01/13/2024
Court Clerk Missy Sullivan retires after over 37 years with city
Municipal Court Clerk Margaret “Missy” Sullivan has retired after almost 38 years with the City of Dickson.
Mayor Don L. Weiss Jr. recognized Sullivan with a proclamation and plaque during the Jan. 9, 2024, Dickson City Council meeting, noting that at the time of her retirement Sullivan was the longest-tenured employee of the city.
“Ms. Sullivan has elected to retire from the City of Dickson. She’s been with us 37 years plus a little bit,” Weiss said. “She started in courts and worked her way all the way from a clerk in courts to, she’s been the director in courts now for 12 years. We’re going to miss Missy. Missy’s done a great job with our courts.”
Sullivan’s official last day as Municipal Court Clerk was Wednesday, Jan. 10, ending a career that lasted over 37 years.
The mayor presented Sullivan with a proclamation stating Sullivan “has served the citizens of the City of Dickson with faithfulness, integrity and loyalty for 37 years, 10 months and 1 day and as Municipal Court Clerk for 12 years, 7 months and 10 days.”
With family members present, the council members gave Sullivan a standing ovation and she was presented a retirement bonus.
The only child of Bernard and Ann Myers and a 1978 graduate of Dickson County High School, Sullivan was hired March 10, 1986, by Dickson Police Department Chief Steve Gray as a records clerk for the police department and municipal court under JoAnn Brown, who was court clerk and secretary to the chief.
At that time, David Wolfe presided over the court with General Sessions jurisdiction in the Council Chambers at the Municipal Building on South Main Street.
As the city grew, the court system separated from the police department and Sullivan remained under Brown as assistant court clerk. When Brown retired, Sullivan was appointed Court Clerk June 1, 2011.
“Our court had the largest caseload each week in the 23rd Judicial District,” Sullivan recalled.
During her over 37 years with the city and over 12 years as court clerk, the city’s judicial system has undergone numerous changes.
“I have worked with four police chiefs and four judges,” Sullivan said. “In 2017, the city gave up our General Sessions jurisdiction and became a Municipal Court.”
Sullivan served under judges Wolfe, Brian Ragan, Reese Holley and Stan Reynolds, police chiefs Gray, Henry Scott, Rick Chandler and Jeff Lewis and mayors Tom Waychoff and Weiss during her 37 years. When City Hall moved out of the Municipal Building to its current location, the Council Chamber was renovated to be a full-time courtroom. An expansion of the Municipal Building created office space for the court clerk on the upper floor and added a dispatch area below, which became part of the police department when the new 911 Emergency Communications Center opened on West Chestnut Street.
A lifelong resident of Dickson County, Sullivan said she is proud to have raised her family here, including daughter Dawn Rogers (Robert), sons Will Sullivan and Josh Sullivan (Shaina) and grandson Jones.
“My family has grown up here in the city. I am a proud Mom and Gaga,” Sullivan said. “I hope to have good health that will allow me to spend time with my loving family and friends, more time for camping at the Tennessee River, concerts and travel” with significant other Sean Martin.
At the Jan. 9 council meeting, Weiss announced that Assistant Court Clerk Gina Swaner will serve as acting clerk until he nominates a new court clerk.
A 1996 graduate of Hickman County High School, Swaner began working as a dispatcher with the City of Dickson in 2001 before becoming a court records clerk in 2007 and has served as assistant clerk under Sullivan since July 2013.
In 2020, Swaner completed the three-year Municipal Court Clerk Certification Program of the Municipal Technical Advisory Service to become the City of Dickson’s first certified Municipal Court Clerk.
Swaner and husband Gene reside in Burns with their daughter, Emma, a freshman at the University of Missouri.
The city honored Sullivan with a retirement reception at the Tennsco Community Center Jan. 11.
Photo:
Dickson Mayor Don L. Weiss Jr. (left) presents a proclamation to Municipal Court Clerk Missy Sullivan (right) in recognition of her retirement from the City of Dickson after almost 38 years of service.
