People

Eric Dougherty has been selected as the next chief of the Johnson City Police Department and will begin his service with the city in November following the retirement of current Chief Billy Church. Dougherty has more than three decades of law enforcement experience, joining JCPD in 1993. He most...

Dale Biggerstaff has been selected as the new director of public works for the city of Brentwood. Biggerstaff has more than 29 years of experience in leading and managing public water utilities and previously worked as the operations superintendent for the Brentwood Public Works Department. A native...

Kristeen Duren has been selected as the new city manager for the city of Clifton, taking over from City Recorder Samantha Haines who had held the position as interim city manager since April. Duren has spent a decade as a dietician at Wayne Care Nursing Home and Wayne Medical Center as well as her...

Todd Smith, city administrator for the town of Greeneville, has been appointed to the Governor’s Homeland Security Council by Gov. Bill Lee. Smith will represent the Tennessee Municipal League (TML) on the 22-member council. Smith was selected both because of his leadership in municipal government...

Stevan Pippin has been appointed as the seventh member of the Brentwood City Commission following the resignation of former Commission Susannah Macmillan. Pippin will hold the position for the remainder of the term, which ends in May 2027. Pippin has resided in Brentwood for 44 years and is an...

David Travis has been unanimously selected as the full-time city administrator for Dickson. Travis has been serving as acting city administrator for a year after the retirement of previous City Administrator Rydell Wesson. Travis began his career with the city of Dickson in April 1995 as a part-time...

Tonya Travis has been selected as the new finance director for the city of Brentwood. Travis is a certified municipal finance officer and has more than 23 years of experience in public finance. Travis will take over the role from Karen Harper, who plans to retire in early 2026 and will be working...

Kelly Lancaster has been selected as the new human resources director for the town of Nolensville. Lancaster has more than three decades of experience in both the public and private sectors. Prior to joining the town of Nolensville, Lancaster spent ten years as director of talent management for the...

Marvin Flatt, alderman representing Martin’s Ward 2, died July 15, 2025, at the Henry County Medical Center in Paris at age 71. Flatt was first elected to the Martin Board of Aldermen in 2016 and had been elected to his third term in 2024. A native of Lawrenceburg, Flatt earned a bachelor’s degree...

Rick Woods, longtime director of Leisure Services for the city of Cookeville, will retire from his position on Oct. 3, 2025. Woods began working for the city of Cookeville in 1985 when he worked at a local nonprofit that operated out of the Drama Center, now the Cookeville Performing Arts Center...

Terry Knowles has been selected as the new fire chief for Chattanooga. Knowles has served as the department’s assistant chief of special operations since 2022 and will replace retiring Chief Phil Hyman, who stepped down in July. Knowles joined the Chattanooga Fire Department in 2005, serving as a...

Longterm TML member and Dyersburg Alderman Bob Kirk died peacefully on July 16, 2025, at the age of 87 after years of service to his community and Tennessee. 

Kirk was first elected to the Dyerbsurg Borad of Mayor and Aldermen in 1967, a position he held for 51 years until his retirement in 2018. He...