Last Edited: March 28, 2025 @ 9:47 am

Colleen Gildee has recently been selected as the Director of Human Resources (HR) for Montgomery County Government.  

With more than 20 years of experience, Gildee is an accomplished HR director who is passionate about fostering strong, meaningful relationships in the workplace and dedicated to cultivating environments where employees feel valued, connected, and empowered. 

“We are happy to welcome Colleen to the MoCo team and are confident in the expertise she will bring to the HR department and our staff. I look forward to the initiatives she will introduce and am confident her experience will strengthen and support our staff,” said County Mayor Wes Golden. 

Before joining Montgomery County, Gildee served as the Director of Human Resources for the Waynesboro Area School District in Waynesboro, PA. In that impactful role, she concentrated on talent management, employee development, and shaping a vibrant organizational culture that aligns with the district's goals. Her previous experiences also include serving as Director of HR and Risk Management at the YMCA and consulting for nonprofits. 

"I am honored to be working for Montgomery County and look forward to learning how I can best support the staff and community in this role! I am excited to be back in Tennessee and call Clarksville home." Colleen expressed, embodying her dedication to service. 

She holds a master’s in human resource management from the University of Maryland and possesses SPHR and SHRM-CP certifications. As a lifelong learner, she remains committed to continuous growth and development in the HR field. 

Colleen and her husband, John, are excited to embrace their journey in Clarksville, eagerly returning to Tennessee. 

For more information on Montgomery County Human Resources, visit  https://mcgtn.org/human-resources 

# # # 

Last Edited: March 27, 2025 @ 9:09 am

The Montgomery County Animal Care and Control (MCACC) has officially commenced its spay and neuter surgeries on-site and at the shelter through its state-of-the-art Mobile Care Unit. On Wednesday, March 26, newly hired veterinarian, Dr. Christine Puskaric, spent the day successfully performing 8 neuter surgeries. This marks the first time since its inception that MCACC has been able to perform its onsite procedures in-house.  

 “Our team has struggled with surgery backlogs and depended on local veterinary clinics for spay/neuter surgeries. As our community has grown, these clinics have become overwhelmed, and the need for these services has increased significantly. It was amazing to witness our first surgeries, after months of planning, coordination, and hard work to get certified with the state; including licensing, inspection, gathering equipment, and setting up the mobile unit. A mobile surgery unit is a huge step forward for MCACC and the community, and I am very grateful for our dedicated team's hard work that made this effort possible,” said Dave Kaske, Montgomery County Animal Care and Control Director. 

The MCACC mobile unit is equipped with an oxygen concentrator, anesthesia machine, vital signs monitoring equipment, and surgical sterilization equipment needed to perform surgeries such as spaying and neutering. The unit prepares animals for adoption as well as those that have already been adopted. The goal is to have all animals spayed or neutered before they are placed on the adoption floor so that they can go straight to their new homes. Once the new shelter is completed, there are plans to offer mobile services for pet owners who may not be able to afford veterinary care. 
 
“We were excited to begin utilizing the mobile medical vehicle for spaying and neutering our adoptable shelter pets.  The first day went great, and we anticipate this will make a big difference in getting the adopted animals into their forever homes much quicker,” said Dr. Christine Puskaric, Montgomery County Animal Care and Control Veterinarian. 

MoCo is grateful to our animal shelter team for providing services that better assist our community. 

For more information and services available at MCACC, visit https://mcgtn.org/animal-control. 

###

Last Edited: March 17, 2025 @ 4:48 pm

Clarksville-Montgomery County Library Director Christina Riedel announces the appointment of Gracie Armstrong as the new Assistant Library Director for the County.

Gracie Armstrong joins the team with over fifteen years of extensive experience in the public library sector, bringing a wealth of knowledge and dedication to the community. Throughout her career, she has served in various capacities at the Stewart County Public Library, the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library, and the Red River Regional Library. Her diverse experience encompasses library management, circulation, information services, youth programs, and cataloging. Among her notable achievements is her initiative to launch the Library Book Bus for Stewart County, aimed at enhancing literacy access for families.

Gracie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Management and Organizational Development from Bethel University and is a graduate of the Tennessee State Library & Archives Public Library Management Institute. 

"We are truly excited to welcome Gracie Armstrong back to our library staff," stated Library Director Christina Riedel. "Her return represents renewed hope and vitality for our team, and we look forward to the innovative initiatives she will introduce to our community. Gracie's passion and experience will undoubtedly enhance our service offerings."

In her capacity as Assistant Library Director, Gracie will play a pivotal role in leading, coordinating, and managing library operations, ensuring that the diverse needs of our patrons are continually met.

"I am genuinely enthusiastic about rejoining the team at the Clarksville-Montgomery County Public Library. This role profoundly resonates with me, and I am eager to collaborate with my colleagues to positively impact our community," expressed Gracie Armstrong.

Gracie resides in Dover with her family, which includes her husband, Ryan, their children, Jathan and Chloe, and their beloved dog, Chewy. Together, they exemplify the warmth and connection that libraries aspire to cultivate within the community.

For information about the Library, visit mcgtn.org/publiclibrary.

# # #

Last Edited: March 13, 2025 @ 9:18 am

On Friday, March 7, The Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) recognized the Montgomery County Health Department (MCHD) as an Advanced Age-Friendly Public Health System (AFPHS) for their commitment to Age-Friendly Public Health Systems at an educational event on Age-Friendly Communities and Age-Friendly Public Health Systems.  

The event brought together professionals from the health and education sector to celebrate their achievements and share best practices in creating age-friendly environments. County health departments received certificates for submitting comprehensive action plans demonstrating their dedication to enhancing health services and resources for aging populations.

This Advanced Recognition is awarded to health departments demonstrating leadership in integrating aging-focused policies, programs, and partnerships into their public health work.

Among the honorees, the Montgomery County Health Department (MCHD) became the second county in the state to earn an Advanced Age-Friendly Public Health System designation by the Trust for America's Health.

This recognition reflects Montgomery County’s ongoing efforts to promote age-friendly initiatives, such as HealthierMontgomery.com and Healthier Montgomery Streets & Neighborhoods. Additional initiatives contributing to this achievement include the expansion of the Montgomery County Health Council, collaboration with AARP to pursue an Age-Friendly Community designation, the ECHO Dementia Risk Reduction Program, and the development of FindHelp.org, an online directory connecting residents to essential medical, mental health, food, and social services.

The event featured presentations from leading organizations and agencies, including Trust for America's Health, the Tennessee Department of Disability and Aging, AARP, the Alzheimer's Association, Middle Tennessee State University, and Joey Smith, Director of the Montgomery County Health Department.

“We are proud of the progress made in building a more inclusive and supportive environment for our aging population,” said Joey Smith, Director of the Montgomery County Health Department. “These achievements are the result of strong partnerships with our mayors, elected officials, the Montgomery County Health Council, and the many dedicated stakeholders in our community. We look forward to continuing this important work and expanding our impact.”

"It is an honor for the Montgomery County Health Department to be recognized as an Advanced Age-Friendly Public Health System. This recognition highlights our continued commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all those we serve. Thank you to the Montgomery County Health Department for all the hard work they do every day to create a healthier, more age-friendly Montgomery County. Additionally, our continued investment in developing greenways, parks, and sports amenities reflects our dedication to fostering a high quality of life for both our residents and visitors," said Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden.

"Our strategic network of parks, greenways, and sidewalks, being geographically distributed throughout the City of Clarksville, will have the combined effect of making pedestrians safer as they travel about in more aesthetically appealing communities," said Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts.

"But even beyond these goals, we want to provide incentives for people of all ages to have fun outdoors and get healthy, and that is equal to any other goals that might exist for providing parks and sidewalks.

"Knowing that these aggressive goals have already collectively helped our community earn the distinction of supporting an Advanced Age-Friendly Public Health System is very rewarding, and we've only just begun to realize the full measure of our commitment to this,” Mayor Pitts said.

For more information about the Montgomery County Health Department's age-friendly initiatives, please visit https://montgomerytn.gov/health. 

###

Montgomery County Fire Service celebrated the ribbon cutting of the new Burn Tower training facility. Nearly 60 guests attended the event on February 25, 2025, to celebrate the official activation of the Burn Tower training facility, located at the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Complex, 2275 Dotsonville Road. Leading the ceremony was Chief of the Montgomery County Fire Service, Mike Rios, in collaboration with County Mayor Wes Golden, who recognized the state delegates, elected officials, employees, and all who came out to be a part of the celebration. 

Montgomery County Fire Chief Mike Rios spoke about the hard work and planning that went into designing the facility, thanked the teams involved in making the project possible, and thanked Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden and the County Commissioners for their continued support.

“The new burn tower is a great asset to the community and a valuable training tool for our public safety teams. It provides the EMS, Fire, and Sheriff’s teams with a space to train and gain the experience needed to prepare them for challenging and high-risk situations. I look forward to joint training exercises and seeing the impact this facility will make on our responsiveness and ability to better serve the community,” said Montgomery County Fire Chief Mike Rios.

Mayor Golden spoke next about the importance of training. He recognized representative Jeff Burkhart for his efforts in impacting the way county fire can be funded at the state level, thanked all the local delegates and county commissioners for their support of the project, as well as the engineering team, design, and construction teams for their efforts to provide the community with an advanced training facility.

“Montgomery County is committed to expanding our fire response capacity. Ensuring the safety of our residents is a top priority for our office, and we recognize how important it is to have a well-equipped and responsive fire service. Investing in resources like this provides the critical training and infrastructure to ensure that our Fire and EMS teams are fully prepared to handle emergencies swiftly and effectively,” said Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden.

The group officially cut the ribbon and coupled a fire hose to commemorate the facility becoming operational. Following the ceremony, guests were invited to witness Emergency Management Systems (EMS) and Montgomery County Fire Service demonstrations.

For more information about the Montgomery County Fire Service, visit mcgtn.org/fire.

###