As Putnam County Mayor since 2014, Randy Porter brings over 40 years of leadership and technical experience to Putnam County.  Randy began working for Putnam County in 1980 as a Paramedic. In 1983 he was promoted to Emergency Medical Services/911 Director and served in that capacity for 30 years. During that same time frame, he also served stints as County Coroner, Infectious Disease Program Administrator and Technology Director.

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As EMS/911 Director, Randy also served on several State Boards including the State Emergency Medical Services Board as Chairman and the Tennessee Emergency Communications Board for 18 years with 16 of those as Chairman. In his position as County Mayor, he serves on many local and regional boards including: Upper Cumberland Regional Airport Authority, Upper Cumberland Development District, UCHRA, Upper Cumberland Family Justice Center, Joint Economic and Community Development, Cookeville CityScape, Vocational Rehabilitation, as well as the Chief Local Elected Official (CLEO) for Upper Cumberland Region Work Force Development.

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One of Porter’s most cherished accomplishments was being on the original steering committee that brought Enhanced 911 to Putnam County in 1988. Randy was the first Chairman of the Putnam County Emergency Communications District Board which oversees all 911 operations in our county. Randy served as chairman of the board until 1991 when he became the 911 Executive Director.

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Mayor Porter is committed to making Putnam County the strongest and best it can be. Since taking office in 2014, Putnam County has seen major growth with over 6,000 new jobs, multiple new international and national companies moving here, along with major retail expansion including the new $50 million Shoppes at Eagle Point. Additionally the county experienced a residential building boom with over 900 new homes being built between 2015 and 2019. In December 2018, Mayor Porter announced the largest project in Putnam County history with luxury tile manufacturer Portobello investing $150 million in a new manufacturing, distribution and corporate headquarters bringing 230 new jobs.

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Randy, a longtime resident of Putnam County, has two Associate Degrees, one in Business Administration and the other in Applied Science (Paramedic) from Volunteer State College, with Extended Studies in Business at Tennessee Tech University. He is a Certified Public Administrator and is the first County Mayor in Tennessee to become a “Certified County Financial Officer” a new designation made by the State Comptroller’s office.

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Randy has been married to his wife, Melanie, for 35 years. They have one daughter, Paige, and a granddaughter, Avery. Randy and Melanie attend Scott Avenue Baptist Church where he serves as Chairman of the Deacons and Treasurer.