Three Finalists Announced for Sue Ann Head Award

The Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has announced the three finalists for the Second Annual Sue Ann Head Award for Excellence in Workers; Compensation. The Bureau will announce the winner during the 23rd annual Workers' Compensation Education Conference which will be held virtually this year Oct. 26 through 30. 

Nancy Brown 

Claims Manager, Accident Fund Insurance Company of America

Nancy Brown has been with Accident Fund since 2013 and was named the 2017 Employee of the Year.  As Claims Manager, she is responsible for overseeing workers’ compensation claims handling for customers in Tennessee and North Carolina.  She is a certified adjuster in Tennessee and was instrumental in getting Accident Fund approved to be the first company listed as a certified adjusting entity in Tennessee. Included in her nomination was an article with the following quote from an injured worker at his hearing, “Judge, Nancy Brown is my adjuster, and she is absolutely awesome.”  She was nominated by Tim Manring, Sr. Business Development Consultant, Accident Fund who said Nancy Brown has had a “major impact on thousands of injured workers, getting them back to work and getting the fair settlements they deserve.”

Jason Denton

Member, Rochelle, McCulloch & Aulds, LLC

Jason Denton was admitted to the bar in Tennessee in 2013 and represents injured workers in Middle Tennessee. He is a board member of the Tennessee Association for Justice (TAJ).  He started and was co-chair of the TAJ Workers’ Compensation Litigation Group for the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association.  Mr. Denton is serving his second term on the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council, having been appointed by both Governor Bill Haslam and Governor Bill Lee.  He was nominated by Rebecca Blair who said in her nomination, “When other attorneys stopped representing injured workers after the 2014 changes, Jason stayed involved…Jason gives his mind and his heart to our State, this System, and, most importantly, to the injured workers of Tennessee.”

Shirley Vincent

Owner, Guardian Medical Consulting, LLC

Shirley Vincent is a registered nurse and a board-certified case manager.  While working for Crawford & Company she was awarded the Crawford US Quality Award for her work with workers with catastrophic injuries. In 2009, she founded Guardian Medical Consulting, LLC, a case management and medical-legal consulting services firm in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas. She was nominated by Martha Herron, an Occupational Health Nurse with Nucor Memphis, a client of Mrs. Vincent. Ms. Herron said in her nomination,  “Shirley understands the needs of injured workers, and how important it is to collaborate with the injured worker, medical team, and the employer to have the best outcome for all involved so the injured worker can return to work.”

A distinguished panel of workers' compensation experts served as judges for this award.

• Jennifer Wolf, Executive Director, International Assoc. of Industrial Boards and Commissions
• Gary Cannon, Executive Director, South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission
• Ron Dressler, Director, Division of Industrial Accidents, Utah Labor Commission

The winner will be announced virtually on Wednesday, October 26th at 9 AM during the 23rd Workers' Compensation Educational Conference.