Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan announces City’s first Military and Veterans Liason

Clarksville, TN – Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan has created the position of Military and Veterans Liaison for the City of Clarksville.

“For some time it has been apparent to me that the City needs an employee dedicated to serving as a liaison between the City and Fort Campbell,” said Mayor McMillan.

 

“In recent months, that need has become critical with the ongoing federal sequestration and budget issues, the Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Assessment (SPEA) and the upcoming listening tour regarding Fort Campbell. There are also many other local issues that involve active-duty soldiers and veterans that, I believe, we can do a better job of addressing,” stated Mayor McMillan.

Although it is expected that the Military and Veterans Liaison will work with members of various City departments as needed, the position will be housed in the City’s HR Department as one of the pending issues is Veterans employment.

“My intention is that the Liaison will work with other City departments as well as representatives from Montgomery County, the State, the military and the federal government to help us assess and address the many issues our soldiers, veterans and their families face,” said Mayor McMillan. “These issues aren’t unique to Clarksville, but our approach to handling them can become a model for other cities to follow.”

The position was advertised both within the City and externally and a number of qualified applications were received. After a review of the applications, including several interviews, Mr. Bill Harpel was chosen to fill this important role.

“Bill has extensive experience with Fort Campbell and is one of a very few select people who has been designated as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army,” said Mayor McMillan. “Bill has already been involved in the City’s response to the current SPEA and has significant ties with the Army. In short, his qualifications and experience stood out as we searched for a person who could address the many issues that will inevitably arise for a person serving in this position.”