Annual CityScope® Business Issue
By Ali Lemmons / Photography by Kristina Armstrong
Climbing the career ladder takes dedication, hard work, and a willingness to learn every step of the way. Here, we speak with five local professionals who worked their way up from entry-level positions to upper management roles within the same company. Read on to learn where they started, what challenges they had to overcome, and who motivated them to keep going.
Dr. Charles Gomez’s journey at Erlanger started in 2003 when he joined the hospital as a patient care technician in the children’s emergency department.
“While working as a technician, I found that it did not take degrees or titles to make a difference in the lives of patients and their families, just a willingness to meet the needs of those you are caring for,” shares Dr. Gomez.
However, as Dr. Gomez gained more experience in the emergency room, he realized that he could do even more for his patients.
“I wanted the responsibility of having hard conversations with patients and making difficult decisions related to their medical treatment,” shares Dr. Gomez. “Several years later, I was accepted to medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.”
From there, Dr. Gomez completed many of his third- and fourth-year clinical rotations at Erlanger. After graduating from medical school, he completed his orthopedic surgery residency in southern California followed by a fellowship in pediatric orthopedic surgery in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2023, Dr. Gomez returned to Erlanger as a pediatric orthopedic surgeon.
“I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to return to the place where my journey began so many years ago,” shares Dr. Gomez. “It is so amazing to see and work beside many of the people who were there when I knew so little. Their patience, support, and encouragement have meant so much to me over the years.”
While Dr. Gomez faced many challenges while pursuing his career in medicine, such as working full-time in the ER while being a full-time college student, he refused to quit, knowing he had found his calling.
“In a very real sense, Erlanger has made me who I am today,” finishes Dr. Gomez. “This is where an immature kid learned about patient care, empathy, and compassion. It’s where I realized that things of value require hard work and sacrifice. It’s where I plan to spend my career giving back.”
While many spend years deciding what career path to take, Kara Van Brunt’s journey at Ruby Falls began when she was just 14.
“Working at Ruby Falls was an idea my friend and I cooked up during class and something we thought would be a fun way to meet people,” Van Brunt shares. “The idea of meeting people from all over, both guests and peers, was very intriguing. I had no idea the journey I was beginning at that time.”
Throughout her high school and college career, Van Brunt continued to work at Ruby Falls on holidays and in between her classes. While she originally planned to earn a degree in art, Van Brunt changed her major to business after discovering how much she enjoyed being involved in the business side of the tourism industry.
“I began working in Ruby Falls’ human resources and operations management while still in college,” adds Van Brunt. “It was a unique experience to have real-world applications to apply to the business principles I studied, and I used some of what I learned to implement new policies and procedures at Ruby Falls.”
After graduating, Ruby Falls offered Van Brunt the opportunity to stay on full time – with a promotion to a senior leadership role.
While Van Brunt mentions that there are many days with long hours, both early mornings and late nights, she counts herself lucky, noting that she has a unique career and is surrounded by an amazing staff.
“I love the people,” finishes Van Brunt. “The thing that drew me in as a teenager is what makes me smile every day. I love that we have such a diverse and fun group of people working at Ruby Falls. Folks genuinely care about one another and want each other to succeed.”
In 2000, one short phone call changed the trajectory of Ken Jones’ career.
“My manager from a previous job was working at EPB. He called me one day and asked if I would be interested in working there. If so, he would recommend me to the hiring manager,” shares Jones. “It’s amazing to think of how much growth EPB – and I – have gone through since then.”
Jones started at EPB as a network technician, installing and maintaining internet for the company’s customers. Just two years and eight months later, Jones received his first promotion into a supervisory role.
“I was still young, maybe about 30 years old, and I didn’t have much leadership experience. It was very challenging. Looking back, I learned a lot from that role,” shares Jones.
Over the years, Jones continued to advance in his career at EPB and take on important tasks, from playing a pivotal role in the fiber-to-the-home network that powers Chattanooga today to managing a smart grid deployment to speed up connection time for businesses. In 2020, he was promoted to director of procurement and vendor relations and, in 2022, he assumed responsibility for developing relationships with minority and women-owned businesses as senior director of procurement, vendor relations, and minority and women-owned business.
“Like many previous roles, I wasn’t a subject matter expert. I’ve kept an open mind about trying new things at EPB, with every opportunity more rewarding than the last,” says Jones. “While the roles have been different, all have been about empowering strong teams – finding great people and letting them do what they know best.”
Now, more than two decades later, Jones reflects on his career with gratitude.
“I grew up at EPB through 24 years of consistent, constant evolution,” finishes Jones. “It wasn’t always easy or fun, but I wouldn’t change my experience for the world because it helped shape and mold me into who I am today.”
When Vanasia Conley Parks graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) in 1983 with a degree in business management, she didn’t have to go far to begin her career – she quickly accepted a position as an accounting clerk in the university’s financial aid office.
“I was drawn to the position because of the experience I received as a full-time student working as a peer counselor in the same office,” shares Parks. “It was an ideal opportunity after graduating.”
Little did Parks know that her first job would turn into a 42-year career at the university. In 1984, Parks moved to the bursar’s office as a staff accountant, later being promoted six separate times until she landed in her current role as senior associate vice chancellor for business services.
“My promotions and advancements were due to significant changes within the division along with retirements and internal reorganizations to align people with their strengths,” shares Parks.
Starting at the university fresh out of college wasn’t without its challenges. Early in her career, Parks was younger and had less experience than many of the employees who reported to her.
“Those challenges quickly disappeared after I proved that I had their best interest at heart, instilled teamwork, and I ‘walked the talk,’” shares Parks. “I would not ask my staff to do anything I wouldn’t do myself … no matter how big or small. Those qualities quickly allowed me to win over a great, dedicated team.”
While at UTC, Parks has enjoyed working with students and her staff alike as she finds solutions to problems and assists students in earning their education.
“I knew at an early age what I wanted to do in life and what I wanted to be,” finishes Parks. “After working for 42 years, I feel I have left my footprint, and I am so grateful!”
From 1992 to 1995, the Bosnian War displaced more than 2 million people as they fled to seek safety from the violence – and Solara Sain was one of them.
“I was granted the opportunity to move to the U.S. through a Lutheran Church refugee program,” shares Sain. “I had little work experience, but I was determined to find a job that allowed me to earn a living.”
At the time, Goodwill was opening a new store within walking distance of Sain’s apartment, and she was hired as a store associate in January of 1997. Before the war, Sain never imagined she would live in America, so her English was very limited.
“When I arrived in the U.S., my English vocabulary consisted of about 200 words,” shares Sain. “Every day presented a new challenge to learn something new.” Despite this obstacle, Sain persisted. She became a U.S. citizen in 2001, and from 1997 to 2005, Sain was promoted three separate times, eventually earning the title of store manager.
But Sain’s journey didn’t stop there. She continued to participate in training programs and accept any opportunities for growth. From 2008 to 2020, Sain continued to advance in leadership roles at Goodwills across the country, from Oklahoma City to Dallas, Texas.
“Today, I am proud to serve as vice president of retail operations at Goodwill Industries of the Greater Chattanooga area,” says Sain. “Goodwill is much more than a store. More than 85 cents from every dollar generated in stores by the sale of donated items is used to support our mission to help people transform their potential into opportunity through education, training, and employment.”
Throughout her career progression at Goodwill, Sain was inspired to persevere by her late father, and his influence still guides her journey today.
“He never stopped learning, which is why I enrolled in college to pursue his dream of all of his children obtaining a college degree,” finishes Sain. “In May of this year, I will graduate with my master’s degree.”
