Mayor Madeline Rogero has nominated two Knoxville residents to fill open seats on the Metropolitan Planning Commission: Rev. Charles F. Lomax Jr., a University of Tennessee graduate who works for Amachi Knoxville, an initiative of the Knoxville Leadership Foundation; and Janice L. Tocher, a founding member of the South Knoxville Neighborhood and Business Coalition and the South Woodlawn Neighborhood Association.
Mayor Rogero submitted their names this week to the state's Local Government Planning Advisory Committee, in the Department of Economic and Community Development. Once approved, Lomax and Tocher will join the 15-member Metropolitan Planning Commission. Seven MPC Commissioners are appointed by the City of Knoxville Mayor, and eight by the Knox County Mayor. Commissioners serve staggered four-year terms. They are unpaid positions.
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION:
Rev. Charles F. Lomax Jr.
A Knoxville native, the Rev. Charles F. Lomax Jr. is Match and Training Coordinator for Amachi Knoxville, an initiative of Knoxville Leadership Foundation. He also serves as senior pastor of St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Alcoa. Lomax graduated from The University of Tennessee with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Political Science. He holds a Master of Divinity Degree from the Morehouse School of Religion of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta.
Lomax served at Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in various capacities, including Minister of Youth, and was also employed by the Knox County Election Commission. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the National Scholars Honor Society, the International Theological Honor Society of Theta Phi, and the NAACP. He has been recognized by Who's Who Among College Students and is the recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the National Alumni Council of the United Negro College Fund.
Janice L. Tocher
Janice L. Tocher is President of Averra Media Corp., a website development, multimedia, and custom programming company. She is a founding member of the South Knoxville Neighborhood and Business Coalition and the South Woodlawn Neighborhood Association, where she serves as president. Her business is a founding member of the Urban Wilderness Arts and Trade District.
Tocher has been a resident of South Knoxville for 25 years. As a planning commissioner, her goal will be to ensure that development is done responsibly with concern for the economy, neighborhoods, the environment and the scenic beauty of Knoxville and Knox County.