The office of Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., has issued the following news release:
Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) today announced that David Leaverton and Rhonda Smithson will staff his regional office in Knoxville, which opened this week. Leaverton, who has worked for the Tennessee Republican Party and as a legislative aide at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), will serve as field director and Smithson, who worked on Corker's Senate campaign and in the office of Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), will serve as constituent services representative. 'I'm pleased to announce that my Knoxville office is open for business, and our staff is ready to assist citizens in East Tennessee,' said Corker. 'David and Rhonda bring with them a wealth of experience and knowledge, but most of all they share my passion for public service. I look forward to working with them on behalf of Tennesseans.'
As field director, Leaverton will act as Corker's primary representative in a 15 county region of East Tennessee. He will work with local elected officials, business and civic leaders to help them partner with their communities to leverage federal resources that enhance economic development in the region.
Beginning in August 2005, Leaverton served as Director of the 72 Hour Program for the Tennessee Republican Party and the Republican National Committee in Nashville. Previously, Leaverton spent sixteen months working for HHS in Washington. From 2001-2004, he played for various teams in the National Football League. Leaverton graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2000, where he distinguished himself as starting punter on the 1998 Tennessee Volunteers National Championship football team and earned Academic All-South Eastern Conference (SEC) Team honors four years in a row.
As constituent services representative, Smithson will be the point of contact for residents in the area who need help navigating the federal aid process. Smithson is the former Knoxville field representative for the Bob Corker for Senate Campaign and also served as director of constituent relations for Sen. Alexander in Washington. She earned her undergraduate degree from Maryville College and recently completed graduate work at UT.
The Knoxville office will serve Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Clay, Cumberland, Fentress, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Overton, Pickett, Roane, Scott, and Union counties. Corker also has state offices in the Tri-Cities, Chattanooga, Nashville, Jackson and Memphis.
Contact information for the Knoxville office follows:
Howard Baker Federal Building 800 Market Street, Suite 121 Knoxville, TN 37902 865-637-4180 (office) 865-637-9886 (fax)
