City Council

Councilman Henderson is the Chair of the Chattanooga City Council for 2024-2025. He previously served as Chair from 2020-2022. Over the past eight years, he has also served as Council Vice Chair, chair of the Legislative Committee, and chair of the Public Safety Committee.

District One consists of the following precincts:

Hixson 1

Lookout Valley 1

Moccasin Bend

Mountain Creek 1 & 3

Northwoods 2

Councilwoman Jenny Hill is the current Vice Chair of the Chattanooga City Council for 2024-2025. She previously served as Vice Chair from 2023-2024. Prior to that, she served as chair of the Council's Planning and Zoning Committee for 2022-23 and chair of the Council's Education and Innovation Committee from 2021-2022.

District 2 consists of the following precincts:

Lupton City

North Chattanooga 1 & 2

Northgate 1 & 2

Riverview

Stuart Heights

Councilman Ken Smith is a local businessman, community advocate and father of three children. He was Vice Chair of the Council from 2020 - 2022 and has also served as Chairman of the Council from 2018-2019. He is the current Chair of the Council's Legislative Committee.

He has worked for The Johnson Group as the firm's Chief Information Officer. Prior to that, he spent ten years as a small business owner in Chattanooga, experiencing economic hardships, payroll challenges and budget cuts, and most of all, learning the importance of developing a strong, clear vision for getting back to the basics. Councilman Smith believes that without fully addressing critical needs, success is hindered right from the beginning.

His community involvement spans from volunteering and serving as chairman of non-profits to mentoring future leaders through Leadership Chattanooga. Councilman Smith chairs the Boards of both Re:Start - The Center for Adult Education and the Leadership Chattanooga Alumni Association; he also serves on the Boards of Directors for Chattanooga's Kids on the Block and the Friends of Hixson. His experience serving on nonprofit boards and working with Leadership Chattanooga exposed him to dealing with state- and locally-funded budgets – critical leadership and organizational skills needed to build consensus among multiple parties, and the importance of using limited resources to achieve the maximum impact in the community.

As a father of three children, Councilman Smith is very concerned with the future of Chattanooga. While appreciating it is a beautiful place to live and raise a family, he believes there are short- and long-term needs that should be better addressed in order for Chattanooga to reach its potential. These include managing growth and development, creating strong and vibrant neighborhoods, bringing better transparency and more accountability to city government and addressing our critical infrastructure needs. Councilman Smith's focus will be to bring inclusive and positive leadership to the City Council by being a voice of the citizens and getting back to the basics of providing essential services to the taxpayers of Chattanooga.

Councilman Smith and his family attend Hixson United Methodist Church where his children attend Sunday School and Youth Group and his wife serves on the Education Board.

District Three consists of the following precincts:

Dupont

Hixson 2 & 3

Murray Hills 1 & 2

Northwoods 1

Councilman Darrin Ledford recently served as chair of the Chattanooga City Council from 2022-2023. He was elected to council on March 5, 2017, and is now serving his second term representing the East Brainerd area. Councilman Ledford is a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He believes in using his faith, personal experiences, and business background to bring a spirit of cooperation, friendship and courage to help solve our city's most complex problems.

As chair of the Council's Planning and Zoning Committee from 2017-2022 and as a Chattanooga/Hamilton County Regional Planning Commissioner, Councilman Ledford works with city and county developers, alongside the Regional Planning Agency, in creating new economic and housing opportunities. He also serves as an executive board member of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County/North Georgia Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), supporting various transportation planning activities for the federally designated MPO.

A successful entrepreneur and small business owner for over 25 years, he believes the cornerstone of a public servant is an understanding of operational government coupled with efficient and reliable customer service. Councilman Ledford is diligent in his research and works toward facilitating relationships and building consensus across the community on issues facing the City Council.

Councilman Ledford understands our city requires strong leadership, vision and resolve from its elected leaders. In addition, the importance of public safety and the support of our city's first responders is not only critical to our community's success but a moral obligation.

District Four consists of the following precincts:

Concord 2, 4, 5

East Brainerd 1 & 2

Summit 4

Isiah Hester is one of ten children of Albert and Mildred Hester, who believed in academic excellence for their children. All siblings graduated from universities. He is the husband of Patrice—with whom he has two children. He is a small business owner, fourth-generation minister, community organizer, and a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a bachelor's degree in Human Service Management and a Master's in Ministry. He is a fierce advocate for the citizens of District Five. He is the current chair of the Council's Parks and Public Works Committee.

District Five consists of the following precincts:

Bonny Oaks

Dalewood

Eastgate 1 & 2

Kingspoint 1, 2 & 3

Lake Hills

Woodmore 1 & 2

Focusing on solutions-based, collaborative problem-solving, in both the public and private sectors, Carol Berz has been a Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31 Listed General Civil and Family mediator and trainer for more than 25 years.

Dr. Berz is the owner and Chief Executive Officer of Private Dispute Resolution Services, LLC, a mediation services and training organization headquartered in Chattanooga. She also currently chairs council’s Budget and Finance Committee.

Through public/private partnerships, Dr. Berz has overseen the renaissance of commerce, economic development and connectivity in a diverse business environment that includes health care, construction, government, employment and finance.

Dr. Berz does extensive practice and teaching in both the public and private sector in the areas of mediation, law and ethics, and employment and labor/management issues relative to the costs of corporate conflict. She also is recognized as an authority in Family Mediation, with expertise in the special circumstance of domestic and workplace violence.

Formerly the Director of Forensic Services for the Joseph W. Johnson Mental Health Center, and subsequently its Executive Director, Dr. Berz also has served as a visiting professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, teaching social policy, law and ethics. She is a Board Certified Diplomat in Clinical Social Work, with extensive post-doctoral training in mediation, law and conflict management system design.

Dr. Berz served as the Chair of the Curriculum and Continuing Education Committee of the Mediation Association of Tennessee before becoming its President. She also chaired the Mediation component of the Hamilton County Courts' Pilot Project relative to Tennessee's Parenting Plan law. She spent eleven years as a commissioner with the Chattanooga Human Rights/Human Relations Commission, dealing with employment and civil rights matters, becoming the first Chairwoman of that body.

Dr. Berz is a graduate of Leadership America in Washington, D.C., and former President of the Board of Directors of the Moccasin Bend Girl Scout Council. A member of the Tennessee Advisory Commission to the US Civil Rights Commission, she served on the Governor's Task Force on Church Burnings. Dr. Berz also chaired the Tennessee Economic Council on Women and spearheaded its Economic Impact Committee.

Dr. Berz is former Chair of the Board of Managers of the Hamilton Family YMCA and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Chattanooga Metro YMCA, where she served on the Human Resources Committee. She is the 2004 recipient of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce Athena Award. Dr. Berz was honored by the City of Chattanooga for her unique contributions toward advancing equality of opportunity among its citizens. She currently chairs the Mayor's Council for Women and the Advisory Board to the Family Justice Center.

Professional memberships include the Association for Conflict Resolution, the ADR Section of the American Bar Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the Academy for Professional Family Mediators and the Tennessee Association of Professional Mediators.

Dr. Berz holds a Ph.D. in Social Policy from the University of Tennessee, a JD from the Nashville School of Law, a MA in Administration from the University of Tennessee, and a BA in Human Services Management from the University of Tennessee, with additional studies at Emory University, Bryn Mawr College, the Deming Institute and Harvard University. In addition, she is an IFTA certified Personal Trainer, an AEA advanced trainer, and a YMCA certified instructor and trainer in aquatic sports training.

District Six consists of the following precincts:
Airport
Brainerd
Brainerd Hills
Concord 1, 3 & 6
Ooltewah 3
Summit 1
Tyner 1 & 2
 

Councilwoman Raquetta Dotley is the 2024-2025 chair of the Public Safety Committee. She previously served as Chair of City Council 2023-2024, making history as the first African-American woman elected chair of the City Council. Prior to her election as chair, she served as Vice Chair of the Council for 2022-2023 and chair of the Council's Equity and Community Development Committee.

Chair Dotley is a native of Chattanooga, and a graduate of Brainerd High School. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and her Masters from Tennessee Temple University, Temple Baptist Seminary. She currently also serves as Executive Director of the Net Resource Foundation, and Administrator for Westside Missionary Baptist Church.

She believes that civic engagement is everyone's responsibility. Everyone has a voice and that voice can be expressed through their vote, input in policy matters and/or by simply looking out for their neighbor. Voter education, participation and transportation have been the cornerstone of her civic engagement since 2008. She has served as the co-chair of the Hamilton County Voters Coalition, Get Engaged Chairperson for the local chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc, worked with the Black Voter and Proud Voter Projects, and has coordinated multiple Super Saturday events to encourage citizens to vote.

Chair Dotley currently works with the following organizations:
Trust for Public Land, Community Partnership Network
RiverCity Company, Board Member
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc, Member
Downtown Chattanooga Alliance, Board Member
TNDP State Executive Committee, District 10
South Chattanooga Community Association, Treasurer/Secretary
Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga Community Advisory Council
Family Justice Center, Advisory Committee
Mayors' Council for Women, Empowerment Committee

District Seven consists of the following precincts:
Alton Park 1 & 2
Downtown 1 & 2
East Lake
St. Elmo 1

Councilwoman Marvene Noel was elected to represent District Eight after winning a run-off election held on September 15, 2022. Prior to this election, she served as an interim appointee for the district, after being appointed by her eight colleagues on City Council on March 8, 2022.

Her personal mantra, "She will give out before she gives up," reflects in everything she does. The Historic Orchard Knob Neighborhood has been her home for more than 30 years.

During her residency there, she has raised three marvelous children, been employed as a health professional, Past President of the Orchard Knob Neighborhood, a member of the Historic River-to-Ridge Advisory Committee, helping to design the ten-year Area Plan. She learned community involvement makes a difference in developing a plan that reflects the needs of those who live in the neighborhoods. This experience enlightened her as to the roles and responsibilities of the City and County. In addition, her active participation in the Neighborhood University programs provided her with information as to what is needed to create strong neighborhood leadership and strong neighborhoods that serve as the foundation for the city.

As an active resident in District Eight and a longtime member of the Orchard Knob Neighborhood Association, her priority is to ensure all residents in the district have a voice when it comes to issues impacting the district. She believes it is imperative that decisions regarding the community are made by people that live in the community. This is needed in order to build trust in those who live in the district. It has become a regular occurrence for individuals that do not live or work in the neighborhoods to make decisions about District Eight’s neighborhoods.

She has worked closely with Tom Ozburn, President and CEO of Parkridge Medical System, in the revitalization of the Orchard Knob Neighborhood. Together, they created the Orchard Knob Collaborative. She has a strong desire to improve the community, which reflects in her numerous activities within her neighborhood association. Furthermore, she was successfully awarded grants that are being used to help improve the health and wellness, and home repairs of underserved community members.

As a Chattanooga resident, she has served in multiple leadership positions and boards across the city. This has provided her with the resources to develop and foster relationships with a large, diverse group of neighborhoods and business leaders. She strives to find ways to address the needs of the most vulnerable populations, including low income, retirees, youth and the disabled.

She has served on the following boards:

Park Ridge Health System Board of Governors
League of Women Voters of Chattanooga - Director of Diversity
Neighborhoods Development Oversight Committee - Chattanooga Lead for Health Disparities
Orchard Knob Collaborative
East Chattanooga Community Council

In addition to her experience and extensive knowledge of the Chattanooga community, she is a highly self-motivated professional. She possesses strong communication and leadership skills along with a great sense of humor. She enjoys spending time with people and learning from life experiences. Ultimately, Councilwoman Noel works to ensure that residents work together to make all neighborhoods in District Eight a great place to live, and where neighbors feel safe and enjoy life.

District Eight consists of the following precincts:
Amnicola
Avondale
Bushtown
Courthouse 1 & 2
Eastside 1 & 2

The most important titles that Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod will ever hold are “mom” and “proud Grandmother.” Coonrod, the oldest of four children, grew up in a working-class family. Her mother was a nurse by trade and her father was in the military. She experienced the impact of income inequality firsthand as she watched her parents battle drug addiction. The experience exposed for Coonrod the serious problems with determinants of health, especially for Black and lower-income families.

Demetrus Coonrod was first elected to the District Nine seat on April 11, 2017. She was sworn in for a second term on April 19, 2021. She is currently serving as Chair of three Council committees: Economic Development Committee, Equity and Community Development Committee and Human Resources Committee.

Councilwoman Coonrod is a graduate of Chattanooga High School for Paideia and Performing Arts Phoenix Three. She is a first-generation college student majoring in Sociology with a minor in Criminal Justice.

In January 2022, Councilwoman Coonrod was appointed to the National League of Cities 2022 Public Safety and Crime Prevention Federal Advocacy Committee. She was elected to a one-year term, where she helped guide and shape the NLC’s federal advocacy policies and priorities.

She is a Leadership Chattanooga Alumni who holds membership in several other organizations: the Hamilton County Schools Leadership Program, Chattanooga-Hamilton County NAACP, National Black Caucus, National League of Cities, Order of Eastern Star Zia #1081 and Tennessee Municipal League. In addition, she serves on A Step Ahead Contraceptive Access Advisory Committee, Human Development Committee, Criminal Justice Reform Task Force, and Equity and Leadership Council.

District Nine consists of the following precincts:
East Chattanooga 1 & 2
Eastdale
Glenwood
Missionary Ridge
Ridgedale 1 & 2
 

The Clerk to Council is responsible for managing, supervising, and coordinating the administrative office of the Council. She has served as Clerk to Council since November 2014.

The Clerk and Council staff are entrusted with many important and diverse duties that serve the Council and the public. The Clerk is responsible for executing ordinances and resolutions of the Council, and being a custodian of the municipal seal, oaths of office, and archival records of the Council. The Clerk and Council staff help the public on a daily basis in requesting city services, noticing public hearings, disseminating information on Council actions, and helping constituents reach out to their Council representatives.

The Clerk and Council staff are also responsible for recording minutes of all open meetings of the Council.