Veteran leaders Missy Acosta and Jeff Newton promoted to Senior Vice President roles.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (October 10, 2024) – Delta Dental of Tennessee (Delta Dental) announced today the promotion of two key executives: Missy Acosta, the company’s long-time marketing leader, has been named Senior Vice President, Brand Experience; and Jeff Newton, CPA, a key member of the finance team, has been appointed Senior Vice President, Audit and Finance.
"Missy and Jeff have demonstrated tremendous leadership for their departments and are great contributors to our overall strategy,” said Jeff Ballard, President and CEO of Delta Dental of Tennessee. “They are examples of living out our mission – ensuring healthy smiles – in their work at Delta Dental and out in the community. I am proud to have both of them on our leadership team and glad to see them advance their careers here.”
Missy Acosta, who previously served as Vice President of Brand Strategy, has been with Delta Dental since 2006. Acosta leads the company’s efforts in marketing, communications, and government relations, ensuring Delta Dental’s brand purpose is at the core of everything the organization does. Acosta was recognized by the Nashville Business Journal earlier this year as a C-Suite Award recipient and was named to its esteemed Women of Influence in 2023. As an active community leader, Acosta serves on the boards of directors for the Nashville Chamber of Commerce and Adventure Science Center; is the immediate past board chair for CABLE Nashville and the National Federation of Independent Business’s Tennessee Leadership Council; and is a past board president for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee. She has been recognized for her leadership and service by the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, Kiwanis International, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee, and others.
Jeff Newton joined Delta Dental in 2016 as Controller and was promoted to Vice President, Audit and Finance in 2019. He oversees the internal and external accounting and reporting for Delta Dental and its charitable arm, the Smile 180 Foundation, along with the company’s budgeting, tax compliance, COBRA administration, and underwriting department. Newton is the immediate past chair of the board for Interfaith Dental, where he has served on several committees, including finance and governance. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), he is involved with several professional associations, including the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), the Tennessee Society of CPAs (TSCPA), and Financial Executives International (FEI).
Download headshots for Missy Acosta and Jeff Newton here.
For more information about Delta Dental of Tennessee, visit deltadentaltn.com.
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Delta Dental of Tennessee
Delta Dental of Tennessee is the state’s largest independent dental benefits carrier with 1.5 million lives covered. As part of the Delta Dental Plans Association, Delta Dental of Tennessee members have access to the largest dental network in the nation with more than 200,985 providers serving more than 538,819 locations. With the simple mission of ensuring healthy smiles, Delta Dental of Tennessee works hard to help members of the communities it serves. Along with its corporate foundation, Smile180, Delta Dental of Tennessee donated more than $4.0 million in funding and in-kind services to over 100 organizations in 2023.