People

Tom Pardue, a former alderman for the town of Jonesborough, died Oct. 21, 2026, at the age of 80. Born in Knoxville, Pardue attended East Tennessee State University and served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War from 1967 to 1971. He then opened Pardue Photographics in Jonesborough...

Kailee Bradley has been selected as the new social media coordinator for the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism. A native of Sevier County and graduate of Pigeon Forge High School, Bradley earned a bachelor’s degree from East Tennessee State University. She will assist with the department's social...

Cade Sexton, a longtime public servant in Caryville and LaFollette, died Oct. 17, 2026, at the age of 90. A native of Caryville, earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Lincoln Memorial University and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Tennessee. He served as mayor for the...

Walter “Eddy” Ford, who helped charter the town of Farragut and served as both an alderman and mayor of the town, died Oct. 6, 2026, at the age of 87. Ford helped charter the town in 1980 and then served as one of the city’s first aldermen, representing the South Ward from 1980 to 1993. He also...

Mark Shipley, community development director for Farragut, was named the 2026 Planner of the Year by the Tennessee Chapter of the American Planning Association (TAPA). The award is the most distinguished individual award presented by TAPA and recognizes 30 years of service to Farragut. Shipley began...

Earnest Jackson III has been appointed the new internal auditor for the city of Jackson. Jackson will report directly to Mayor Scott Conger, overseeing the city’s audit committee and conducting protective and constructive audits across all municipal departments, evaluating the adequacy of accounting...

Mona Lawrence, former receptionist and administrative assistant for the Tennessee Municipal League, died Oct. 2, 2026, at the age of 77. Born in Cairo, Ill., and raised in Bardwell, Ky., where her father served as mayor for 25 years, Lawrence earned an associate’s degree in secretarial science from...

Devon Parks has been selected as the new director of the West Tennessee Delta Heritage Center by Brownsville Mayor William D. “Bill” Rawls Jr. Parks has spent the past five years working at the center, which welcomes visitors to the history and heritage of Brownsville, Haywood County, and West...