Chairman, Juanita Cannon

Juanita Usher Cannon is retired with 40 years experience as an educator and principal from Knox County Schools. She served as principal of Transition School, Vine Middle Magnet School and assistant principal of Vine, Holston and Springhill middle schools.

Cannon,who was recently appointed to Title VI Compliance Commission by Governor Breedesen, graduated from Knoxville College with a bachelor’s degree in education and from the University of Tennessee with a master’s degree in physical education and supervision and administration.

Cannon served on and/or serves on various boards, including the National Board of Education Directors, the Tennessee Education Board of Directors, the Knoxville Area Chamber Partnership and Executive Board, Imagination Library, the WBIR Schools Work Advisory Board, Leadership Knoxville, Leadership Education, St. Mary’s Women Advisory Board, Joy of Music Board, Knoxville Neighborhood Housing and Commercial Services Board, TVA Weekend Academy Board. She has received numerous honors and awards and is a member of Tennessee and Knox County Retired Teachers Association and a life member of NEA and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Vice Chairman, Culver Schmid

R. Culver Schmid is an attorney with and shareholder of the law firm of Long, Ragsdale Waters, P.C., in Knoxville. He is a graduate of The Webb School of Knoxville, the University of Virginia and the University of Tennessee College of Law.

He has served on several boards including the United Way and chairman of the Lawyers Division of the United Way in 1990 and 1991. He also has served as president of the board of directors of Child Family Services of Knox County, Inc., as president of The Webb School of Knoxville's alumni association, and as a member of the board of trustees for the school.

Treasurer, David Hutchins

David Hutchins is a Knoxville native who graduated from Central High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Tennessee. In 1987, Hutchins established his own architectural practice in Knoxville where he holds the office of president and is the director of architecture and planning.

Hutchins is a past president of the East Tennessee Chapter of the American Institute of Architects and served the East Tennessee Community Design Center as a professional advisor, board member and design committee member. He also served on the United Way allocations panels and the board of American Youth Soccer Organization for region 279 Bearden. He is a member of the Knoxville Volunteer Rotary Club and a board member of Knoxville Football Club, a competitive youth soccer organization. Hutchins is a lifetime member of the United States Tennis Association, holds a class "E" level coaching license with the Tennessee State Soccer Association, and coaches area competitive youth soccer teams.

Montina B. Jones

Montina Jones is the Senior Advisor for High Needs Schools with the Knox County school system.  A graduate of Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina, Jones earned her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Tennessee. Montina graduated from Lincoln Memorial University with an Educational Specialist in Administration and Supervision. She began her career with Knox County Schools in 1985 as a teacher at Beardsley Middle School and has served as assistant principal for both South Doyle Middle School and Austin-East High School and as principal of Vine Middle Performing Arts and Sciences Magnet School.

Jones is on the Trim Tree Panel Board for Knoxville Utilities Board, Superintendent’s Representative on the CAC Board and is a member of the Project GRAD Knoxville board of directors. She and her husband, Rev. Dr. Vincent M. Jones Sr., have two grown children, Jacqueline of Knoxville and Vincent Jr. of Atlanta, and three grandchildren.

Craig Griffith

Craig Griffith, a KCDC Board member since 2003, is the public relations manager for Mercy Health Partners. Craig was appointed to the board by former Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe in December 2003 and recently reappointed by Mayor Haslam earlier this year. Griffith was the City of Knoxville's deputy to the mayor from 2000 to 2003 and helped facilitate the process for the new Knoxville Convention Center, managed media relations, and worked on national issues such as the Decennial Census and environmental protection.

Griffith also served as the City of Knoxville's public affairs director and was responsible for internal and external communications programs for citizens and city employees during the Ashe administration. Before entering government service, Griffith held a variety of positions in the broadcast news field working for two Knoxville television stations.

Ellen Adcock

Ellen Adcock graduated from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and was appointed to the KCDC Board by former Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe in December 2003. She is a graduate of Leadership Knoxville, the Knoxville Police Department Citizen’s Policy Academy, and the Negotiation Workshop at Harvard Law School.

From 1997 to 2003, Adcock served as director of the department of administration for the City of Knoxville during the Ashe administration. In this role, she participated in the new Knoxville Convention Center process, Knoxville Area Transit System and the transit center project and design, Disparity Study/Title VI policies, Historic Preservation and Neighborhood Task Force initiatives, the Police Review Board, and the Knoxville-Knox County Animal Center.

Adcock is the co-founder of the West View Community Action Group, on the Board of Trustees at Lakeshore Mental Health Institute and is a member of Executive Women’s Association. She served five years on the State Board for Local Government Planning Advisory Council to coordinate the state growth plan, five years on Civil Service Merit Board, and five years on the board of directors for the Purchasing Management Association of East Tennessee. She also served on the Knox Heritage Board in 2003 and was president of the Council of Involved Neighborhoods in 1996.Adcock was the first recipient of the Diamond Award presented by Peninsula Hospital and the Mental Health Association, and was named Knox Heritage Preservationist of the Year.

Norman Watkins

Mr. Watkins was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on March 15, 1933. His mother is African American and his father is Caucasian. He was placed in foster care at an early age and lived with foster parents until the age of 13 when he was adopted & raised by the Catholic Nuns at St. Michaels in Scranton, PA until he turned 19. He was then given a scholarship to the University of Scranton, PA where he attended 2 years. He majored in maintenance and has several certificates. He worked in maintenance all his life.

Mr. Watkins served in the military for six years from 1955 – 1960. When he left the military he moved to New York, then to Washington DC, then to Knoxville, TN in 1999. He moved to Knoxville because his children, grandchildren and ex-wife live here and he wanted to be closer to them. In his spare time, he likes to watch sports, draw/paint art, ceramic, fishing and do maintenance. He attends church at Cagle Terrace Apartments since moving to Knoxville in 1999.

Occasionally, he attends church with his daughter on Olive Street. He enjoys giving others a ride to church, doctor appointments, etc. He loves socializing and people. While at Cagle Terrace, he served on the Tenant Council as treasurer for 2 years and enjoyed the experience immensely.