Exec ed @ Belmont

Gene Mage has been named executive director of Belmont University’s Center for Executive Education. The BU release is here.

United Telehealth launches

United Telehealth Services launched in Nashville to connect specialists with patients, the release is here.

$75MM to PE by TN retirement system

Tennessee Consolidated Retirement Systems (TCRS) announced two more commitments to private-equity funds, and the mindsets of those to whom the money is to be entrusted are reflected on their websites, making interesting reading for entrepreneurs and investors, alike. Read about it here. Some in-state VCs, including some that are participating in TNInvestco-certified funds, have expressed interest over the years in TCRS making some commitments earmarked for instate funds.

CEO search underway for Nashville Technology Council

Chairman Andy Flatt and Vice Chair Chris Sloan say they're preparing to mount a search for Tod Fetherling's replacement, now the CEO has announced his plans to leave Nashville Technology Council for HealthDataSource. Story here.

Social Chutes buys local ventures

Social Chutes, a new holding company, has bought Bandbox and RedRovor from two young Nashville entrepreneurs who may look beyond Music for their next gigs, reported right here.

CapControls' growth pact

Joe Maxwell, CEO of CapControls and erstwhile founder and eventual seller of Investment Scorecard, is back with fresh capital and a spiffy new alliance with AnalytX, intent on changing the landscape VCs/PEs know as their Middle Office.. right here.

New TN VC Council?

Stuart McWhorter's exploring creating a new VC statewide group.. There's apt to be less TNInvestco info published... Dan Marcum's creating The Launch Pad in Tullahoma.. and much more in the latest NewsBits roundup right here.

Vanguard Health's Blanchette

Former Healthways VP-CIO Scott Blanchette has joined Vanguard Health as SVP-CIO, a source confirmed this morning.

HCA's Parallon

HCA announced the branding of its new business-services unit, Parallon. Read about it here.

N'ville Media venture

Dan Hammond is cranking-up a new media venture, spinning-out of American Hometown Media, and bringing with it Just A Pinch of excitement for the Nashville area, read more here.

NewsBits, May 11

LOTS here... new guys at Chrysalis, CentreSource and Nutraceuticals.. point man at ECD on corporate recruitment for the state and much more here.

TN needs visionaries

All the patents in the world won't create jobs if they aren't investable and transformed into goods and services through commercialization - that seems to be the message from Friday's panel of ORNL, VU and other experts. TN has some catching-up to do with respect to its population of serial entrepreneurs and visionary leaders, too. Read about it here.

VW training abroad

Volkswagen of America has already sent more than 1,000 workers to plants in other nations for training to reach VW's productivity standards. The TFP reports.

Complete Holdings' A-round

Complete Holdings Group, the parent company of EnableComp, the workers compensation revenue recovery solutions provider, raised an undisclosed amount from friends, family and SSM Partners. Complete Holdings' CEO is entrepreneur Jim Lackey.

JumpStart's 6 for '11

JumpStart Foundry announced the six members of the 2011 class: iAgree - Platform for facilitating video-based, legally binding promises... Kahootzz - Social platform combining community partnerships and consumer markets into a “local opportunity engine"... Reflex Inc. - Tool for visual designers and tech enthusiasts to build applications for Apple iOS and Google Android mobile platforms... TapMe - Multi-platform web service aggregator with filtered content and extended sharing features... TheFreshTest - “Farm-to-fork” solution using grid sensor technology devoted to solving waste, spoilage and regulation issues across food supply chains... Virtual Parking Garage - Platform allowing consumers to pay for metered parking and private lots via mobile devices. More on JumpStart here.

TN co-investments

'Less rivalry, more collaboration' might be a reasonable guess at the subtext of today's address by Gov. Bill Haslam, before an audience at the NEXT TN Conference, hosted by TTDC. The governor's INCITE innovation program includes state co-investments, more pressure on commercializing technologies, honors for entrepreneurs, more incubators statewide and more. Read our take, here.

FastTrac Memphis

Graduates of the Kauffman Foundation-funded Memphis FastTrac program got to make their startup pitches this week, being rewarded in "virtual" investments. The CA reports.

American Centrifuge

USEC and B&W, the Oak Ridge-based partners in manufacturing centrifuges for processing nuclear fuel, still await a federal loan guarantee, but have formed a new company. The KNS reports.

Wright Med reverb's

Wright Medical reverberations continue, with further shakeup of the management team, the CA reports.

Knoxville boomlet

Knoxville has made Forbes top 10 list of cities producing jobs, the KNS reports.

ORNL exascale

The KNS' Frank Munger discusses exascale computing with the DOE science chief, the KNS reports.

VW needs help hiring

Volkswagen America at Chattanooga is contracting for staffing assistance with Aerotek, the TFP reports.

Smart Grid Chattanooga

Advocates, in the wake of storm-induced power outages, urge adoption of full smart-grid technologies for electric utilities, the TFP reports.

ORNL solar advance

Research at Oak Ridge National lab has produced 80% gains in photovoltaic efficiency, Forbes reports.

Memphis econ-dev spending

With revenue tight, Shelby County commissioners question economic-development spending, the CA reports.

Emdeon EquiClaim

Emdeon, the revenue and payments-cycle company, bought EquiClaim, and audio and recovery services firm. Release here. Other VNC coverage.

Amazon.com loss in SC

The wire report in the KNS dissects the Amazon.com loss of incentives in South Carolina, due to grassroots counterforces.

Electrolux project

Memphis IDB picked Allen & Hoshall as PM for the Electrolux expansion in Memphis, all part of an effort, sometimes controversial, to spur jobs-creation. CA has it.

VW America sales

Simply the best month in EIGHT years, the TFP has it.

Speaker Harwell eyes campus science

Tennessee House Speaker Beth Harwell and Memphis-area State Rep. Mark White will study what might be impeding the commercialization of intellectual property spawned on campuses within Tennessee. This NewsBits installation has numerous other stories about economic development, new tech products, venture capital, that Chattanooga venture forum and more, right here.

Nutraceutical discovers N'ville

Nutraceutical Discoveries, which just relo'd from Knoxville to Nashville, addresses the growing obesity dilemma with money from TNInvestco's Limestone Fund and Tennessee Community Ventures Fund, has named Douglas Grindstaff II its CEO. Earlier VNC coverage of this developing startup.

Pathway ramps-up lending

Pathway Lending, the early-stage economic development lender focused on jobs-creation, expects soon to hit $100MM in assets. CEO Clint Gwin discusses the mission and the hundreds of companies aided, plus Pathway's growing footprint in Tennessee and in alliance with UT Research Foundation. Read it here.

ORNL solar improvement

Oak Ridge NL researchers have improved solar-cell light-to-power output, story here.

Gartner spots MidTN Healthtech firms

Shareable Ink and DisastersNet, both based in middle Tennessee, are among the firm's tagged "Cool Vendors" among healthcare IT firms by Gartner. The reports is here.

ORNL I-net threat quelled

Internet access has been restored after an assault on systems at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the KNS reports.

Lipscomb recognizes Berke

Lipscomb University’s Institute for Sustainable Practice has named state Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, as its 2011 Green Business Leadership Public Official of the Year.

VU Nanotech

Nanotech: Science writers with Vanderbilt University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory provide an update on nanotech lessons learned from Nature. Related: Our recent report on VU science writers.