People

Herman Davis, the first African-American mayor of Coopertown, died at the age of 88. Davis served as alderman for District 1 and vice mayor of Coopertown from 1998 to 2000 and then as mayor from 2000 to 2004, only the second mayor in the town’s history. A native of Alabama, Davis joined the U.S...

Gerald C. Smith Sr. has been selected as the new director of general services for the city of Nashville. Smith has more than 30 years’ experience in public administration. serving as city manager, department director, assistant city manager, and municipal management consultant for communities...

Todd Fowler, mayor of Johnson City, has been appointed to the National League of Cities (NLC) 2024 Human Development Federal Advocacy Committee. 

Mayor Fowler was elected to a one-year term and will provide strategic direction and guidance for NLC’s federal advocacy agenda and policy priorities on...

Doug Tarwater has been promoted to director of Sevierville Public Works. Tarwater joined the city of Sevierville as its deputy public works director in 2022. Prior to that, he worked for more than eight years with the Tennessee Department of transportation, including as director of maintenance...

Javaid Majid has been selected as the new chief financial officer (CFO) of the city of Chattanooga. Majid comes to Chattanooga from Salt Lake County, Utah, where he spent more than 35 years in the finance profession. He most recently served as the county’s senior debt administrator. Majid will...

Michelle Austin, has been selected as the director of Clarksville’s Neighborhood and Community Services. A lifelong Clarksville resident, Austin has 25 years of experience in public service, including 13 years at Clarksville Parks and Recreation. During her time there, she worked with the department...

Jackson Mayor Scott Conger, has been appointed to the National League of Cities (NLC) 2024 Small Cities Council.  

Mayor Conger was elected to a one-year term to develop and guide programs among local elected officials from similar communities. The appointment was announced by NLC President Mayor...

Keaira Turner has been selected as the new public affairs director for the Chattanooga Police Department. Turner comes to Chattanooga from Birmingham, Ala,, where she has spent nearly 10 years in strategic communications and government affairs, including as public relations manager for the...

Mary L. Wagner has been appointed to the Tennessee Supreme Court by Gov. Bill Lee. Wagner presently serves as a circuit court judge for the 30th Judicial District in Shelby County. Before that, she was an associate at Rice, Amundsen & Caperton, PLLC and taught as an adjunct professor at The...

Baron Swafford has retired as the public utility director of Maryville will retire on March 1. Swafford has been at the head of the city’s electric department since 1994 and became head of the city’s water and sewer departments when they and the electric department were combined into the Public...

Andrew Ellard, assistant city manager for Morristown, has become an ICMA credentialed manager, joining 16 other Tennessee managers and 1,500 local government management professionals who participate in the ICMA Voluntary Credentialing Program. To receive ICMA credentials, a member must have...

Chris Bates has been named the new chief of the Cleveland Fire Department. Bates has been in emergency services since 1995 when he was hired by the city of Cleveland Police Department and has most recently served as fire marshal for the city. He has worked with the Cleveland Fire Department since...