Here's a look at promotions, hirings, movers and newsmakers in the Memphis area business scene.

Velita Thornton has joined Tioga Environmental Consultants as a biologist/environmental scientist. She will manage environmental projects. She has seven years of experience conducting stream, wetland and ecological assessments and permits. Thornton is a Qualified Hydrologic Professional and Asbestos Inspector.

Buckner Wellford, chair of Baker Donelson's Advocacy Department and a shareholder in the firm's Memphis office, has become a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. The College is an invitation-only fellowship of trial lawyers of diverse backgrounds from the United States and Canada that investigates each nominee for admission and selects only those who have demonstrated the very highest standards of trial advocacy, ethical conduct, integrity, professionalism and collegiality. Wellford represents hospitals, physicians and medical groups in health care litigation, regulatory, peer review, contract and employment matters.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital named Lori Spicer Robertson vice president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer. She joined St. Jude this past fall with the retirement of founding DEI Officer Kelvin Womack earlier in the year. Most recently, Spicer Robertson was vice president of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Saks Fifth Avenue.

Also at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Jasmine T. Plummer has joined the hospital as director of the new Center for Spatial Omics. She will help guide the institution’s strategy to develop cutting-edge spatial omics platforms that reveal how cells interact and organize across multiple dimensions to accelerate discovery and advance cures. Plummer joins St. Jude from Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles where she was the co-director of an applied genomics, computational and translational core.

Rhodes College named Nicole J. Johnson, dean of students and associate vice president for student affairs at Goucher College in Baltimore, as its vice president for student life. She assumed the role on Feb. 27. She had been with Goucher since 2018 in various positions, including associate dean of students for student support and success, interim associate dean of students, and assistant dean of students for race, equity and identity. Johnson is a Ph.D. candidate in the higher education program at Virginia Tech and holds a master’s degree in college student personnel from Arkansas Tech University.

Behind the Scenes, a professional event planning and project management company based in Memphis, recently announced that founder and CEO Dusky Norsworthy has been appointed to the ConventionSouth Editorial Advisory Board. Throughout the 24-month term, Norsworthy will provide guidance on the national magazine’s editorial content and serve as an ambassador in the field. Since 1983, ConventionSouth has provided meetings and events industry professionals with up-to-date news and trends; destination and venue features; diverse viewpoints from industry leaders; meeting planner profiles; market segment reports; and event planning guides spotlighting meeting venues, hotels and attractions in its 16-state coverage area, giving its 18,000-plus readers in-depth information. ConventionSouth is the only monthly magazine dedicated exclusively to meetings in the southern United States.

NOTEWORTHY

The Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCPE) recently announced Trezevant received the 2022 TNCPE Commitment Award. An organization recognized with the Commitment Award demonstrates commitment and implementation of performance improvement principles. The Commitment Award was accepted March 2 by Trezevant chief executive officer Kent Phillips as part of the 2023 TNCPE Excellence Conference and Awards Celebration.

For the fifth year in a row, Regional One Health Skilled Nursing and Subacute Care facility was recognized as a Best Nursing Home by U.S. News and World Report. Regional One Health Subacute Care is among the top elite 16 percent of facilities in the United States earning this honor. Subacute Care earned Best Nursing Homes status by achieving a rating of “High Performing,” the highest possible rating, for short-term rehabilitation.  U.S. News gives the designation of Best Nursing Home only to those facilities that satisfy U.S. News’ assessment of the appropriate use of key services and consistent performance in quality measures.

— Compiled by Daniel Ginsburg

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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis business news: Promotions, hirings, achievers and company news