With two full-time staff, big changes are in store for the City of Knoxville’s Office of Neighborhoods.

David Massey, who has served as the City’s Neighborhood Coordinator since May 2008, will retire in June. Mayor Madeline Rogero today appointed Debbie Sharp to succeed Massey in that role. Sharp has worked in the Office of Neighborhoods since September 2014, when she was named the Assistant Neighborhood Coordinator. 

“David’s tireless dedication has built the Office of Neighborhoods into an essential connection between neighborhood associations and City government. He has helped neighborhood groups organize and advocate effectively for their priorities,” Mayor Rogero said. “Debbie shares his commitment to working with communities across Knoxville, and she will make sure the Office remains an invaluable resource for our residents.” 

The City has posted the Assistant Neighborhood Coordinator position, and that person will serve as Sharp’s assistant. A job description and qualifications can be found at knoxvilletn.gov/jobs. The job will be posted for two weeks. All inquiries should be directed to Melissa Foster at 865-215-3072.

The Office of Neighborhoods offers a wide variety of activities, programs and services to support resident-led, resident-controlled neighborhood organizations in the City of Knoxville. The Office was created in 2007 by former Mayor Bill Haslam, and Massey was hired the next year as the City’s second Neighborhood Coordinator.

Prior to joining the City, Massey spent the bulk of his career as a reporter and editor covering the energy industry. He was president of the Fourth and Gill Neighborhood Organization in the early 1990s and was involved in the successful multi-neighborhood effort to stop the construction of a large garbage incinerator on Baxter Avenue.

Sharp is active in the South Woodlawn Neighborhood Association and was a driving force behind the neighborhood’s designation by the National Wildlife Federation as Tennessee’s first certified community wildlife habitat. She has also been active in the League of Women Voters and was a member of CAC’s Community Leadership Class of 2005. 

Prior to joining the City, Sharp worked for Community Connections, where she managed a team of five caseworkers who advocated for clients with developmental disabilities. 

Her 20-year career in the social services field began with two years of service in the Peace Corps in Ecuador, where she helped young people learn leadership skills and form an eco-tourism group. She then worked for the Sexual Assault Crisis Center, Narrow Ridge Earth Literacy Center, and Catholic Charities before joining Community Connections.

Fluent in both Spanish and English, Debbie earned a Master of Science degree in Forest Recreation from the University of Tennessee. Over an eight-year period, she served as a foster parent to 10 children, adopted two of them, and has four grandchildren.