Accomplishments

Three years ago, we began with a simple but powerful promise: to move Roane County forward, we had to first Pull Together. We embraced this philosophy as our method for governance, and the results have been transformative. We pulled together to secure the largest jobs announcement in our history with 770 new jobs at Malibu. Building on that momentum, we formalized our collaborative strategy by forming the Oak Ridge Corridor Development Corporation, our monumental partnership with Anderson County Government and the City of Oak Ridge. This powerful engine has since become the absolute key to our economic future, resulting in billions of dollars of new investment – including the largest capital investment in Tennessee history with Orano USA – and creating unprecedented opportunity for our people. With current projects already looking to expand, this regional effort remains central to our long-term prosperity.

We pulled together to solve other critical challenges. When faced with a public health crisis, we formed the award-winning Roane County Opioid Council, earning state-wide recognition and contributing to a significant decrease in overdose deaths. By working closely with the Roane County Sheriff’s Office, we tackled a decade-long issue, achieving certification for our county jail for the first time in 12 years and saving taxpayers millions in a mandated capital expansion. We modernized our government by creating a centralized records department, introducing digital payment capabilities, and securing the Last Mile Grant to bring high-speed broadband to every unserved household. We have laid a powerful foundation of proven results.

YEAR 2:

Recruited over 1,000 new industrial jobs (Malibu/Cobalt– 770 jobs, and Protomet– 250 jobs) to Roane County making it the second year in a row that Roane County has announced over 1,000 new jobs to the local economy.
Achieved compliance with the Tennessee Corrections Institute, getting released from a Plan of Action for the Roane County Jail, which had been in place for 12 years. This gives us much more latitude and freedom in the timing of planning for jail expansion.
Opened a new ambulance station on Gallaher Road, the only station east of the Clinch and Emory Rivers.
Created new digital payment and digital permit tracking option at the Building and Codes Office.
Added over $2 million savings to the Capital Fund balance in expectation of future capital projects.
Total renovation of the Roane County Health Department due to moisture issues that will provide a brand-new state-of-the-art Health Department.
Created centralized county records storage with efficient processing and retrieval of county records.
Created a process for digital reservations of park facilities on the county website.
Progressed towards the county’s first comprehensive strategic plan due to be completed in Fall 2024.
Opened the county’s first spay/neuter clinic at the Roane County Animal Shelter to decrease the number of stray animals throughout the county.
Recruitment of Orano to Roane County, which marked that single largest economic investment project in the state of Tennessee’s history. This historic partnership will create significant job opportunities and solidify Roane County’s role as a key player in the energy sector, driving long-term growth and innovation.

YEAR 1:

Meet with city Mayors and city Managers quarterly
Hold a meeting quarterly for elected officials
Attended National Association of Counties conference, representing Roane County
Represented our county, state, and country at the International Conference on Nuclear Decommissioning in Vienna, Austria with the Department of Energy- Environmental Management in Oak Ridge (DOE-EM)
Provide weekly video updates via social media to keep the community informed on happenings within Roane County Government
Began live streaming all County Commission meetings for the first time, significantly increasing public access to local government meetings.
Resolved a threat to the structural integrity of the courthouse by moving 93,000 lbs of records out of the courthouse attic, bringing the building back to within its load capacity.
Added a Building Inspector to meet the increased demand of inspections across the county.
Increased safety for juvenile detainees by assigning designated parking to officers working with Juvenile Court.
Decorated the courthouse for Christmas.
Negotiated a compromise that increased pay for patrolmen and corrections officers with the Roane County Sheriff’s Office.
Negotiated a decrease in the employee contribution to health insurance premiums.
Launched a new county website and brand that creates a more efficient and standardized approach to county government communications with the public.
Negotiated an agreement with the cities of Harriman, Kingston, and Oliver Springs to provide Planning Services to each, with the Roane County Codes Enforcement Officer serving as the certified planner for each city and the county.
Initiated the construction of a new ambulance station on Gallaher Road.
Initiated the construction of a new spay/neuter clinic for all animals that come through the Animal Shelter.
Procured $1.5 million from the Tennessee Department of Health for the renovation of the Roane County Health Department.
Negotiated the funding to equip six new School Resource Officers, which will place an SRO in all 17 schools for the first time.
Assigned and renovated an employee break room in the courthouse.
Initiated an Economic Alignment Group bringing together all entities across the Oak Ridge Reservation that have economic development as a measure of their mission.
Appointed and chair the Opioid Council, which is tasked with developing a recommendation to spend Opioid Settlement Funds.
Initiated a Minority Advisory Council, designed to share news from county government with community leaders and gain feedback about how the needs of the minority community can be best represented.
Initiated a faith-based initiative to bring together churches and nonprofits to identify and impact the county’s most significant challenges.
Appointed a team to participate in the Tennessee Broadband Accelerate Program after being one of the four counties awarded across the state to participate in the program.