City Attorney Susan Emery McGannon has announced plans for retirement, effective November 1, 2015. McGannon announced the decision to City council members and her legal staff this week.

"We appreciate Ms. McGannon's lengthy contribution to the City of Murfreesboro and deeply value her superb legal counsel over the years," said City Mayor Shane McFarland.

Ms. McGannon served as the Assistant City Attorney from 1992 until October 1, 2001, when she became the City Attorney of Murfreesboro. In the fall of 2014, McGannon was recertified as an International Municipal Lawyers Association (IMLA) Local Government Fellow. In 1999, Ms. McGannon was the first Tennessean to be designated a Local Government Fellow by IMLA, and has been recertified as a Fellow three times.

"Ms. McGannon has tirelessly served the City for many years," said City Manager Rob Lyons. "Without her wise legal counsel, passion for the law and unshakeable dedication to the City, Murfreesboro's positive and progressive reputation would not be what it is today. The IMLA Fellow Certification is just one example of Ms. Gannon's exceptional commitment to her profession and contribution to the field of municipal law."

The prestigious IMLA Local Government Fellows Program was established to recognize attorneys as legal specialists in the field of local government law and to encourage attorney proficiency and competency in the local government legal field.

Prior to being hired as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Murfreesboro in 1992, McGannon practiced employment, risk management and municipal law as partner for the Nashville law firm of Stokes & Bartholomew, P.A., now Adams and Reese, and served as General Counsel for the Tennessee Municipal League Risk Management Pool.

McGannon currently serves on the Board of Professional Responsibility, the Supreme Court's professional responsibility system for Tennessee attorneys. She was an original member of the Tennessee Supreme Court Commission on Continuing Legal Education and Specialization and served seven years. Twice elected as President of the Tennessee Municipal Attorneys Association, Ms. McGannon helped found both the Lawyers' Association for Women in Nashville and the Tennessee Lawyers' Association for Women. She has also served as President of the Rutherford/Cannon County Bar Association. A graduate of Leadership Rutherford, McGannon has served as a Director of the United Way of Rutherford County and as a past President of the League of Women Voters of Murfreesboro/Rutherford County.

Along with many other highly distinguished awards and accomplishments, Ms. McGannon serves on the Board of Directors of IMLA, the specialty bar association for American and Canadian local government attorneys. McGannon has written a number of articles published by IMLA in Municipal Lawyer and has taught numerous continuing legal education programs for lawyers. IMLA awarded her its Joseph I. Mulligan Distinguished Public Service Award in 2008.

A graduate of Kenyon College and Vanderbilt University School of Law, McGannon has also served on the boards of both institutions.