May 2026 Employee of the Month Marianne Anderson

Congratulations to the Town of Jonesborough’s Employee of the Month for May 2026, Marianne Anderson.
Marianne began her service with the Town in 2021 as a part-time employee at the Visitor’s Center before transitioning to the Jackson Theatre in November 2024. From the moment she stepped into her role, her dedication has been unmistakable. Marianne represents both the Jackson Theatre and our Town with pride, professionalism, and genuine enthusiasm.
Her passion for Jonesborough is evident in everything she does. Whether she is welcoming guests or leading tours of the Jackson Theatre, Marianne brings history to life in a way that is both engaging and memorable. She has even gone the extra mile to create a detailed PowerPoint presentation featuring historical photos, newspaper advertisements, and images that capture the rich legacy of the Jackson Theatre.
Marianne is known for her involvement and commitment to making our Town an even better place. Anyone who has had the pleasure of working with her or experiencing one of her tours has seen firsthand her dedication and positivity. She sets a high standard for excellence and serves as an inspiration to her coworkers. Day in and day out, Marianne consistently goes above and beyond in her role as a host at the Jackson Theatre.
Marianne, we are incredibly proud of the work you do and the passion you bring to our community;
Congrats to Marianne Anderson, the Town of Jonesborough May Employee of the Month.

April 2026 Employee of the Month Pam Kruger

The April Town of Jonesborough Employee of the Month is Pam Kruger. Pam has been a hostess at the Senior Center since 2018. Pam is one of those people who greet the visitors and members with a warm and welcoming personality. She is known for checking on her evening members when they miss a few evening visits; she cares about people and it shows. Not only is Pam warm and welcoming, but she is also incredibly talented at creating forms, flyers and assists with office duties.
Recently, Pam stepped outside her normal duties as hostess and designed note sheets and surveys for the Town of Jonesborough Ambassador Program pilot. She worked extremely hard creating detailed note page for each of the 6 sessions: listing speakers and providing resources. And she made the participant notebooks. Now, let’s talk about those surveys she created; the survey was clear and concise and gathered useful information from the participants in any easy, uniform manner.
We are grateful for Pam’s normal delivery of her job duties, always willing to help with a smile and a warm greeting but recently her attitude and stepping up to assist the Ambassador program shined the light on her willingness to always make the Senior Center and the Town of Jonesborough shine.
Congrats to Pam Kruger, the Town of Jonesborough April Employee of the Month.

March 2026 Employee of the Month James Walden

The March Employee of the Month is James Walden—a well‑deserved recognition for someone whose dedication shows in every corner of Town operations. James has been with the Town since January 2014 and is known by many for the countless projects he completes with skill, consistency, and pride. He has repeatedly demonstrated that he is a true asset to the Street Department, always stepping up and taking on any task without hesitation. In recent months, James has taken the lead on nearly every aspect of the new Street Department building. He guided the team through framing the interior walls, building the stairs, and creating the second‑floor storage area. He even completed the building’s plumbing. While the entire crew contributed to the project, James was the one who tackled many of the challenges and found the solutions needed to keep things moving. During the recent winter storm, James worked longer hours than most to ensure the roads assigned to him were cleared and safe for residents. James brings a wealth of knowledge to his work, and it’s clear that when he speaks, others listen. His leadership, expertise, and work ethic make a meaningful difference every day.


Congratulations, James. We are proud of you and grateful for all you do for the Town.

February 2026 Employee of the Month Tim Sjogren

The Town of Jonesborough Employee of the Month for February is Tim Sjogren. Tim joined the water quality team in August 2023 as a meter reader. During his tenure with the Town, Tim has maintained an active and dependable form of service which included replacing meter boxes and meters in the flood affected areas from Hurricane Helene in 2024. Tim was promoted in the fall of 2025 to Cross Connection Specialist, and he obtained his backflow testing, cross connection, and distribution license. Interesting fact according to Tim’s supervisor, Artie White, Time achieved a score of 87 on his distribution license which is the highest score received by a Town employee.

As Tim performs his job, he is organized, precise, professional, and ready to assist the water quality team in any way possible. He interacts with customers in a friendly way and is happy to assist with their questions and concerns. Tim is committed to efficiency and is constantly encouraging the team. He is a fantastic addition to the water quality team.

It is my pleasure to recognize Tim Sjogren as the Town of Jonesborough Employee of the Month for February; job well done, Tim.

Thank you, Tim! You are appreciated!

January 2026 Employee of the Month Jamie Aistrop

The January 2026 Employee of the Month is Major Jamie Aistrop.  Jamie began his career with the Town of Jonesborough Police Department in April 2012, and he has risen through the ranks to Major. In addition to Jamie’s work to oversee the administrative portion of the Police Department, Jamie is dedicated to the Shop With A Cop Program. Taking on this monumental task is beyond Major Aistrop’s normal job duties.

Jamie began overseeing the Shop With A Cop Program in 2016 and the program has grown by leaps and bounds. In 2026, over 200 local kids experienced the generosity of the community as they benefited from the Shop With A Cop program and this year, those children’s families received a food box. That is a lot of organizing, fundraising, and planning! The Shop With A Cop program is dear to the hearts of Jamie and his wife, Kerri, is dedicated to the program as many volunteers and officers are but the program is successful because of Jamie’s dedication, perseverance and determination to make the program touch the hearts of our community.  Not only do the children benefit but the families and those who get to volunteer are equally experiencing a blessing.
As Major Aistrop was nominated by a citizen who summed up the impact- “The community has no idea the impact that this event has on lives of kids, not just when they get to go shopping but in 10 years, they will remember the Shop With A Cop program.  Those kids will remember the police officer or firefighter that smiled at them as they shopped, often putting their own money out to fund the program and showing them compassion. A difference is truly being made in the lives of kids due to the program and the work of Jamie Aistrop.”

Thank you, Janie! You are appreciated!

December 2025 Employee of the Month Damon Canter

The December Employee of the Month is Damon Canter. Damon has worked in the Fleet Management division since September 2024. Damon is responsible for assisting with basic maintenance, to include oil changes, on the ever-growing fleet of Town vehicles. Damon is always willing to step in and help the fleet management team when needed on repairs. Most recently, Damon stepped up and showed his willingness to exceed his job duties when asked if he could do some body work and paint the four door International dump truck that the Street Department uses for leaf collection. Damon took on this project willingly and put in about 40 hours doing body work, sanding, and painting the truck. Damon put together a plastic enclosure to ensure a safe way to paint the truck and even came in on the weekend to ensure the painting did not interfere with other activities in the garage. In addition, he applied the new logo to the doors of the truck. That ugly green truck is now a beautiful shade of white proudly displaying the Town logo. The truck is pleasing to the eye and the work done in house by the garage was pleasing to the Town’s funds. The entire project turned out great thanks to the hard work of Damon.

Thank you, Damon! You are appreciated!

November 2025 Employee of the Month Ron Gillenwater

The November Employee of the Month is Ron Gillenwater. Ron has worked with the Town since 2019 and serves on the facilities team as a custodian but that does not speak of the commitment that he has to the Town. His normal buildings to maintain is the Visitor’s Center, Utilities/Fleet Maintenance Building, Fitness/Training Center, Courthouse bathrooms, Wastewater Offices and Gillespie Building. All this plus set up at the Visitor’s Center for events.

Ron is very dependable, and his work ethic has been evident throughout this work in many departments; he sets up multiple events each week and often on weekends which ensures visitors and residents have a memorable experience here in Jonesborough.  Ron also maintains a clean work environment for the departments and buildings which he services. Ron does an incredible job with his duties and goes beyond making sure his tasks are done correctly and in a timely manner.

Ron’s initiative demonstrates his above and beyond attitude. He is always willing to help others while continuing to keep his work done. Recently, the facilities team was short a staff member due to some requested time off, but Ron has stepped in to help with Town Hall, McKinney Center, and set-ups. His attitude is one of let’s get it done.

Thank you, Ron! You are appreciated!

October 2025 Employee of the Month Craig Ford

The October Employee of the Month is none other than our Operations Manager, Craig Ford.  Craig is a valuable part of the Town team, leading the Directors of Public Works, Public Safety, Fleet Maintenance, Park & Rec and Facilities Management.  Craig has held various roles since he began his work with the Town in 1999.
The nomination began with the statement “Craig wears lots of hats within the Town and I think this past month he has really shown just how valuable he is.”  Sometimes we overlook the leaders, but they are very valuable to the Team and Craig is truly valuable to the overall operation of the Town.
Craig has been leading the charge on the new sidewalks around Town which has taken a lot of planning and coordination. In addition to overseeing the new deck project at the International Storytelling Cetner and handling bid documents and BMA presentations for the Academy Hill sidewalk replacement and the new outdoor stairs at the Senior Center.  All this plus the finalization of Tiger Park.  Tiger Park faced many delays but when Craig was tasked with completion, he jumped in and made the deadline.   It’s clear that Craig has been the one pulling all the pieces together to keep things moving forward.
Craig constantly offers suggestions, jumps in wherever needed, and his knowledge and work ethic makes a huge difference for the Town.  Craig doesn’t just do his job, he goes above and beyond, and it shows in the results.

Thank you, Craig! You are appreciated!

September 2025 Employee of the Month Skyler Wyatt

The September employee of the month is Skyler Wyatt. Skyler began his career with the Jonesborough Police Department in July 2023. He and his wife are, also, reside in Jonesborough.

Officer Wyatt was nominated by Chief Rice for the exemplary way he performs his duties as a Public Safety Officer. Skyler routinely receives compliments on comment cards and from the public about how he represents himself and the Jonesborough Police Department.

Recently, Skyler sprung into action, while off duty, to perform the Heimlich Maneuver to assist someone choking. Skyler successfully prevented this situation from getting worse and potentially saved the man’s life. Now, this is not the first time that Skyler has been attuned to his surroundings and sprung into action when someone was choking. When he graduated from the police academy, he was celebrating with his wife when the exact situation arose, and he jumped in and performed the Heimlich Maneuver to save this person from choking.

Skyler is proof that whether on duty or off, in Jonesborough or outside of Town, Jonesborough Police Officers operate at the highest standard when called upon.

Thank you, Skyler! You are appreciated!

August 2025 Employee of the Month Nicole Widner

The August Employee of the Month is Nicole Widner. Nicole has been with the Town since January 2023; she is an integral part of the Water Quality team. Nicole has streamlined the cross-connection data collection and has demonstrated her vast knowledge of working with FEMA and TEMA to recover and receive reimbursement to the Town following the devastation of Hurricane Helene last fall. Nicole is currently working on the FEMA project due to additional damage assessment being collected. She is also assisting with the integration and setting up of the asset management software being beta tested in utilities. Nicole assists any department within utilities when called upon to lend a hand and she has offered innovative solutions and idea proposals to make utilities operate in a more smooth and efficient manner. Nicole’s eye for detail and her positive approach to her work is another reason she is employee of the month’s criteria.

Thank you, Nicole! You are appreciated!