Page 12 - March-April2020 Vol37 No7

STATEWIDE
Tennessee Chapter Makes History
The APWA Tennessee Chapter
recently held its annual conference
in Chattanooga, November 5-7,
2019. For the first time in its 65-year
history, the Chapter appointed its first
African American female to its Board
of Directors in the role of Council of
Chapters Delegate. Very briefly, you will City of Chattanooga.
get a snapshot of Ronnie Hammonds, the
person who was instrumental in making
this moment in history occur. asked for support for nominating
Hammonds is an APWA lifetime
member who joined the organization
in 1987. After serving 41 years, he
announced his retirement from the City
of Kingsport in December 2019. He
ended his career with the City of
Kingsport as the Streets and Sanitation
Manager.
During his career with APWA,
Hammonds was extremely active on
the local, state and national levels. On
the local level, he served on the host
committee for four state conferences
held in Kingsport. On the state level,
he served on various committees and
chaired the Audit Committee. He
received the Roger Clark Award in 2007,
W. Larry Eddins Award in 2009; and
was TCAPWA Man of the Year in 2014.
He has been a TPWI Instructor from its
inception to date; East Tennessee Branch
Director for four years, President-Elect
in 2013; President in 2014; and served
nine years as the Council of Chapters
Delegate until December 2019.
On October 28, 2019 Hammonds
sent out an email to Justin Holland,
City of Chattanooga Public Works
Save the Date
TCAPWA/SWANA
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
12 TPW March/April 2020
By Kimberly Strong
Administrator and incoming
Tennessee Chapter President;
Mark Miller, Tennessee Chapter
Administrator and City of Pigeon
Forge Public Works Director,
and Kimberly Strong, Public
Information Specialist with the

In that email he announced
his upcoming retirement and
Strong as his successor to the
Council of Chapters. Holland
and Miller both offered their
support of her nomination, as
did her immediate supervisor,
Bill Payne, City Engineer. She
accepted the nomination and was
very humbled to say the least.
When the 2019-2020 slate
of Board of Directors was
announced during the State
Conference, Miller also referred
to the historical moment for the
Board of Directors to appoint its
first African American female. Ronnie Hammonds and Kimberly Strong at the
Bo Mills, APWA Past President 2019 TCAPWA/SWANA Annual Conference.
and Keith Pugh, Region III
Director, both attended the conference member of the Tennessee Chapter. He
and offered support to the slate of Board states that through APWA he has been
of Directors. able to meet many great people whom he
Strong is an active member of the would have never otherwise met. Much
Lower East Branch; serves on the of the chapter’s success is due to his
chapter’s state conference committee; servant’s spirit.
serves on the Accreditation Evaluator The Tennessee Chapter is fully invested
Team; and most recently at the national in visual representation of diversity and
level she is the Diversity and Inclusion inclusion at the local, state and national
Committee Chair. levels. In doing so, the chapter will
Hammonds will remain an active continue to elevate, grow and succeed.
MEMPHIS IN 2020
NOVEMBER 16-18