Clarksville, TN – The City of Clarksville has much “Cause for Applause,” and it all begins with the City employees who provide those daily services of public safety, well-being, and quality of life in Tennessee’s fifth-largest city.
Some of these employees go above and beyond and were recognized Tuesday morning during the City’s annual Cause for Applause employee breakfast and awards presentations at the Wilma Rudolph Event Center.
Keynote speaker for Cause for Applause 2023 was former Clarksville City Councilperson Candy Johnson, whose successful professional career has included more than a decade of leading nonprofit, government, education and civic endeavors.
Johnson is a Clarksville native who currently resides in Chattanooga and serves as president and CEO of that city’s Urban League. She was also a senior adviser to Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke. She is the daughter of Clarksville Mayor Pro Tem Wanda Smith.
Award winners this year were led by Lauren Winters, City Grants Analyst, and Clarksville Police Officer Ronald Myers, who each received the Mayor’s Star Award as Employees of the Year.
The awards were presented by Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts and First Lady Cynthia Pitts, who thanked them for many instances of exceptional and unselfish service.
The two primary award categories are Mayor’s Shining Star, recognizing exceptional and sustained commitment and excellence by select employees in performing their duties and going above and beyond in many cases, and, Mayor’s Rising Star, for showing exceptional promise in performing job duties at a superior level at one time or over a sustained period.
After Winters and Myers, the remaining slate of winners is as follows:
Clarksville Police Department: Rising Stars – Roger Fox and Angela Diaz; Shining Stars – Jason Kurtich and David Hauser
Project Management: Rising Star – Brandon Sather
Information Technology: Rising Stars – Mark Hollis and Charles Vincent; Shining Stars – Trey Eckel and Darek Manley
City Garage: Rising Stars – Kevin Murphy, Thomas Coffman and William Bromley
Clarksville Parks and Recreation: Rising Stars – Zach Beerman, Tina Boysha, Jeremy Brown, Harold Evans, Kim Gilbert, Maggie Houts, Michael Hunter, Jim Owen, Amanda Pitt, Diana Rivera, Bridgett Naas. Shining Stars – Vonda Horton, Penny Greene
Clarksville Fire Rescue: Rising Stars – Ariel Morales, Neil Baggett, Carter Lawless, Caleb Gilliam, Daniel Pasco, Matthew Churrarin, Angela Moody, David Lannom, Ron Warrick, Sean Doute, Michael Ross, Rob Bruce, Blaide Smith, Trevor Moore, Bradley Hagewood, Tom Ford, James Ladd. Shining Stars – Michael Rios, Mark Provo, Mike Reed, Charlie Knickerbocker, Jobe Moore, Mark Chandler, Randy Ellis, Robert Forest, Brandon McCurdy, Kevin Finch, Jim Eley, Alisha Moore, Scott Owens, Gina Johnson
CDE Lightband: Rising Stars – Chad Hendrix, Barb Petrik, Tammie Hogue, Kim Greene, Meagan Combs, Chris Williams, Ann Elkins, Susan Gannon, Lynne Stuard, Dori Livingston, Shelley Bearden, Barbara Crews, Ricky Sharp, Levon Gibson, Christine Joudry-Davis, Shelly Greer, Justin Carter, Brian Wellman, Tom Hurt, Tammy Phillips, Adam Martino, Jonathan Torbenson, Cody Minton, David Laliberte, Michael Kearon
Neighborhood & Community Services: Rising Stars – Crystal Griffith. Shining Stars – Clarissa Tucker
Finance: Rising Stars – Nicole Morris. Shining Stars – Christen Wilcox
Building & Codes: Rising Stars – Stephanie Rodriguez. Shining Stars – Valerie Ogle
Internal Audit: Rising Stars – Jennifer Osteen
Building & Facilities Maintenance: Rising Stars – Cindy Miller, Jesseca Monck, Charles Simon. Shining Stars – Kathrine Killebrew
Human Resources: Rising Stars – Taylor Grant. Shining Stars – Jim Dabbs
City Court: Rising Stars – Brenda Tyree
Street Department: Rising Stars – John Bozard, Nicholas Riggs, Phillip Carroll. Shining Stars – Adam Lyle, Bethany Daniel
Clarksville Gas & Water: Rising Stars – Daniel Byrd, Brianna Hollis, Jordan Bent, Bennie Yarbrough, Robert Wallace III, Roger Crow, David Beall, Javen Chew, Jereme Oakes, Matt Harrell, Greg Gregory, Kevin Thomas, Albert Hutcherson, Becky Watkins. Shining Stars – Jessica Biter, Dakota Gibbs, Christian Allen, Ronald Sagar, Rachel Lindner, Rhonda Fulton
Clarksville Transit System: Rising Stars – Don Laws, Jessica Claxton
