People

Jerry Neal, Jellico alderman, died August 5, 2023, at the age of 79. Born in Greensburg, Pa., Neal graduated from Jellico High School in 1962 then attended Cumberland College where he majored in business administration. He also served in the U.S. Army. Neal worked for 32 years at the McComb Supply...

Lexi Dearborn has been selected as the new marketing coordinator for the city of Columbia’s Tourism and Marketing Department. The newly created position will focus on executing marketing strategies for Visit Columbia as well as promote the city and its departments to better communication and serve...

Mark Foulks has been named the new chief of the Mt. Juliet Fire Department and will serve as the third chief in the department’s history. Foulks brings 30 years of experience to the role, including serving as Murfreesboro Fire Rescue from 2015 to 2022 as well as chief of the Greeneville Fire...

Tony Day has been appointed to the Lafayette City Council to fill a term vacated by former councilman Jeff Hudson, who had to resign his position after marrying and moving out of the city limits. Day was voted unanimously into the vacant seat. Day operated a business in Lafayette for 27 years...

Liam Collins has been hired as the communications manager in the office of Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. Collins previously served as a senior reporter for Chattanooga Local News 3 and prior to that worked as a bureau chief and multimedia journalist with WITN News in Jacksonville, N.C. Collins a...

David Windrow, fire chief for the town of Nolensville, was named Fire Chief of the Year by the Tennessee Fire Chief’s Association (TFCA). The award is the most prestigious honor given to fire chiefs in the state, reflecting leadership in both the fire service and the community. Windrow has been...

Lt. Jeffrey Norman, a 20-year veteran of the Memphis Fire Department, from injuries sustained while responding to a fire in the early morning hours of July 18, 2023. Three other Memphis firefighters were also injured during the incident where the four men became trapped inside a South Memphis...

Kirsten Ert Acuff, city manager for Lakesite, graduated from the Politics of Decision-Making Fellowship at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. The program equips participants with meaningful conflict analysis and resolution ideas, skills, and experience to pursue more effective and...

Ervin Dinsmore, retired public safety official with the city of Chattanooga, died July 14, 2023, at the age of 83. Dinsmore worked for the city of Chattanooga from 1965 until 1999. He worked his way up through the ranks to be named police chief in 1989 and then was elected fire and police...

Michael Ellis has been selected as the new city manager of Rocky Top after having served as interim city manager since March. Ellis recently retired as a high school teacher for Anderson County Schools and was formerly employed as a girls’ basketball coach and road superintendent for Anderson...

Eric Stuckey, city administrator for Franklin, was recently selected as vice president for the Southeast Region by the ICMA Board of Directors. Stuckey has been city administrator for Franklin since 2009 and during that time has overseen the city’s 780 employees as well as worked with the Franklin...