Five newly elected City of Spring Hill officials tonight were sworn into office to serve the next four years on the Spring Hill Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
In the April 13 election, Mayor Rick Graham was elected to a second four-year term, while incumbent Ward 1 Alderman Amy Wurth, who ran unopposed, was re-elected to a third four-year term. Three new aldermen also joined the board, including Jeff Graves in Ward 2, Kevin Gavigan in Ward 3, and Vincent Fuqua in Ward 4.
Spring Hill Municipal Judge Blair Morgan officially swore into office Mayor Graham, who then conducted the swearing-in of the four newly elected aldermen, repeating the oath of office alongside their families.
Here’s a look at the newly elected board members:
Mayor Rick Graham is a 13-year resident of Spring Hill who often tells the story of how in 2006 he went to City Hall to complain as a concerned citizen and by 2007 found himself running for the Ward 3 Alderman seat, which he won. He won re-election in 2011, running unopposed, and in 2013 was elected mayor. Mayor Graham has worked in the food contract industry for 35 years, which he continues to do as district manager for SAGE Dining, a provider of dining services to independent schools, while serving as a part-time mayor. He and his wife, Alicia, have two sons.
Amy Wurth, Ward 1 Alderman, has lived in Spring Hill since 2003 and served as a Spring Hill Alderman since 2009. She is often known as the board’s budget hawk, and chairs the City’s Budget and Finance Committee. Alderman Wurth also is a member of the Spring Hill Historic Commission. A graduate of Purdue University, Mrs. Wurth is a National Account Manager for several major corporate accounts for a reverse logistics firm. She and her husband, Tom Wurth, have two sons.
Jeff Graves, Ward 2 Alderman, teaches government at Summit High School and can now tell his students he’s directly involved in the local government process. Alderman Graves grew up in Nolensville and has lived in Spring Hill since 2009. He graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin and holds a Master of Divinity from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Chelsea, have two children.
ξKevin Gavigan, Ward 3 Alderman, has lived much of his life in Middle Tennessee, including in Spring Hill a total of seven years. A Lipscomb University and law school graduate, he works as an attorney specializing in banking and mortgage law, with additional legal expertise in contracts, property law, and creditors and debtors rights. Alderman Gavigan and his wife, Amanda, have three children.
ξVincent Fuqua, Ward 4 Alderman, is a Nashville native who has lived in Spring Hill for 22 years, since his family moved here when he was age 10. He recalls the town’s first supermarket being built, and when the speed limit on Main Street was 55 mph through most of town. Alderman Fuqua is the owner of Southbound Erosion, and a former volunteer firefighter. He is married to Sarah Linn Fuqua.
MAYORAL COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS
Mayor Graham kicked off the evening meeting by announcing his municipal committee and commission appointments, which included the newly elected members:
Transportation Advisory Committee: The TAC is being expanded by two additional members to become a five-member committee. It will include Alderman Gavigan, and Shane McNeill, a civil engineer and attorney who ran for mayor. Existing TAC members, Alderman and Chairman Chad Whittenburg, Alderman Matt Fitterer, and Planning Commissioner Matt Koss (the Planning Commission’s designated representative) will remain in their current TAC positions.
Board of Zoning Appeals: Alderman Susan Zemek will replace interim Alderman Brandon McCulloch as the board’s BOMA representative.
Parks and Recreation Commission: Alderman Graves will fill the position previously held by interim Alderman McCulloch.
Stormwater Advisory Committee: Vincent Fuqua will be the mayoral appointee. The committee is being recreated, which will include a number of citizen appointments to come, after being inactive for an extended time.
Library Board of Trustees: Vice Mayor Bruce Hull will take over Mayor Graham’s position on the library board.
Economic Development Commission: Alderman Graves will replace Vice Mayor Bruce Hull.
Senior Adult Advocacy Council: This citizen council, formed last year, will eventually have a BOMA member by mayoral appointment to be announced at a later time.
Planning Commission: The BOMA will soon select its Planning Commission designee to replace Alderman Jonathan Duda. Alderman Matt Fitterer is currently the Planning Commission’s mayoral designee. Mayor Graham will assume his mayoral position on the Planning Commission for now.
Budget and Finance Advisory Committee: There will be no changes to this committee. Chairman Amy Wurth, Vice Mayor Bruce Hull and Alderman Whittenburg will remain in their current positions.
Historic Commission: Alderman Wurth will remain in place, and the Planning Commission at its next voting meeting will designate its Historic Commission representative.
“I listened to a lot of people during the election, and that’s reflected in some of these committee assignments, which were guided toward what we heard from the voters,” Mayor Graham said. “The assignments were directed at their passions and interests, and intended to minimize their learning curve on the board. These City committees are great avenues for educating new aldermen.”
