Lisa Zavogiannis, Co-owner of Gondola Restaurant, Assistant District Attorney Bedford County, former District Attorney Warren – Van Buren Counties.
This interview was conducted on November 19, 2022.
Interview by Brad Durham
Please tell me some of your background.
I came here thirty-three years ago, and Jim and I opened a restaurant. I started college and commuted to Cookeville. I got my bachelor’s degree in three years and Jimmy had two restaurants. I went to law school at night for four years. Passed the bar and all the time helping him with the restaurant because that is what you have to do with a restaurant. Had my second child in law school during the week before finals. Passed the bar the first time and started practicing law with Keith Smartt. Went out on my own and ran for District Attorney in 2005. Elected in 2006. Reelected in 2014. District Attorney for 16 years. Presently working as assistant District Attorney in Bedford County.
Footnote: Lisa was 27-years-old when she started college, and 34-years-old when she graduated law school.
Why are you in McMinnville?
My husband and I came here thirty-three-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.
What do you think when you reflect on McMinnville’s future? Positive? Negative?
I definitely think positively. I see a lot of changes here with the influx of people from different areas. This is going to become one of the up-and-coming areas of middle Tennessee to move to. I do see growth coming. Very optimistic about this community.
Do you think there is a difference between “McMinnville” and “Warren County?” Why or why not?
Not particularly, I think we all associate it as though we are from McMinnville. I own property in the city and the county, and I know some people do not want the city to annex their property.
If you were mayor of McMinnville and had a magic wand, what three things would you change?
I would add more law enforcement, and that comes from my background.
I like some of the changes that are going on now. Beautifying the city, and I think the tourism dollars are good.
The city and county need to work together to make things more cohesive. I think we need to work better with each other.
I don’t think we need to consolidate because the city taxes would hurt some people, but I do think we need to work together better.
What do you think unites us in McMinnville?
Small town. I think we all realize that we all live in a wonderful community and that we are a small town. There are people who need help. I think when someone is in need, the community joins together. I think that makes us unique. Thirty-three-years ago, I did not understand all the fundraisers, all the events that were going on. I got acclimated to it pretty fast. People were coming in (the restaurant) asking for donations. I was asking why are we doing all of this, but this is a community that brings real meaning to the term “Tennessee Volunteer.” I know that I have volunteered for everything there is, and I have seen people doing that. I think that is what unites us.
What do you think divides us?
Politics. If you are a R or a D, it is almost like we do not associate with you. Regarding the restaurant, I have been told that you are a democrat, so I am not eating with you. I am human. I am a person. I am here to take care of you. I don’t care what your politics are, but too many people do. It has gotten worse over the past six-to-eight years. It has literally become very divisive for this community.
My mother was a republican and my father was a democrat.
Do you agree with the direction and quality of education the Warren County public school system offers for our children? Why or why not?
I think there is room for improvement, a lot of improvement.
Well, this is personal experience, I have sent three kids to school here. Two of them went to private school because they needed a smaller classroom.
I don’t think there is much care focused on helping kids with disabilities. The average smart child can get through school. The average smart child gets the awards for most improved. What about the child with a disability who learns to read but was never supposed to? Attention is not on those children. I think those children are left behind. If I was in charge, I would be putting a lot of emphasis on that. They really need to look at that child’s particular disability and help that child grow and expand just like any other child.
With my kids, it took the extra effort that I put into it. I know that a lot of parents don’t have the ability to do that, but I was fortunate.
My child was not supposed to read or learn the alphabet, and he’s in college.
I think the teachers are constrained a lot. I am not opposed to going back to the days when I was in school when they could paddle kids. I got a few of them myself, and it straightened me up.
They have way too much freedom in that school (the high school), and they need to be controlled better.
They changed the juvenile reform act about three or four years ago, and there is no punishment. That is why we have kids hijacking cars, shooting people. There is really nothing you can do with them. What are you going to do? Send them off until they are 19?
We cannot do anything to the children, and they need to understand that there are consequences to your actions.
Is everything you need in McMinnville exist in terms of groceries, retail stores, churches, restaurants?
Absolutely. Everything you need is right here. And by chance you want something else, and I think it is more about the wants not the needs, you can go online.
Is McMinnville doing enough for people who are economically disadvantaged, or should it be doing more? If not, what should the city be doing?
I do think the government does a lot for people who are economically disadvantaged. I think we could do more for our seniors. We do need to make sure that our seniors are taken care of. The homeless are a big issue here. Some of them you cannot help because they will not let you, but a lot of it is mental health issues. We need to be addressing that, and I think that we can. We do have a need for mental health treatment here. We have Cheer mental health, but that is not sufficient.
We don’t have enough housing here. We have apartments but there are some apartments that are not well taken care of. The owners of those apartments need to take care of them. There needs to be restrictions on those apartment owners who do not take care of them.
I wonder how many children we have here who are homeless.
Don’t you wonder what happens to children when their parents end up going to court and to jail? They sell drugs, they commit crimes. But there is a child that didn’t ask for this. Who is going to be there that evening when they get off the bus? We never address that issue.
How do we find out when to take care of a 10 year-old child who gets off the bus and her mother is sent to jail? Does anybody even know?
CASA has nothing to do with that. It has to do with children who have been removed from their parents. CASA is a volunteer program that I think you have to do some training to be a member. It is just an extra layer of eyes to see the problem and report to the court. It is not direct services. They just basically report to the court.
What did I not ask you that you would like to comment about regarding McMinnville and its people?
This is a great community. I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I wasn’t born or raised here, but this is my home. I hear sometimes, well, you are not from here. But I am.
The police station…
I don’t know what condition the building is in, but instead of going out and spending three or four million…I am conservative at heart, I think they need to be financially responsible. They do need to look at the roof because there is a roof problem. Fix the roof instead of spending two to three million dollars to build a new building.
The existing building is good to me. The cops are all downtown. It is centrally located. If I was a business owner down there, I would be thrilled to have it down there.
You could put the latest and newest computer system in that building without building a new building.
You save money to be located downtown. The state will pay you milage. If we were driving from somewhere else, you would have to charge mileage. The same in Van Buren county.
This is the last complete interview of the series, “An Introspection of McMinnville by McMinnvillians.”
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