People

Kevin Wilson has been selected as the new director of finance for the city of Alcoa. Wilson has more than 30 years of progressive accounting and financial leadership experience. He comes to the city from H.T. Hackney, Inc., where he served as corporate controller of brands. Prior to that role, he...

Melanie Fleenor has been selected to fill the newly created position of transit manager for the Bristol Department of Public Works. Fleenor will oversee the day-to-day operations of the city’s bus system, including policies and procedures and promotional efforts to increase ridership. Before coming...

Andrew Kiepe has been selected as policy director for the city of Memphis by Mayor Paul Young. Kiepe will help advance smart policy, secure competitive funding, and deepen partnerships that move Memphis forward. Kiepe previously served as director of development for the Memphis River Partnership...

Dean Dickey, former mayor of Columbia, died Jan. 8, 2026, at the age of 92. Dickey was first elected to the Columbia City Council in 2008 and then elected mayor in 2010. He served two terms as mayor, leaving office in 2019. The Championship Field at Ridley Park in Columbia was named in Dickey’s...

Joy Baker has retired after 44 years of service as the risk management director for Johnson City. Baker joined the city in 1981 in the newly created risk management position for the city and developed numerous policies for the city to ensure risk minimization, including daily training, job site...

Charles Carter, former Millington fire chief, died Jan. 1, 2026, at the age of 77. Born at the Naval Hospital at NAS Millington, he graduated from Millington schools and attended Memphis State College – now the University of Memphis – before serving with the U.S. Navy Reserve for five years. He...

Jill Lewis has joined UT-MTAS as a finance and accounting consultant for East Tennessee. She will be based in Johnson City. She joins MTAS from the Tennessee Department of Education in Washington County where she worked as a finance consultant. From 2013 to 2021, she served as a business manager at...

Garland Harmon, former Pigeon Forge commissioner and director of the city’s public works department, died Dec. 30, 2025, at the age of 98. Harmon helped start the Pigeon Forge Volunteer Fire Department, serving for years as a volunteer fireman. He was also a supporter of the city’s incorporation and...

Tommy Thompson, one of the longest-serving district attorneys general in the state of Tennessee, died Dec. 12, 2025, at the age of 78. Thompson held office for 44 years representing the 15th Judicial District, which includes Trousdale, Jackson, Macon, Smith, and Wilson counties. He retired from the...

Gerald McCormick, former Republican Majority Leader in the Tennessee State House, died Dec. 11, 2025, at the age of 63 after a battle with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. McCormick represented Chattanooga’s District 26 in the State House for 14 years and had...

Michael Lankford has been selected to fill the seat left vacant by the death of late State Rep. Jeff Burkhart, R-Clarksville. Lankford presently serves as a Montgomery County commissioner, representing District 6. Lankford will represent Tennessee’s House District 75, which includes part of...

The city of Tullahoma has announced the retirement of Director of Public Works Butch Taylor and the appointment of Eric Pierce as his successor.  

Taylor dedicated 30 years of service to the city of Tullahoma. A reception in Taylor’s honor was held at the city’s public works facility prior to his...