People

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...

Scott Bonk has been selected as the new city recorder of Charleston following the departure of longtime City Recorder Janet Newport. Bonk is owner of Tennessee Technology Solutions, which operates in downtown Charleston. He served in the U.S. Navy’s Aviation Maintenance Administration in systems...

Brandy Bishop has been named the new city manager of Charleston after the departure of longtime City Manager Caroline Geren. Bishop had been serving as the assistant to the city manager prior to her appointment. Bishop was initially hired to help with the transition to the new Charleston City Hall...

Jeffrey Peach has been appointed interim town manager for the town of Smyrna following the retirement of longtime Town Manager Brian Hercules. Peach presently serves as the town’s attorney. Peach has also spent 28 years in municipal government, starting out with 17 years in law enforcement and seven...

Hanna Miller is the new public information officer for the city of Columbia. She will both maintain transparent communication for the city government and assist the tourism and marketing department with a variety of initiatives. She previously served as the community risk reduction and public...

Rob Bennett has been selected as the new city administrator for Decherd. Bennett has been serving as the city’s assistant street department superintendent and has spent 11 years with the city. Bennett takes over the role after the departure of Mary Aveni in December 2023.  

Davy Bergman Jr. has been named chief of the Fayetteville Fire Department. A Fayetteville native, Bergman has been with the department since 2008, starting as a volunteer firefighter before joining the department full-time. He has also held the positions of engineer, lieutenant, and captain in the...

Patrick Marsh has been selected as a management consultant for UT-MTAS's Memphis office. Prior to coming to MTAS, Marsh served as city manager of Fernley, Nev. He has also held roles as city administrator in Fitchburg, Wisc.; Monona, Wisc.; and Coal Valley, Ill. He holds a bachelor’s degree from...

Leland Alexander, fire chief of Milledgeville, died April 27, 2024, at the age of 78. Alexander had been chief of the Milledgeville Fire Department since 2010. Prior to that, he had 57 years of experience in the fire service and as an emergency medical responder, working in Shelby County. He also...