Our Chattanooga Commercial Realty Team
James K. "Jimmy" White III
General Partner/Owner
As the General Partner/Owner of Urban Story Ventures, James “Jimmy” White III brings more than a decade of real estate experience to oversee, direct and lead all aspects of the company. Through his years in the industry, White has successfully negotiated and aided in the procurement of hundreds of millions of dollars in acquisitions.
White began his real estate career as a broker in South Florida working for the Sheehan Realty Corporation from 2005 to 2007. During his time in South Florida, White worked with production builders to find development projects and brokered numerous commercial acquisitions. Since 2007, White has effectively handled negotiations and acquisition agreements for several multi-strategy hedge funds across the Southeast. Additionally, White has placed equity in real estate transactions for high-net-worth individuals and family trusts.
He is a Chattanooga resident and native, and he graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2002. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and was a member of the University’s golf team.
Hilary Heinrich, CPA, MFM
Director of Accounting
Hilary joined the team in early 2017, bringing her private accounting experience and extensive organizational skills to the table. As Chief Financial Officer at Urban Story Ventures, she manages all day to day accounting tasks and heads strategic, long-term financial planning. Her oversight and management of operational budgets of over $150M in assets is crucial to our organizational success. Hilary’s good nature and ability to problem solve makes our relationships with banks, vendors and other outside entities a pleasure. With a Masters in Financial Management from Southern Adventist University and Certified Public Accountant license, she ensures accuracy and efficiency in all her endeavors. When not dealing with the piles of paper that reside in her office she enjoys playing with her dog Kymber and working in the garden.
In her words: “My love of numbers and puzzles makes work fun. I’m excited to expand my knowledge in a challenging and rewarding atmosphere.”
Personal: gardener / dog lover / puzzler
Audrey Hooper
Chief of Staff
Starting with the company (known as DEW, LLC at the time) in 2015, Audrey has been on an educational and transformational journey as part of the development team. Her involvement in the acquisition process of what now makes up Urban Story Ventures has been critical to the company’s past and ongoing projects. A genuine curiosity and willingness to learn have spurred Audrey’s growth. As Chief of Staff, she is responsible for handling employee programs including development, training and other key human resources for our team. Audrey specializes in the betterment and progression of her co-workers, their work environment and the company culture. The dedication to employee and company growth creates a domino effect within our office walls.
In her own words: “I love that every day is different! I feel incredibly privileged for the opportunity to work and grow with such driven, creative and talented colleagues.”
Personal: born + raised in Lexington, KY / moved to Chattanooga 2014 / worldwide traveler / live music lover
Andrew Black
Director of Facilities | Midtown Property Manager
As property manager for Midtown Office Park, Andrew is dedicated to ensuring that everything runs smoothly and that all tenant expectations are exceeded. Andrew has an extensive background in account management, customer service and sales. His goal is to build long-lasting relationships with everyone that he works with. With a dedicated maintenance team that has decades of experience, his team is committed to making Midtown Office Park a destination location for your business.
Rebecca Oxentenko
Senior Accountant
Rebecca started with Urban Story Ventures as an intern in the accounting department in early 2019. After completing her Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, she joined the team as a full-time Accountant. Her duties include managing the bookkeeping process for specific entities and aiding the accounting department in various tasks and projects. Working at Urban Story gives her the opportunity to relish in her love of numbers and organizing, as well as putting her love for the city of Chattanooga into action.
In her own words, “Sometimes working as an accountant can get monotonous because a lot of what we do is similar from day today. I love that this is not true of working at Urban Story Ventures. Every day here is new and exciting! I am so grateful to be a part of a team of such dedicated and amazing individuals.”
Becky loves traveling, Furthering her education in culinary arts(which she also has a degree in), Spending time outdoors/nature, and attending baseball and football games
Brad Shumpert, J.D.
Executive Vice President
As Executive Vice President, Brad is responsible for working alongside our General Partner and Owner to execute the overall vision and mission of Urban Story Ventures. Brad relies on almost 20 years’ experience of being a key driver of hundreds of millions of dollars of real estate transactions to help direct and advise the Urban Story Venture’s team in all aspects of buying, selling, and maintaining properties.
Prior to joining the Urban Story Ventures team, Brad spent years working successfully in a unique dual role as both Director of Business Development and Real Estate Counsel at one of the largest and respected commercial development firms in the country. This role capitalized on both legal and relational strengths. Brad started his career with the largest law firm in Arkansas. With his diverse background, Brad adds a wealth of knowledge to the Urban Story Ventures’ team and provides a unique perspective that draws on both business and legal experience. Brad connects people naturally and is an integrated thinker when it comes to developing strategies.
Brad and his wife, Kim decided to relocate back to Kim’s hometown of Chattanooga after seeing the amazing growth of downtown a few years ago. They are now excited to be part of the next chapter of Chattanooga’s story. Brad enjoys bourbon, boating, golf, and finding great restaurants.
Brad graduated from Arkansas State University with a B.A. in Philosophy before obtaining his law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Brad also has a master’s degree in Conflict Management from Lipscomb University.
JP Evans
Director of Leasing
As Director of Leasing, JP oversees all leasing activities for our portfolio and third-party services. He works with prospects and current tenants to identify the best space for their needs and lease terms for their unique situation. JP brings a diverse background of construction and technical sales to the position and often collaborates with the property management and tenant relations team on build-outs and special projects. Working closely with the executive team, he plays a key role in a variety of transactions from acquisitions to dispositions. There is no doubt that his responsiveness and innate desire to meet the needs of our company partners and tenants has helped us stand out as a market leader for commercial leasing and development. Before serving as director, JP handled all the leasing at our 400,000-square-foot Midtown Office Park.
JP graduated from Tennessee Tech in 2016 with a degree in Engineering Technology and attained his real estate license in 2021 around the time he joined USV. He is also a graduate of Protégé Chattanooga, a member of the 2022-2023 Leadership Chattanooga class, and was named a “Rising Star” by the Chattanooga Times Free Press in 2020. JP has served on numerous committees and boards focused on education and workforce development, including with Chattanooga State, the Tennessee Promise program, the Association of General Contractors (AGC), the Family Justice Advisory Board, and the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce Midtown Council.
In his own words: "When a lead or a new business partner reaches out, they can be confident that I'll do whatever it takes to get the best results possible."
Personal: spending time with his family / playing golf
Megan Bissonette, MBA
Director of Marketing and Communications
Megan Bissonette leads our marketing and communications strategy as it evolves with our new ventures. With over a decade of B2B experience, Megan’s skillset covers everything from branding, advertising, and public relations, to content marketing, community relations, and client development. As we bring to market impactful projects like The Bend that drive economic growth and community engagement in our region, Megan is focused on crafting marketing plans that support these historical investments and developments.
Megan previously spent several years in legal marketing for a mid-size corporate law firm, focusing on industries including real estate, health care, and manufacturing. She also has a background in consumer products marketing. An alumnae of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, she has a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in marketing.
In her own words: “I believe our vision, projects, and capabilities set us apart from the rest. What we’re doing pulls at my heartstrings, and I love telling our story and supporting our team in these projects that reimagine, reuse, and revive.”
Personal: boy mom / general life adventurer with her better half, Evan / lover of the outdoors, state and national parks, and traveling / golfer / big with Big Brothers Big Sisters / member of CWLI and PRSA
Priscilla Vaca
Accountant
Priscilla is an Urban Story Ventures accountant who joined our team in the spring of 2022 to help us meet the emerging needs of our growing Southeast portfolio. Her day-to-day responsibilities include accounts payable, receivables, and handling tenant and vendor inquiries. So her strong organizational and problem-solving skills and sharp attention to detail are key to her role. And, contrary to what you may expect of an accountant, Priscilla is artistic and uses her creative side to turn raw data into valuable information. She also brings a global perspective from her previous experience in corporate finance for an international solar cell manufacturer. Priscilla earned her bachelor’s of business administration in accounting from Dalton State College.
In her own words: “No day is the same here, and I enjoy how intellectually stimulating my job is. It’s fun to make sense out of the numbers for our team!”
Personal: runner — completed a 10K and is working toward the half marathon / artistic and loves to paint and draw / enjoys hiking, kayaking, and swimming
Mary-Martha McDaniel
Property Manager
Our Property Manager Mary-Martha McDaniel oversees property management and tenant relations for all of our USV properties, outside of Midtown. She is a go-to resource and loves addressing our tenant and vendor needs in the fast-paced environment.
Mary-Martha’s friendly and upbeat personality shines on anyone she meets, and she enjoys collaborating across departments. Her dynamic background in business operations, construction and project management, leasing and property management, events, and customer service has prepared her for anything that may come her way. She’s worked with small businesses and well-known Chattanooga names like Rock Creek Outfitters and Access America. Mary-Martha loves to give back and enjoys serving as an event planner for her neighborhood association and an alumni board member for communications at UT Knoxville.
In her own words: “Each week brings the opportunity to meet new people and shine some light on their day, and I love it! And I’m excited to play a part in the future of our city while also honoring its rich history.”
Personal: camping and quality time with her boys / college football / outdoor adventurer
Sierra Pitts
Business Coordinator
Sierra is a go-to resource for activities related to the legal, compliance, and operations areas of our business. Working closely with our Executive Vice President Brad, she keeps the administrative side of things on track, which is critical when projects, transactions, and business arrangements in commercial real estate can be ever-changing. From meeting prep and event bookings to legal research to documentation and records management, our team knows we can count on Sierra to be responsive, thorough, and creative in her approach. She regularly works with in-house and external legal partners on purchase and sale agreements, confidentiality agreements, licensing agreements, and tenant leases. She is also often included in new and complex projects where her sharp listening skills and adaptability help guide us on next steps!
Sierra joined us in the summer of 2022 after previously working for a top residential real estate group where she spent time in contract and database management, including for PSAs, amendments, and buyer’s rep agreements. She also has a wealth of customer service experience in hospitality like many of our other team members, which helps us provide a high-quality experience to our tenants and business partners. Sierra has an associate's degree in business administration.
In her own words: “I really like the inclusiveness and sense of community we have here. Collaborating with our team, no matter what’s thrown my way, keeps each day fun and interesting.”
Personal: Born in Portsmouth, Virginia, and lived on naval bases growing up | plays kickball intramurals with CSL | animal lover | enjoys music shows and festivals