The Knoxville City Council has chosen Thomas Smith to fill the vacant First District seat formerly held by Stephanie Welch during a special meeting on Thursday.
Welch left the position on Feb. 16 after being chosen to serve on Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon's cabinet as her Chief of Economic and Community Development and deputy to the mayor.
Smith is the vice president of Ackermann Marketing and PR, and formerly served as the senior vice president and chief marketing officer of ORNL Federal Credit Union.
In his letter of intent, Smith received dozens of endorsements and said his goals for serving District 1 would be to look at critical opportunities for focusing on the continued economic growth and development of the Urban Wilderness area, promoting safety-driven priorities on Chapman Highway, as well as continuing development along the South Waterfront.
Smith shared his four key areas of focus among all districts, which are inclusive growth, affordable housing, economic development and neighborhood safety.
Seven potential candidates were identified in the search for a replacement, and after hours of discussion and interviews council members voted for Smith to serve out the remainder of Welch's 4-year term in District 1, which began on Dec. 16, 2017.
District 1 in Knoxville encompasses South Knoxville, including the Tennessee River's South Waterfront and the Fort Sanders neighborhood.
