Ball appointed to accreditation commission

City Manager Cathy Ball has been named by the Board of Directors of the Center for Public Safety Excellence, Inc. to the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI). In this position, Cathy fills a vacancy reserved for city managers. She will serve with 10 other members from across the United States and Canada representing a cross-section of personnel in private and public sectors. One of the functions of the CFAI is to advise agencies interested in maintaining and obtaining accreditation. In addition, the commission supports access to various resources including connecting interested agencies to peer assessors who can offer guidance on the process of selfassessment for accreditation.

Officer Ellenburg honored by veterans group

Ashley has been a member of the Johnson City Police Department since 2013. During that time, Ashley has provided support to the Police Explorer Program, Junior Police Academy, and Crisis Intervention Team. She is a field training officer as well as a member of the Bike Team and Traffic Homicide Team.

Annually, the Veterans of Foreign Wars honors public servants who perform outstanding service in their field and for their community. This year, the VFW awarded Johnson City Police Officer Ashley Ellenburg with the VFW National Law Enforcement Public Servant Citation for the state of Tennessee. This honor recognizes Ashley’s commitment to her duties and the excellence she demonstrates in performing her role.

Ashley was nominated by Police Lt. Mark Hollis. In his recommendation, Hollis noted that she answered more than 630 calls for service last year, four of which resulted in felony arrests and 31 in misdemeanor arrests.

“Officer Ellenburg’s recognition at the state level is a testimony to the Johnson City Police Department’s commitment to excellence, teamwork, and integrity,” said Interim Police Chief Billy Church. “We’re certainly proud of her dedication to our department and our community.”

Congratulations, Ashley.

City employees participate in GOV. ALL. OUT.

This year, city commissioners and City Manager Cathy Ball introduced the students to Johnson City’s budget process and challenged them with an exercise in spending. The discussion was lively with many creative ideas emerging.

On April 20, students from Science Hill joined their social studies department chair, Jessica Connor, for GOV. ALL. OUT. Students were selected by social studies faculty at Science Hill and many of these students are also members of Rho Kappa, the social studies honor society.

GOV. ALL. OUT. is an annual event and serves to educate area high school students on important local government policies, procedures and programs. Throughout the day, students engaged with different departments including fire, police and human resources.

GOV. ALL. OUT. offers students insight into local government and the impact policies have on individuals in Johnson City. Connor adds, “I participated in Government Day when I was a senior at Science Hill in 2002 and since I started teaching at Science Hill bringing back Government Day was a goal; so to be able to work with Keisha (Shoun) and Ann Marie (French) to plan and implement a day that is substantive and builds connections for students, city commissioners, and city staff is a genuine pleasure.”

We look forward to hosting the next round of student leaders in 2024!

SAVE THE DATE SAVE THE DATE

May 20

May 29

June 2

June 15

June 22 - 24

Kids to Parks Day, Winged Deer Park lakefront, 199 Carroll Creek Road

Memorial Day (offices closed)

Mr. Speed: A Night of Kiss, Freedom Hall, 1320 Pactolas Road

Lakeside Concert Series begins, Goulding Amphitheater, 199 Carroll Creek Road Wake Surfing Competition, Winged Deer Park lakefront, 199 Carroll Creek Road