It was the changing of the guard Monday night as aldermen-elect Daniel Berry, Donna Bradford and Mike Dent were sworn into office.

Before the swearing-in ceremony for both new aldermen, Tullahoma City Schools Board of Education and City Judge, Mayor Lynn Sebourn presented outgoing aldermen Kurt Glick, Jerry Mathis and Bobbie Wilson a service award for their service during their time as aldermen. Each of the aldermen was given a chance to speak following the presentation.

Glick spoke first and said that, while he was not prepared to say anything, he did say thank you not only to his supporters but to everyone, as while they might not always agree with each other on issues, they all had to live together.

“I just want to say thank you for just being part of the process,” Glick said. “That’s the way things work.”

He added that his tenure as alderman also marked the closure of 41 years of service to the city, where he started in 1985 as part of the grounds crew with the Tullahoma Parks and Recreation Department after graduating from college, where he said he fell in love with serving the people of Tullahoma.

“I decided to stay, and here I still am today 41 years later,” Glick said. “This will close out my career with that.”

Next was Alderman “Coach” Jerry Mathis, who Sebourn shared that Mathis has served the city from 2005 to 2020 and again from 2022 to 2026. Mathis said he worked as a coach and athletic director at Tullahoma High School for 50 years and joined the board of mayor and aldermen for 19 years in total. He congratulated the incoming aldermen and gave them a piece of advice before they were sworn in.

“Whatever you do, you do it on your own thing. Don’t listen to people outside,” Mathis said to the newly elected aldermen. “Do your own thing.”

Alderman Bobbie Wilson spoke last and said the night was bittersweet, as it was her final night on the board. She said since being elected, she did not take the responsibility of alderman lightly, and she was proud of her term, proud of the work she has done with the board, and was grateful for the opportunity to have played a part in the decisions that helped to shape the city. She thanked the city employees for all of the work they do behind the scenes and the current aldermen Matthew Bird, Sernobia McGee and Bush Thoma, along with Sebourn, for they may have had strong disagreements; she respected the office and the willingness of anyone who made the commitment to serve.

“Public service requires a lot of time, sacrifice, preparation and willingness to make difficult decisions, and I appreciate everyone who has been willing to take on that responsibility,” Wilson said.

She also thanked every citizen who spoke to her about their concerns during her tenure and congratulated the newly elected aldermen, as she wished them well and will pray that they will do what is best for the city of Tullahoma and be that voice for the people they represent.

“I leave this seat with a grateful heart, proud of the work that we accomplished, hopeful for the future of our city and confident that my love for Tullahoma will continue long after my time on this board has ended,” Wilson said. “It has truly been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve as your alderman.”

During aldermen reports, the remaining aldermen, as well as Sebourn and City Administrator Jeff Damron, took the time to thank Glick, Mathis and Wilson for their service to the board and congratulated the incoming aldermen.

After finishing unfinished business, the meeting proceeded to the swearing-in ceremony for all the of newly elected Tullahoma officials. City Attorney Brittany Hoskins read over the election results and City Judge James F. Conley, who was sworn in and took the oath of office before the meeting, stood at the podium to administer the oath of office. First to be sworn in were the Tullahoma City Schools Board of Education members: Sherrie Cleveland, Teresa Lawson and Andy Whitt. School board member Gigi Robison was sworn in just before the meeting as she was not able to stay for the ceremony. Following the school board were the new aldermen, where Donna Bradford, Mike Dent and Daniel Berry were sworn in.

After a brief intermission, the new aldermen took their seats with the rest of the board, and they finished the rest of the meeting with new business. Before going to new business, Sebourn asked each of the new aldermen if they had a report to give. Berry spoke first and thanked everyone for their vote, as well as his family and friends for their support. He also congratulated his fellow elected aldermen and said he was looking forward to working with city staff once again. He added that during his campaign, he talked about accountability, transparency and being responsible with the taxpayers’ money, stating those were not just slogans, but the standards he intended to bring to the seat. He added that while the board will disagree on various things, he believed they can disagree, ask hard questions, work through them, and still treat one another with respect.

“My commitment is pretty simple: I’ll do my homework, I’ll ask questions, I’ll listen, and I’ll make the decision that I believe is in the best interest of Tullahoma,” Berry said. “I’m grateful to be back, and I’m ready to get to work.”

Next up was Bradford, who also thanked everyone who came out to vote and said she was deeply humbled and honored to be able to serve as a city alderman. She shared that after the election, she started thinking about the responsibilities of an alderman and what the term “collaboration” meant, which for her meant that they come together as individuals and come out with ideas together that will make the community better.

“I believe if we approach the conversation with curiosity rather than defensiveness, assume positive intent and genuinely listen to one another, I think we can leave this room with something stronger than what any one of us could have created by ourselves,” Bradford said. “The goal isn’t for one person or one idea to win. The goal is for the community to win.”

She added she was able to attend the multi-county chamber function, where she said it was good to meet new people and reconnect with old friends.

The final report was from Dent, who said he was grateful to be on the board with new and existing board members. He added it was a humbling experience to walk around his work after the election, where people came up to him to not only to congratulate him but also to talk to him about certain issues pertaining to the city. As for future discussions and deliberations, he said, like Berry, he will look at the facts and try to do what’s best for Tullahoma. As for his report, he said he took Alderman Matthew Bird’s advice and went on patrol with the police department. He shared that the experience was enlightening to him, especially from the perspective of the officers.

“It was great just listening to them talk,” Dent said. “They have a lot of camaraderie with each other, and I’m just thrilled to be a part of that.”

As for other reports, City Administrator Jeff Damron congratulated the newly elected aldermen and welcomed them to the board.

“I look forward to working with each of you, and I know our city staff does as well,” Damron said. “We’re here to support you, and work together as we continue serving the citizens of Tullahoma. I just like to say again congratulations and welcome to the board.”