Montgomery County, TN – Michelle Austin has been promoted to Director of Clarksville Neighborhood & Community Services (CNCS), effective immediately.
She is a lifelong resident of Clarksville with 25 years of experience in public service at the state and local levels of government.
Austin spent the past 13 years with the Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department. She worked with that department’s leadership team to acquire national accreditation, thus distinguishing Clarksville as only the second city to receive this accolade.
She had most recently been leading CNCS as Interim Director while Clarksville has been coping with recovery from the December 9th, 2023, tornado. She currently leads, by Mayoral appointment, the City’s Long-Term Tornado Recovery Task Force.
As of this week, Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts said Austin is the perfect choice for the permanent leadership of CNCS.
“Michelle Austin is the right leader at the right time in our City to lead this important department,” said Mayor Pitts.
“During her time as the Interim Director, she has refocused the department on our priorities of helping our neighborhoods and rebuilding relationships with our nonprofit partners, as well as enhancing the strong team of employees already in place.
“During her more than a dozen years with the City government, she’s become a proven leader and valued colleague. I look forward to watching our City and this department flourish under her leadership,” Mayor Pitts said.
Austin is married with three adult children who also reside in Clarksville. She is a 2023 graduate of Leadership Clarksville, and continues to advocate for youth development, affordable housing, non-profit community organizations, and quality-of-life activities for our growing community.
As Director of CNCS, Austin will focus on communicating opportunities to residents, housing for all, neighborhood improvements, and community development.
“I have a heart for service,” Austin said. “As a lifelong resident of Clarksville, I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve the community that built me and my family.
“I understand and appreciate what it means to have a safe neighborhood and strong community support. I’m on a mission to make this happen for the people of Clarksville through the housing programs we offer, neighborhood improvement projects we fund, and the partnerships we build with our community partners,” she said.
