Greater Knoxville Chapter

SCORE, America's Counselors to Small Business, is a volunteer organization that does free counseling for entrepreneurs starting their own business and free consulting to small business with problems of any type. The Greater Knoxville SCORE chapter has over 30 counselors who have volunteered to do this work free of charge. What type of people are they? Does their background qualify them to do this counseling and consulting? Here is a brief description of some of these volunteers:

Ralph Blair - A Tennessee native, has twenty-six years experience in the Health Care field. He has been employed by an international company, Sodexho, for the past ten years. Ralph is currently working at Cumberland Medical Center in Crossville Tennessee, as Director of Engineering. His duties include the over site of Engineering, Construction/Project Management, Facility/Clinical Maintenance, and the hospital’s safety program. A veteran of the US Navy, he is a life member of the VFW. He has earned a Bachelor in Business Administration from Shorter College in Georgia. Ralph is a member of the Breakfast Rotary Club in Crossville Tennessee, serves on the Building and Grounds Committee for the Crossville Play House, and is affiliated with several professional organizations

Conner Burnette - attended the University of Tennessee and is a graduate of the American College. After World War II military service became a life insurance agent, became a general agent and then became the CEO of a Missouri company. His agency provided pension and profit-sharing plans, and advanced estate planning. Also managed a real estate development company. Has done volunteer work for the Better Business Bureau, military related groups, the Presbyterian Church and the United Way. Has served as an elected member of the Knoxville City Council and is working with the University of Tennessee to provide an oral history of World War II.

Larry Byrkit - Retired after 22 years as President & CEO of Union Planters Bank of the Tennessee Valley. Mr. Byrkit started his career in various management positions in the banking industry in central Illinois and the greater Cincinnati area prior to moving to East Tennessee in 1982. His extensive background in "Turn-Around Management", reorganization, and lending made his bank a consistent top performing financial institution in Tennessee. He has a degree in Business Administration from Millikin University, attended the Wisconsin School of Banking, the Commercial Lending School at the University of Oklahoma, and he is a past member of the Society of Real Estate Appraisers. He has served on several boards and is a past president of the Chamber of Commerce.

Ray Cavender- A native of East Tennessee, graduated from Tennessee Tech with a degree in Business Management. He has over 30 years of textile and apparel management experience most of which was with Levi Strauss & CO. After joining LS&CO in 1968 he held several management positions including Quality Assurance, Contractor Management, Plant & Distribution Management. In 1980 he moved to San Francisco and became Director of Operations for the Mens Sportswear Division of Levi's. In his last position he was responsible for the sourcing of all Levi products produced in Mexico, Carribean,& Central America. He retired in 1997 from Levi's and for a short time did consulting engagements for textile and apparel firms interested in offshore manufacturing then returned to East Tennessee in 2004.

Chris Chotard - Employed full time in the Valuation and Transaction Services division of Coulter & Justus, P.C. Formerly has worked as an Associate Asset Manager for a real estate investment group with over $1BB in assets, as a Senior Financial Analyst for a Fortune 200 retailer with a market cap of over $4BB, and as a consultant to start-up and early stage companies. Holds an MBA from the University of Notre Dame, a BS in Business from Wake Forest University, and the CCIM (Certified Commercial Investment Member) designation.

Chuck Christiansen - General Management, Executive: P&L responsibility for manufacturing facilities in areas of metal stampings, cold heading & forming, impact extrusion, plastic injection molding & extrusion, assembly, distribution & warehousing. Owner of several small retail firms. Particularly skilled & adept at "Turn Around Management". Several years [over 15] experience in Sales & Marketing. Owned a screw & washer assembly operation. Owned retail establishments ranging from mail order to gift shop to camping trailer distribution. Consultant for Reorganization, Strategic Planning, Business Planning.International Executive Service Corps volunteer with completed assignments in Macedonia [1 seven month assignment] , Kazakhstan [3 assignments, 1 month, 3 months, 4 months] & 1 assignment Tajikistan [3 months]Education: Rockford School of Business, Rockford, Illinois with accounting degree. Many courses and seminars in management, marketing, personnel & human relations. Extensive experience in third world countries as volunteer adviser to companies converting from planned economy to market economy in all areas of industry; retail, wholesale, distribution, manufacturing, service, communications, transportation, agriculture

A. Herman Gerbig Jr. - Graduated from Southern Illinois University with a degree in Economics, did graduate work in accounting and marketing. Worked for a casualty insurance company as an underwriter. Later worked in the finance departments of International Harvester and Magnavox, which was purchased by North American Philips. After retiring, with 34 years, from Philips did consulting for them on the closing of two divisions.

Don Griffin - has a commendable history of building substantial shareholder value in turnaround assignments as CEO or president of several manufacturing organizations. He has extensive experience in multi-plant operations producing products to exacting specifications in the pharmaceutical packaging, personal care, cosmetics and food container markets. He has served in two organizations as CFO and has in depth knowledge of activity based cost accounting and budgeting systems. He has been involved his entire career in the application of information technology to the manufacturing process. Don and his wife are currently working as independent contractors for Kampgrounds of America (KOA), implementing the company's national reservation system across the US and Canada. He graduated from Purdue University's Krannert School of Management with a Masters of Science in Industrial Administration

George Hannye - has an economics degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Worked for the Eastman Kodak Company as an internal auditor, then spent 9 years overseas in charge of the administrative portion of the marketing/distribution subsidiaries in Madrid, Spain; Milan, Italy and Mexico City, Mexico. Designed, programmed and installed in all 35 overseas marketing/distribution subsidiaries computer systems to handle all their paperwork systems. Headed up the management consultant group in final years with Kodak. Does volunteer income tax preparation for the IRS.

Ed Harless--has over 30 years of diverse business experience in the Health Care and Marketing Services industries. He recently retired from ADVO, Inc, the nation's largest full service targeted direct mail marketing services company, as Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer. He held various positions at life science company Aventis Bio-Services, including Senior Vice President and General Manager, and has held senior human resources and general management positions with American Hospital Supply Corporation, Revlon Healthcare, and Pilkington Barnes-Hind. He has had hands on experience in new business start-ups and business turn-arounds. Primary skills are general management, customer service and logistics, human resources, and business planning. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Purdue University and a Master of Business Administration from Pepperdine University. He has served as a Director for the Hartford Arts council, and, as a veteran of the U.S. Navy, is an active member of the American Legion

Arthur Kareff--Brings over 35 years of business experience in consumer and technology products marketing, strategic planning and executive level management. In 1997 he established AJK Associates, a management consulting firm that focused on the strategic development and field implementation processes required to deliver client growth and profitability. His experience includes bringing start-up companies to market, channel and market expansion, and negotiation and implementation of strategic business partnerships. Major clients included the International Dairy Foods Association, Suiza-Morningstar Foods and GAP Technologies. Before starting his own company he held various senior level positions. Including, Executive Vice President for the Rockola Corporation, a global manufacturer of digital juke boxes and beverage vending machines and Vice President of North America Sales and Vice President International Market Development for Mars Inc. a global supplier of transaction payment systems to the beverage, vending, foodservice and gaming industries. Additional experience includes the Snapple Beverage Company where his responsibilities as the National Vending Manager included the development and management of the corporate cold drink sales and marketing strategy for the company and its 300 distributors and with Beverage Management Incorporated as Director of Cold Drink Marketing for the companies 10 multi state soft drink bottling operations.

Alex Leus--served in the US Navy Submarine Corps 1961 - 1967. Graduated from University of Detroit Mercy with Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, 1969 and a Master of Engineering, 1970. Completed 50% graduate course requirements for a Doctor of Engineering. Retired from DTE Energy, a power utility company located in Detroit, Michigan where also co-oped as a student engineer. Spent 33 years with DTE Energy of which 22 years were in instrumentation and control system research and design, reliability analysis, risk assessment and ergonomics design for fossil and nuclear power plants. Including 3 years as a Supervisor in this area. The remaining 11 years were in the areas of business process improvement, which included team human dynamics, business process dynamics, business process dynamic modeling, continuous improvement, reengineering and Six-Sigma applications in the areas of administration, power plants and energy distribution work flows within the DTE Energy Corporation. Retired for approximately eight years, 6 ½ years of those 8 years served as a volunteer math and science tutor at Sequoyah High School located in Madisonville, TN.

Mark Harris - has degrees from the University of Illinois and Roosevelt University. Handled all the administrative functions of the Silver Furniture Company. In later years the firm began importing and he managed this segment, which became 60% of the total business. Is head of the allocation committee which decides where money raised by the Jewish Federation is distributed. Is member of the Jewish Social Service Committee. Was past Chair of the Board of the Hesca Amuna Synagogue and the Campaign Chairman of the Jewish Federation.

Richard Jenkins -25 years experience in Business to Business (B to B) Product Management and Marketing with various Document Communication Systems providers including Moore Business Forms Corporation and Standard Register. Primary skills include market identification, market and strategic planning, product development, introduction, and management. Other skills include creating Business and Marketing plans, trending and projection, collateral creation and design, direct mail campaigns, and trade show design and management.

Sybil Keeble - After over 20 years as Manager of the Birmingham, Alabama division of Shook & Fletcher (a contractor and distributor of industrial insulation) started a branch in Knoxville. Advised and worked with manufactures of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, along with clients who had lower temperature needs. After 20 years of successfully managing this Knoxville branch, retired in 1998

Emil "Bud" Muly - has an electrical engineering degree from John Hopkins University and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Northwestern University. Has done research for the Martin Company and the National Research Corporation and held management positions in the research field of Leeds & Northrup Company and Intec Corporation. Was the Director of the Measurement and Control Engineering Center at the University of Tennessee and Professor and Chair of the Department of Applied Science at the University of Arkansas where he retired and was granted Professor Emeritus status. Has consulted for the Honeywell Microtrac Division. Has had mediation training and has mediated over 150 cases in the Knoxville court system. Is the treasurer and member of the Board for the Knoxville Community Mediation Center. Has 40 Publications and 9 patents. Has received many honors and awards and is a member of over a dozen professional and community groups.

Herb Nachman - is a marketing/communications specialist with a BA in Journalism & Mass Communications from UNC, Chapel Hill. Has over 30 years experience as a printing sales & healthcare marketing/communications executive in New York. He operated his own marketing/communications firm, producing healthcare educational programs for pharmaceutical clients. He launched the Acuvue Contact Lens from Johnson & Johnson to the national professional marketplace. Moving to Nashville in 1995, he directed marketing for the Bureau for At-Risk Youth, a national provider of educational services. Herb has served on numerous nonprofit boards including President of Nashboro Woods Homeowners Association, the First Unitarian Church of Nashville, Nashville Cares and Meals on Wheels of Stamford, CT. Herb is a Major, USAFR retired and served in Korea.

Arthur Pais - attended Illinois Institute of Technology. Started Laminite Plastics in Chicago in 1949. Built a plant for Laminite Plastics of Tennessee in Morristown, Tennessee in 1963. By 1977 it grew into two plants of 200,000 square feet each, with over 350 employees. Frequent speaker at Woodworking Industry Seminars and author of many articles in industry publications. In 1977 sold both companies, the Tennessee plants acquired by LOF. Remained with LOF for five years as consultant. In 1983 started Berg Industries (a joint venture with BERG Germany) Sold to a British Group and retired. Worked as independent consultant through the end of 2000.

Dana Peterka - Received his Bachelor of Science degree from South Dakota School of Mines. Has completed over 40 educational programs including Certified Financial Counselor Training by Dave Ramsey, Work Process Re-engineering by Geary Rummler, Creative Problem Solving at Synectics, New Product Development at the University of Michigan, and Marketing and Business Management programs at Columbia University. Served as Director of Marketing and IT Director at a Dow Jones 30 industrial company. Is a member of the Parish Pastoral Council and Parish Finance Committee at his church. Enjoys doing volunteer work including non-profit financial counseling for individuals and working with small business managers to improve their effectiveness.

Henry 'Hank' Quimby - has a BS in Business Administration from Miami University. Spent 5 years in the advertising and printing industry before joining Eaton Corporation. Was on the internal audit staff, plant cost supervisor, and the controller in the Materials Handling plant in Canada and at Yale Security plant in Lenoir City, Tennessee. Was a member of the finance committee for John XXIII and Wimbledon II. Served 4 years as Treasurer of Wimbledon II Home Owners Association and is currently President.. Is treasurer of the Knoxille Council of U.S. Navy League. Performed three assignments for the International Executive Service Corps. One in India installing a management information system for an automotive parts manufacturer and two in Slovakia reviewing financial systems and making recommendations for changes. Was a SCORE Regional Director and is currently on the SCORE District Director Advisory Council. Also prepares income tax returns as a volunteer for the IRS.

Walter Roessler - Holds a BSIE and an MBA with an Econ Major, retired from General Motors after 39+ years, half of which was involved in Industrial and Systems Engineering activities including factory floor process and methods improvements and design and implementation of business systems in large manufacturing operations.  The last 20 years were spent in Materials Management and Purchasing, managing and directing Production/Inventory Control activities, plus responsibility for a buying and supplier quality group overseeing $2.5B annual procurement value. A member of AIIE (American Institute of Industrial Engineers) and a Lifetime Certified Purchasing Manager (NAPM).  Has led major fund raising activities and served as an officer and board member of various non-profit activities.

Stewart G. (Stu) Siewert - graduated from Tennessee Tech with a degree in Music and then became an officer in the U.S. Army (Signal Corps) for three years. Upon leaving the military, he entered the University of Tennessee and obtained a Masters Degree in Accounting. He worked 33 years for Deloitte & Touche public accountants including 16 years in international locations in the Far East, Western and Eastern Europe. Major areas of interest were in turn-around management, operations, and mergers and acquisitions.

Larry Struttmann- Graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1947 and spent his working years in the anti-friction bearing industry. Is currently President of the National Association of Investor Corporation (NAIC) chapter formed in Knoxville. NAIC is a 51 year old organization dedicated to teaching methods on how to evaluate common stock Since retiring in 1995 has been doing SCORE counseling in Loudon County and works closely with the Loudon County Chamber of Commerce. Also, lectures to ROTC High School students on the Free Enterprise System.

Gerald Weinerman - has degree in accounting from the College of the City of New York and did graduate work in systems, accounting and law at both NYU and Columbia University. Was the Credit Vice President for Philips Consumer Electronics, which included budgeting, staffing, terms of sale, floor planning, and branch offices in 10 cities. Prior to joining Philips, did public accounting, private accounting, insurance and investment work.

Walter Williams - Spent twenty-six years in manufacturing in engineering, plant and general management responsibilities before founding an IBM business partner consulting company for computer based business systems for manufacturing. Next worked a few years with UT's Center for Industrial Services as an Electronic Commerce Consultant until retirement in the summer of 2002. Walt is now working a reduced schedule with his old firm, Manufacturing Systems, Inc. An Industrial Engineer from Ohio State University and MBA from the University of Dayton, Walt is a registered Professional Engineer and is APICS certified at the fellow level, CFPIM.

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