2018 Fall Recipients

Jan Keyser

Agriculture Marketing Specialist 3 
Agriculture

Jan Keyser joined the Tennessee Department of Agriculture in 2005 as an international marketing specialist. Her responsibilities quickly expanded and she now serves as an Agricultural Marketing Specialist 3. Jan played an integral role in the development of a new cost-share program for Tennessee’s agricultural producers called the Tennessee Agricultural Enhancement Program (TAEP), which provides $21 million in investments for agricultural producers across the state. Since inception, the program has approved over 70,094 projects and paid over $168.2 million to Tennessee producers. Jan’s leadership in this effort has been essential. Jan excels at problem solving, organizing, and explaining complex issues. She also has a natural affinity for public service and finds it particularly rewarding to help Tennesseans improve their farming operations.

Jan grew up in Montana where her family produced beef and dairy cattle, poultry, and swine and raised Tennessee Walking Horses. A graduate of Oregon State University, Jan’s hobbies include exercising at her favorite YMCA, horses, music, traveling, and visiting local farmers markets.

Rebecca Bevans

Director of Training and Program Development
Children’s Services

Rebecca Bevans joined the Department of Children’s Services Child Abuse Hotline in 2015. She then became a Training Program Manager in the Office of Child Safety and currently serves as the Director of Training and Program Development. During her tenure, Rebecca has overseen Safe Baby Courts, CPS Academy, and the Domestic Violence Liaison Program. These projects have resulted in greater resource development for families, increased time to permanency, and an increased awareness of domestic violence. Rebecca strives to improve the quality of work life for employees of DCS. To accomplish this, she has implemented in-office group sessions to address secondary trauma, increased training and coaching for new hires in their first year, and developed the Domestic Violence Liaison position to support staff in working cases with a domestic violence component. Rebecca’s commitment to the agency is evident in the new projects she seeks out and develops to support the mission and values of the department.

Mike Shinnick

Manager, Workers’ Compensation Policy Analysis
Commerce and Insurance

In his over 17 years with the State of Tennessee, Mike Shinnick has come to work every day to make Tennessee a better place for its citizens. As the Manager of Workers’ Compensation Policy Analysis, Mike actively tries to promote workers’ compensation knowledge among colleagues and with external customers and has developed a program to both lower insurance costs and better protect Tennessee's workforce. The program is designed to help Tennessee employers with the highest cost insurance premiums implement loss controls and eventually become more stable risks that may place business in the voluntary market. In addition to reducing costs for Tennessee employers, this program is also expected to directly link to employee health and wellness and reduced premium costs that are attributed to companies that better manage employee workers' compensation risk. Mike perfectly embodies the core values of the Department of Commerce and Insurance and has worked hard to improve the lives of Tennesseans.

Mike graduated from David Lipscomb University with a bachelor’s in economics. He is happily married and has two children and eight grandchildren.

Michelle Cole

Director of Treatment and Recovery Services
Correction

Michelle Cole joined the Department of Correction in December of 2003 as a Correctional Officer. Prior to joining Central Office staff in 2013, she was the Program Director of the Therapeutic Community at Tennessee Prison for Women. She currently serves as the Director of Treatment and Recovery Services for the department. Michelle goes above and beyond the call of duty by developing new treatment services, obtaining federal grants to extend treatment to underserved populations, and reviewing proposals and auditing operations to insure the effectiveness and efficiency of programs. In response to the opioid epidemic, she developed the Mens Rehabilitative Center which serves as an intensive inpatient treatment unit dedicated to treating opioid and other substance use disorders. Michelle was instrumental in writing legislation to get sentence reduction credits for individuals that have completed the Therapeutic Community, a substance use treatment program. Additionally, Michelle has implemented the Certified Peer Recovery Specialist Program in TDOC. She has worked closely with the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to develop training for inmates and allow for these trained individuals to obtain certifications that are valuable for employment in the prison system as well as in the community.

Michelle holds an Associate of Art in psychology and a Bachelor of Science in psychology. She is an International Laureate Scholar, Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor, National Certified Addiction Counselor, and a Qualified Clinical Supervisor. Her professional affiliations include the American Correctional Association (ACA), Learning Disabilities of America (LDA), and the National Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC). 

Debbie Clabo

Director of Tax
Economic and Community Development

Debbie Clabo has been with the State of Tennessee for 21 years and currently serves as the Director of Tax in the Department of Economic and Community Development. She works directly with companies and provides exceptional customer service with accurate information while setting realistic expectations. Debbie’s main focus is to make sure the company understands the correct forms they need to complete for the Department of Revenue as well as to make sure the company understands the state’s tax structure. Her diligence helps to ensure that companies fully understand the proper way to register a business with the state. Her wealth of knowledge and understanding of Tennessee's tax code, as well as surrounding states’ tax code, allows the department to understand how it compares to the competition. Debbie, on a regular basis, meets with companies to answer questions regarding Tennessee’s tax structure. She is always prepared for every meeting with extensive research and insightful questions.

Debbie graduated from Austin Peay State University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and an associate’s degree in applied sciences and computer accounting. She is a native of Dickson and enjoys camping, cooking, and spending time with her family and three dogs.

Laura Booker

Executive Director of Research
Education

Laura Booker is the Executive Director of Research at the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE). She has been with the department’s Research and Strategy Team for over five years and currently leads the team that conducts research and acts as brokers for several research practice partnerships. Laura serves on the steering committee of the Tennessee Education Research Alliance and co-founded the education research podcast, The TNth Period. Laura is an invaluable mentor and resource to data projects for teams within TDOE. Her hardworking attitude and incredible ability to be optimistic during “crunch time” on projects always adds much needed energy. Laura's embodiment of the core values of excellence, optimism, judgment, courage, and teamwork is seen through her impact on TDOE.

Laura earned her doctorate from the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations at Vanderbilt University. Prior to starting her studies at Vanderbilt, she worked as a research associate at the Center for Research in Educational Policy at the University of Memphis and taught second grade through Teach For America. Laura attended Tennessee public schools from grades K-12 and studied political science and communication at the University of Alabama. Laura and her husband, Michael, have two daughters, Eva (3) and Mila (1).

Jessie McNeel

Park Ranger
Environment and Conservation

Jessie McNeel began her Tennessee State Park career as a seasonal boat dock attendant at Montgomery Bell State Park in 2009, where she later became a Seasonal Interpretive Ranger. Since then, Jessie has worked at Paris Landing and Reelfoot Lake State Parks as a Seasonal Interpretive Ranger. In 2014, she became a Tennessee Park Ranger at South Cumberland State Park where she earned a reputation as a park professional dedicated to providing exceptional outdoor experiences for park guests. Jessie is a certified Emergency Medical Technician, Wildland Firefighter, and Professional Energy Manager (PEM).  Jessie is a model for promoting growth and innovation as an individual and at her park, reflected in her leadership as the “Park Go Green” Manager at South Cumberland. She consistently demonstrates resourcefulness and a quiet, confident strength that is critical for a very busy park and high-energy workplace. Her positive attitude, considerable skills and willingness to take on the hard tasks make her stand out, even among the park’s strong team. She has been instrumental in adding new capacity and services to the park and serving as a go-to resource for park management, park maintenance, and the uniform staff.

Jessie earned her Bachelor of Science degree in resource management from the University of Tennessee, Martin where she was also President of the Student Activities Council.

Shontell Jordan

Training Officer 2
Finance and Administration

Shontell Jordan is a Training Officer 2 for the Department of Finance & Administration. She has served the State of Tennessee for over fourteen years, where she previously worked with the Department of Human Services and the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office. Her education and experience include an emphasis in the areas of technology, human relations management, and conflict resolution. She considers herself a Human Relations Practitioner and enjoys partnering with staff and helping them reach their goals. Shontell is tireless when serving her customers, constantly innovating to improve our services based on customer feedback. Shontell has created a class code guide/definition page that will be placed in the employee learning handbook; she has also modified current F&A Competency courses so that these classes may be taught via WebEx. Shontell offers the epitome of G.R.E.A.T. customer service and holds herself to the highest standards of integrity and trust.

Shontell volunteers with Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth - ACE Nashville Initiative, facilitating the “Building Strong Brains” curriculum. She also volunteers in various capacities at The Frist Museum and as a TN Promise Mentor. Shontell is a Nashville native and mom to son, Jay (24), and daughter, Shon (21).

JoAnn Schumann

FI Safety & Soundness Administrator
Financial Institutions

JoAnn Schumann has been with the State of Tennessee for nearly ten years. She currently serves as an FI Safety and Soundness Administrator within the Department of Financial Institutions (TDFI). She brings to the role a wealth of knowledge related to providing regulatory oversight to financial institutions from her employment with TDFI, FDIC, and her work as a bank officer. JoAnn is heavily relied upon when it comes to assessing the risk profile for financial institutions regulated by the department and she has helped the department work through several issues with state regulated banks, including helping the Amish community gain access to financial services. She also volunteered to be a participant on the FFIEC Exam Modernization Team to lend her expertise to modernizing the examination process. She has worked tirelessly in this endeavor and her work is always of the highest caliber. Her efforts and hard work always embody the true spirit of excellent customer service

JoAnn graduated with a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Tennessee, Martin, acquired a Master of Business Administration from the University of Alabama, and is a Certified Community Bank Compliance Officer. She is happily married to her husband, Keith, and they have one daughter, Jocie.

Jordyn Pasley

Interior Planning Specialist 2
General Services

Jordyn Pasley joined the Tennessee Department of General Services in 2015 as an Interior Planning Specialist. She works with front line agencies to design and prepare space for tenants whose mission is providing direct vital services to Tennesseans. Her work has earned letters of appreciation from local leaders of the agencies commending her patience, organization, and diligence to provide effective and efficient design solutions, coordination, and great communication resulting in completing projects on time and with ease to their staff. Jordyn exemplifies core DGS values with her attention to detail, sense of urgency, and desire to help the agency work through any issues that arise. Moreover, she strives to embody the DGS motto of “Better Service, Lower Cost” by consistently going the extra mile to provide positive customer service. Her work ethic has been essential to building relationships with customers and ultimately, the overall success of the Department.

Jordyn holds a Bachelor of Science degree in interior design from Georgia Southern University. Jordyn is an avid swimmer and loves going on adventures with her dog, Molly.

Clarice Gipson, RN

Nurse Supervisor, Franklin County Health Department
Health

During her 47.5 year tenure with the Department of Health, Clarice Gipson has consistently gone above and beyond the call of her duties to ensure the best possible treatment and care are delivered to her patients and the community. Clarice is the Nurse Supervisor at the Franklin County Health Department. For the many families needing Direct Observed Therapy (DOT) of Tuberculosis medications that face unreliable transportation, she has always made arrangements to provide their medications and has provided DOT transportation services on weekends and holidays, often going out of her way to deliver the medications herself. Clarice is the very foundation and cornerstone of the Franklin County Health Department. A true leader in public health and in her community, there is no one else so truly compassionate, willing to give and serve, and so well-respected among her peers and colleagues. She is a testament to the nursing profession and one we should all aspire to emulate in our work ethic.

During her tenure at the Franklin County Health Department Clarice was chosen by the community as Franklin County’s Finest Nurse. She was also selected by her peers to receive the Southeast Region’s Unsung Hero Above and Beyond Award in 2010. 

FaNesha White

Administrative Assistant 2
Human Resources

FaNesha White has been with the State of Tennessee for two years as an Administrative Assistant 2 with the Department of Human Resources. She works closely with the Strategic Learning Solutions team and with agency leaders and facilitators to ensure that all executive branch employees receive credit for completing learning and development workshops. FaNesha also manages the state's Learning Management System (LMS) and provides technical support to agencies requiring assistance with data management. She single-handedly created the online reporting structure in Edison for the Management and Leadership Pyramid of Learning that allows the state to track supervisors’ progress towards certificate completion. Because of her creativity, the state is now able to quickly determine the status of each certificate with only a few clicks and provide real-time data to the Governor’s office regarding supervisor training. She exhibits a collaborative spirit in working with others and is always willing to take on additional tasks and responsibilities to better support the organization and the State.

FaNesha has an Associate of Science degree in paralegal studies from Miller-Motte College. 

Rachelle Meador

Field Management Director 3
Human Services

Rachelle Meador has been with the State of Tennessee for 17 years. She currently serves as the Field Management Director in District 3 (FMD3), serving 19 counties. During her tenure as FMD3, she has consistently been an inspiration to her local management team as well as her FMD3 team. Rachelle brings to her teams an ability to understand and assist with field innovation and business process enhancements. She has an intrinsic ability to always look at the larger picture; realizing increments must be taken at the county and district levels in order to move the state forward for the goals of timely processing and improved customer service. Rachelle has been a key player in moving the state forward regarding equal distribution of work in District 3 as well as the Tennessee Renewal Unit, merging three districts of renewal cases to one team and the Online Processing Team. Her work on these teams has ensured that service delivery to our customers has improved and that the department is able to meet its goal of timely processing. Her excellent customer service has not only helped the counties in her district, but also other counties across the State of Tennessee.

Rachelle was born and raised in Lafayette, Tennessee. She graduated from Tennessee Tech University with a degree in human resources. She is married to Jason and they have two daughters, Makenzie and Jayce. She enjoys spending time with family, helping with school projects, and attending community events.

Lori Shelton

Plans Review Coordinator
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Lori Shelton began working for the State of Tennessee in October 1997 with the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) as a Child Protective Services Investigator. While at DCS, she investigated allegations of abuse and neglect. In 2005, she transferred to the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) - East TN Regional Office (ETRO). She worked as a Case Manager for seven years in the Intake and Case Management Unit before being promoted to be the ETRO Appeals Coordinator in 2011. While in this position, she served as the ETRO's DIDD expert witness and participated in many hearings with TennCare. In May 2018, she changed roles to become the Plans Review Coordinator (PRC). As the PRC, Lori is often the first point of contact for customers when they have questions about service requests or available services. Lori is an innovator. She recently designed a new Plans Review work flow to ensure requests for services received by DIDD ETRO were acted on within the designated TennCare time frames. Lori has also been the DIDD ETRO - Knox Wellness Champion for approximately four years, where she regularly organizes better eating challenges, food facts, exercise motivators, and other trivia games around the office space for people to get involved and be a healthier workforce.

Lori received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Tennessee - Knoxville with a concentration in criminal justice. She is married with one son and a sweet cocker spaniel. 

Anthony Gaschler

Career Specialist
Labor and Workforce Development

Anthony Gaschler joined the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development in 2017 as a Career Specialist on the Customer Success Team. His dedication to the citizens of Tennessee was evident immediately and his high level of service can be observed on a daily basis during interactions with customers and coworkers. Anthony provides front line customer support to the citizens of Tennessee and resolved over 13,000 customer service requests in 2018 with a satisfaction rating over 93%, 13% higher than the team's average and 18% higher than the stated expectation. He has demonstrated a commitment to serving by exceeding performance on his team and striving to ensure all customers receive a positive experience on every exchange. Anthony is highly regarded by his teammates for his knowledge, efficiency, positive attitude, and dedication to others. Anthony’s dedication to his work and willingness to serve others helps the agency deliver its vision of promoting economic prosperity through service to employees and employers.

Anthony is a native Tennessean from Memphis. He attended the University of Mississippi and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He is an avid sports fan and enjoys all of the art and culture Nashville has to offer.

Tim Dalton

Recreation Therapist 2
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Tim Dalton has served the State of Tennessee for almost five years and currently serves as the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services’ Recreation Therapist 2. Tim always goes above and beyond to provide the highest level of care to all patients. On a daily basis, Tim works tirelessly to incorporate social and coping skill development in with his recreational activities with patients. He thinks outside of the box to offer an innovative way to learn. Understanding the utility and benefits of pet therapy, Tim adopted a dog, Jillian (affectionately nicknamed Jelly Bean by staff and patients), enrolled her in training classes, and had her complete training to become a registered Pet Therapy Service Animal. Tim now brings Jillian to visit the Forensic Services Program (FSP) patients at least twice a week. Tim also revitalized a dying, forgotten garden, incorporating it into patient therapy. Tim and the patients tended to the garden, pulling weeds, watering and fertilizing the soil. Tim gave the patients the vegetables of their labor and served them during the patients’ lunch. Their sense of pride and accomplishment was very rewarding and uplifting to all staff.

Tim is a graduate of Northern Arizona University, where he received master's degree in parks and recreation management. He is an active volunteer, devoting his time and energy to numerous charitable organizations in the Middle Tennessee area with his beloved dog, Jillian (Jelly Bean). 

Lori Shelton

Plans Review Coordinator
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Lori Shelton began working for the State of Tennessee in October 1997 with the Department of Children’s Services (DCS) as a Child Protective Services Investigator. While at DCS, she investigated allegations of abuse and neglect. In 2005, she transferred to the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) - East TN Regional Office (ETRO). She worked as a Case Manager for seven years in the Intake and Case Management Unit before being promoted to be the ETRO Appeals Coordinator in 2011. While in this position, she served as the ETRO's DIDD expert witness and participated in many hearings with TennCare. In May 2018, she changed roles to become the Plans Review Coordinator (PRC). As the PRC, Lori is often the first point of contact for customers when they have questions about service requests or available services. Lori is an innovator. She recently designed a new Plans Review work flow to ensure requests for services received by DIDD ETRO were acted on within the designated TennCare time frames. Lori has also been the DIDD ETRO - Knox Wellness Champion for approximately four years, where she regularly organizes better eating challenges, food facts, exercise motivators, and other trivia games around the office space for people to get involved and be a healthier workforce.

Lori received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Tennessee - Knoxville with a concentration in criminal justice. She is married with one son and a sweet cocker spaniel. 

Lawrence “Larry” Baker

Volunteer Training Site HVAC Technician
Military

Lawrence “Larry” Baker has been with the State of Tennessee for over thirty years. In the Department of Military, he serves as a Volunteer Training Site HVAC Technician. Larry’s passion is to ensure that the Soldiers and Airmen operate in fully functional and conditioned environments within all facilities of the Training Site. This allows the Soldiers and Airmen to focus on accomplishing their missions. He has helped to save the State thousands of dollars by reducing the need for third party contractors to make repairs. This cost savings has a direct effect on our department by freeing up maintenance dollars for the rest of our facilities across the State. Moreover, he always listens to the customers' issues and quickly determines the most efficient and cost effective method to resolve the problem. Larry’s proactive system inspections and active customer engagement greatly reduce the number of issues that result in work interruptions.

Larry takes pride in his work and strives to serve the State of Tennessee and the Tennessee Army National Guard to the best of his ability each and every day. When not at the Training Site, Larry enjoys working on and competitively racing cars with his son.

Brandon McArthur

County Clerk Liaison
Revenue

Since joining the state in 2016, Brandon McArthur has been a leader in the Department of Revenue, committed to supporting the citizens of Tennessee with the highest level of integrity and attention to quality service. In his role as County Clerk Liaison for the Vehicle Services Division, Brandon is responsible for assisting the 95 County Clerks with complex issues involving the administration of title and registration processes as well as providing a broad range of customer and communications support for the division. He travels throughout the state weekly visiting County Clerk offices to provide personalized support and guidance. Based on customer concerns and feedback, he took the initiative to research and clarify the County Clerk Reference Guide, creating and/or editing over 100 published articles in the guide. As a leading ZenDesk Help agent, Brandon has a customer satisfaction feedback rating of 99%, answering over 1,000 help tickets in the last year. He demonstrates great attention to detail and a sense of urgency in handling issues and questions. He is a graduate of the department’s Leadership Academy and has participated in Revenue’s Leadership Boot Camp.

Originally from Crockett County in West Tennessee, Brandon holds both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in political science from the University of Memphis and an Associate of Arts degree in pre-law from Jackson State. 

Ryan Ennis

Safety Program Manager
Safety and Homeland Security

Ryan Ennis has been with the State of Tennessee in the Department of Safety and Homeland Security since 2017. As the Commercial Driver License (CDL) Program Manager, Ryan has transformed the CDL Division into one of the best CDL units in the country. When he first arrived, he did an assessment of the CDL Unit and began systematically identifying areas for improvement by diligently meeting with each staff member. He worked closely with The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to identify and correct all deficiencies in the unit and trained/certified all of the CDL examiners in Tennessee. Additionally, he was able to add software to the call center to track customer calls and educate CDL Drivers. Within the compliance report, his CDL unit has reduced the customer wait time by 500+ hours, increased customer satisfaction by 22.19% and increased customer satisfaction response rate by 11.97%.

Ryan is a Marine Corps veteran with 8 years of service, where he served as a Corporal. His honors include Marine of the quarter 6 times, Marine of the Year at HMX-1 / Marine One helicopter Squadron (2004), Non-Commissioner Officer White House Military Member of the Year (2004), Navy Achievement Medal (2005) and the Presidential Service Badge, an honor reserved for members who serve as full-time military staff to the President of the United States. Ryan is married and has a three month old son, Luke.

Raichon Morand

Information Systems Analyst
TennCare

Raichon Morand has been with the State of Tennessee for 18 years. She current serves as an Information Systems Analyst in the Division of TennCare. Raichon regularly takes the initiative on both business and technical challenges to tackle monumental internal billing reconciliation and strategic project implementations. She is well known for her outstanding customer service, innovation, and creative solutions. In addition to internal Information System team process automation and improvement, she has worked with other departments to create new workflows for Discrimination Complaints and Reasonable Accommodation, LTSS Communications, nursing facilities and NCQA tracking, and has presented an overview of the features and functionality of the workflow tool to help boost improvement potential. Raichon is passionate about helping improve processes and welcomes those opportunities. For this passion, Raichon was recommended to participate in TennCare's PULSE initiative to represent and be the "voice" for employees to implement agency-wide improvements. She was elected the Co-Chair and has been participating for over one year in this role.

Raichon is active in her community and has emerged a successful champion for organ donations following her personal experience with a successful double lung transplant.   She regularly speaks to high school students and was most recently asked to speak at the Opryland Hotel for the annual State County Clerks Meeting. 

Jackie Rains

Welcome Center Manager, Unicoi County
Tourist Development

Jackie Rains started with the Department of Tourist Development in July 1983, as a Welcome Center Assistant at the I-40 Center in Hartford. She was later promoted to manager of the Hartford Center and led the development of that team to earn State Welcome Center of the Year in 2008. Jackie’s interest in assisting any way she can was evidenced by her willingness to help get the I-26 Unicoi County Center up and running when it came online in 2010. With Hartford established, Jackie’s experience and ability as team player led her in taking a transfer to the Unicoi Center. Her leadership there helped guide Unicoi to earning Welcome Center of the Year in 2012. With more than 35 years of service, all with the Department of Tourist Development, Jackie has the foresight and familiarity necessary to proactively address customer concerns. As a result, the comment cards for the Unicoi County Center are some of the highest in the state at a 4.987 average on a scale of 5. Additionally, comments on TripAdvisor regarding the Unicoi Center are consistently positive, earning them a 5-star rating.

Jackie is well-known for her willingness to do extra work around the center on her own time. In one example, she coordinated her team to transform a large, plain bank of earth at the center’s entrance into a landscaping bed with evergreen bushes that spell “WELCOME.” Going above and beyond is what Jackie does every day. 

Landon Castleberry

Assistant Regional Traffic Engineer
Transportation

Landon started working for Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) in June 2002 in the Regional Design office, designing roadways to fit with the landscape, thus embracing the natural topographical features. In 2008, he was able to transfer to the Regional Traffic Engineering office where he has made a positive impact on motorist safety and traveling experiences. In 2016, he was promoted to Assistant Traffic Engineer for TDOT Region 2, which covers three districts and 24 counties. Tim maintains a positive attitude, listens to feedback, establishes customer’s needs, and demonstrates impeccable communication skills. When asked what he enjoys the most about his job he replied, “This is my calling! I really enjoy the opportunity to improve driver behavior and enhance people’s safety on the road.” With more than 16 years of demonstrated excellence, Landon truly embodies TDOT’s goal of providing a high level of service to our customers and workers.

Landon graduated from the University of Tennessee and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil and environmental engineering, as well as a minor in broadcasting. His love for the road carries over into his personal life where his goal is to visit every county in the 48 contiguous United States giving him the opportunity to get off the interstate and take the lower-speed, less-traveled roads to see the real America where he loves to capture landscape photographs and videography.

Sheila Haraway

Administrative Assistant 1
Veterans Services

Following many years of service in municipal government, Sheila Haraway joined the Tennessee Department of Veterans Services in May 2016 as an Administrative Assistant 1. Sheila has since been instrumental in modernizing East Tennessee State Veterans Cemeteries through the implementation of digital record keeping systems and with resources from the National Cemetery Administration (NCA) and local and state cemetery and funeral partners. When the NCA changed a burial grave locater program, Sheila was able to obtain and enter information for all of the state’s cemeteries, making these records accessible to all Tennessee cemetery locations for our veterans and their families. All the while, she went out of her way to assist her counterparts in West and Middle Tennessee. Sheila developed a number of innovative office efficiencies and processes. She created paperless file systems, implemented electronic scheduling and improved the tracking of headstones and reporting measures, streamlining the department’s record keeping and making quick and easy data reporting possible.

Sheila has always put veterans and their families first by helping each as individuals and treating them with honor. Her digital record keeping initiatives embodies the department’s mission of providing the best customer service to our veterans using innovative business solutions.