HOMETOWN HEROES

Alderman Sherrie Hicks

Alderman Mary Anne Gibson

Service Thriving on By Stephanie Painter Photography by Alex Ginsburg Photographics

MARY ANNE GIBSON AND SHERRIE HICKS WORK TO BUILD A BETTER GERMANTOWN

While serving in PTA board positions, Mary Anne Gibson and Sherrie Hicks had many opportunities to exercise their leadership skills. As their children grew older, the women expanded their outreach in the community. Together they have invested thousands of hours in community service. Both women graduated from Leadership Germantown, Class of 2000, and welcome the chance to give back and improve their city for future generations.

WHEN I JOINED THE LEADERSHIP GERMANTOWN CLASS OF 2000, IT WAS TO HONOR MY DAD’S LEGACY AND IN DOING SO, IT CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY OF MY LIFE AND SERVICE.”

- ALDERMAN MARY ANNE GIBSON

ALDERMAN MARY ANNE GIBSON, POSITION 2

Gibson is currently serving her second four-year term as Alderman for Position 2. She was Vice Mayor in 2019 and was elected to serve again in 2020. Gibson serves as liaison to the Board of Zoning Appeals, Economic Development Commission, Library Board, Neighborhood Preservation Commission, Parks & Recreation Commission and Public Art Commission. “To serve my neighbors in a way that pushes us all to be a little better is the highest honor. I’d like to see us keep moving forward on the many things we all support as a community: high-quality public education, public safety, improving our aging infrastructure and making sure Germantown remains a great place to live, work and go to school.” A passionate advocate for public education, she served as the district 5 Board Commissioner on the Shelby County School Board during a pivotal transition period for Memphis City and Shelby County School students. “For me, having spent a year on the 23-member Shelby County School Board during that pivotal year, I felt I could be helpful as Germantown formed its own municipal school district. I brought those experiences with me to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.” Interest in community service runs in her family. Gibson’s father, Jim Roberts, was one of the founders of Leadership Germantown. “He had just returned from an intense leadership development session in the mid-90s and said, ‘We need to be growing exceptional leaders here in our faith community, civic organizations and also at the city board and commission levels.’ When I joined the Leadership Germantown Class of 2000, it was to honor my dad’s legacy and in doing so, it changed the trajectory of my life and service.” While raising a family, Gibson and her husband Steve taught their children to give back, and she draws inspiration from her own mentors. “Sharon Goldsworthy and Jo Reed showed me what hands-on leadership looked like, and George Erwin, Hugh Frank Smith, Charles Salvaggio and Bobby Lanier were thoughtful and deliberate leaders.”

SERVICE

Germantown has over 20 boards and commissions, in which positions are filled by nearly 200 residents who attend monthly meetings. “These are volunteers who want to help Germantown continue to be the community of choice,” says Alderman Sherrie Hicks. “Most commissions have a City-staff liaison and an Alderman liaison. The commissions in Germantown are unique and are also a key to our success. They engage over 200 people and many of them have extensive backgrounds in their field. The City of Germantown gains invaluable expertise, and our community benefits from activities and events that are fun, engaging and add to our quality of life.” For more information on how to get involved, visit Germantown-TN. gov/Commissions.

ALDERMAN SHERRIE HICKS, POSITION 3

Sherrie Hicks has just returned from an Education Commission meeting and is clearly excited about events such as Battle of the Brains and the partnership with Germantown Library to promote the Big Read. “It’s a gift to live in this community, and our kids get to go to the best schools in the state,” she says. Hicks is serving in her first four-year term as Alderman for Position 3 where she is liaison to the Education Commission, Design Review Commission, Historic Commission and Senior Citizen Advisory Commission. Her role with the Education Commission is to share news from the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and work with community members who want to serve the schools. “If no one stepped up and did things, we would lose some of the shine that we have. Volunteering is doing my part and making sure it’s here for the next person in whatever way that I can.” As a child, she watched her grandmother plan a community center. “That’s where I saw community come together, and it probably had something to do with who I am today.” Each role has given Hicks valuable perspective. “I’m thankful for all my years in volunteer roles. Experience with making decisions 10 years ago and seeing what that looks like today helps me to know what the decisions I make now will look like in the future,” she says. “Before making decisions on how to represent others, I go around the room and stand in all the different shoes to understand perspectives.” Strong analytical skills aid her in the role. “I enjoy reading, and that’s a good thing in the alderman role. There’s an opportunity to consume a lot of information.” She says it’s enriching to form friendships while bettering the community. “I enjoy working together, sharing how we do things and comparing notes.” When residents tell her they want to get involved, Hicks issues a friendly challenge: “Do it! I guarantee your neighborhood association, church or school needs you.” ■