your free passes and come back to Wilderness at the Smokies and enjoy all three of our waterparks for the entire day.  Visit www.AckermannWire.com regularly for all updates and more details as they are available.

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Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

Cellular Sales opens five new stores

Posted by admin – June 29, 2011

Interior of a Cellular Sales store

Knoxville, Tenn. – Cellular Sales, a premium Verizon retailer, has opened five new stores nationwide in the past few weeks. The new stores opened in Baton Rouge, La., Southport, N.C., Graham, Texas, North Palm Beach, Fla. and Charlotte, N.C.

Currently, Cellular Sales has more than 400 stores across the United States. Sales consultants for the company earn an average of more than $51,000 per year.

Cellular Sales is an 18-year-old privately held company founded and headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn.  For the past three years, Inc. Magazine has named Cellular Sales one of the nation’s fastest growing retail companies in the country.

For more information about the new Cellular Sales stores, visit www.CellularSales.com. For more information on joining the company, visit www.JoinCellularSales.com.

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Media Contact:
Sarah Malak
(865) 584-0550
smalak@ackermannpr.com

Former Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist joins BioPet Vet Lab Board of Directors

Posted by admin – June 28, 2011

Knoxville, Tenn. – BioPet Vet Lab, a biotechnology company specializing in canine genetic testing, is pleased to announce that former Tennessee Governor Don Sundquist has joined its Board of Directors.

BioPet, a Knoxville, Tenn., based company, has recently launched their franchise program for PooPrints™, a product designed to promote responsible pet ownership and address one of the world’s growing environmental problems.  Governor Sundquist’s experience in dealing with the government will be a great plus to BioPet Vet Lab as they move forward with the PooPrints™ franchise program.

Governor Sundquist served as governor of Tennessee from 1995 to 2003.  He also served as US representative from 1982 to 1994.  Presently he is a Partner at Sundquist Anthony LLC, Director at Howard Baker Center for Public Policy – University of Tennessee, Advisory Board Member at ICCF (International Conservation Caucus Foundation), and Governors Board of Director, among several other board appointments.  In addition, he remains active in his consulting firm in Washington, DC.

Over the past 30 years, the canine population in the United States has doubled to more than 78 million pets.  Records show that up to 40% of dog owners do not pick up the droppings, creating an increasingly negative environmental impact.  Consumer Reports survey in 2010 has shown that the nuisance from this is now ranked no.6 on their list of “America’s Top Gripes,” right below unreliable internet service.  The greater impact, however, occurs when the droppings wash into lakes, rivers, and streams, bringing a host of bacteria with them.  Because of this, the EPA now ranks the pollution problem in the same health category as toxic chemicals and oil entering the water supply.

Eric Mayer, Director of Franchise Development at BioPet, states that the EPA lists pet waste management at the top of their guidelines for Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations, and that there have been several reports recently of lakes and rivers closing from ground seepage.  He further states the general public does not understand the very real health and environmental risks that dog waste poses.  As an example, each dog dropping carries approximately 3 billion fecal coliform bacteria including Salmonella and E.coli.  Exposure to these microbes not only causes fish kills, but can also transfer from dog-to-dog, and dog-to-human.

BioPet views PooPrints™ as the responsible answer to solving these environmental and health problems.  Government regulation related to pet waste management will soon be implemented on a large scale, as many cities and towns currently have these ordinances on the books.

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About BioPet Vet Lab:  BioPet Vet Lab is an animal DNA testing laboratory located in Knoxville, Tennessee. BioPet’s research and development group explores genetic science in order to offer new tests that can be used to improve the healthcare and quality of life for our beloved pets. For additional information about BioPet Vet Lab, visit their website at www.biopetvetlab.com.

Media Contact:
Jeff Hooper
Ackermann PR                                     
(865) 584-0550
jhooper@ackermannpr.com

Thome named Director of Operations of Cellular Sales

Posted by admin – June 21, 2011

Thome

Knoxville, Tenn. – Cellular Sales announced that James “JT” Thome has been named Director of Operations. Thome brings nearly 15 years of experience in information technology and executive-level management to the company. In addition to his work with software engineering, e-commerce and logistics, Thome will also be called upon for his experience in business development and marketing.

“We’re glad to welcome JT to Cellular Sales,” said Dane Scism, founder and CEO. “His background and skills are exactly what our company needs to prime our infrastructure for continued growth and success.”

Prior to joining Cellular Sales, Thome was Chief Operating Officer of Textbooks.com, the nation’s leading online retailer of new and used textbooks. Under Thome’s leadership, sales grew nearly 70 percent in one year.

Thome has also held high-level positions with Jewelry Television in Knoxville, Tenn., WebMD and AT&T.

“I’m excited to be back in Knoxville and working for Cellular Sales,” said Thome. “It is a fantastic company that’s growing by leaps and bounds, and I’m proud to be a part of their team.”

Thome graduated with a bachelor’s degree in computer science from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He also holds an MBA from Emory University. He resides in Knoxville.

About Cellular Sales
Cellular Sales, the nation’s largest Verizon premium wireless retailer, is an 18-year-old privately held company founded and headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn. The company operates more than 400 stores across the United States. For the past three years, Inc. Magazine has named Cellular Sales one of the nation’s fastest growing retail companies in the country. For more information about Cellular Sales, visit www.CellularSales.com.

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Media Contact:
Sarah Malak
(865) 584-0550
smalak@ackermannpr.com

Titanic Museum Attractions will send 12 people on free trips to RMS Titanic birthplace

Posted by Erin Freeman – June 16, 2011

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. and BRANSON, Mo. –  To commemorate Titanic’s Irish heritage, Titanic Museum Attractions in Branson, Mo. and Pigeon Forge, Tenn. will give away six 11-day trips for two to Belfast beginning today. The 12 winners of the “Back to Titanic 100th Year ‘Tour Ireland’ Sweepstakes” will go to Belfast where they will visit the birthplace of the world’s best-known, most luxurious ocean liner.

The RMS Titanic under construction in Belfast, Ireland

Winners receive airfare to and from Ireland, ground transportation, and hotel accommodations. The Back to Titanic 100th Anniversary Tour begins in Belfast, where winners will learn the history behind the world’s most famous ocean liner. Their journey continues in Dublin where they’ll take advantage of everything the beautiful city has to offer. They’ll also have a special presentation by Rory Golden which will include the first-ever images of the discovered Titanic wreck and the impact Titanic has had on society. Winners will experience many breathtaking areas of Ireland with guided tours and exclusive events taking place in Belfast, Dublin, Cobh and Kilkenny offered only to these travelers!

To enter the “Back to Titanic 100th Year ‘Tour Ireland’ Sweepstakes,” simply visit www.TitanicAttraction.com and click on the sweepstakes banner to register. Each person entering the sweepstakes may enter one time per day between June 13, 2011 and Feb. 1, 2012. The winner will be drawn in early February 2012.

In May 1911, the RMS Titanic slid down Slipway No. 3 at the Queen’s Yard of Harland & Wolff and settled on the waters of the Victoria Channel in Belfast, Ireland while more than 100,000 people looked on. At the time, she was the largest movable manmade object on the face of the planet. In the coming months, RMS Titanic would complete numerous successful sea trials with Irish workers and crew members on board.

The following April, when Titanic set sail on her maiden voyage, the world watched as the A-List celebrities of the day – the Astors, the Strauses and Guggenheims – boarded alongside everyday working-class people. Four days later, after striking an iceberg on her starboard side, those same diverse passengers would carry out amazing acts of generosity, kindness and heroism as well as unthinkable acts of cowardice as they struggled for their lives in the early morning hours of April 15, 1912.

It has been 99 years since a lookout in the crow’s nest shouted, “Iceberg right ahead!” For the twelve months leading up to April 15, 2012, when it will have been a century since the RMS Titanic was lost, Titanic Museum Attractions will pay respect to and honor those 2,208 passengers and crew members with an ongoing series of special events, activities and ceremonies.

As the whole world remembers the world’s most famous luxury liner, Titanic Museum Attractions will continue to open the door to the past in it’s one-of-a-kind way – letting “passengers” experience what it was like to walk the hallways, parlors, cabins and Grand Staircase of the Titanic while surrounded by more than 400 artifacts directly from the ship and its passengers. As visitors touch a real iceberg, walk the Grand Staircase and third class hallways, reach their hands into 28-degree water, and try to stand on the sloping decks, they learn what it was like on the RMS Titanic by experiencing it first-hand.

Each and every day, Titanic Museum Attractions provides a gateway to 1912, where First Class Maids and a variety of Officers and crew members bring the stories of the fabled ship and its fascinating passengers to life by retelling their stories in vivid, dramatic detail. The priceless artifacts throughout the museum shed additional light on the lives of those passengers and crew members when guests see the actual belongings of those on board and artifacts that sailed on Titanic’s maiden voyage.

The Titanic Museum Attractions in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. and Branson, Mo. opens daily at 9 a.m. Reservations are strongly suggested (many days sell out entirely). Or, passengers may purchase tickets online at www.TitanicAttraction.com or by phone at 800-381-7670. For more information and details about the “Back to Titanic 100th Year ‘Tour Ireland’ Sweepstakes” visit www.TitanicAttraction.com.

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Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

Wish granted to Fayetteville girl during Cellular Sales Grand Opening event

Posted by Ryan Willis – June 16, 2011

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – Most often, grand opening events are a celebration of a company and the products or services it offers to customers.  But on Tuesday, Cellular Sales did something a little out-of-the-box during its 400th store Grand Opening event.  The day belonged to a special little six-year old girl from Fayetteville: Georgia.

Cellular Sales presents check to Make-A-Wish Foundation to help fulfill Georgia's wish

Georgia suffers from Wilms Tumor, a form of childhood kidney cancer.  But on Tuesday, she was granted her wish thanks to a partnership between Cellular Sales and the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Eastern North Carolina.  Like many young girls, Georgia loves to play with her dolls and dress them in all kinds of different outfits, which is why her wish is to go on a shopping spree to Wal-Mart and Toys“R”Us.

During Tuesday’s Grand Opening event, Cellular Sales and the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted Georgia her wish.  Georgia and her parents, Ashley and Anthony, and her brother and sister, Austin and Makyla, will share in the excitement of her special shopping day on July 5.

“Opening our 400th store is an amazing feat for Cellular Sales, but being able to make Georgia’s wish come true has certainly been the most rewarding part of the day,” said Ari Mendlovitz, North Carolina Regional Director of Cellular Sales.  “We couldn’t think of a better way to kick things off here in Fayetteville and Hope Mills.”

Ribbon cutting ceremony held for the opening of Cellular Sales' 400th store in Hope Mills, NC

Tuesday’s milestone event took place at the new store located at 3001 Hope Mills Road and despite a tough economy, Cellular Sales, the nation’s largest retailer of Verizon Wireless products and services, continues to open 30 to 50 new stores every quarter.

Cellular Sales invested more than $225,000 in the Hope Mills location and created 15 sales positions to service the store, according to Matt Henry, Regional Recruiting Manager for the East Carolinas Region.

“As we continue to grow,  we are extremely excited to open our 400th store in this area,” said Mike Baker, Regional Director of Cellular Sales. “North Carolina is a great state and the Fayetteville/Hope Mills area is an area full of patriotism, community spirit and history.  We are truly honored to celebrate this milestone in Hope Mills.”

Starting as a one-store company in Knoxville, Tenn., Cellular Sales is now a more than $300 million annual business that maintains an annual growth rate of more than 150 percent and has 2,000 sales consultants across the country.

“Cellular Sales has grown tremendously because we put customer service first,” said Dane Scism, founder and CEO of Cellular Sales. “Our business model is based on treating every customer as if they were our only customer.  People notice it when you take care of them.”

For more information about Cellular Sales, visit the company’s website at www.cellularsales.com. For more information about the company’s 400th store opening, contact Sarah Malak at (865) 584-0550 or smalak@ackermannpr.com, Ari Mendlovitz at (843) 696-5556 or Mike Baker at (910) 409-3222.

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About Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Eastern North
Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Eastern North Carolina grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Founded in 1986, the chapter serves all medically eligible children who reside in the 49 counties east of the Orange / Alamance county line. The Foundation operates solely through generous donations of individuals, corporations and foundations. With the help of more than 280 volunteers, including a 17-member Board of Directors, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern North Carolina has granted more than 2,100 wishes since its inception. For more information, please visit us at www.eastncwish.org.

Media: For more information, interviews, high resolution photos, or to speak to a Cellular Sales representative, contact Sarah Malak at (865) 584-0550.

No Summer Vacation for Social Media

Posted by admin – June 13, 2011

Knoxville, Tenn. – Summer vacation is usually a time to relax, unwind and maybe even unplug from those digital devices that have become extra appendages to many.  But social media is increasingly becoming intertwined with family vacations.

Whether you find yourself mobile uploading photos of your adventures to Facebook or “checking-in” at various stops along your drive down I-75, you may have an excuse the next time your spouse politely asks you to put down your iPhone and join in the family fun.  Social media tools can actually enhance your vacation, but finding a balance is key.

Ackermann’s Digital Strategies Manager, Shane Rhyne says, “Living Social and Groupon, for example, can save your family money when you take advantage of special offers on restaurants, shopping and lodging.”  The social media community on FourSquare offers valuable tips about tourist attractions.  “We’re seeing that with the Titanic Museum Attraction in Pigeon Forge,” says Rick Laney, Ackermann PR Vice-President.  More than 300 people checked-in to the attraction in the first year since the grand opening.

One vacationer, Bri-Anne S. enjoyed her experience at the Titanic Museum Attraction and was particularly impressed with the iceburg exhibit that allows visitors to feel the temperature on that fateful night.  Bri-Anne S. checked-in to the museum on FourSquare and offered this tip, “Make sure you don’t go in flipflops and shorts!  It’s cold in there anyway, but when you get to the 30 something degree room and then stick your hand in the 28 degree water, it’s really cold!”  Dollywood and Wilderness at the Smokies are also popular “check-in” destinations on FourSquare.

Popular travel websites like TripAdvisor.com are now teaming up with Facebook to further connect users to their friends.  “Soliciting travel advice from friends in your online networks can be extremely helpful,” says Rhyne.  Even government agencies are using social networks to provide information on road conditions and detours via Twitter.

Rhyne warns that the “always on, always connected” mentality may contradict with your family’s vacation.  “Finding the balance between the two, especially when you’re on vacation, will make for a happier experience,” says Rhyne.  “Or at least that’s what my wife Ruth tells me between my Twitpic uploads of our beach trip.”

For a full recap of Shane’s social media tips to use for your summer vacation, visit the Ackermann Experience.

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Media Contact
Rick Laney
rlaney@ackermannpr.com
(865) 584-0550

Wilderness at the Smokies is a premier eco-friendly resort

Posted by Erin Freeman – June 8, 2011

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. – It is only natural that a resort called “Wilderness at the Smokies” is doing everything it can to preserve the environment and be an environmentally responsible business.  Although thousands of visitors travel from all over to experience the resort’s indoor and outdoor waterparks every day, many of them don’t realize all that Wilderness at the Smokies is doing to be a leader in environmental-friendliness.

Inside the Wild Water Dome at Wilderness at the Smokies resort.

Just this month, Wilderness at the Smokies resort launched a new towel program designed to give guests the high level of service and convenience they are accustomed to from the resort while significantly reducing the amount of washing and drying it does and the energy it consumes.  With every waterpark pass, guests are issued a towel card which allows each visitor to have two towels at all times.  As the towels become wet, guests simply trade them for dry towels.  The new towel card system has already resulted in a huge reduction in energy use by the resort.

The first thing many families notice when entering the indoor waterpark at Wilderness at the Smokies is that it feels like you’re outside on a beautiful summer day – even in the middle of winter.  The see-through Texlon™ roof that covers the indoor waterpark allows sunlight and UV rays into the 60,000 square-foot indoor waterpark.  The Texlon™ roof not only allows guests to tan year round, it allows real plants to thrive indoors and dramatically reduces the resort’s energy consumption.

According to John Regnerus, operations director at Wilderness at the Smokies, the resort uses 300 to 400 less therms of natural gas per day to heat the indoor waterpark during the colder winter months because of the Texlon™ roof.  One therm is the energy equivalent of burning about 100 cubic feet of natural gas and the average U.S. household uses roughly 1,000 therms per year.  “It significantly lowers our energy consumption,” Regnerus said.  “Over a three or four month period, we can reduce our natural gas usage by 30,000 to nearly 50,000 therms.  That’s a considerable reduction in our use of fossil fuel.”

The difference between an indoor waterpark with a Texlon™ roof and one with a standard roof like one would find in a gymnasium is the difference between night and day.  The transparency of the Texlon™ roof and the natural light it allows into Wilderness at the Smokies brings the outdoors in throughout the year.

The natural lighting provided by the Texlon™ roof at Wilderness at the Smokies also allows the resort to lower its electric consumption by not using artificial lighting during daylight hours.  The roof has a built-in ventilation system to circulate more air in the summertime and reduces the resort’s use of air conditioning when it’s warm outside.

“Because of the roof at Wilderness at the Smokies, guests can literally forget they are inside,” said Dave Keim of Aquatic Development Group, the company that supplied the Texlon™ roof to Wilderness at the Smokies.  “In the middle of winter, guests are surrounded by live tropical plants, getting a suntan and splashing in the water attractions.  The energy savings are important, but what the guests remember is the experience.”

Wilderness at the Smokies is a member of the Green Hotels Association.  In addition to the Texlon™ roof over the resort’s indoor waterpark, Wilderness at the Smokies uses energy-saving compact florescent lighting in many areas throughout its facility and all of its appliances and kitchen equipment are the latest Energy Star rated design (using 30 percent less energy than older appliances).  Guest rooms at River Lodge are equipped with state-of-the-art key-controlled occupancy sensors which save electricity by turning on lights and the HVAC system as guests enter their rooms.  Tinted windows in guest rooms are also designed to reduce energy consumption and motion-sensing paper towel dispensers in the common areas reduce paper usage.

“Wilderness at the Smokies is adjacent to one of this nation’s most valuable natural wonders – the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,” said Steve Cruz, the general manager of Wilderness at the Smokies.  “The environment is one of the primary reasons guests come to the Smokies.  We value nature and the environment the same way our guests do.  Being environmentally responsible is everyone’s job and Wilderness at the Smokies wants to be a leader in this area.”

Wilderness at the Smokies resort opened in 2009 and is the Southeast’s largest indoor/outdoor waterpark resort.  With two outdoor waterparks and a 6-acre indoor waterpark, Wilderness also has six restaurants, a deli, gift shops, convenience stores, mini-golf, and a 36-hole championship golf course.  Wilderness is connected to a 200,000 square-foot conference and event center capable of hosting events for 10,000 people.

Wilderness at the Smokies, located minutes from Interstate 40 and situated in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, is one of the area’s only year-round vacation destinations.  For more information about Wilderness at the Smokies, call toll-free 877-325-9453 or visit www.WildernessAtTheSmokies.com.

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Media Contact
Rick Laney
(865) 584-0550
rlaney@ackermannpr.com

Hearing and Speech Foundation Announces New Board of Directors

Posted by admin – June 7, 2011

Alan Boeckmann, new chairman of the board of Hearing and Speech Foundation

Knoxville, Tenn. – The Hearing & Speech Foundation (HSF) announced today that it has appointed a new board of directors. Alan Boeckmann has been named chairman of the board. He is the recently retired CEO and still Chairman of the Board of Fluor Corporation.

Boeckmann’s introduction to the Hearing and Speech Foundation, which was created to bring the gift of sound to those affected by severe and profound hearing loss, came about after a childhood fever left his son with profound hearing loss. His son received excellent care and went on to lead a nearly normal life, so Boeckmann has devoted his life to giving the hearing impaired the gift of sound.

“The Hearing and Speech Foundation has always been successful in East Tennessee, but forming a national board will allow us to reach a broader audience and further the organization’s efforts,” said Boeckmann. “The benefits of our initiatives will, in return, allow for an even greater level of care and treatment locally.”

“The endeavors and accomplishments of the Hearing and Speech Foundation have grown tremendously since the organization’s founding in 1981. Now we’re taking the foundation to the next level by forming a strong board of key players who can serve as national ambassadors for this important work,” said John Berry, owner of Blount Hearing and Speech Services and co-founder and CEO of HSF.

The Hearing and Speech Foundation’s new board of directors with titles is as follows:

  • Alan Boeckmann, Board Chairman
    Boeckmann is the recently retired CEO and still Chairman of the Board of Fluor Corporation.
  • John S. Berry, Board Member
    Berry is the owner of Blount Hearing and Speech Services and co-founder and CEO of the Hearing and Speech Foundation. He is a world-renowned expert in the application of the Verbal Tonal method of treatment for the hearing impaired.
  • Roma Y. Renfro, Treasurer
    Renfro is a former teacher for the deaf.
  • Cathy Ackermann, Board Member
    Ackermann is the president and CEO of Ackermann PR.
  • Dr. Gerald W. Gibson, Board Member
    President Emeritus Dr. Gerald W. Gibson served as president of Maryville College from 1993 to 2010.
  • Dr. Joseph E. Johnson, Board Member
    President Emeritus Dr. Joseph E. Johnson was president of the University of Tennessee from 1991 to 1999.
  • Avis A. Phillips, Board Member
    Phillips is founder, owner and president of Avisco, Inc. Mrs. Phillips and her husband, Ted Phillips, also own Phillips and Jordan.

For more information about the Hearing and Speech Foundation and its new board of directors, contact Sarah Malak at (865) 584-0550 or smalak@ackermannpr.com.

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About the Hearing and Speech Foundation
The Hearing and Speech Foundation was created to bring the gift of sound to those affected by severe and profound hearing loss. Since 1981, the foundation has served not only as a patient care center, but as a leader in the research and treatment of hearing impairment. By focusing on cutting-edge, research-based techniques, the Hearing and Speech Foundation works to bring a positive change to the traditional treatment options for the hearing impaired. For more information about the Hearing and Speech Foundation, visit www.HSFWeb.org.

Media Contact:
Sarah Malak
(865) 584-0550
smalak@ackermannpr.com