People

Scott Mason has resigned from his position as city manager of Harriman after five years, stating he feels it is time for a change. Mason joined the city in June 2021, having previously served as principal of Midway High School. Mason said he has no future plans, but does expect to stay in the local...

Tim Ellis, longtime Goodlettsville City Manager and TML District 5 Director, has announced his intention to retire after nearly 40 years of service in local government. Ellis will have served as Goodlettsville’s city manager for 15 years at the time of his retirement, which is scheduled for Sept. 30...

Candace Whitt has been selected as the new grant procurement accountant for the town of Farragut. In this role, she’ll ensure that the Town’s grants, contracts, expenditures, and financial records meet all legal requirements. Whitt comes to Farragut from Blount County government where she worked as...

Hailey Russell is the new town recorder for Farragut. A certified municipal clerk, Russell is also in the process of becoming a certified municipal manager. She comes to Farragut from the town of Louisville where she served as an administrative assistant and performed duties similar to those of town...

Leadership changes are coming to Metro Nashville’s Department of Law. 

Mayor Freddie O’Connell announced current director Wallace “Wally” Dietz will retire from his position in July 2026. Tyler Yarbro has been tapped to succeed Dietz as the department’s director. 

Dietz has headed the law department...

Jonathan Jenkins has been selected as the new assistant fire chief for the Franklin Fire Department (FFD). A veteran of the department, Jenkins will take over the role from Assistant Chief Greg Baltimore, who retired in December. Jenkins most recently spent the past six years as a battalion chief...

Delaney Oldham will serve as a new finance and accounting consultant for UT-MTAS, based in the Nashville office. Prior to her role with MTAS, Oldham served as a legislative auditor in the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury’s Division of Local Audit. A certified county finance officer, Oldham...

Herb Byrd, vice president of the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service (IPS), will retire Sept. 30 following 40 years of dedicated service to the University of Tennessee and the state.

TML Executive Director Anthony Haynes thanked Byrd for his work in public service, particularly with...

Teresa Keen has retired after 49 years of service to the city of Portland. Keen began work at Portland City Hall in 1977 and is retiring from her current role as assistant to the mayor. During her tenure with the city, Keen said she saw much of the city’s business go from handwritten to computerized...

Chris Willyard has been selected as the new fire marshal for the Hendersonville Fire Department. Willyard has served with the department for 16 years, joining after spending six years with the Hendersonville Police Department. In addition to serving as the fire marshal, he will continue to serve as...

Craig Bennett has been selected as the first town administrator for Caryville. The Caryville Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted in April 2025 to create the town administrator position. Prior to coming to Caryville, Bennett served for more than three years as an operations officer with the U.S...

Bob Rial has been selected as the interim manager of Fairview. Rial will begin the role on a part-time basis until he finishes out his current term as Dickson County Mayor in November, at which point he will transition to full-time. Prior to being elected County Mayor in 2010, Rial served on the...