The River City Company Board of Directors has welcomed five new members for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. Those additions include Dr. Carol Berz of the Chattanooga City Council, Andrew Kean of Alderman Holdings, Adam Kinsey of the Chattanooga Choo Choo, Virginia Anne Sharber of the Hunter Museum of American Art and Sabrena Smedley of the Hamilton County Commission.
Dr. Berz is the chief executive officer of Private Dispute Resolution Services, LLC, a mediation services and training organization headquartered in Chattanooga, and serves as the chairperson and District 6 representative for the Chattanooga City Council.
Dr. Berz is a graduate of Leadership America in Washington, D.C. and is a former president of the Board of Directors, and life member of, the Moccasin Bend Girl Scout Council. She served on the Governor’s Task Force on Church Burnings, the Tennessee Economic Council on Women and most recently as head of the Economic Impact Committee. Dr. Berz is a former chair of the Board of Managers of the Hamilton Family YMCA, a former member of the Board of Directors of the Chattanooga Metro YMCA and serves on the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators, a founding member of the Association of Professional Family Mediators, a member of the ADR Section of the American Bar Association and the National Association of Social Workers, a member of Chattanooga’s Women’s Leadership Institute and co-chair of the Chattanooga Mayor’s Council For Women.
Mr. Kean is a founding partner of Alderman Holdings, a regional acquisition firm focused on building a portfolio of manufacturing, industrial and business service companies. With experience in leadership roles in both the private and government sectors, Mr. Kean maintains a passion for developing people and organizations with an eye toward creating value for others.
In addition to serving on the River City Company board, Mr. Kean serves of the boards of See Rock City, Inc., the Tennessee Stillhouse, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, the Session of New City Fellowship and is a member of the Downtown Rotary Club of Chattanooga.
Mr. Kinsey is a real estate developer and entrepreneur, focusing on urban, mixed-used and entertainment projects. Since joining Kinsey Probasco Hays in 2001, he has been involved in over $200 million of development projects. In 2011, Mr. Kinsey opened Chattanooga’s largest privately owned music venue, Track 29, at the Chattanooga Choo Choo.
Mr. Kinsey now serves as president of the Chattanooga Choo Choo and is overseeing a transformative $20 million redevelopment of the historic hotel. Once completed the 24-acre property will house several restaurants, music venues, a comedy club and residential units as well as all new hotel rooms
Dr. Sharber, appointed the Hunter Museum's sixth executive director in 2015, holds a J.D. from the University of Tennessee School of Law and practiced law for 25 years with Miller & Martin PLLC. Dr. Sharber has served on many boards including ArtsBuild, the Bill Holmberg Arts Leadership Institute and the Cultural Cabinet of ArtsBuild, which oversaw the Imagine Chattanooga 2020 cultural planning process, the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera, the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, Memorial Health Care Foundation, Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute, Women's Fund of Greater Chattanooga, Baylor School, Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, Bright School, the Chattanooga Rotary Club and the Metropolitan YMCA.
Appointed by then Mayor Bob Corker, Dr. Sharber chaired the Chattanooga Public Art Committee during the 21st Century Waterfront development and is again serving as chair of the Public Art Committee. At the request of Mayor Andy Berke, Dr. Sharber co-chaired the Chattanooga Forward Arts & Culture task force in 2014.
Ms. Smedley was born and raised in Chattanooga. She is a graduate of Ooltewah High School and attended college at Chattanooga State and Bryan College where she graduated with top honors and received a degree in Business.
Ms. Smedley is the broker/owner of Sabrena Realty Associates, LLC in East Brainerd and was named the 2012 Realtor of the year by the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors. She currently serves as a board member for the Greater Association of Realtors and the MLS in addition to serving on the local and state governmental affairs committees. Ms. Smedley currently represents District 7 on the County Commission.
“Having a strong, community centered board of directors is crucial to the success of River City Company,” states Kim White, president and CEO of River City Company. “The varied and thorough experience of these five new board members will be an incredible asset and will help us continue to make Downtown Chattanooga a vibrant, engaged and prospering urban center.”