Renee Lockhart

During her student days at East Tennessee State University, Renee Lockhart spent four years practicing and performing with the ETSU Marching Band. That dedication and discipline helped her earn a BBA degree in 1987.

While working toward her Master of Accounting degree, which she received from ETSU in 1989, Lockhart held an unusual combination of positions. She was a graduate assistant in the Department of Accountancy, assisting students in the computer lab and professors in classrooms, but she also served as the coordinator of ETSU majorettes. In that second capacity, she worked with numerous high school bands in Tennessee, Virginia, and Kentucky, and was chosen to be a judge in high school marching band competitions.

After finishing her graduate program, Lockhart remained at ETSU as an accountancy instructor for an academic year. During that time, Richard Tetrick called the department looking for someone to fill an accounting position in his funeral home business. Lockhart was highly recommended and was hired.

Currently, Lockhart is Chief Financial Officer of Heritage Family Funeral Services, Inc. and Heritage Family Management. She oversees all aspects of the accounting department for the Elizabethton-based enterprises, including financial statement preparation, budgeting, accounts payable, payroll, sales tax, and internal auditing. In addition, she is responsible for troubleshooting computer hardware/software problems and overseeing the company’s web page. In 1990, when she began working for Heritage Family Funeral Services, the company had 10 locations in three states. Today, there are 20 locations.

In recognition of her abilities, Lockhart was selected for inclusion in the 2001 “Forty Under 40” class featured by The Business Journal of Tri-Cities Tennessee/Virginia.

Lockhart is a member of the Elizabethton Rotary Club, serves on the board of directors for Heritage Family Cemeteries, Inc., and is a member of Heritage Baptist Church. She and her husband actively support several non-profit agencies dealing with children. She is a resident of Bluff City and married to Jess Lockhart, a 1986 ETSU graduate who is employed by the Sullivan County Department of Education.