The Riverfront Development Corp. named the following members to its board of directors: Kemp Conrad, Tomeka Hart and Dan Turley. The following members were elected as officers: Rick Masson, chairman; Greg Duckett, vice chairman; John Farris, secretary; Angus McEachran, assistant secretary; Bill Taylor, treasurer; and John Pontius, assistant treasurer.

James Collins, regional vice president of Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc. of Memphis, was elected president of the American Council of Engineering Cos. of Tennessee for 2005-2006. Collins has been associated with Kimley-Horn and Associates for nine years. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Memphis.

Ed Hargraves, secretary and senior partner of Askew, Hargraves, Harcourt & Associates of Memphis was elected secretary of the American Council of Engineering Cos. of Tennessee. Hargraves is past president and a board member of Consulting Engineers of Memphis. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Mississippi and a master's degree from the University of Memphis.

Patricia Chatman joined the Tennessee Housing Development Agency as deputy executive director for community development and multifamily programs. Chatman has more than 20 years of experience in state and metro government supervising staff and managing programs. She received a bachelor's degree from Fisk University and a master's degree from Vanderbilt University.

The Scleroderma Foundation awarded a two-year grant to Dr. Mitchell A. Watsky, associate professor of physiology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Watsky, whose proposal received the 2005 Marta Marx Eradication of Scleroderma award, received a doctorate from the Medical College of Wisconsin and a postdoctoral fellowship from the Mayo Foundation.

The Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers/American Council of Engineering Cos. of Tennessee presented the following awards and honors at its annual meeting: EnSafe Inc., outstanding employer of the year; Tom Needham, outstanding engineer of the year; Matrice Anderson, young engineer of the year; and Russell Walker, president's citation. Allan Long was recognized for achieving fellow status in the National Society of Professional Engineers.

The Tennessee Bankers Association announced the following local graduates of the Southeastern School of Commercial Lending: Wade Rhea, top honor graduate; Joel Smith, honor graduate; and Jay Allmon, Mike Brannock and John May.

Richard C. Faulkner joined Crye-Leike, Realtors, as an affiliate broker. Faulkner previously worked with FedEx Trade Networks as a senior after entry specialist.

Fran Persechini was named president of the Collierville Chamber of Commerce. Persechini is a graduate of the Boston Business School and Massachusetts General Hospital School of Practical Nursing. She also graduated from the Leadership Collierville class of 2005.

M. Scott Bettis joined Crye-Leike, Realtors, as an affiliate broker. Bettis previously worked at Union Planters Bank as a branch sales manager.

Pat Shankle, a Primevest Financial Services investment executive based at the Bank of Bartlett, received Primevest's president's club award at a national sales conference held in Washington, D.C.

James Collins

Ed Hargraves

Richard C. Faulkner

Dr. Mitchell A. Watsky

M. Scott Bettis