First in a Series…
The Twelve Interviewees
Why Are you in McMinnville?
By Brad Durham
Several months ago, I started interviewing twelve people in McMinnville. My intent was to interview a cross-section of people that would provide different points of view. Not everyone I interviewed is from McMinnville originally, but they all presently consider McMinnville or Warren County their home. Although McMinnville is a small town, many of the national interests and dynamics are represented here. I hope you enjoy learning who the twelve interviewees are and why they are in McMinnville.
The following are their words and stories…
I am a Rock Island man. I’ve lived out there all my life. Came home from the hospital out there in the Midway Community. I served on the County Commission for 16 years. I just want to see Warren County do good. So that’s the reason I ran for this office (County Executive), and I just hope that I can make everyone’s life better.
Terry Bell, County Executive, Farmer.
I’m in McMinnville because of two doctors. Wally Bigbee and Thurman Pedigo took a chance on a young kid 34-35 years ago. They recruited me out of Texas, and I was bound for Arkansas, where I was born and raised. They came to Texas and got me. At first, I said no, I don’t know anything about Tennessee. They said that they would fly my wife and I up there for a weekend, and to just come up and see us. We did, and thank goodness we drove through Woodbury and instead of Mt. Leo. They put us up at the Americana, and we came anyway!
DR. BRYAN CHASTAIN, Doctor in private practice.
Well, I was born and raised in Warren County. You know, I ended up marrying a nurseryman. My dad was a nurseryman and whenever I left home at 18, I said that I am never going to set foot in another nursery. And I ended up marrying a nurseryman. (Laughs.) So, I was around the nursery industry for 37 years anyway. I ended up staying here, you know.
MANDY ELLER, Executive Director of Beersheba Springs Medical Clinic; former Executive Director of the McMinnville Chamber of Commerce.
My parents wanted to live in a place that was more peaceful. My brothers were about to graduate from high school. They did not want my brothers to graduate in California and go down the wrong path.
JUDITH GOMEZ, Forensic Interviewer at Children’s Advocacy Center.
Well, my roots run very deep. My family were founding members of the community 200-plus years ago, so they’ve lived here and flourished here. Some have moved on to other states and places, but I felt that my calling was to remain here in McMinnville and help change lives one day at a time.
JIMMY HALEY, Former County Executive, former City Mayor, retired educator.
I was born here. We moved away when I was in the eighth grade to Kissimmee, Florida and then to Fort Worth, Texas. That’s not where I wanted to raise a family. I was raised out in Faulkner Springs and I always said [that] this is where I wanted to raise my family. So, I struck out on my own with my own business when I moved back here in 1992. I’m still here 30 years later, and I’m not going away.
STACEY HARVEY, President, Warrior Precast LLC, City Alderman.
I have a very simple answer for that: I came here to work at Powermatic. I came here for a job. I was in Buffalo, New York and Powermatic was looking for someone to head up their sales and marketing department and I applied for the job. I came and spent 16 years in that role.
TODD HERZOG, Founder and former president of Accu-Router, Board Member of the Business Roundtable Action Committee.
An opportunity to work with the Church of Christ at Bybee Branch. When I learned of the opening, Glenn Ramsey moved to Cookeville. Glen Ramsey was the minister before me. He and I both were teaching at Tennessee Bible College at that time. He told me about the opportunity here, and I contacted the church here. I came and tried it out, and they decided they wanted me. That was 38 years ago.
TONY LAWRENCE, Minister Church of Christ at Bybee Branch.
I grew up here and went away to college at UT-K. Did not think I would move back here. My wife is from here, and around the time we started a family in Murfreesboro I was looking to change to mortgage lending from real estate because it is a little bit slower paced.
Hey, this is a good place to live, and we moved back. I took a position as a mortgage lender at Security Federal and stayed there for three and a half years.
I have always had pride in being where I was from. My dad was a football coach, and I have always had that Pioneer spirit. It is a great place to live. It is a beautiful place too. We’re surrounded by beauty, and not everybody has that. All those things together made it work for us.
JUSTIN TANNER, Co-owner of Capital Real Estate and Property Management.
Three reasons: the natural beauty and outdoor opportunities, the friendliness of the people, and family history.
Both sides of my family have deep roots here. My ancestors settled here in the Rock Island area in the early 1800s.
We bought a farm in the early 1990’s and built wonderful friendships, learning a lot from folks that a city boy doesn’t usually get exposed to. Retired and moved here in 2013 and haven’t regretted a moment of it.
MAC McWHIRTER, Retired from Rhodes College as Comptroller and Associate Vice President of Administrative Services, former Finance Director for City of Memphis, former Chief Administrative Officer of Shelby County.
My grandparents moved back here. I am the only child. My mother let me come here every other year, and I fell in love with this place. I was born in Illinois; we moved to St. Louis when I was six years old. When I was 10, my grandmother moved here. When I was in St. Louis, I could not get out and do the things that I could do here. I could run in the countryside…had freedom here.
My first three years of high school were in St. Louis, and then I moved here for my fourth year. Graduated from Central High School in 1966. Came here one year after integration.
Moved back here permanently in 1995 when I got out of the military.
WAYNE WOLFORD, Founder, Director, Curator of the Warren County Black History Museum. Retired military.
My husband and I came here 33 years ago and opened up a small restaurant. We were looking for a place to open a restaurant, and we came here. We had a small child who was 18 months old. We didn’t know anybody.
LISA ZAVOGIANNIS, Co-owner of Gondola Restaurant, Assistant District Attorney Bedford County, former District Attorney Warren – Van Buren Counties.
Next week’s article on April 18 will focus on the question, what do you think divides us in McMinnville?
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