Russ Jensen, the City of Knoxville's 311 Director, has been named co-chairman of the Community Coalition on Family Violence Board of Directors.

Jensen was selected for the position by the coalition's executive board during a meeting Tuesday to join WATE-TV News Anchor Gene Patterson as co-chairs for the current term. He fills the position left vacant when former co-chair Kate O'Day recently joined Governor Bill Haslam's cabinet to serve as Commissioner of Children's Services.

 Jensen was tapped by former Mayor Haslam to design, build, and implement the 311 service for the city of Knoxville in October 2004. Prior to that, he was a leading executive in the Ambulance industry.

Jensen spent five years with Rural/Metro Corp., the largest provider of emergency services in the Southeastern United States. While serving as Rural/Metro's General Manager for East Tennessee, Jensen had operational and fiscal oversight for all fire and EMS operations and was responsible for an annual budget in excess of $30 million and 1,500 employees.

It is the mission of the Community Coalition on Family Violence to make our community safer by facilitating a community-wide, multi-disciplinary approach to family violence. The Coalition promotes education, prevention, and best practice; facilitates communication; and build alliances to improve the community's response.

"Kate did an amazing job leading the Coalition the last couple of years and we look forward to great things from her in Nashville," Jensen said. "I hope to carry on her leadership and keep the Coalition focused on three things, education, public awareness and lobbying for legislation to protect families and hold perpetrators accountable."

The Coalition is currently working with several legislators including Representative Ryan Haynes & Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Jaime Woodson on legislation that would increase the penalties for strangulation in Tennessee.

"Strangulation is one of the most lethal forms of domestic violence, unconsciousness may occur within seconds and death within minutes and death can occur days later, all with no signs of physical trauma," Jensen said.

Now in its 20th year, the Community Coalition on Family Violence was pivotal in bringing a presidential grant to Knoxville to form the Family Justice Center which serves as a one stop umbrella of services for domestic violence victims. Knoxville was one of only 15 cities to be awarded the grant by the Bush administration and opened in 2006. Jensen serves on that board as well.