Chattanooga Gifts
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Donavon Boutz
Founder/Co-Owner
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Donavon Boutz was born into a renowned family of German-American Glassbowers. Trained at an early age in the same technical excellence and sensitivity to color as his great uncle and father, Donavon blends an old-world family style and a contemporary aesthetic. The wide range of Don's styles stretch from classical stemware to works incorporating animal and human forms. These lampwork pieces are widely collected and exhibited in museums and galleries; including the Renwick Gallery Smithsonian Institution, Corning Museum of Glass, and The Lobmeyr Galleries, Vienna, Austria.
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Fun Fact: Don is a 30 year retired Army Colonel.
Suzan Benzle' Boutz
Co-Owner/General Manager
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Pattern, color, and light have always touched the senses of Suzan Boutz. For 15 years, she has devoted herself to working in fine inlaid porcelain using intricate patterns enhanced by light.
In turn, an artist in love with light and color should choose to explore glass. In 1998 she met Don Boutz. Don trained Suzan in his family glass working techniques and have been married for 20 years.
Not-so-Fun-Fact: Suzan was held in a Belizean jail overnight after her car was hit by a motor cycle.
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Leigh Anne Lockhart
Storefront Manager/Bookkeeper
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Leigh Anne has proudly worked at Sweetly Southern for 7 years.
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Fun Fact: She was in a commercial when she was a little girl. She was scouted at a grocery store with her grandmother.
Dina LeRoy
Sales Associate
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Dina loves working at Sweetly Southern. She lives in downtown Chattanooga and enjoys the bussle of the city. She has spent most of her life teaching and loves to educate our visitors on the sites and history that surrounds our venue.
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Fun Fact: She has lived in 3 countries.
Olivia Smith
Head Merchandise Photographer
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The newest, youngest member of the Sweetly Southern staff, Olivia is a student at UTC. Olivia is in charge of photography and most of the items on our site were taken by her. Outside of that, she loves working the register and helping customers.
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Fun Fact: Olivia spent the first 12 years of her life in Alaska. She visits every 6 months to see her family and loves it! She hopes to build a cabin near her family so she can spend Summers up there when she gets older.