People

Leigh Ann Reynolds will be retiring as the city recorder of Trenton after 17 years with the city. Reynolds has been Trenton city’s recorder since October 2011 and served as the city’s certified municipal finance officer. Before coming to Trenton, she worked as the city recorder for Bradford for nine...

Joseph Strong has been appointed the new chief building official for Johnson City. In this role, he will oversee the city’s Building Services Department’s permitting and inspection services, supervise all City trades inspectors, and lead the plans review process. A deputy state fire marshal for the...

Mike Gwinn, senior sales manager for the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism, received the prestigious 2025 Volunteer of the Year Award from the National Tour Association (NTA) at its annual conference in Ottawa, Canada. The Volunteer of the Year Award is significant because it is the only award for...

After serving 13 years as the head of the Goodlettsville Police Department, Chief Gary Goodwin announced that he will retire effective Jan. 1, 2026.  

Goodwin has 50 years of law enforcement experience and has served in various leadership positions throughout his distinguished career. 

“Serving as the...

Sam Gray has been sworn in as the new mayor of Carthage after previous Mayor Anthony Hackett resigned for personal reasons. Gray has been serving as the vice mayor of Carthage since Hackett was selected as mayor earlier this year, following the resignation of former Mayor Steve Babcock for health...

Scotty Bush, chief of the Hendersonville Fire Department (HFD), announced his intention to retire on Dec. 31, 2025, following 39 years in the fire service. Bush was selected as chief of HFD in 2015. He previously served as an International Association of Arson Investigators fire investigator...

David M. Gray has been selected as the new fire chief for the Gatlinburg Fire Department, taking over at the retirement of Chief Charlie Cole after 38 years of service. Gray presently serves as assistant chief and as a paramedic for the Knoxville Fire Department. During his work in Knoxville, Gray’s...

State Rep. Jeff Burkhart, R-Clarksville, died Nov. 14, 2025, at the age of 63 at his home in Clarksville. Prior to serving in the General Assembly, Burkhart served Clarksville City Council’s Ward 12 from 2008 to 2020. He was elected to the Tennessee House for the first time in 2022, representing...

Shantell Hoefling has been selected as the new neighborhood specialist for Jackson Mayor Scott Conger’s Office of Innovation. Hoefling will work with residents and community partners to strengthen engagement, support neighborhood initiatives, and help foster a stronger sense of connection across the...

Rhett Pratt has returned to the Tennessee Municipal League’s staff as the senior director of government relations and membership engagement.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rhett back to our team,” said TML Executive Director Anthony Haynes. “He knows and understands the issues that impact our cities and...

Russell Brackins, former mayor of Erwin, died Oct. 15, 2025, at the age of 96. A lifelong resident of Erwin and a graduate of Unicoi County High School and East Tennessee State University, Brackins career in government began with the Internal Revenue Service with Brackins retiring as a senior...

Don Stallions has been selected as the new city manager of Townsend. Stallions previously worked as the director of general services for Blount County since 2014. Prior to that, he served as Blount County’s HR director and risk manager from 2003 to 2014. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal...