People

Jeff Shugart has been named the new parks and recreation director for the city of Church Hill by the Church Hill Board of Mayor and Alderman. He will take over the role from previous director Tim Wilson. Shugart presently serves as the head coach for the Church Hill Middle School girls’ basketball...

Greg Lencioni has been selected as the new chief of the Humboldt Fire Department. Most recently serving as a captain in the department, Lencioni was unanimously appointed as chief by the Humboldt Board of Mayor and Aldermen to take over the position, which was previously held by Chief Chester B...

Lt. Robert Hayes with the La Vergne Police Department died April 17, 2023, following a short battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 53. A 17-year veteran of the department, Hayes was diagnosed in March. He is survived by his wife of 25 years and their three adult children. He began working in...

Jesse Williams has been hired as the historic resources coordinator for the town of Farragut and will work both with the Farragut Museum located at Farragut Town Hall and with community outreach. Prior to joining the town of Farragut, prior to joining the town of Farragut, he spent nearly seven...

Ronnie Barrett has been selected as the new chief of the Gatlinburg Police Department and will assume his role following the retirement of current Chief Randy Brackins on June 2. Presently serving as a captain with the department, Barrett has been with GPD for 27 years. He will be the eleventh...

Jamie Hinson has been chosen as the next chief of the Paris Fire Department, taking over from Chief Michael Williams who retired from the department after 15 years as chief and a 39-year career. Hinson has served as assistant chief since December 2020, and is a 12-year veteran of the Paris Fire...

Jesse “J.P.” Kraft has been selected as the new director of parks and recreation for the city of Tullahoma. Kraft first joined the city of Tullahoma as a forestry resource technician and worked in several roles, including aquatic operations manager, recreation facility manager, and as interim...

Raquetta Dotley has been elected by her colleagues to serve as the next chairperson of the Chattanooga City Council, making her the first African-American woman to hold the position. Representing Chattanooga’s District 7 since 2021, Dotley recently served as the council’s vice chair from 2022-23, a...

Michael Williams Sr. has announced his retirement as the chief of the Paris Fire Department after a 39-year career. Williams will remain with the department in an advisory role to incoming Chief Jamie Hinson until the end of June. Williams joined the Paris Fire Department in 1984, working his way...

Randy Brackins, chief of the Gatlinburg Police Department, has announced his intent to retire effective June 2. A 49-year veteran of law enforcement, Brackins has spent his entire career at the Gatlinburg Police Department, joining GPD in 1974. He worked his way up through the ranks, serving first...

Deb Wallace has been selected as the new city manager of Athens. A native of McMinn County, Wallace will join the city from Tennessee Wesleyan University where she has been serving as director of the Professional Leadership in Criminal Justice (PLCJ) program since 2021. Prior to that, Wallace spent...