Author: heraldtribune-editor

From STAFF REPORTS

Growing up on a farm in Boones Creek, school board District 3 candidate Chad Fleenor still lives on the land he has known his whole life.

“I graduated from Daniel Boone in 1999. I work at Eastman and own Volunteer Stockyards in Greenville,” he said. “I am invested with two kids in the school system. I want to see our students have opportunities when they graduate to either pursue an education or be ready to go to work.”

Fleenor, a veteran school board member, has watched plans for the Jonesborough School unfold from table talks to groundbreaking.

“I joined the school board in 2018 when several options were on the table. There wasn’t a viable option that was affordable without a tax increase. I was as shocked as anyone to learn of the option that the Town of Jonesborough presented,” he said. “I appreciate them for their leadership in leading the effort for what will be a cornerstone for the Jonesborough community. The school board hasn’t been as involved have they have been in the past in construction of a new school, but I have the upmost confidence in the Town of Jonesborough.”

Moving forward, Fleenor is ready to take on what the future holds for the school board and the county.

“I am excited with what the future holds for our system. Our director is a true leader and I know has big plans for our system,” he said. “I want to see our system grow as we recover from Covid and see where Director Boyd takes us. I think we can be a leader in the state!”

A candidate who wanted to make a difference in the region, Fleenor began his school board work for Washington County in 2018.

From STAFF REPORTS

Running as a District 3 candidate for the Washington County Board of Education, Gregg Huddlestone spent 43 years in public education as a teacher and guidance counselor.

“I have a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s degree in guidance and counseling,” he said. “I have also served on various school board committees including curriculum, safety, and textbook selection while working in south Florida.”

Huddlestone feels he will add to the board with his background in teaching, as well as his knowledge of the school system itself.

“For 43 years I have worked with various superintendents, school board members, principals, teachers, and PTA’s,” he said. “Therefore, I have a good understanding of the inner workings of a school system, and I will use that experience to guide me in making decisions that will positively affect the students.

“My goals if elected are to increase the number of mental health therapists and guidance counselors in the school system, lower the class sizes in grades K-3, increase the communication between employees, par- ents, and students with the administration and provide tutoring assistance both after school and on Saturdays for students.”

The love Huddlestone has, not just for Washington County schools, but for the people, climate and mountains of the region, helps to fuel his passion for the position he seeks.

“I am very passionate about public education and have lobbied on its behalf for my whole career,” he said. “Having a master’s degree in counseling. I have been proven to be a good listener and will continue to do so as a school board member. I am also someone you can count on to go the distance if I believe the cause is right.

Seeking another term for the school board in District 3, David Hammond grew up in East Tennessee, attending Johnson City Schools and Unicoi County Schools.

“I have a daughter currently attending Washington County Schools,” he said. “I have a diverse business background and currently serving my third term on the school board.”

Hammond said one reason he wants to continue serving on the school board is he has a desire and dedication to serve others.

“I have been responsive to the needs and concerns of students, parents, teachers and community. I have been fiscally responsible supporting the needs of our school system,” he said. “Our school board and system were recently awarded ‘Best for All Districts’ by the Tennessee Department of Education for designating historical federal funding amounts directly on student achievement to improve academic outcomes.

“As far as the new Jones- borough School, a new school was long overdue. It has been a partnership with community, Jonesborough and Washington County! It is a win for the students and the community.”

Additionally, Hammond intends to continue his work on the school board just as he began it, with parental involvement, advocacy and transparency.

“I will continue to pro- mote parental involvement and transparency. I will continue to work with fellow board members and the director promoting and funding CTE programs for students seeking a career after graduating while continuing to promote and fund curriculum for students seeking to attend college,” he said. “I will continue to support a responsible budget. Teacher retention is a huge issue facing school systems today. I will continue to work with board members and the director to retain quality teachers, administrators and staff. I will continue

From STAFF REPORTS

School Board District 1 candidate Vince Walters has been a part of Washington County in many different capacities his entire life.

“I went to Lamar School K-8, graduated David Crockett High School in 1994, went to Northeast State and obtained my Emergency Medical Technician license. I was an EMT working in the medical field until 1999,” he said. “I was a firefighter for Jonesborough and Fall Branch from 1995-1999. I started as a Law Enforcement Officer with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office in 1998 and am still employed by the WCSO as a Criminal Investigator.”

Walters said that there are certain values and contributions that need to be brought to the position of school board member, and he feels he can fulfill those.

From STAFF REPORTS

A 1984 graduate from David Crockett High School, local dairy farmer Keith Ervin from District 1 has served on the Washington County School Board for 16 years.

“I have twin daughters who also graduated from David Crockett High School and are also graduates of East Tennessee State University and the University of Tennessee,” he said. “This is home…. there is no place like Washington County in East Tennessee.

“This is where I was raised, I love Washington County, and watching kids grow and progress in life. I know how hard it is to make a living and I want to sup- port all staff in Washington County Schools.”

As a conservative school board member, Ervin said he wants to be a good steward to the community, especially when it comes to the taxpayer’s money.

From STAFF REPORTS

Local electrician and realtor Cody Day is ready to addanewhattohisrackby running for the Washington County School Board for District 1. And he feels that by having strong beliefs in the founding fathers and
the actions they took, the constitution can still be followed and abided by to allow freedom “from sea to shining sea” today.

“I am a Christian, husband and a father to three amazing boys. My family and God have had a huge impact on my life and the direction of my life,” Day said. “I feel like I’m directly where I’m supposed to be.”

Day said that the values and contributions he will bring to the school board include understanding, knowledge and a servant’s heart.

From STAFF REPORTS

A long-term community member on the southside of Washington County, District 1 candidate Annette Buchanan attended West View School for elementary school, Lamar School for middle school and graduated from David Crockett High School.

“I am also a graduate of East Tennessee State University where I earned an education degree. I began my teaching career at Jonesborough Middle School. During my time at Jonesborough Middle School, my husband and I made the decision for me to take time to stay a home to be a full-time moth- er to our children,” she said. “I now volunteer at Cherry Grove Baptist Church as a coordinator for a children’s food pantry that serves chidren that are food insecure.

From STAFF REPORTS

A lifelong resident of Washington County and a graduate of Daniel Boone High School, District candidate Kerrie Aistrop feels that she will contribute to the school board in various ways.

“Before my oldest son started school, all I knew about school was from my experience as a student. Once he started, I saw that there was a real need for parents and the community to get involved in the education of our children. We owe it to our children to pay attention to their daily school lives, and to speak up for them when necessary,” Aistrop said. “Washington County is full of excellent teachers and staff; however, all our children are different and have varied needs and capabilities. It’s important that parents and teachers have an open and transparent line of communication to ensure that we are doing what’s best for every single child.”

By SERINA MARSHALL
Staff Writer [email protected]

Born and raised in Washington County, Cheryl Storey worked in the county clerk’s office for 20 years, beginning in 2001. Now she’s running for county clerk itself.

“In 2003, I became full time. In 2011, I became the chief deputy and office manager under our current county clerk, Kathy Storey,” she said. “If I’m elected, I will bring 20 years of experience and knowing what to do from day one.”

By SERINA MARSHALL
Staff Writer [email protected]

Currently serving as a Washington County Commissioner for District 4, Danny Edens is a United States Air Force Veteran seeking election as the next Washington County Clerk.

“I have proven leadership skills through my military service, my 16 years of experience in county government, and my 25 plus years as an assistant supervisor for the Town of Jonesborough,” he said.

Edens adds that the goals he has in mind for the position involve the leadership skills he as attained over the years.

By SERINA MARSHALL
Staff Writer [email protected]

Currently serving as interim sheriff for the Washington County Sheriff’s Department (WCSO), Keith Sexton describes himself as a hard- core conservative Republican, who believes in God, the 2nd amendment, freedom of speech and family.

“I have spent my life as a public servant, choosing a career as a law enforcement officer serving Washington County and Johnson City over 30 years now. I started my law enforcement career in January of 1991, working with Washington County Sheriff’s Office for 17 years, where I was promoted through the ranks to the rank of Lieutenant/Watch Commander,” Sexton said. “I am also an FBI certified bomb technician, the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team commander, and the SWAT Team commander. I have also been a canine officer for the sheriff’s department and done parts of administration.”

To Sexton, when it comes to any of these positions, leadership is the most import- ant part of any job. “I’ve been there and done that. To be a leader, you have to be able to make decisions under pressure in the real world. I feel I am
a respected leader for both agencies,” he said.

Sexton explains his platform consists of three things:

1.To provide the citizens of Washington County with a Sheriff and a Sheriff’s Office engaged in an active partner- ship with the community to fight crime, especially drug-re- lated crimes, by being immediately responsive to community needs and addressing neighborhood conditions that create an environment that cultivates crime.

2. To restore openness and trust in the Washington County Sheriff’s Office administration by applying firm, fair and consistent management practices regarding departmental regulations and enforcement of the law.

3. To increase inter-agency communication and professionalism through providing advanced training and career path opportunities to curb employee turnover, provide employees with a clear path for professional development and to prepare them for advancement.

As a leader, Sexton has clear goals he plans to implement if elected to the position, such as more officers in the community on patrol and a renewed emphasis on drugs and crime.

“The drug problem is nationwide, but it’s here in Washington County too,” he said. “We need to renew an emphasis on the drug problem as well as crimes, such as burglary. I inherited a lot of serious problems as interim sheriff, one being we have 10 officers on patrol right now if we are lucky. We need more to combat the drugs and crime.”

Becoming sheriff isn’t something Sexton takes lightly, nor something that he just decided to take on without thinking.

“This has been a 20-plus year goal,” he said. “I told my- self that in 2022 I was going to run for sheriff. I have 30 years’ experience with proof to show. I am a swiss army knife of law enforcement in this community. I have been offered jobs many other places, but I stayed here because I want to be here and do what needs to be done. I want to lead from the front.”

Sexton added that he has a great deal of real law enforcement leadership experience in both agencies. “I am firm, fair and consistent as a leader. You can never be wrong doing the right thing,” he said. “I do what I say and have the work record to show it. I want to be a sheriff that talks to
the community and connects neighbors.”

Sexton said he is dedicated to his profession, but God is always first, then family, then community. And he wants to set that example for the region.

“Throughout my career, no matter my rank or position, I have always believed in treating people the way I want to be treated, respectful, polite and professional. I will be available, approachable, and ready to work hand in hand with the citizens of Washing- ton county,” he said. “I humbly ask for your support, your vote and I pledge to uphold the responsibilities of the office of Sheriff with the utmost re- spect, integrity, and honor due to the citizens of Washington County.”

By SERINA MARSHALL
Staff Writer [email protected]

A native of East Tennessee, Michael Templeton says he is a constitutional conservative who is running for the position of Washington County Sheriff in the Spring 2022 election.

Residing with his wife of 25 years on a farm in Jones- borough, Templeton began his lifelong commitment to service of others in 1992 by becoming a Public Safety Officer in Johnson City with the police department.

For the past 25 years, Templeton served as a Special Agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), including 10 years in Washington County targeting and dismantling the largest drug trafficking networks in the region.

In August in 2021, Templeton saw that Washington County needed leadership and direction, so he decided to retire from government service and seek election to become the next sheriff.

“I’m going to be a constitutional sheriff. That is one that abides by the constitution. My views are that a constitutional sheriff stands up for the people before anything else.
I intend to be that wall from far-left mandates to overreach- ing government, whether its republican or democrat. I am here to protect the residents
of Washington County from anything unlawful or unconstitutional,” he said.

Templeton adds that what’s interesting about a sheriff in the United States is that they don’t have to answer to the President, nor the governor, nor the mayor of Washington County.

“They answer only to the tax-payers. And the only way you can get reassurance from them is to vote every four years. That’s it,” he said. “So, the sheriff’s race is super important in that aspect.

“Such as, I believe that, as much controversy as there has been around Covid, and mandates, I believe that man- dates are not laws passed by Congress. And I don’t think that a sheriff necessarily has to enforce those mandates. And that goes for school board meetings. I’m a staunch proponent for parents. I think that parents have an absolute say so in what their kids are being taught in school. So, I just want to be there in the school board meetings personally myself. I’m not sending a deputy. I will sit with the parents in plain clothes to make sure their voice is heard.”

Templeton, who has served in various capacities in law enforcement, says that he hasn’t always stayed and served in the immediate area.

“I’ve traveled around. I spent two years in Pakistan. I spent two and a half years in Afghanistan. Spent six years in Florida, so I’ve moved around. And always made my way back home. People here in East Tennessee are just better than anyone I’ve every experienced,” he said. “I’m from here. I’ve traveled around, different parts of the country, and you don’t get the hospitality in any other part of the world that you do here,” he said. “That’s what’s truly special about East Tennessee. That’s how I was raised so those are the values I bring forth. That East Tennessee mindset of ‘Love thine neighbor,’ ‘Treat others as you want to be treated’ and that’s how I’m going to manage this sheriff’s office too.

“Everybody in there, they’re the ones working. They’re the ones putting their lives on the line. I’m going to do that too, but I am going to treat every employee, male and female, jailer, admin, or deputy exactly the way I would want to be treated.”

By SERINA MARSHALL
Staff Writer [email protected]

Leighta Laitinen has worked for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office since July 10, 1995, starting her career as a human resources clerk and growing it into the position of sheriff’s deputy.

“I would work on pay issues and writing job descriptions, and never even considered being an officer,” she said. “HR was my background at the hospital, so I held that job, then got promoted to administrative services director. From there, promoted to chief operations officer, and I started with the detention center under me, I didn’t have any warrant officers at that time.

“I went to the police academy when I was 45. I did very well, and I got the leadership award for my class. Came back and reassumed my role as chief operating officer.”

Following her return, one of Laitinen’s best friends, who was the chief deputy at the time, passed away unexpectedly in 2017, and “the sheriff asked me to step in as the chief deputy and I did that,” she said. “So, I was chief deputy from 2017 until November of 2021.”

Laitinen feels that her background in communications, as well as experience in the administrative field, are her strong points, along with her approach to interacting with others.

“I always work very hard to be fair and consistent and treat people well, whether they be an inmate or an employee,” she said. “I definitely know that department inside and out, more so than either of my opponents. Especially the detention center, which anyone who wants to run for sheriff will learn soon, if they don’t already know, is the detention center is what keeps you awake at night worried. Because there are so many variables and
so many things that can go wrong.

“To manage a facility with over 600 inmates and 115 employees, and that’s just the detention side, I’m the only candidate that has done that. The other two candidates have no experience what- soever with the detention facility.”

Additionally, Laitinen said she has held every position in administration and believes her ability to communicate with people and to listen
is very important. And it’s also important to make sure employees are firm, fair and consistent in how they operate. Especially when it comes to the goals Laitinen has in mind for the area.

“First and foremost, we always have to fight this battle with drugs in our area. I think that there are things I can do that will definitely improve that. I think we need to focus more on where the money is coming from,” she said. “If you trace the money, you will find where the big bulk of the drugs are. And that would take some expertise that we’ve not had in the past.

By SERINA MARSHALL
Staff Writer [email protected]

James Reeves has been following politics longer than he has been an auto mechan- ic, which is 37 years.

“My dad walked into a commission meeting, read the law and basically beat city hall,” Reeves said. “And I was always intrigued by it. I’ve always been a numbers guy, so I started looking into the financing of how cities and counties work in real life. There’s a lot of things us regular people don’t know about.”

Reeves said that he has been going into county courthouses and meetings for years just to understand better what is happening behind the scenes.

“I’ve always been that guy that sits in the back of the room and watches, learns, understands people,” he said. “And I realize I’m not that young kid in the back of the room anymore. There’s a better way of doing things. I’ve always had the fore- thought that government is supposed to be controlled by the people. We’ve just done an awful job of doing that.

By SERINA MARSHALL
Staff Writer [email protected]

Being a part of the Washington County Commission for the past eight years, Republican Robbie Tester has made the decision to use his experience to seek to serve as mayor.

“I look at it as, I ran for county commission as a concerned citizen. I knocked on a whole bunch of doors in 2014 and got elected and got re-elected in 2018,” Tester said. “Since 2018,

I have served as chairman of our rules committee and vice-chairman of our commercial, industrial and agricultural committee. And I’ve tried to serve diligently and treat others with respect even when we disagreed.” Tester added that being a part of the commission has been a really rewarding, a good learning experience and he feels he has been able to make a positive difference in that position.

“As far as running for mayor, I’m a concerned citizen trying to make a positive difference,” he said. “I feel strongly that elected positions are called public service for a reason. And I believe government should work for the people, not the other way around. To me leadership should mean service.