Grizzlies Complete Coaching Staff

The Memphis Grizzlies have hired Bob Bender as an assistant coach and Bob Thate as shooting coach on head coach David Fizdale’s staff.

Bender comes to Memphis after working last season as a scout for the Brooklyn Nets. His professional coaching experience includes two seasons (2002-04) with the Philadelphia 76ers, first as an assistant coach/player development and then as an assistant coach; nine seasons with the Atlanta Hawks (2004-13) as an assistant coach, where he worked alongside Fizdale for the first four seasons; and one season with the Milwaukee Bucks (2013-14) as an assistant coach. Bender began his coaching career as an assistant at Duke University under Mike Krzyzewski (1983-89).

Thate joins the Grizzlies after serving in the same capacity for four years (2012-16) with the Los Angeles Clippers and three years with the New Jersey Nets (now Brooklyn), tutoring players such as Blake Griffin and Jason Kidd. Griffin shot 52.1 percent from the foul line during the 2011-12 season but saw his free throw percentage rise to 72.8 percent and 72.7 percent over the last two seasons, respectively, under Thate. Kidd shot 37.0 percent from three-point range over the final eight years of his NBA career after first working with Thate in 2005 (32.9 percent in his first 11 seasons).

Thate has a combined 23 years of coaching at the Division I college and high school levels, including stints at Pepperdine University, Loyola Marymount University, the University of California-Irvine and Long Beach State (now California State University, Long Beach).

– Don Wade

Ikea Begins Recruitment For Memphis Store

Ikea is seeking 200 employees for its future Memphis store, set to open late this fall.

Positions are available in home furnishings sales, interior design/visual merchandising, customer service, safety and security, cashiers, facility management, warehouse receiving, stock replenishment and child play area supervision. In addition, 40 food service jobs are available across Ikea Memphis’ four eateries.

Ikea offers full medical and dental insurance for employees working 20 hours or more per week with eligibility for domestic partners and children as well as vacation, paid maternity/paternity leave and paid time off for child adoption, tuition assistance, a bonus program, 401(k) matching, a pension plan, professional development, training and mentoring programs, free uniforms and a shopping discount at Ikea.

Candidates can apply at ikea-usa.com or at Workforce Investment Network career centers at 480 Beale St., 3040 Walnut Grove Road or 4240 Hickory Hill Road.

– Madeline Faber

Fogelman Adds 10 Properties To Management Portfolio

Memphis-based Fogelman Management Group has been awarded management of 10 new properties totaling more than 3,800 units. In Memphis, Fogelman will take over management of the 414-unit Preserve at Forest Creek and the 600-unit Greens of Irene.

The Greens at Irene apartment community sold for $39.1 million last month. The new owners are Continental Realty Services/GAI Manager LLC and Wisconsin Development LLC.

FMG’s other new charges include The Farms at Cool Springs, The Overlook and Cleo Apartments in Nashville; Steel Creek South and Brookson Flats in Charlotte, N.C.; Ansley at Roberts Lake in Asheville, N.C.; Courtney Isles in Jacksonville, Fla.; and the Westlake Apartments in Orlando, Fla.

With the recent additions, FMG now manages more than 23,500 apartment homes valued at more than $2.5 billion across 12 states.

– Madeline Faber

Lipscomb Pitts Changes Breakfast Club Name

The Lipscomb Pitts Breakfast Club has rebranded as cityCURRENT.

The new name reflects a transition that’s taken place over the last 11 years, as the organization has evolved from a small group of companies hosting a handful of networking events and a namesake Signature Breakfast series into a philanthropic partnership focused on being a force for good.

With more than 75 corporate partners, the organization now hosts more than 150 free events each year, along with an array of media to enrich and engage the Mid-South.

The name cityCURRENT was meant to reflect the organization’s portfolio of media products in broadcast, print and social media, like The SPARK and SPARK Awards, which invite people to be the electrical current that powers good things in the city.

The LPBC was originally established in 2005 as a simple networking organization hosting 12-15 events a year, including the cornerstone Signature Breakfast series. Today, the effort hosts more than 150 free events each year, including workshops and seminars, a variety of lunch programs, receptions, a golf scramble, tennis and social mixers, and more, along with its Signature Breakfast series featuring prominent national guest speakers.

– Andy Meek

Exceptional Foundation Fashion Show is This Sunday

Sixteen models with special needs will enter the spotlight this weekend during the Exceptional Foundation Fashion Show fundraiser at Temple Israel, 1376 E. Massey Road.

The second annual event, scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 21, at 2 p.m. is open to the public with an ticket price of $10 at the door. All proceeds will benefit the Exceptional Foundation of West Tennessee, a “special place for those with special needs” where adults and children with intellectual disabilities can comfortably learn, interact and thrive.

The fundraiser was created and co-chaired by three incoming seniors at St. Mary’s Episcopal School: Julia Greenstein, daughter of Sheril and Rabbi Micah Greenstein; Claire Hyde, daughter of Barbara and Pitt Hyde; and Hannah Orgel, daughter of Robin and Billy Orgel.

“Claire, Hannah and I have volunteered weekly for three years teaching an after-school dance class at the Exceptional Foundation,” said Julia Greenstein in a statement. “We saw they had a desire to express themselves. We wanted to give them that spotlight.”

Greenstein, Orgel and Hyde raised $25,000 last year from pre-event donations and sponsorships, ticket and raffle sales, and an anonymous matched donor. More than 200 attended the event.

As of Aug. 4, the trio had raised $15,000 for this year’s event.

Classic Party Rentals and Brunner Printing will create the fashion show runway and printed materials. Stein Mart will provide outfits for the participating models. Local retailer Dazzle will accessorize models with jewelry. Volunteers will assist with makeup and wardrobe fittings. Dingo Entertainment will DJ the show.

A raffle for local art and Grizzlies ticket will take place during intermission, and refreshments and desserts will be served. Kym Clark of WMC-TV Action News 5 will emcee the show.

– Daily News staff

Tigers Tight End Montiel On Campbell Award Watch List

Senior University of Memphis tight end Daniel Montiel has been named to the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Watch List. The award is given annually to the top offensive player in Division I football who exhibits the characteristics that define Earl Campbell: integrity, performance, teamwork, sportsmanship, drive and tenacity to persist in the pursuit of reaching goals.

In addition to the above characteristics, the nominees must meet one or more of the following criteria: be born in Texas and/or graduated from a Texas high school and/or play at a Texas-based junior college or four-year college. Montiel, who was born in San Antonio, graduated from Arlington High School in Texas before joining the Memphis roster in 2012 and redshirting his first year.

The watch list announced on Tuesday, Aug. 16, will be narrowed to 16 semifinalists in November and then five finalists in December. They will be selected by broadcasters, commentators, journalists, fans and the previous winner. The five finalists will be brought to Tyler for The Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Banquet on Jan. 11.

Montiel has played in 32 career games with seven starts and has 18 career catches for 278 yards and four touchdowns. A member of the CoSIDA Academic All-District team last year as a redshirt junior, Montiel is a nine-time Tiger 3.0 Club honoree and has been named to the 2013, 2014 and 2015 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Football teams. He has twice been recognized as a Tiger Academic 30 honoree for having one of the 30 highest GPAs in the athletic department and has most recently volunteered with Youth Villages and the Hope to Dream program with Ashley Homestores.

– Don Wade