State Rep. Mike Sparks, R-Smyrna, honored several local leaders over the weekend for their contributions to Rutherford County and the state of Tennessee.
Sparks, joined by former Smyrna Town Councilwoman Ginny Williams, presented a proclamation to Charles Robert Jones, a United States Army veteran who served in the Korean War as a medical corpsman and psychiatric assistant. Jones, a Tennessee native, has started successful business ventures and served as a pastor and public school teacher. He has helped preserve historic properties in the Volunteer State, including the Milky Way Farm and Werthan Bag Factory.
“Charles Jones is an exceptional American and Tennessean, and it’s a great honor to recognize his contributions to this nation,” Sparks said. “Charles has incredible stories about Rutherford County’s past, including traveling to Nashville on Jefferson Pike from the Old Jefferson community before Stewart Air Force Base was constructed. His work is an example of true servant leadership, and I thank him for his incredible Volunteer Spirit that has impacted so many lives.”
Sparks also honored Bill and Trish Nash, a long-time Smyrna couple dedicated to public service. Bill served as a captain in the United States Air Force and is a Rutherford County Master Gardener, caretaker of the Templeton Grove Cemetery and a member of the Smyrna Rotary Club. Trish volunteers for Meals on Wheels, the Smyrna-La Vergne Food Bank, TriStar StoneCrest Medical Center, the American Cancer Society and the Rutherford County Republican Party. Both are involved at the Sam Davis Home in Smyrna.
“Bill and Trish Nash have been dedicated volunteers and community leaders with a heart for people,” Sparks said. “I thank them for their commitment to Tennessee and I look forward to seeing the continued change they will make in the years to come.”