Commission again chaired by a Republican with Hill’s selection

The Knox County Commission has voted to appoint Terry Hill, a Republican, as its new chair in a move that makes her the second woman to be selected for the role.

The commission is made up of a majority of women, who once again voted together to back Hill. They did the same last year when they voted as a bloc to appoint Courtney Durrett, a Democrat, to the position.

“I’m very excited about the opportunity to serve in this capacity and I’m very honored that my colleagues put their faith in me,” Hill said.

Durrett’s election came as a surprise to some community members because the women who elected her reached across party lines. Durrett said Aug. 31 that for this chairperson election, she would to vote for the best person for the job - no matter what.

Hill echoed this, saying that she hoped she was appointed because of her merit. Commissioners Carson Dailey and John Schoonmaker, both Republicans,

were the only members on the 11-person commission to vote “pass.”

As chair, Hill won’t gain any political advantage over her peers, but she will set the agendas and run meetings as she sees fit.

“Truly, (the role of the chairperson) is to make sure that commission meetings are run in order and appropriately, and I will do that to the best of my ability,” she said.

Hill was elected in 2020 to represent Knox County’s 6th District in the western parts of the county including Hardin Valley and Karns. She served as member of the Knox County Board of Education 2014-2020 and was elected to chair that board in 2018. She has 30 years of experience as a social worker and consultant with Knox County Schools.

Republican Commissioner Gina Oster was appointed vice chair after a unanimous vote. She thanked Durrett for her leadership as chair.

Commissioners also appointed Kim Frazier, Rhonda Lee, Dasha Lundy and Oster to the Knox County Joint Education Committee.