People

Robert “Bobby” Simmons, Jr., a former Bartlett alderman and longtime public servant, died June 19, 2024 at the age of 79. Simmons served as a deputy with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office for 35 years, eventually obtaining the rank of captain. A native of Bartlett, Simmons also served for 20 years...

Randy Trivette is the new deputy city manager for the city of Johnson City. Trivette has been serving as the city’s assistant manager since 2022. He joined the city in 2018 as the first director of the city’s facilities management department. Prior to joining Johnson City, Trivette served in Erwin...

Robert Knecht has announced his retirement as public works director for the city of Memphis. Knecht has been with the city of Memphis’ public works department for 23 years, moving from an engineer to the director of the division. He was first appointed to serve as director of the department in 2015...

Gary Chandler has been appointed to fill the Erwin alderman recently vacated by former Vice Mayor Paula Kay Edwards. Chandler is a former member of the Erwin Board of Mayor and Alderman and is also a member of the Erwin Utilities Board of Directors. Alderman Mickey Hatcher was also appointed vice...

Michael Clark has been selected as the new director of community and economic development for the town of Collierville. Clark’s first day will be Aug. 5, 2024. Clark brings more than two decades of experience in urban and regional planning, community development, and economic growth strategies to...

Don Teal has retired as police chief of Martin. Teal began his career in 1983 and has 41 years of experience with the Martin Police Department. Throughout his career, Teal has been involved in every area of the department before being named chief in 2015. He holds a bachelor’s degree in education...

Steve Bower has been named the new economic development director for the city of Kingsport. Bower served in the Tennessee National Guard as a cavalry scout from 2015 to 2021. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s in public administration, both from East Tennessee State...

Rydell Wesson has retired as city manager of Dickson following 32 years of service to the city. Wesson began his career with the city of Dickson as an assistant building official in the Dickson Office of Planning and Zoning in 1988. Two years later, he returned to his hometown of Savannah to serve...

Richard Hickey, chief of police for the Brentwood Police Department, has announced his decision to retire next year after more than 34 years in law enforcement. Hickey has been with BPD since 1991 when he joined as a patrol officer. He has since served in numerous capacities including as a field...

Ryan Ewalt has been named the city of Chattanooga’s new chief strategy and innovation officer. Ewalt has been serving as the city’s chief operating officer since November 2021. Prior to that, he spent seven years at Unum and four years at Volkswagen in various project management and operations roles...

Dr. Derek Anderson has been named the new director of the Chattanooga Mayors Office of Community Health by Mayor Tim Kelly. Anderson comes to Chattanooga from San Antonio, Texas, where he has served as program director of the Bexar County Community Health Collaborative since 2022. He holds a...

Bruce Guyton, retired federal judge, has been selected as the deputy chief overseeing the Knoxville Police Department’s Office of Professional Standards. Guyton previously served as U.S. magistrate judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee for 20 years, retiring in 2022. Prior to that, he was a...