Former media executive joins team at City Hall
Clarksville, TN – Richard V. Stevens, an award-winning media professional and community leader, has been named communications director for the City of Clarksville, Mayor Kim McMillan announced Thursday.
“Richard brings a wealth of communications experience and deep knowledge of our community, and I’m sure he will be a strong contributor to our work at City Hall,” McMillan said.
Stevens retired October 30th, 2015, as News Director & General Manager of The Leaf-Chronicle, Clarksville’s leading news organization. He began the position in June 2011, after serving as executive editor for 12 years.
“I’ve known Mayor McMillan for a long time, and I have deep respect and admiration for her leadership and her commitment to the people of Clarksville,” Stevens said. “I’ve been an observer and analyst of our local government since 1999, and in terms of experience, skill and integrity, she is the most capable city mayor elected during that time. I look forward to working with Mayor McMillan to achieve her goals for our community, and to help tell Clarksville’s remarkable story.
“My career has been focused on community service through communications, and I’m excited about this opportunity to continue that work,” he said.
As communications director Stevens will coordinate the city’s information, marketing, and public relations activities and serve as the Public Information Officer.
Stevens was promoted to executive editor of The Leaf-Chronicle in January 1999 after five years at The Tennessean in Nashville, where he served as assistant managing editor, reporting team leader and night city editor. Both newspapers are owned by Gannett Co. Inc., America’s largest news publisher.
Stevens was educated in public schools and at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where he majored in English and communications. His first full-time news job came in 1980 as a reporter and editor at the County Tribune, a weekly in his hometown of O’Fallon, MO. He moved on to senior editing roles at newspapers in Missouri, Illinois, Washington State and Kansas.
At The Leaf-Chronicle, Stevens oversaw the gathering, editing and presentation of news content. During his tenure, The Leaf won numerous awards for its reporting on Fort Campbell and the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, investigative reporting on local government, and for its websites.
As general manager, Stevens also led The Leaf-Chronicle’s sales and marketing and its connection with the community. He served on boards of the Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce, Aspire Clarksville Foundation and the Clarksville-Montgomery County Education Foundation.
He continues to serve as chairman of the Pat Head Summitt Project Committee, which is working to install a statue of the legendary Lady Vols coach at Liberty Park.
Stevens is married to Jennifer Goode Stevens, owner of Goode Edits, an editing services company. They reside in Sango and have two children.
