Executive Director of Tennessee Soybean Festival announces retirement
Story by Shannon Taylor Senior Investigative Reporter
At the City of Martin’s informal board meeting on Tuesday Feb. 7, Mayor Randy Brundige announced that David Belote is retiring as Executive Director of the Tennessee Soybean Festival. Brundige said, “It’s with a sad note that I announce this.”
Belote’s time with the festival included winning numerous rewards from Events Associations and the Southeast Festival which includes winning best festival in 2020.
Belote will resign after serving as Soybean’s Executive Director for 20 years and being a part of the festival for almost 29 years since its inception.
Brundige stated that they have begun a search for a new Executive Director, as Belote will be retiring before the city of Martin’s 30th anniversary festival being held during Martin’s 150th Sesquicentennial Year celebration.
During Department Head reports, Fire Chief Jamie Summers announced that his Assistant Fire Chief David Blake is retiring after 36 years of service. A retirement party is being planned for March.
The appointment of Michelle Branner to Martin Housing Authority was moved to be put on the formal agenda. Branner will be filling an expired term that goes through 2024. Martin Housing Authority had someone resign and the position became available.
The resolution 2023-01 that the board of mayor and alderman adopt a correction action plan was added to the formal agenda. Brundige stated that the plan had been previously discussed during COVID when 1.2 million was pulled out of the water fund and now the city plans on paying that back over a five-year period of $250,000 a year.
Employee training that is required every four years starts on Feb. 26 and will be two six-hour sessions completed to be certified. Brundige said that during COVID the program wasn’t done, but now the Tennessee Comptroller has started it back up and everyone has to get recertified that teaches the program and that was the reason for delays in the program starting back. The training is for the water, gas and sewer system.
Martin’s formal board meeting in March has been moved from March 13 to March 14 due to a conference scheduling conflict.
