Rutherford County, TN--Rutherford County Mayor Bill Ketron announced Tuesday that Patricia Breeding has been hired to serve in the new role of Recovery Director and Alissa Phillips has been promoted to Probation Director, effective Wednesday, May 6.
After the untimely death of Commissioner Steve Ervin, who also served as Director of Probation and Recovery Courts, Mayor Ketron had to act quickly to fill the positions.
"With the sudden loss of Commissioner Ervin, it became clear that Probation and Recovery both needed leadership," said Ketron. "These two programs are built on client relationships and accountability, so we could not afford a delay in the hiring process."
Ketron, noticing that these two programs were large enough to have separate directors, ran the numbers and discovered that splitting the two would not increase the budget. "With the continued growth of our County, comes an increased percentage of clients needing these services," said Ketron. "That is why I made the decision to hire two separate directors."
Breeding, who received her Master of Science in Human Services from Capella University and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Western Kentucky University, was in the running with Ervin the last time the job was posted. "We were very impressed with Patricia during that interview process," said Ketron, noting that Breeding made it to the Top 2. "She was then, and still is well qualified, to take on this role. Fortunately for us, she lives in Rutherford County and was still willing to come on board to serve the community she loves."
In addition to her education, Patricia is certified by the State of Tennessee as a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor, Level II. She has extensive experience in mental health, veterans, recovery courts, probation, and corrections for 18+ years. Prior to accepting the Recovery Court Director position with Rutherford County, she was the Assistant Director with the Davidson County Mental Health and Veterans Treatment Courts, where she served for the past 13 years.
Patricia has specialized training and certifications in Behavioral Intervention Programs, Substance Abuse Treatment, Mental Health Treatment, and Vocational Training to name a few. She is an active member of the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, which is a professional association for addiction professionals.
"The circumstances that presented me with this opportunity are unfortunate, and I join the many others in the community in extending my condolences to Commissioner Ervin's family," said Breeding. "I am honored by Mayor Ketron's confidence in my abilities and experience to lead our County Recovery Courts. Our citizens deserve our best efforts to protect their safety. I am prepared to work with my team to assist in the continuation of those efforts." Patricia added, "Recovery Courts work. They provide restoration of hope and dignity while returning people to full participation in the community. I am looking forward to beginning this valuable work."
Alissa Phillips, named Probation Director, has served as Assistant Director of Probation & Recovery Services since April 2016.
Prior to coming to the County, she worked for Providence Community Corrections (PCC), a private-based probation company. During her 10+ years with PCC, Alissa moved up the ranks from being a Probation Officer to the Regional Director working out of the Murfreesboro Office.
Phillips attended Middle Tennessee State University and received a Bachelor of Science Degree with a Major in Criminal Justice Administration and a Minor in Psychology. "Alissa has been running the department well as an Assistant Director for years," commented Ketron. "She has a true passion for serving clients and is a tremendous asset to the program and our County. It was an easy choice to make."
Alissa expressed gratitude for the promotion and excitement for the future, "I'm looking forward to leading our team toward our continued goal of setting the standard of what probation can and should look like for the people we serve in our community."
"We look forward to seeing both ladies excel in their new positions, enhancing these programs and services for our community," said Ketron.
