Since Tom Bain resigned from his seat as a Williamson County Commissioner in District 7 last Monday, three familiar names have put their hats in the ring.
Fellow District 7 Commissioner will interview them and then make a recommendation to his colleagues from among the applicants. The full County Commission will vote on the matter.
The most recent applicant is Jennifer Luteran, a litigator-turned-stay-at-home mom who ran for and lost a District 7 School Board seat in 2016.
“I believe that I can use those same skills to be an effective negotiator on the commission and bring both sides of an issue together,” she wrote in her application.
“My passion is seeing that the business community becomes more engaged in our school community so that Williamson County is able to begin supporting our schools in other ways besides through taxpayer dollars,” Luteran wrote. “Through my role on the commission, I would love to become an integral part of the Williamson County Education Foundation.”
She said that many of her supporters from her failed bid for school board urged her to put her name forward.
Luteran’s opponent in that school board race, Bobby Hullett, put his name in last week to fill the remaining term, which has about a year and a half left. He would resign from the school board to take the commission seat.
Hullett beat Luteran in a three-candidate race for a District 7 school board seat this past November.
“I bring a diverse background across a blended knowledge of education, industry, and public service to this calling,” he wrote in his application. “This distinctive balance of experience, including serving as the Williamson County Board of Education Member for the 7th District since 2012 provides me with a unique perspective in public service to our county that I wish to continue in this new capacity.”
Hullett has worked as a a senior IT and learning consultant at Vanderbilt University Medical Center since 2014. Before that from 2007 to 29014 he was a human resources manager and consultant at Nashville’s Lee Company.
Finally, Hugh DuPree submitted his name.
A judicial assistant for the Williamson County Court, he has run for the District 7 seat at least five times, he said.
Dupree is former chairman of the Williamson County Republican Party, a former newspaper publisher and veteran.
In the past he has said his main concern is growth.
Bert Chalfant, the other District 7 commissioner, will nominate the applicants to the full commission at its February 13 meeting. The commission will then vote to decide whom to appoint.
He will interview the prospective interim commissioners, and make a recommendation to the commission. As of yet, he has not made a decision.
“I am still interviewing,” he said.
Anyone wishing to have their name considered should e-mail their information to [email protected]. Mayor Rogers Anderson is collecting the applications and passing them on to Chalfant.
“I have spoken to three persons, but I understand the mayor has several more applications,” Chalfant said.
