People

Laura Kidwell, legal consultant with UT-MTAS, has received the Justice Joseph W. Henry Award for Outstanding Legal Writing from the Tennessee Bar Association. Prior to joining MTAS as a legal consultant, Kidwell spent 18 years with the Tennessee Attorney General’s office, including serving nearly 14...

Kevin Townsel, director of human resources and risk management for the city of Franklin, has been named president of the Tennessee Personnel Management Association (TPMA). Townsel previously served as president-elect of the organization and assumed the role of president at the recent TPMA conference...

Derek Hyde has been selected as the new deputy fire chief for Brentwood Fire and Rescue Department. Hyde previously served as the battalion chief for the department and has 23 years of experience. He joined the department as a firefighter in 2002, working his way through the ranks until he was...

Brian Collins has been appointed the fifth fire chief for Brentwood Fire and Rescue. Collins has been serving as interim chief since the retirement of Brian Goss and previously served as the city’s deputy fire chief. He began his career in the fire service in Kentucky in 1995. Collins has been with...

April Furth has been appointed as the new administrator for the city of Chattanooga’s Parks and Outdoors Department. She comes to Chattanooga from Vancouver, Wash., where she previously served as the director of community development for Clark County. She also has experience in operational...

Charles McCrary, former police chief for the Mt. Juliet Police Department, died April 25, 2025, at the age of 87. McCrary joined the Mt. Juliet Police Department in 1976 and became the second chief of police in the city’s history. Prior to joining the department, he began his law enforcement career...

Collierville Fire Chief Paul Witt and the late Assistant Police Chief Jeff Abeln were both recently honored by Leadership Collierville.

Leadership Collierville also celebrated 30 years since its inception on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at Ridgeway Country Club. 

Alumni, current class members, and...

Phyllis Hildreth has been selected as the first director of Nashville’s newly established Office of Youth Safety, which will complement the work ongoing in the city to support young Nashvillians. As director, Hildreth will unite the efforts underway in the space of youth safety and programming. Most...

Jim Campbell has officially been promoted as the new chief of police for Clinton. Campbell has been acting as interim chief since November 2024. Campbell has three decades of law enforcement experience. He was appointed assistant chief in 2019. He joined the Clinton Police Department in 2003 and...

Laurie Matta, chief financial officer for the city of Clarksville, is stepping down from her role after 12 years of service. Under her leadership, the city has received the prestigious Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Award of Excellence in Finance Reporting for 10 consecutive years...

Brian Goss, chief of the Brentwood Fire and Rescue Department, retired on May 11 after 42-years in the fire service. His tenure includes 17 years as assistant fire chief for Brentwood and 14 as chief. Goss began his career in 1983 as a paid-on-call firefighter in Bangor, Mich. In 1988, he joined the...

Col. Darren Goods has been appointed as the new public safety advisor for the city of Memphis. Goods will report directly to the mayor and oversee both the Group Violence Intervention Program (GVIP) and the Joint Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (JONSE). He brings more than 35 years of...