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The Tullahoma Housing Authority and Mayor Ray Knowis gathered on Sunday afternoon to celebrate the hiring of the housing authority’s new Executive Director, Brian Carter.

“I want to express my sincere appreciation to all those who helped us make this event possible,” said Chairman of the Board of Commissioners of the Tullahoma Housing Authority Laurel Stone.

“Michelle Pearson and Pam Bussell, we could not have done it without you.”

She mentioned other commissioners after Bussell, Misty Damron, Anita May and Robin Keel. She also shouted out the employees of the housing authority Pearson, Luca Marine, Carolyn Hutchinson and Mary Phillips.

“We want to thank them for all the hard work that they’ve done in the past few months as we’ve been without a director.”

Stone then introduced Carter.

“The reason we’re here today is to introduce Mr. Brian Carter, the new Executive Director of the Tullahoma Housing Authority,” she said, explaining that the housing authority “houses tenants who receive assistance from the Department of Housing and Urban Development through low income housing and Section Eight programs.”

Carter is from Fayetteville, according to Stone, who said he was Director of Parks and Recreation for a year and a half, as well as being a part of the Fayetteville Housing Authority for 25 years. She said he was Resident Services Coordinator for the Fayetteville Housing Authority.

“He obtained his public housing management certification in 1998. He worked with Sherwin Williams Company in Orlando as an operations credit manager,” said Stone, “After completing training in their management program, while in Fayetteville, Mr. Carter participated in several local boards such as the Industrial Development Board, Airport Authority Board, Recreation Board, Hospital Advisory Board, South Central Human Resources Agency Head Start Policy Council and Clean Incorporated. He was also a member of the Fayetteville Rotary Club and active in many community projects. And I think he’s still active in some of these things I’m mentioning because I know he was heading to a Hospital Advisory Board meeting the other day.”

Carter addressed the crowd, adding that he was also a Drug Elimination Grant Coordinator and has experience writing grants.

He said he looks forward to meeting staff and tenants.

“We want to make sure [our tenants] are number one, but also being able to do that in the most efficient and proper way, and we want to be able to come out and work in the community,” he said.