La Vergne's Vice Mayor Melisa Brown officially submitted her resignation to the La Vergne Board of Mayor and Aldermen at the conclusion of their monthly meeting on March 2.

Brown was first elected to the board in 2014 and was reelected in 2018. She has served in the role of vice mayor since 2019. Brown recently decided to move to another city and, as such, can no longer serve on the La Vergne board.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen will vote during the April meeting on whether to accept Brown’s official resignation before naming a replacement to serve out the remainder of her term which ends in November 2022. Her resignation takes effect on March 10, 2021. Following the appointment the board will also vote to name a new vice-mayor.

“Vice Mayor Brown has served our city faithfully for over six years,” Mayor Jason Cole said. “We thank her for all she has done and wish her the absolute best in the next phase of her life.”

In 2018, Brown began serving as the chairperson for the Greenway Advisory Committee and Historical Preservation Advisory Committee. She previously served as the Economic Development Committee Chairperson from 2014-2018. She has also served as the emcee for the Miss La Vergne pageants for 2016, 2017, and 2018. A champion for higher education, Brown encourages adults to finish their degree through the TNReconnect program and volunteers as a mentor with the TNAchieves program.

During this transitionary period the Board of Mayor and Aldermen is preparing to nominate a replacement to complete the remainder of her term.

Anyone interested in serving on the board should write a letter of intent as well as a resume that will be presented to board members. Applications can be emailed to City Administrator Bruce Richardson at brichardson@lavergnetn.gov or can be dropped off at La Vergne City Hall at 5093 Murfreesboro Road. The deadline to apply is 4:30 p.m. on March 29, 2021.

New Police K-9 Selected to Serve La Vergne

In other La Vergne news, the police department added a new police K-9 to serve in the city following the death of K-9 Officer Sjaak in the line of duty.

Officer Justin Darby was able to visit U.S. K-9 Unlimited in Abbeville, Louisiana, to spend time with K-9s who are in training to be police K-9s. He selected Turbo (below), a year-and-a-half old Belgian Malinois. Darby is expected to return to Louisiana in early April to conduct two weeks of hands-on training with Turbo before bringing him home.

“We think Turbo will be a great addition to the La Vergne Police Department,” Interim Police Chief Chip Davis said. “It’s important for our department to have good, reliable working K-9s that can help us keep the city and its residents safe.”

A swearing-in ceremony will be scheduled for a Board of Mayor and Alderman meeting once Turbo and Darby’s training is complete.

Turbo will take the place of Sjaak (pron: Jacques) who passed away in 2020 after being shot while he and his handler, Officer Darby, were leaving the La Vergne Police Department.