Jenna Purdy keeps Rhett & Link on the road 

What is this Webb School of Knoxville graduate doing in LA? She’s living the dream, baby.

Jenna Purdy

Jenna Purdy says, “I am a lover of filmmaking in any capacity, whether it be in front or behind camera.” She is production coordinator for Rhett & Link, a duo that offers a unique take on life on their YouTube blog.
Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal were named one of TIME‘s 100 Most Influential Creators of 2025, so Purdy must be doing something right. “I just assist them with day-to-day activities,” she posted on LinkedIn. In all, Purdy has been with Mythical Entertainment for almost eight years.
Their story (as related on their website): Rhett & Link met on September 4, 1984, the first day of first grade at Buies Creek Elementary School in Buies Creek, North Carolina. Their teacher, Ms. Locklear, held them both in from recess for writing profanity on their desks. She then sentenced them to coloring pictures of mythical beasts. It was the start of a lifelong friendship filled with creativity and curiosity.
Rawls launches nonprofit, Evergreen

Damon Rawls

Damon Rawls, Knox County Commissioner from District 1, has launched a youth-focused entrepreneurship organization, the Evergreen Community Development Corporation. The nonprofit has nationwide potential if Rawls handles it wisely and finds a dash of luck.
Rawls got started this summer with weeklong camps designed for middle and high school youth who will be attending Austin-East High School and Knox Prep.

The camps introduced the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and culminated in pitch presentations, giving participants a chance to present their business ideas and build confidence in public speaking.

“Low-income neighborhoods face significant barriers to economic growth and development,” Rawls said. “I see entrepreneurship as a pathway out of poverty,” Rawls told an interviewer from Teknovation.biz.

From his work as a community advocate and the creator of the Knoxville Black Business Directory, Rawls saw the challenges many entrepreneurs face – particularly Black business owners – when trying to navigate the complexities of building sustainable businesses.

“The journey of every business starts with an idea, but it’s through support and resilience that those ideas grow into something enduring,” Rawls wrote on his website. A business that endures is an evergreen.

Rawls owned and operated a Jani-King franchise for 10-plus years before selling the business in 2018 and working full-time as a business consultant.

“It changed my life,” he said. “Entrepreneurship is how you change neighborhoods, mindsets and economic status.”

UT Chattanooga chancellor named to UT-Battelle board

Lori Bruce

Lori Mann Bruce of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has been appointed to the Board of Governors of UT Battelle, the nonprofit partnership that has managed and operated the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) since 2000. UT Battelle is jointly owned by the University of Tennessee and Battelle Memorial Institute.

Dr. Bruce, appointed as UTC’s 19th chancellor effective June 30, 2025, brings nearly three decades of leadership experience in academic affairs, research growth and strategic planning. As provost at Tennessee Technological University, she significantly expanded research funding from $16 million to more than $46 million and launched major infrastructure and faculty development initiatives.

LMU salutes Sgt. Blake Laws

Blake Laws

Blake Laws, day shift police sergeant with the LMU Police Department, is this quarter’s Employee Spotlight honoree for Lincoln Memorial University. A Harrogate native, Laws has worked at LMU since 2020.

In his role, Laws supports a safe and welcoming environment for students, faculty and staff. “… I believe we do a great job of making LMU a place where people feel secure and supported,” he said, calling his job “meaningful work.”

Blake and his wife, Christy, have two children, Brady and Caleigh. His hobbies include hiking, backpacking or working on electronics and vehicles. And he’s played guitar and drums since he could walk.

Notes & Quotes
  • KVAT/ Food City has broken ground on a new Food City in Marion, Virginia – a 56,700+ square foot retail supermarket, which will create 50 new area jobs.
  • Premier Transportation has expanded to the Tri-Cities with the acquisition of a two-and-one-half acre parcel of land near I-26 and I-81. This site will house a 7,000-square-foot facility featuring multiple service bays and a dedicated indoor wash bay. It is expected to employ more than 35 support staff drivers. Premier has locations in Knoxville and Chattanooga with over 50 motorcoaches. Construction on the new facility began July 2025, with operations expected to commence by May 1, 2026.
  • Derek Dooley, running for the U.S. Senate as a Republican from Georgia, said in a statement: ”I’m not part of the political establishment, and I haven’t spent my life climbing the D.C. political ladder. For 30 years, I led young people from all walks of life and fought every day to create hope and opportunity for them and their families. … As a coach, I wanted that for all my players. As your next U.S. Senator, I want that for all Georgians — and all Americans.”

Wonder if he will campaign in those orange pants?

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