Page 12 - JulyAug Vol43 No2

CITY OF GERMANTOWN AND TOWN OF FARRAGUT
Bo Mills and Bud McKelvey Retire

Their combined service and knowledge
amounts to 78 years of experience to the
Public Works community in Tennessee.
This spring, Bo Mills (Public Works
Director, City of Germantown) and Bud
McKelvey (Public Works Director, Town
of Farragut) retired within a week of
each other, closing an amazing span in
the history of TCAPWA, their respective
cities, statewide and nationally.
City of Germantown’s Bo Mills
After 40 years of dedicated service,
Public Works Director Bo Mills hung up
his hard hat. Mills officially retired April
24, finishing a remarkable chapter that
began in 1985 when he was hired as a
backhoe operator repairing sewer taps.
That first job grew into positions of
administrative duty with the city, from
construction project manager to assistant
superintendent of streets, to solid waste
coordinator, to finally Public Works
Director in 2004.
“I am a bit unusual in that I have spent
my entire full-time employment with the put it best: “Bo Mills is the embodiment of in Codes or go to Public Works. McKelvey
City of Germantown,” Mills said, adding what it means to serve with excellence.” went permanently into Public Works and
that he’s “only had one employer.” That Typically, Mills always is one to credit became its director.
career has been marked by tireless work his coworkers before himself. “I have “We wore many hats back in the day.
and a deep commitment to Germantown’s been blessed to be surrounded by a great Whatever needed to be done, we pitched
infrastructure and quality of life. team here at Germantown Public Works in,” McKelvey said. He’s done everything
From overseeing major projects like the through my career.” from emergency relief efforts and storm
second elevated water tank, to earning “I am nothing without them.” damage cleanup, to putting up the “Light
national recognition as one of the APWA’s Town of Farragut’s Bud McKelvey the Park” holiday lighting in Founders
Top 10 Public Works Leaders of the After 38 years of service to the Town Park at Campbell Station, Ralph McGill
Year, Mills’ legacy is one of service and of Farragut, Bud McKelvey received a Plaza and elsewhere.
integrity. “Public works has been my life,” miniature rocking chair at his May 2 “It’s been a great opportunity for
he said simply. retirement party. me,” he said. “Every day that I came to
He said that elevated water tank project It’s safe to say that few of his coworkers work presented new challenges. It was
“is one of my proudest accomplishments. actually BELIEVE he’s going to use it. never boring. I can’t think of a day that I
The City of Germantown had only one The event was held at the newly dreaded coming here.”
functioning elevated water tower.” Now renovated Farragut Town Hall, a project Most recently, McKelvey has been
with a second elevated tank, he says the overseen by McKelvey during his final working as senior facilities project
new tower “will bring the security of year with the town. Of his nearly 38 years manager, overseeing the interior
redundancy and will sustain the resiliency with the town, 31 of them were as Public renovations of Farragut Town Hall, and
of our water system.” Works Director. then with Campbell Station Inn’s interior
Additionally, for decades in the Public McKelvey, the seventh full-time until his retirement date.
Works field outside Germantown, he employee hired by the Town, started And now, he says he’ll be trading in his
guided his colleagues through steadfast work as a codes enforcement officer on orange vest for a fishing pole. Next step?
leadership, where he won numerous June 1, 1987, when he was 28... and he McKelvey simply said that “really, I
awards, and served in multiple positions, stayed. During the ensuing years, he’s want to go fishing a bunch. Competitive
including TCAPWA Chapter President in worked for four mayors and three Town fishing is a passion I have, and I’ve had it
2005, and as APWA National President administrators. forever.”
2017-2018. In 1993, then-Town administrator Jack “But I’m going to miss the people that
Germantown Mayor Mike Palazzolo Hamlett asked McKelvey to choose: stay I’ve worked with.”

12 TPW July/August 2025