Debra K. London, president and chief executive officer of St. Mary's Health System–Tennessee Region and Mercy Health partners–Kentucky Region, and Paul G. Willson, chairman and chief executive officer of Citizens National Bank, have been reappointed to serve on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's Nashville Branch. Their terms begin Jan. 1, 2008, and run through Dec. 31, 2010.
London has served in various positions in health care throughout her career. She has been affiliated with St. Mary's since 1992, serving as chief operating officer prior to her appointment as chief executive officer in 2001. She is active in her church, serving as an elder and a Stephen Minister.
London has served or currently serves on the boards of directors for the East Tennessee Economic Development Agency, Knox Area Chamber Partnership, American Heart Association, United Way, Boy's & Girl's Club, Girl Scouts of America, Junior Achievement, Knox Area Rescue Ministries, Child & Family Tennessee, Pellissippi State Community College Foundation, South College, Safe Kids Coalition, the City Ballet and Clarence Brown Theatre Advisory Board. She also participates in numerous other community associations.
She is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, CEO Healthcare Roundtable, Tennessee Women's Forum, Executive Women's Association, Leadership Knoxville, Knox Area Hospital Council, and the East Tennessee Health Care Executives Association. Among her honors, she was finalist for the 2004 YWCA Tribute to Women Award, Halls Crossroads Women's League's Exceptional Woman Award in 2007, Tennessee Business Magazine's Top 35 Healthcare Leaders in Tennessee in 2007, and one of 100 Incredible East Carolina University Women Honorees in October 2007.
London earned an M.B.A. from Barry University, and she received M.S. degrees in nursing and rehabilitation counseling and a B.S. in nursing from East Carolina University. She is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Willson has been in his current position since April 2007, after serving 10 years as president and chief operating officer. Prior to joining Athens, Tenn.–based Citizens National Bank in 1983, he worked at Commerce Union Bank. He taught for many years at Cleveland State Community College and the Southeastern School of Banking at Vanderbilt University. In 2001 he retired as a lieutenant colonel in the Tennessee Air National Guard after almost 30 years of service.
Willson is a member of the board of directors of AreteQ Corp. and former chairman of the board of directors of the Tennessee Bankers Association and the Tennessee Bankers Association's Government Relations Committee. He is a past chairman of the Tennessee Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, Ocoee Region Tech Prep Consortium, and the Athens Area and Monroe County Chambers of Commerce. He earned a bachelor's degree in forestry and an M.B.A. in business administration from the University of Tennessee. He graduated from National Graduate Trust School at Northwestern University.
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta Branch directors provide economic information from the branch territory to the district Bank's president and head office directors, who use the information in formulating monetary policy and making discount rate recommendations. London was appointed to the Nashville Branch's board by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C. Willson was appointed by the Atlanta Fed's head office board of directors. The Board of Governors appoints three of the directors of the Nashville Branch, and the Atlanta head office directors appoint four.