Chad McDonald

Chad McDonald has been selected as the next director of the Cookeville Department of Leisure Services and Public Facilities following the retirement of current director Rick Woods in October. McDonald has been with the city in various capacities for more than 30 years, beginning as a part-time employee at the Cookeville Drama Center – now the Cookeville Performing Arts Center – in 1992 while a student at Tennessee Tech. Since joining the city staff full-time in 1996, he has served as a cultural arts technician, cultural arts coordinator, cultural arts superintendent, and most recently as the department’s assistant director since February 2024.