Fritz Fussell joins county school board

Posted: Monday, June 15, 2009 9:12 pm

By JOHN BRANNON
Messenger Staff Reporter
It took the Obion County Commission only a few minutes this morning to fill a pending vacancy on the Obion County School Board.
By unanimous vote, the 21-member commission appointed Fritz Fussell of Troy to succeed outgoing board member Jimmy Smith.
At the May term of court, the commission elected Smith to fill a pending judicial vacancy, that of Obion County General Sessions judge.
Raymond Morris of Union City, who has served as General Sessions judge several years, will retire on July 1. Smith was elected by the commission to finish out Morris’ term.
At today’s session, which convened at 9 a.m. in the Circuit Court courtroom at the Obion County Courthouse in Union City, the process of naming a replacement for Smith was brief and all business.
County commissioner Ralph Puckett, who presided, announced the floor was open for nominations. Commissioner Perry Barfield nominated Fussell.
A moment of silence ensued.
“Any other nominations?” Puckett asked the assembly.
Again, silence.
“Do I hear a motion that we elect him by acclamation?” Puckett asked.
“So moved,” said commissioner Danny Jowers. Commission Polk Glover seconded the motion.
Thereupon, commissioners voted by voice vote. Fussell was elected by unanimous vote.
Fussell, who was among the sparse crowd in the gallery, stood and thanked the commissioners and all who supported him.
Later, in a one-on-one interview, Fussell told The Messenger he grew up in Obion and has lived in Troy 16 years. An associate at the local Goodyear plant for 10 years, he is an instrumentation technician. He attended the University of Tennessee at Martin two years and Tennessee Technology Center at Newbern two years. At the Newbern center, he earned a certificate in industrial technology.
He is a 1987 graduate of Obion County Central High School.
“I just turned 40,” he said. “A lot of the people I grew up with still live in this area and still have kids in school. I want to bring something to them. I’ve always had a passion for kids and I want to bring my experience in raising mine to the board.”
Fussell is married to the former Dana Bonds. They have four children, three of whom will attend Hillcrest Elementary School this fall — Chandler, 13, eighth grade; Rhett, 10, fifth grade; Emerson, 6, kindergarten; and “last but not least, our precious little girl, Alayna, 2.”
“I’ve still got a lot to go through,” Fussell said. “I’ve had some practical experience to bring to the position. I just want to do the best job I can for District 6 and all of Obion County. It is a position of trust. I am honored and privileged to get the opportunity to serve out Jimmy Smith’s term.”
Published in The Messenger 6.15.09