CBA EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE


2026 CBA PRESIDENT KEITH H. GRANT OF

HAMILTON COUNTY JUVENILE COURT

Since July 2025, Keith H. Grant has served as the Administrator of the Hamilton County Juvenile Court, which staffs seven courtrooms, support departments, and a detention center, and employs almost one-hundred employees.    

Keith graduated from East Tennessee State University in 1998, where he was a member of the Honors Program. He received his law degree from Louisiana State University in 2001. He received his license to practice law in the State of Louisiana in October 2001 and remained there until December 2003, practicing in both state and federal courts, with a primary focus on labor and employment law. Keith returned home to Tennessee and has been licensed to practice here since 2004. He has been admitted to practice in state and federal Courts, including the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. Keith has practiced in a variety of legal areas, including general civil litigation, criminal, family and juvenile law. Prior to becoming the Hamilton County Juvenile Court Administrator, Keith’s practice focused on healthcare liability defense and municipality defense, where he represented healthcare professionals, municipalities, and municipal employees as a member of Robinson, Smith and Wells, PLLC. 

Outside of the practice of law, Keith serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of the Children’s Nutrition Program of Haiti and as a member of the Advisory Board for the Brave Effect, a local non-profit working to fight recidivism. He is also a member of Rivermont Presbyterian Church, where he serves on the mission committee, and is a member of the Chattanooga Downtown Rotary.      

Keith is married to Karen Rennich. They have two sons, Isaac and Wyatt. In his free time, Keith enjoys being involved in the community, DIY projects, reading, exercising, and spending time with family and friends, preferably outdoors.  


PRESIDENT ELECT KATHERINE LENTZ OF

GRANT KONVALINKA AND HARRISON

Katherine Lentz is a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee who joined the firm in 2004. Katherine was previously a summer associate with Grant, Konvalinka & Harrison during law school. She attended Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, Studio Art, with a minor in Art History. Katherine attended the Publishing Institute at New York University before obtaining her J.D. from the University of Tennessee College of Law, where she was a student-attorney in the Domestic Violence Clinic. Katherine is a member of the Chattanooga and Tennessee Bar Associations, as well as the Southeast Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women. She is admitted to practice in Tennessee and Georgia and before the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Tennessee. Katherine is the immediate past President of the Brock-Cooper American Inn of Court and is currently serving a second term on the Board of Governors for the Chattanooga Bar Association. Katherine’s practice focuses on family law, alternative dispute resolution, and litigation. She strives to provide the best representation for individuals and families during some of the most difficult times of life. Katherine is designated as Rule 31 Listed Family Law Mediator by the Tennessee Supreme Court and enjoys helping litigants resolve their issues outside of litigation. Katherine is married to Jason Lentz and has two daughters. She enjoys being outdoors, reading, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.


TREASURER ROBIN MILLER,

CLERK AND MASTER OF HAMILTON COUNTY, TENNESSEE


SECRETARY

E. BO HIXSON OF CHARTWELL LAW

For over 35 years, Everett (Bo) Hixson Jr. has practiced in Tennessee and Georgia on behalf of individual and corporate clients. He has extensive experience in general commercial litigation, including business disputes, real estate, construction, and personal injury. He has asserted creditor’s rights in bankruptcy and state court on behalf of financial institutions, shopping centers, and commercial property managers and owners. His diverse practice includes representing individuals in corporate dissolutions and litigation between franchisees and franchisors. Bo’s real estate practice includes conducting foreclosures and litigating wrongful foreclosures against and on behalf of lenders and loan servicers. He frequently represents buyers, sellers, and realtors in real estate transactions as well as title insurance companies and property owners in title disputes and boundary line issues. Bo represents homeowner associations in Tennessee and Georgia, including the preparation and enforcement of covenants, conditions and restrictions in both states. In the area of construction litigation, Bo represents developers, owners, architects, and contractors with various construction defaults, liens, defects and other disputes arising out of the development of commercial properties, subdivisions, PUDs, and residences. His regulatory experience includes representing architects and engineers before professional licensing boards. Bo’s landlord and tenant practice involves representing commercial and residential property owners and managers with various tenant defaults and disputes. He represents theaters, restaurants, shopping centers, and hotels regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act claims and defends premises liability claims, including inadequate security, personal injury, and third-party criminal actions. His personal injury practice involves the representation of victims arising out of automobile, school bus and tractor-trailer collisions. Additionally, Bo has extensive appellate practice experience with over two dozen reported decisions in Tennessee and Georgia courts and U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts.


IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Mark Litchford of

Litchford Pearce and Associates

Mark is a founding member of Litchford, Pearce & Associates, PLLC. Mark is licensed to practice in Tennessee and Georgia and concentrates his practice in government law, commercial litigation, estate planning (wills & trusts), real property, personal injury, business transactions, and criminal defense. In 2016, Mark was named a “2016 Rising Star” by Super Lawyers of Thomson Reuters and in 2020 was nominated for inclusion in the 2020 SuperLawyers Profile published by Thomson Reuters. Mark has extensive trial experience in representing clients in a variety of areas, including governmental regulations, personal injury, criminal defense, federal and state constitutional law, real property disputes, and public records and annexation actions.  Mark also serves as general representation counsel to various companies involved in the following markets: oil & lubricant distribution, logistic freight, restaurant, medical, and real estate.  The services provided to these companies include labor & employment counseling, collections, contract negotiations, and member/shareholder agreements. Mark also represents and/or serves as trustee for various trusts in connection with estate planning services.


EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EX-OFFICIO LYNDA MINKS HOOD OF

THE CHATTANOOGA BAR ASSOCIATION

Lynda Minks Hood is in her twenty-seventh year as Executive Director of the Chattanooga Bar Association. She received her education from Girls Preparatory School and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She received her certified General and Advanced Mediation Training Certificate in 1998.  

Lynda's current professional memberships include:  ROTARY Club of Chattanooga (Paul Harris Fellow in 2010 and 2018); the National Association of Bar Executives ; American Bar Association ; the Tennessee and American Society of Association Executives ; National Association of Female Executives ; South East Tennessee Lawyers Association for Women; Public Relations Society of America; Association for Fundraising Professionals; and Chattanooga Women’s Leadership Institute.  Social memberships include the Black Creek Country Club, and the Walden Club. Lynda was appointed by the Tennessee Supreme Court to serve on the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education for a three-year term until 2022. She was appointed by County Mayor Jim Coppinger to serve as a Tri-Chair for the "Hamilton County Women's Suffrage Yellow Rose Committee" for the 100th Celebration of the 19th Amendment for 2020. Lynda currently served as Chairwoman of the Erlanger Health System Foundation from 2018 through December 2020 and is currently serving as Past Chair. She is married to Michael Hood and they have a daughter, Lauren. They live in Chattanooga and attend the Signal Mountain Presbyterian Church.

CBA BOARD MEMBERS


BOARD MEMBER LARRY CASH OF

MILLER & MARTIN

Larry L. Cash is a member of the Firm, and focuses his practice primarily in the representation of both public bodies and private businesses in a wide range of legal matters. His experience includes the defense of corporate entities in product liability claims, commercial litigation, OSHA compliance and investigations and related matters. He provides representation of owners and contractors in all areas of construction, including contract drafting and litigation. In addition to representing corporate bodies in administrative and contested matters, he has extensive experience in working with both state and federal agencies in regulatory matters. Mr. Cash also represents a captive association insurance company which provides all lines of insurance coverage for both municipal and cooperative utility companies in the southeastern United States. This practice covers all aspects of commercial investigation, compliance and litigation, whether it is defense of a particular insured or review and analysis of insurance coverage issues. Mr. Cash is admitted in the State courts of Tennessee and Georgia, as well as United States District Courts in Tennessee and Northern Georgia.


BOARD MEMBER ZACHARY W. ENGLAND OF

ENGLAND INJURY LAW

Zack W. England is a 2005 graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He received his B.A. degree in English magna cum laude. Mr. England obtained his doctorate of jurisprudence from the University of Cincinnati in 2008. He is licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Georgia. Mr. England has represented individuals who were injured by others in car accidents, work injuries, dog bites, medical malpractice, and other various acts. Mr. England also has experience with criminal, bankruptcy, and probate matters.Mr. England's practice is devoted to helping those who have been wronged by the negligent acts of others.


BOARD MEMBER BARRY GOLD OF

MCWILLIAMS, GOLD & LARRAMORE

Barry L. Gold, a partner in the firm McWilliams, Gold and Larramore and has been licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Georgia since 1983. He has been selected ten times for inclusion in Mid-South Super Lawyers® in the area of family law, and he is rated 10.0 out of 10.0 by Avvo®. Mr. Gold practices almost exclusively in the areas of family law and family law mediation, and is a frequent speaker and lecturer on family law and related topics before a variety of attorneys, bar associations, and professional groups.

Mr. Gold twice chaired the Tennessee Bar Association Family Law Section, in 2003-2004 and 2010-2011. He served as a member of the Tennessee Bar Association's Family Law Executive Committee from 2002 - 2015, and he also served as a hearing officer for the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility from 2007 - 2013. Mr. Gold has chaired the Chattanooga Bar Association's Family Law Section every year since 2010, and he was selected a Chattanooga Bar Foundation Fellow in 2020.

Mr. Gold received his B.A. degree magna cum laude and his J.D. degree cum laude from the University of Georgia, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and the Order of Barristers.


BOARD MEMBER C. SCOTT JOHNSON OF

SPEARS MOORE REBMAN & WILLIAMS, PC

President - Elect C. Scott Johnson

Scott Johnson is a Tennessee trial lawyer who has litigated cases throughout Tennessee and the 6th Circuit of the United States Courts for over two decades. He often serves as a Tennessee Rule 31 listed General Civil Mediator on all types of legal disputes. He cheers for the University of Tennessee and the University of Memphis. Scott has achieved the Martindale Hubbell highest rating (AV) from his peers and judges.


BOARD MEMBER LANCE W. POPE OF

PATRICK BEARD SCHULMAN & JACOWAY

Lance joined the firm after more than ten years as a prosecutor at the Hamilton County District Attorney’s Office where he most recently held the position of Executive Assistant District Attorney. While at the District Attorney’s Office, Lance handled numerous high profile trials and worked alongside all major state and federal law enforcement agencies including the Chattanooga Police Department, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Since joining the firm, Lance has utilized his experience as a litigator and his business background as head financial officer for a technologies company to assist the firm’s business clients with a variety of matters including LLC member disputes. Lance also assist businesses that receive inquiries or investigative requests from law enforcement agencies and often represents individuals in a wide variety of criminal defense matters. Lance is an avid outdoorsman that enjoys Chattanooga’s access to world class trail running, mountain and road biking, fly fishing and rock-climbing.


BOARD MEMBER JANIE VARNELL OF

HAMILTON COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

Janie Parks Varnell is a Chattanooga native who has spent her thirteen-year legal career serving the Hamilton County community. After earning her undergraduate degree from Auburn University and her Juris Doctor from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School, she returned home to practice law. She began in private practice handling criminal and civil matters and later joined Davis & Hoss, where she spent a decade litigating cases in state and federal courts, including criminal defense, civil litigation, family law, and employment law. Varnell developed particular expertise representing law enforcement officers in employment matters, becoming a leading attorney for the Fraternal Order of Police and the Police Benevolent Association. On July 1, 2025, she became Hamilton County’s first female County Attorney after serving six months as Special Advisor to the Mayor and County Commission.