Kim White never underestimates the power of a TV sitcom. Her first role model was Mary Tyler Moore, whose best-known television character embodied the single working woman living in a city.
“My sister wanted to live on a big farm, but my dream was to live in the heart of a city,” recalls White. “I love Chattanooga, but I didn’t always. After college, I left for other opportunities.” Now, after more than 20 years, White has returned home, and in 2009, she became president and CEO of River City Company, a nonprofit that oversees downtown redevelopment.
White worked in real estate relocation in Augusta, Georgia, before a successful career with ALLTEL Communications in both Birmingham, Alabama, and Fort Myers, Florida. She returned to Chattanooga in 2004 to join the Corker Group (later Luken Holdings), where she served as president and CEO.
White cherishes her alma mater, where she is active, serving in leadership roles with the alumni board, the chancellor’s roundtable and the UC Foundation.
“No matter how many times I walk through this campus, I get a sense of pride welling up inside me in awe of what it means for this city,” says White.
Today she’s excited about what’s next, and her dedication ensures good things continue for Chattanooga. “When I came back, I felt the city was calling me home, and now I get to be part of this city’s great future. I’m the Mary Tyler Moore of Market Street.”
