Vallie Collins – Bio
Vallie Smith Collins resides in Maryville, TN with her husband and three children. She is a member of Maryville First Baptist Church and serves on the Board of 147 Million Orphans and the Maryville City Schools Foundation. She is also a member of Maryville Junior Service League, former Board Chair for A Secret Safe Place for Newborns of Tennessee, and an alumna of Leadership Blount.
Vallie is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a degree in Biomedical Engineering. For over thirteen years she was employed as a Senior Account Manager for a contract manufacturer of medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer products. Her interests and hobbies include tennis, running, and spending time with family and friends.
As a sales person, travel was a key requirement of her job. As a result, Vallie was a passenger on US Airways Flight 1549 that landed in New York’s Hudson River on January 15, 2009. Vallie shares the details of her experience during the flight and rescue of the event that has become known as the “Miracle on the Hudson” in the hope that the experience will inspire and motivate all to treasure each and every day because “every day is a lucky day!”
