NEW  MEMBERS  OF  THE  109TH  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY  Prepared  for  UT  Advocates  

 

House    

Bud  Hulsey  (R),  House  District  2  Bud  Hulsey  will  replace  Representative  Tony  Shipley.    Hulsey  is  a  retired  lieutenant  from  the  Kingsport  Police  Department,  where  he  served  for  34  years.    He  is  widely  known  locally  for  his  drug  prevention  work.    Hulsey  is  now  a  small  businessman  in  transportation  logistics.  

   

John  B.  Holsclaw,  Jr.  (R),  House  District  4  John  Holsclaw,  Jr.  will  replace  retiring  Representative  Kent  Williams.  Holsclaw  graduated  from  Happy  Valley  High  School  in  1982  and  earned  a  bachelor’s  degree  in  electrical  engineering  from  East  Tennessee  State  University.    Holsclaw  has  owned  a  small  jewelry  business  for  14  years  and  is  a  native  of  Carter  County.  He  is  married  and  has  five  daughters.    Eddie  Smith  (R),  House  District  13  Smith,  a  Knoxville  resident,  will  replace  Representative  Gloria  Johnson.  Smith  grew  up  in  East  Knoxville.    He  holds  a  BS  in  organizational  management  from  Tusculum  College.    For  the  last  13½  years,  Smith  has  been  on  staff  at  Sevier  Heights  Baptist  Church,  producing  the  Living  Christmas  Tree  and  as  Director  of  Media  Events.    His  

wife,  Lanna  Keck,  is  a  former  Miss  Tennessee,  who  served  as  the  Governor’s  spokesperson  for  a  Safe  and  Drug  Free  Tennessee  with  the  Tennessee  Department  of  Education.  They  have  two  young  children.    

Martin  Daniel  (R),  House  District  18  Daniel  was  born  in  Memphis  and  now  resides  in  Knoxville.    He  will  replace  Representative  Steve  Hall.    He  received  his  BS  and  MBA  degrees  from  UT  Knoxville  and  his  JD  degree  from  the  University  of  Memphis.    He  is  Majority  Owner,  General  Manager,  and  General  Counsel  to  Elevation  Outdoor  Advertising.    He  has  served  as  Founder/Producer,  Director  of  Knoxville  Brewfest  and  Memphis  Brewfest.    He  is  a  

member  of  the  Knoxville  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  the  National  Federation  of  Independent  Business.    He  and  wife  Melissa  have  two  children,  ages  eight  and  six.    

Dan  Howell  (R),  House  District  22  Howell,  who  was  born  in  Arkansas,  lives  in  Georgetown  and  replaced  retiring  Representative  Eric  Watson.    He  is  a  graduate  of  the  Radio  Engineering  Institute  and  attended  Lee  University.    Howell,  who  is  retired,  served  as  Executive  Assistant  to  the  Bradley  County  Mayor  for  five  years.    He  also  served  on  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  Board  and  directed  Bradley  County’s  Three  Star  Program.    Howell  is  a  

member  of  the  Ruritan  Club  and  the  Sons  of  the  American  Revolution.    He  and  wife  Beverlee  have  three  children.      

 

2  

Patsy  Hazlewood  (R),  House  District  27  Hazlewood,  a  Signal  Mountain  resident,  is  Regional  Director  for  the  Tennessee  Department  of  Economic  and  Community  Development.    She  will  replace  retiring  Representative  Richard  Floyd.    She  earned  her  BS  degree  from  Middle  Tennessee  State  University  and  received  advanced  training  and  certification  from  the  Strategic  

Professional  Development  program  at  Georgia  Tech  University  and  the  University  of  Alabama  at  Birmingham.  Hazlewood  was  a  founding  director  of  CapitalMark  Bank  and  Trust  and  continues  to  serve  as  a  director.  She  has  over  30  years  of  experience  in  telecommunications  with  both  AT&T  and  BellSouth  in  various  leadership  capacities,  including  legislative  and  external  affairs.    She  and  husband  Hal  have  one  son.    

Marc  Gravitt  (R),  House  District  30  Gravitt,  who  resides  in  East  Ridge,  replaced  retiring  Representative  Vince  Dean.    Gravitt  joined  the  military  out  of  high  school  and  attended  Chattanooga  State  Community  College.    He  served  in  the  US  Army  at  home  and  abroad  for  six  years  and,  upon  leaving  military  service,  followed  in  the  family  footsteps  of  small  

business  owners  and  started  his  own  auction  and  appraisal  business.  Gravitt  served  as  President  of  the  Tennessee  Auctioneers  Association  in  2013  and  conducts  benefit  auctions  for  area  charities  and  associations.    He  and  wife  Cleo,  who  is  a  high  school  teacher,  have  two  children.    Their  daughter  is  a  student  at  UT  Chattanooga.  

 Jerry  Sexton  (R),  House  District  35  Sexton  is  one  of  10  children  and  was  born  in  Claiborne  County.    He  will  replace  Representative  Dennis  “Coach”  Roach.    In  1988,  he  founded  Sexton  Furniture  Manufacturing,  which  employs  over  200  Tennesseans  and  ships  products  around  the  world.    He  also  served  as  a  pastor  in  Grainger  County  for  25  years.    Sexton  is  

president  of  the  Grainger  County  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  serves  on  the  Board  of  Walters  State  Community  College  Workforce  Development.    He  and  wife  Marsha  have  two  children  and  four  grandchildren.    

Kevin  Dunlap  (D),  House  District  43  Dunlap,  born  and  raised  in  Warren  County,  has  been  a  lifelong  resident  of  Rock  Island  except  for  his  years  of  study  at  UT  Knoxville.    He  graduated  Magna  Cum  Laude  with  a  BA  degree  in  political  science.    As  a  Whittle  Scholar  at  UTK,  he  studied  abroad  in  London,  where  he  worked  in  the  House  of  Commons.    He  received  his  MS  in  secondary  education  from  UTK  and  has  been  a  history,  social  studies,  and  civics  

teacher  in  the  Warren  County  School  System  for  14  years.    Dunlap  was  Warren  County  Board  of  Education  Teacher  of  the  Year  in  2012.    He  and  wife  Laura  have  two  sons,  ages  eight  and  seven.    Dunlap  will  replace  Representative  Paul  Bailey.            

 

3  

Bryan  Terry  (R),  House  District  48  Terry,  originally  from  Oklahoma,  resides  in  Murfreesboro  and  will  replace  Representative  Joe  Carr.    Terry  graduated  from  medical  school  in  Oklahoma  and  was  a  medical  intern  at  the  time  of  the  Oklahoma  City  bombing,  in  which  two  of  his  classmates  were  killed.    He  helped  treat  bombing  victims  in  the  emergency  

room.      Terry  served  as  president  of  the  Tennessee  Society  of  Anesthesiologists  Resident  Component  and  mentors  MTSU  and  Rutherford  County  students.    He  and  wife  Cheryl  have  two  children.    He,  his  mother,  and  his  children  are  enrolled  members  of  the  Choctaw  nation.    

Bill  Beck  (D),  House  District  51  Beck  was  raised  in  Madison  and  Whites  Creek.    He  will  replace  retiring  Representative  Mike  Turner.  He  received  his  bachelor’s  degree  from  Belmont  University  and  his  JD  from  Nashville  School  of  Law.    Beck  and  his  mother  Martha  Lu  Cone  Beck,  with  whom  he  practices  law,  attended  law  school  at  the  same  time.    He  volunteers  helping  seniors  at  the  Madison  Station  Senior  Center  and  served  as  

president  of  the  Board  of  Directors  for  Discover  Madison,  Amqui  Station.    He  is  a  member  of  the  100  Club  of  Nashville.    Beck  and  wife  Pam  have  one  daughter,  who  is  a  student  at  Belmont  University.    

John  Ray  Clemmons  (D),  House  District  55  Clemmons  will  replace  Representative  Gary  Odom.    He  was  raised  on  a  farm  between  Lebanon  and  Watertown.    He  earned  a  BA  in  history  from  Columbia  University  and  his  JD  from  the  University  of  Memphis.    Clemmons  practices  law  as  a  civil  litigator  and  co-­‐founded  his  own  law  firm  in  2013.      He  provides  pro  bono  legal  

services  to  local  artists  and  entrepreneurs  through  the  Volunteer  Lawyers  and  Professionals  for  the  Arts,  a  part  of  the  Arts  and  Business  Council  of  Greater  Nashville.    Clemmons  serves  as  Chair  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of  Nashville  RBI  (Reviving  Baseball  in  Inner  Cities),  part  of  the  Boys  and  Girls  Club  of  Middle  Tennessee.    He  and  wife  Tamara  have  three  sons.    

Sabi  (Doc)  Kumar  (R),  House  District  66  Sabi  “Doc”  Kumar  will  replace  Representative  Joshua  Evans.    Kumar  has  been  in  surgical  practice  for  37  years  and  owns  a  surgical  instrument  company  located  in  Robertson  County.    He  and  wife  Linda  reside  in  Springfield.    They  have  one  daughter.    The  Kumars  are  active  members  of  the  Springfield  First  United  Methodist  Church.  

 David  “Coach”  Byrd  (R),  House  District  71  David  “Coach”  Byrd  will  replace  Representative  Vance  Dennis.    Byrd  is  a  native  of  Wayne  County,  where  he  resides  with  wife  Sherry  Lynn.    Byrd  holds  a  bachelor’s  degree  in  health  and  physical  education  from  Freed-­‐Hardeman  University  and  a  master’s  degree  in  administration  and  supervision  from  Tennessee  State  University.    Byrd  served  as  Wayne  County  Commissioner  from  1990-­‐1994  and  has  served  as  an  

educator  for  33  years.    Byrd  has  worked  as  a  teacher,  basketball  coach,  and  principal  at  Wayne  County  High  School.    

 

4  

Jay  Reedy  (R),  House  District  74  Jay  Reedy  will  replace  Representative  John  Tidwell.    Reedy  and  wife  Vickie  have  three  children  and  attend  Erin  Church  of  Christ.    He  has  served  in  the  U.S.  Army  and  was  a  commissioned  officer  in  the  U.S.  Army  Reserve.    Reedy  previously  served  as  Houston  County  Election  Board  Commissioner.    He  holds  a  BS  in  agriculture  from  

Austin  Peay  State  University  and  is  pursuing  graduate  studies  at  the  University  of  Phoenix.    He  is  a  certified  locksmith  and  Master  Beef  certified  cattle  farmer.      

Leigh  Rosser  Wilburn  (R),  House  District  94  Leigh  Rosser  Wilburn  will  replace  Representative  Barrett  Rich.      Wilburn  is  a  partner  at  the  Fayette  County  Title  Company  and  has  a  law  practice  with  her  father.    She  holds  a  bachelor’s  degree  in  accounting  and  a  master’s  in  taxation  from  the  University  of  Memphis  and  a  JD  from  Nashville  School  of  Law.    She  and  husband  Steven  reside  in  Somerville.  

 Senate  

 Richard  Briggs  (R),  Senate  District  7  Briggs  will  replace  Senator  Stacey  Campfield.    He  earned  his  BS  degree  from  Transylvania  University  and  his  MD  from  the  University  of  Kentucky.    He  then  entered  active  military  service  with  the  US  Army  and  rose  to  the  rank  of  full  Colonel.    He  served  in  combat  during  Operation  Desert  Storm  and  was  awarded  the  Bronze  Star.    During  his  over  30  years  of  military  service,  Briggs  completed  combat  

tours  in  Afghanistan  and  Iraq  as  a  combat  trauma  surgeon;  and  he  has  practiced  heart  and  lung  surgery  for  over  22  years  in  Knoxville.    He  serves  on  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Tennessee  Medical  Association  and  on  the  Knox  County  Commission.    His  wife  Stephanie  is  an  animal  rescue  volunteer.    

Paul  Bailey  (R),  Senate  District  15  Paul  Bailey  previously  served  as  State  Representative  for  District  43,  and  will  now  replace  retiring  Senator  Charlotte  Burks.    He  has  been  the  Vice  President  and  General  Manager  of  Charles  Bailey  Trucking,  Inc.  for  27  years.    He  attended  Tennessee  Technological  University  and  is  a  leader  in  the  American  Quarter  Horse  Association  and  National  Reined  Cow  Horse  Association.    Bailey  and  wife  Amy,  who  

reside  in  Sparta,  have  three  children.      

Jeff  Yarbro  (D),  Senate  District  21  Jeff  Yarbro  will  replace  retiring  Senator  Douglas  Henry.    Yarbro  grew  up  in  Dyersburg  and  graduated  with  honors  from  Harvard  University  with  a  degree  in  government.    He  received  his  JD  from  the  University  of  Virginia,  where  he  served  as  Editor-­‐in-­‐Chief  of  the  Virginia  Law  Review.    After  a  clerkship  with  a  federal  judge,  Yarbro  joined  Bass,  Berry  &  Sims,  where  he  is  an  associate  in  the  Litigation  Practice  

Area.    He  devotes  20  percent  of  his  time  working  on  behalf  of  clients  that  cannot  afford  legal  representation.  Yarbro  volunteers  in  Nashville  public  schools.    He  is  Chair  of  the  Metro  Transit  

 

5  

Authority  Board  and  is  a  disaster  response  volunteer  for  the  Nashville  Red  Cross.  He  and  his  wife  Tyler,  also  an  attorney,  have  a  four-­‐year  old  son.    

Kerry  Roberts  (R),  Senate  District  25  Roberts  will  replace  Senator  Jim  Summerville.  He  graduated  from  Lipscomb  University  with  a  degree  in  accounting  and  worked  as  a  Certified  Public  Accountant  for  a  national  accounting  firm.    He  later  started  an  accounting  practice  while  teaching  at  Lipscomb  University  as  an  adjunct  professor.    He  later  sold  his  

accounting  practice  and  opened  a  bicycle  store.    In  2010,  Roberts  decided  to  wind  down  his  bicycle  business  and  started  ResourceNetwork,  a  professional  placement  organization.    Roberts  also  is  a  weekend  farmer.    He  and  wife  Dianne  have  three  children.    

Ed  Jackson  (R),  Senate  District  27  Jackson  will  replace  Senator  Lowe  Finney.    He  was  raised  in  Jackson  and  attended  Lambuth  College  before  transferring  to  the  University  of  Memphis,  where  he  received  his  degree.    He  ran  distance,  cross  country,  and  the  half-­‐mile  as  a  student  to  help  put  himself  through  college.    Jackson  served  in  the  Tennessee  National  Guard  for  seven  years.    He  and  his  wife  Marilyn  own  three  businesses  in  Jackson;  

and  in  2013,  one  of  their  businesses,  Marilyn  Jackson’s  Gifts,  was  named  the  Chamber  of  Commerce’s  Business  of  the  Year  for  companies  with  one  to  49  employees.    Jackson  is  on  the  board  for  the  West  Tennessee  Area  Council  of  Boy  Scouts  and  is  active  in  the  Jackson  Rotary  Club.    He  and  Marilyn  have  three  children.    

Lee  Harris  (D),  Senate  District  29  Lee  Harris  will  replace  Senator  Ophelia  Ford.    Both  Harris  and  wife,  Alena,  teach  at  the  University  of  Memphis  Cecil  C.  Humphreys  School  of  Law.    Harris  was  one  of  the  first  Memphis-­‐area  members  of  the  United  Campus  Workers.    He  attended  Morehouse  College  and  earned  his  JD  from  Yale  Law  School.    He  also  serves  on  the  Memphis  City  Council  representing  District  7.    Harris  is  a  Memphis  native.  

 Sara  Kyle  (D),  Senate  District  30  Sara  Kyle  will  replace  her  husband,  Senator  Jim  Kyle,  who  was  recently  elected  to  Shelby  County  Chancery  Court.    Sara  is  the  niece  of  the  late  state  Sen.  Anna  Belle  Clement  O’Brien  and  worked  in  her  legislative  office  for  12  years  as  well  as  in  the  Tennessee  Attorney  General’s  office  interpreting  bills  and  state  laws.    She  is  one  of  only  two  women  to  ever  win  a  statewide  election  for  a  nonjudicial  position  in  her  

election  to  the  Tennessee  Public  Service  Commission.    She  is  also  a  former  Memphis  City  Court  judge.    Sara  is  an  alumnus  of  Austin  Peay  State  University.  She  earned  her  JD  at  Nashville  School  of  Law.