Kenny Martin Holds On To History
written by Krys Midgett
Mt.Juliet is “where the past is cherished, the present is enjoyed and the future is bright.”
City Manager, Kenny Martin, works hard to keep that motto. He spearheaded the Welcome Center project to get the General Store near City Hall. It was completely funded by donations. The largest donors were the Corley Family, Two Rivers Ford, and Panattoni. The museum contents were donated by the Corley Family. It was from Mr. and Mrs. Fred Corley’s collection and is over forty years old.
He says “I am a big fan of history and truly believe in order to know where you are going you have to embrace where you came from. I felt that adding a few retro vintage symbolic places of the past would be a great way to embrace our past all while adding a little charm. The little general store does not sell anything but it is open twenty four hours a day for anyone wishing to take a trip back in time.”
Martin added that many of the old buildings from Mt. Juliet’s past are long gone. He felt like recreating a little history near city hall. People use the area as a great place to have lunch, take selfies, relax or just visit. Often, people are seen taking photos of the building, in front of the building, for holidays, weddings, engagements, schools and various other reasons. It has even been used in scavenger hunts. The Gold and Blue Star Markers are right next to the building and they really add to the photos.
Martin started as a police officer in Mt. Juliet nearly 29 years ago and even served as MJPD police chief. He became the City Manager in November of 2011. His job is to oversee the day to day operations of the city and all the city departments.
As a twenty-six year Mt. Juliet resident, Martin and his family have seen a lot of growth. In fact, he is partially responsible for some of the changes. On top of his City Manager responsibilities, he is the city’s economic development director, which involves business recruitment and retention. His days stay full of meetings, calls, emails and any issue that the city is facing, as well as working with business owners.
During his free time, Martin prefers to spend time at home with his wife, Debi, and their 18-yr-old dog, McGruff. He also enjoys exercising, arts and crafts, and working in his yard. Debi taught in the Wilson County School System for over 30 years, and recently retired after 39 years in education.
They are thankful that their son, TJ, his wife, Kelli, and granddaughter, Brooklyn, chose to remain in Mt. Juliet. Kelli is a teacher in Wilson County schools, currently.
Martin said that in the near future, the city has plans for a new clock tower, a new greenway trail, a ‘play me piano’ and other surprises.
