Board of Directors

Topham is devoted to the community where he serves on the Board of Knoxville Habitat for Humanity. He served on the Board of Maryville College, is former President of the Alumni Association, and the Board of Goodwill Industries. He and his wife Traci have one daughter; they are members of First United Methodist Church of Maryville.

Mr. Carroll joined Sevierville, Tennessee, based Citizens National Bank in 1992 where he held various management positions including Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He also served on the Bank’s Board of Directors, as well as Loan Committee and Asset Liability Committee and was responsible for all operational areas of the Bank, including brokerage and insurance subsidiaries.
Mr. Carroll began organizing SmartBank in 2006 with the help of several community leaders. Their goal was to create a new, exciting banking environment focused on building a dynamic culture and recruiting outstanding associates. The organization is becoming one of the regions strongest and fastest growing new banking concepts with assets over $300 million.
During Mr. Carroll’s professional career, he has served as president of the Sevier County High School Foundation, member of the Sevierville Planning Commission, president of the Sevier County’s University of the Tennessee Alumni chapter, Board member of the Boys & Girls Club of the Smoky Mountains, Board member of Mountain Hope Good Shepherd Clinic, member of the Sevier County Economic Development Council, president of the Sevierville Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the United Way of Sevier County. He is active in numerous other local organizations including Leadership Sevier and Leadership Knoxville, and has been inducted into Junior Achievement’s East Tennessee Business Hall of Fame.
Mr. Carroll currently serves on the Board of the Federal Reserve Bank, Nashville Branch.

Shortly after, Mr. Cobble and his wife Donna purchased and began managing the family-owned farm that they reside on today. Marblegate Farm is set on a stunning 250 acres and is a short drive from Knoxville, TN.
Mr. Cobble was the founding President of Tremont’s board of directors and to this day serves on the board. His other organizational affiliations include East Tennessee Historical Society, Foothills Land Conservancy, Boy Scouts of America, Cherokee Country Club and Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church.
His UT involvements include being a past member of the Athletics Board, the Development Council, the National Alumni Board of Governors, the Public Affairs Committee and the College of Communications Board of Visitors.
In 1980 he was one of three founding partners who started the Nashville public relations agency Dye, Van Mol & Lawrence. The agency is among the 10 largest public relations agencies in the Southeast.
He is past Chairman of the Nashville Sports Council and has previously served on the executive committee of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce Board, the Board of the Music City Bowl, the Advisory Board of Nashville YWCA, the board of Leadership Nashville Alumni and the executive committee of the board of Nashville Alliance for Public Education. He served as an elder at Christ Presbyterian Church in Nashville. He is a Nashville Advertising Federation Silver Medalist.
A native of Portland, Tennessee and a 1963 graduate of UT, Hank is married to the former Margaret Strom and has two sons—Clay and Andrew—and six grandchildren.


Elizabeth joined the US Forest Service as its National Director of Recreation, Cultural Resources and Wilderness Management. In 1992 she became the first female Regional Forester (field general) in the agency’s history. She led the Rocky Mountain Region (2.2 million acres of National Forests and Grasslands) as well as the 13 state Southeastern Region prior to becoming the Deputy Chief in Washington D.C.
Elizabeth received the Distinguished Rank Award from President George W. Bush “in recognition of visionary, global leadership in involving corporations, volunteers, and communities in collaborative natural resource management”. She also garnered the government’s highest award for innovation from Vice President Albert Gore for cost savings in the Rocky Mountain Region (over $4 million) and for the Southern Forest Resource Assessment to evaluate sustainability of natural resources and provide a common framework for decision-makers at all levels of government. She has represented the United States at numerous international conferences and negotiations on Forestry, Land Use, Wilderness, and Sustainability issues.
Currently she mentors, lectures and consults on natural resource policy. She enjoys her grandchildren, a good book, painting, and traveling. Elizabeth is married to John Dreves. She has one son, four stepchildren, and nine grandchildren.

Kim began her healthcare career in 1991 and joined the UPA in 1998. She oversees all aspects of the various business lines within the UPA. She is also maintains relationships with some of UPA’s largest clients. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of Childhelp in Tennessee and the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont.

Haslam serves on the boards of the George W. Bush Library Foundation, the National Football Foundation, the Trust Company of Knoxville and the University of Tennessee Health System. He is chairman of the board of the Baker Center at the University of Tennessee.
Haslam has been a director of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, First American Bank, AmSouth Bank, and Appalachian Life Insurance Company. He was a trustee for the University of Tennessee for 27 years and was both vice chairman and chairman of the Executive Committee. He has been the chairman of the board of the Greater Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Knoxville, Webb School of Knoxville, the Public Building Authority and United Way of Greater Knoxville. He also served as the campaign chairman for United Way and was the founder and remains the chairman of the local Alexis de Tocqueville Society.
A strong believer in giving back to the community, Haslam founded the Haslam Family Foundation, which has contributed millions of dollars to charitable organizations over the years.
Haslam is married to Natalie Leach Haslam. They have six adult children, 18 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

Twelve years ago Chuck and Terry moved from Inverness, IL to Loudon, TN where he continued to work until retiring in 2009. Chuck fills his retirement time serving on several non-profit Boards. He is a past Board Member of the Little River Chapter of Trout Unlimited and is the current President of the Tennessee Bluebird Society and serves on the Knoxville Opera Board. In their spare time Chuck and Terry enjoy exploring the trails and steams in the GSMNP.
Chuck believes we have made great strides since the 1970’s in environmental education. However, we must now continue to educate the next generation in the importance of conservation. He believes GSMIT opens a child’s eyes and begins a life long journey of learning about the wonders of nature.


Ed has 35+ years of experience in healthcare. In 1977, Ed was one of 18 individuals in the U.S. and Great Britain selected to participate in a one-year education and internship work-study program in serving the healthcare industry developed at the direction of the Chairman of Ernst & Ernst.

Bill has led various businesses for domestic and foreign global technology service and engineering companies such as ABB/ Flakt AB, Zellweger Uster, and Invensys PLC. Bill’s background includes turnarounds, significant growth initiatives, acquisitions and divestitures.
Bill is a graduate of The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina and has served on various philanthropic, industry and community boards. He currently sits on the board of directors for USI, Bartlett Holdings as well as The Identity Group.
He has resided in Knoxville, Tennessee since 1991 and is married to Susan Burgess Varner. Together they have 3 daughters and seven grandchildren.

Iowa; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Point Henry, Australia before returning to serve as Operations Manager at Tennessee Operations, a post he held for 15 years. Under his leadership the Tennessee plant was modernized to become the most state of the art aluminum rolling facility in the world.
Ray was appointed by Governor Lamar Alexander to the State of TN Board of Education where he served for 26 years, including many years as chairman. He is the past chairman of the Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont and has held membership and chairmanship of many other civic groups.