News & Notes | UT-Oak Ridge Innovation Institute names an interim leader
Knoxville-based Inhabit names new CEO.
From Oak Ridge:
The University of Tennessee–Oak Ridge Innovation Institute (UT–ORII) Executive Council has named Brynn Voy as Interim Executive Director, effective upon the departure of Executive Director David Sholl in December. Sholl is leaving UT-ORII to become Executive Vice President for Research at Rice University.
Voy will continue to serve as UT–ORII’s Director of Dducation and Director of the Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education in addition to her new responsibilities. Under her leadership, UT–ORII’s UT-Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) doctoral programs have achieved record growth.
“Brynn’s leadership across education and research programs exemplifies the collaborative spirit that defines the UT–ORNL partnership. I look forward to continuing to work with her to advance our shared goals,” said Stephen Streiffer, Director of Oak Ridge National Laboratory. “Brynn has been an exceptional leader and collaborator since joining UT–ORII in 2023. Her dedication to advancing UT–ORII’s mission, strengthening the UT–ORNL partnership, and supporting our students and researchers has been central to our success. She is the perfect person to lead UT–ORII during this transition and to continue the strong momentum we’ve built.”
The Executive Council will launch a national search for the institute’s next Executive Director.
From Knoxville:
Inhabit, a leading provider of software solutions for the residential and short-term property management industries, today announced the appointment of John Kristel as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Kristel, who has served as President and interim CEO since earlier this year, will assume the permanent CEO role effective immediately.
“John has demonstrated exceptional leadership, strategic clarity, and a deep commitment to our mission, customers, and employees during his time as interim CEO, which is no surprise given his successful track record in a number of executive roles over the years,” said Ross Croley, Chairman of the Board at Inhabit. “The Board has full confidence in John’s ability to lead Inhabit into its next phase of growth, innovation, and customer success.”
Kristel brings decades of executive experience in technology and operations, and under his interim leadership, Inhabit has accelerated product innovation, strengthened client relationships, and expanded its market presence. His announcement is one of several key leadership hires made by Inhabit this year. The team recently announced other additions to its executive leadership team, including technology veteran Kent Norton as Chief Technology Officer, Joe Turitz as General Counsel, and Sofia Rossato as Executive Vice President/Managing Director of the Short-Term Rental Division.
From Nashville:
Permobil, the global leader in advanced assistive mobility, has announced the appointment of Mark Elliott as Executive Vice President, Quality & Regulatory. This newly created global role places Elliott on Permobil’s Group Management Team, reporting directly to Chief Executive Officer Chuck Witkowski.
Elliott previously served as Vice President, Quality for Permobil’s Americas region. In that role, he demonstrated deep expertise and exceptional leadership, advancing the company’s quality framework.
“Quality is at the heart of everything we do because it directly impacts the independence and confidence of the individuals who rely on our solutions,” said Witkowski. “With this new global function, we aim to improve how we develop, manufacture, and respond to market feedback by implementing global standards, breaking down silos, and simplifying processes – without ever compromising regulatory compliance. In a world where speed matters, we need to take our quality culture to the next level, and I am confident Mark is the right leader for that journey.”
Elliott will be based in Milwaukee, WI.
From Knoxville and Nashville:
Drivers in two Tennessee cities should take note.
Pep Boys has announced the results of its first-ever Worst Roads in America report, ranking the U.S. metro areas in its operating markets where drivers experience the highest rates of road-related vehicle repairs, and, guess what, two of the worst set of roads are in Nashville (#7) and Knoxville (#10).
According to Pep Boys’ exclusive internal service data, drivers in these markets experienced higher rates of road-related repairs such as alignments, suspension, and tire repairs. In many cases, these higher repair rates can reflect local driving conditions from extreme weather and heavy traffic to ongoing construction.
Twenty-five of the 30 markets with the highest rates of road-related repairs are east of the Mississippi River, with Florida leading with seven repair-heavy markets.
From Mt. Juliet:
Schneider Electric, a global energy technology leader and the host of the annual meeting of the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the company’s first manufacturing facility in Mt. Juliet.
The newly opened 500,000-square-foot facility is the first of a two-part campus expansion for Schneider Electric in Mt. Juliet. The second neighboring 540,000+ square-foot facility is currently under construction. Together, both facilities will manufacture custom power distribution products to bolster support for critical infrastructure and help the company meet rising regional demand across segments, including data centers, buildings, industry, and infrastructure.
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