For the nearly four years, Erin Gray has served as the Homeless Outreach Worker for the Kingsport Police Department, serving as the initial contact when police respond to calls involving the homeless.

Her work involves assessing the needs of the homeless, working with local non-profit organizations such as the Salvation Army, Hope Haven and the Oasis, and then connecting folks with the appropriate resources, be it housing, medical, employment, therapy or transportation.

It’s an extremely challenging job and one that requires a considerable amount of patience.

“Honestly, the most challenging part is helping the older population and getting them in a safe place until a plan can be determined,” Gray said. “The program we have is holistic. We talked about medical, mental health, employment and job training. It’s very individualized for what a person is able to do.”

Gray, 44, is a life-long Tri-Cities native, she grew up in Gray and has lived in Kingsport for the past 20 years. She earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in social work from East Tennessee State University.

Prior to joining the Kingsport Police Department, Gray worked at the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services for more than 10 years, at Holston Valley Community Hospital as a case manager and at a nursing home for about a year. She and her two children – 11 year old son and 8 year old daughter – live in Kingsport.

In her day to day job with the city, Gray works hand in hand with Jonathan Anderson, the Homeless Services Liaison with the United Way of Greater Kingsport, and with Tracie Reece with Grace House.

“Erin has the perfect combination of compassion and accountability and a true desire to look beyond the immediate needs and focus on the long-term resources that will help break the cycles of homelessness,” Anderson said.

Gray’s job is to essentially perform case management for the homeless population, doing referrals and responding to emergencies by de-escalating and stabilizing the situation.

“I look at us as the homeless population’s emergency room, where we do triage and help get you stabilized and to a primary care provider,” Gray said. “We’re the group of people who doesn’t just look at the immediate needs. We’re looking long-term and try to get to the root of the problem for each individual.”

One of the most rewarding parts of her job is seeing people from the COVID-19 days of 2020 better themselves. Folks who entered recovery, are still in recovery or are moving forward with their lives.

“We can only connect the homeless with the services, so it’s their hard work that ultimately changes their lives,” Gray said. “It’s a good feeling when you see someone better themselves. That’s what keeps us going.”

 

One of the best parts of Robert Petrisko’s job at the Kingsport Area Transit Service is helping people reach their destination. Whether it be to the grocery store, the doctor’s office or to work, Petrisko plays an integral role in making sure passengers arrive at their destination in a timely manner.

Most times the job is routine, but one little quirk could throw the whole day off. And that’s where Petrisko shines – troubleshooting the issue and working through it.

Petrisko, who turns 40 later this year, began working for KATS in 2016 when he first came to Kingsport, starting out as a temp washing buses. Six months later, he was hired full time as a driver. In 2019, Petrisko was promoted to head dispatcher and then about a year ago was promoted to his current position as foreman.

“I run the day-to-day operations, I’m responsible for making sure the buses and vans are running on time, all of the scheduling for passengers and drivers and do the behind-the-wheel training,” Petrisko said. “If a bus breaks down in the middle of route, I’ve got to figure out how to get one out there and get the passengers picked up.”

Petrisko was born in New Orleans and has called many places home, including Chicago, Maine, Virginia, New Hampshire and Florida. For most of his life, he lived in Maryland and Vermont but about eight years ago, his journey brought him to Kingsport.

“My parents lived in Maryland, and they would come down here twice a year for the races. I loved Vermont, but the winters were too long, too cold and just miserable,” Petrisko said. “My parents then decided to move down here and I decided to come along.”

Transit systems across the country have faced a variety of challenges in recent years, from the COVID-19 pandemic to a lack of qualified drivers to acquiring parts and vehicles to operate in an efficient manner. Petrisko says he enjoys the problem solving challenges of his job and notes that every day is different than the one before.

“I can’t imagine someone talking me out of leaving KATS. I really enjoy working here with these people,” Petrisko said. “Not only did KATS Transit Coordinator Chris Campbell and KATS Superintendent Cindy Johnson see something in me, but whenever I wanted to learn something new, they’ve always been willing to help me.”

For more information about KATS, its routes and the services offered, please visit www.kingsporttransit.org.

After a 29-year career with the Kingsport Police Department, Captain Randall Gore is on the cusp of retirement and about to begin a new chapter in his life.

A chapter filled with scissors, clippers, combs and a fancy chair.

Following his retirement next month, Gore plans to open Top Notch Cuts Barbershop at 143 E. Jackson Street in downtown Gate City. It’s been an ambition of Gore’s for the past two years.

“Within the last couple of years, I realized I wouldn’t be a policeman forever and I wanted something to do that I could enjoy and be my own boss,” Gore said. “I just couldn’t go home and sit around.”

Gore said he always paid close attention when people would cut his hair and when his barber retired years ago, he started cutting his own hair.

“I saw what my barber did, and I said, ‘I think I could do that.’ (My ambition) just developed from there,” he explained. “People are always going to need haircuts and there’s no barbers in Gate City.”

For the past 15 months, Gore attended the Crown Cutz Academy in Bristol, Va., to earn his barber license, all the while still working full-time as a captain at the Kingsport Police Department. The program involved 1,100 hours of hands-on work, as well as a written and practical skills test.

Gore recently completed both tests and has sent off his application to the State of Virginia, which will then issue him an official barber license – hopefully by the end of January.

“I’m more excited than nervous,” Gore said. “Twenty-nine years is enough for police work. I’m ready to start something new and I’m looking forward to it.”

Gore, 51, has spent his entire 29-year career with the Kingsport Police Department, starting off as a patrolman, then being promoted to corporal, sergeant (accreditation manager), lieutenant (records division) and finally captain about six years ago.

He and his wife Marci have been married for 28 years, and they have one son, Caleb, age 25.

“I’m so excited he can retire at this age and still be “young” enough to get to do something like this,” Marci said. “And I’m proud of all the work he’s done to get here. It was a lot of long days for him.”

The Kingsport Public Library is a place where people can find information about any subject, and when they need answers about all things tech, they turn to Eric Erwin.

Eric is the Library Information Technology Technician. This job title means that he maintains the systems that make it possible for people to check out books and materials from the library. However, this is far from the full scope of Eric’s responsibilities, as his role amounts to more of a one-man tech wiz for libraries across the whole region.

“I definitely wear a lot of different hats in my role at the library,” says Erwin, “I am an administrator for the ILS (Integrated Library System) not just for our library, but for every library in the Organization of Watauga Libraries system.”

The system that Eric helps oversee includes the Johnson City Library, Bristol Public Library, and all five libraries inside of Sullivan County. With some of these libraries lacking full time IT staff, it is up to Eric to provide knowledge and info whenever and wherever he is needed.

Eric doesn’t just provide technology help to librarians, though. Twice a month, he puts on a program called “Ask the Library Geek” at the Kingsport Senior Center, where seniors can schedule appointments to get answers to any technology problem that they have, from issues  using a new phone to basic tutorials on things like video calls or emails.

“Being able to help people in that way is a part of the job that I really enjoy,” says Erwin.

When asked about some of the new and exciting things going on at the library right now, Eric doesn’t hesitate before praising the library’s new Maker Space – a resource where artists and engineers alike can utilize materials like Cricut machines and 3D printers for their own personal projects.

“It’s been really cool getting to help with those machines and see some of the amazing stuff that people make in there,” says Erwin. “I’ve had a lot of fun getting to play around with them.” 

Eric has been working for the Kingsport Public Library for over 5 years now, and he says the diverse and varying nature of the work makes it a fun and rewarding role. He says that his job affords him a high level of independence which allows him to work hard on things he thinks will help the library and the city as a whole.

“I really don’t think there’s anywhere I would rather work than here,” says Erwin.

Eric Erwin is an everyday hero to the City of Kingsport for his commitment to using his technological expertise to help others in our community. The diligence he displays in his work is a major part of making our public library one of the Model City’s most treasured assets.

Successful projects are not achieved by happenstance. Successful projects happen because of successful project managers who build a team with the knowledge and skills necessary to get each project done right. Dawn Melton, the Senior Project Manager in the Engineering Department behind Kingsport’s new City Hall, knows the importance of building such a team. Dawn worked closely with Pamela Gilmer, city civil engineer, and Mike Hickman, city engineering coordinator, to make Kingsport’s City Hall a successful project from start to finish.

Dawn started with the city 4 years ago, Pamela started over 7 years ago, and Mike has been with the city over 24 years. Each team member is knowledgeable, and brings individual as well as collective value to city projects. Dawn manages vertical construction, working closely with architects, engineers and contractors.

“I like the collaborative relationship between design and construction,” said Dawn. “My role is to keep costs down, keep the project in line with design, and avoid unexpected changes to the project’s requirements.”

Renovating the former Regions Bank building is the most recent successful project for the team. This project consisted of renovating and modernizing a 40-year-old six-story building and turning it into Kingsport’s brand new City Hall. On top of modernization, the building also needed to become ADA compliant, which required expertise from Pamela, as well as review of water lines in and around the building.

“It’s important to me knowing I am contributing to facility functions and doing what’s best for the citizens and staff,” said Pamela.

There were two phases for this project. While employees were moving in on floors 3-6, construction was still in progress for floors 1-2. Mike coordinated the move and helped smooth out all the logistical challenges that came with the mass relocation. He is familiar with the liaison role, having worked with citizens, contractors, and staff coordinating key details to make the move go as easily as possible.

“You have to keep your eye on the prize,” said Mike. “The finished product is worth waiting on.”

This project management team has been involved in multiple large-scale projects prior to the City Hall renovations including the Kingsport Area Transit Service facility, library colonnade, Dobyns-Bennett High School additions, and the Lynn View Community Center.

It is Dawn, Pamela, and Mike’s philosophy that if city leaders have done the work to approve the various projects, it is the team’s part to follow through and ensure the best end result. For this project team, the values of patience, teamwork, and reliable work ethic are the tools they use to make every project they work on successful. The team is proud of the work they put in on the new City Hall building, and look forward to continuing to help our city grow with each new project.

Kingsport City Hall recently received the Mark Miller Tennessee Public Works Project of the Year Award.