(La VERGNE, TN)  At 10:00 o’clock Monday morning, January 17, 2022, the La Vergne City Hall is the site of the Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Remembrance Ceremony, 5093 Murfreesboro Rd.

Speakers include La Vergne Mayor Jason Cole, La Vergne High Principal Dr. Theowauna Hatchett, and US Navy Veteran Chermil Balbalosa.

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More about the speakers

Mayor Jason Cole:  Longtime La Vergne resident, Jason Cole, was elected as Alderman in November 2016. Before this, he served on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, helping to develop the La Vergne Farmer’s Market and the initial phases of the Veteran’s Memorial Wall. Cole also served as the Vice-Chair of the Beer Board before being elected to office. As an Alderman, he served as Chairman of the Local Emergency Planning Committee, helping the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Emergency Plan for the City. As Chairman of the Greenway Advisory Committee, he helped to oversee the completion of the Hurricane Creek Greenway, which opened in August 2018. Mr. Cole was elected to the office of Mayor in La Vergne, in 2018. He ran on responsible spending, economic outreach, and transparency. He also currently serves on the Planning Commission.

Dr. Theowauna Hatchett:  Over the years Dr. Hatchett has earned many degrees in her pursuit of education. She has served as both principal and vice-principal at different schools in Rutherford County and before that taught special education and coached basketball.  “I would not have obtained multiple degrees or any of the educational positions that I have held if it were not for the efforts of my former teachers, coaches, and administrators,” says Dr. Hatchett. “They inspired me to use education to open doors. I never would have imagined that I would have the opportunity to inspire students in this same manner.”  After graduating from La Vergne High School, Hatchett went to Motlow State Community College in Tullahoma on a basketball scholarship. She later earned another basketball scholarship to Maryville College, where she graduated with a psychology degree.  Dr. Hatchett earned a Master of Education in Special Education from Middle Tennessee State University, an Instructional Leadership License from Bethel University,  and a Doctorate of Education in Learning Organizations and Strategic Change from Lipscomb University.  “As the principal of La Vergne High School, I bring leadership that is rooted in integrity and a school-wide growth mindset,” says Dr. Hatchett. “La Vergne High School is known for its dedication to academic excellence, and I plan to ensure that this shared aspiration continues.”

Chermil Balbalosa:  United States Navy veteran, Chermil Balbalosa is a proud resident of Rutherford County and once resident of La Vergne for over 10 years. She is a wife and mother of two children and an advocate for change in her community. Balbalosa proudly joined the Navy immediately after high school as a Hospital Corpsman. Since that time, she has continued working in the medical field, working with the underserved and the elderly to ensure they receive the care they need and deserve. She was recently welcomed on La Vergne’s Senior Advisory Committee in hopes to be of further service to the community she loves.  Inspired by her family's research into genealogy, she developed a passion for learning her history and sharing that knowledge with others, with the mindset that "If we don't learn from our history, we are doomed to repeat it."