People

Mike Billingsley, city attorney for Kingsport, has announced his retirement following nearly 30 years of service. Billingsley has been with the city since March 1994 and has worked under six mayors, five city managers, and dozens of aldermen. He also served twice as interim city manager during his...

Joe Barker, executive director of the Southwest Tennessee Development District (SWTDD), has been appointed by SWTDD, the West Tennessee city mayors Association, and the West Tennessee county Mayors Association to be their local government representative with the Ford Motor Company and its Blue Oval...

Left to right, Camden Water Superintendent John Beasley and employee Timmy Pate who recently was awarded the Distribution System Operator of the Year award from the Tennessee Association of Utility Districts (TAUD). The award was presented at the annual Operator Expo held in Lebanon. Pate is a...

Stephanie Graham has been hired as the new public information officer and community outreach coordinator for the Jackson Police Department. A Jackson native, Graham is presently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Lane College. Graham is also the wife of Jackson Battalion Chief...

K9 Nash, a German shorthair pointer trained in narcotics detection, has joined the Bristol Tennessee Police Department as Sgt. Joe Newman’s newest partner.

Nash began his life as a police canine with handler Adam Surface of the Seymour Police Department (SPD) in Seymour, Ind., and was trained and...

Fred Burton, Lebanon city councilmember, has been honored with a Legends of Lebanon Award for his contributions to the city at the government and civic level. Burton has served five terms on the council and was recognized by Mayor Rick Bell for his years of service. Burton served in the military...

Herbert Slatery, attorney general for the state of Tennessee, has announced he will not seek a second eight-year term this fall. Slatery has served as the attorney general since his appointment to the role in 2014. Tennessee is the only state where the attorney general is appointed by the state...

Jessica Harmon has been promoted to assistant city manager of Kingsport and will oversee the city’s building, code enforcement, planning, community development, and public information and communications departments. Harmon has served as the assistant to the city manager for Kingsport since November...

Kirsten Ert has been selected by the Lakesite Board of Commissioners as the new city manager. Ert comes to Lakesite from Collegedale where she served as senior community planner and social media coordinator. She also served as a city planner and government management graduate intern with...

Dr. Lisa Piercey will leave her role as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health to enter the private sector on May 31. Piercey started her role as commissioner in January 2019 and provided public health leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to her role in the department, Piercey...

Paul Noel, current deputy chief of the New Orleans Police Department, has been named the new police chief for the city of Knoxville. Noel is the deputy superintendent in charge of the New Orleans PD’s criminal investigations division and was a finalist for the title of Chattanooga police chief...

Josh Ray has been selected as the new town manager for Signal Mountain following a national search over several months. Ray has about 20 years of city manager experience and most recently served as the city manager of Shelbyville from January 2021 until March 2022. Signal Mountain’s last town...