Press Releases

Gov. Haslam Appoints Three New TN Arts Commissioners

For Immediate Release
October 5, 2016
Governor Bill Haslam recently appointed three Tennesseans to sit on the TN Arts Commission Board for a five-year term: Joe K. Kilgore of Columbia; Dr. Shawn Pitts of Selmer; and Jennifer Wolfe of Jonesborough.
“Serving on a board or commission is an important responsibility, and I thank these Tennesseans for their commitment to serve our state,” Governor Haslam said.
The TN Arts Commission staff and current board members welcome each of these new members with great anticipation of working together to continue to enrich our state and better every community through cultivating the arts.

Joe Kilgore HeadshotJoe K. Kilgore will represent the fourth congressional district. From Columbia, TN, Joe was instrumental in forming the Columbia Arts Council and served a three-year term as member and chairman from 2014 to 2016.

In addition to the Columbia Arts Council, Joe has been actively involved in Columbia Main Street, the Columbia Historic Zoning Commission, the Maury County Historical Society, First Presbyterian Church of Columbia and other local non-profit organizations.

Joe is currently the Executive Director of the Maury Regional Health Care Foundation. Prior to his work with the Foundation, Joe owned a home furnishings and interiors business in downtown Columbia for eight years.

Dr. Shawn Pitts HeadshotDr. Shawn Pitts will represent the seventh congressional district. Shawn  is a founder and current member of the Arts in McNairy board of directors. He has served on numerous charitable, economic and community development, cultural and tourism boards in his native Southwest Tennessee.  He is currently serving his second term on the board of Humanities Tennessee, and his second term as President of the Tennessee Folklore Society.

In 2012 Shawn was recognized with an award from the Henry Reed Fund, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress to complete documentation and preservation of an archive of culturally significant Tennessee sound recordings from the mid twentieth century. He is a musician, and an avid community scholar, researcher and writer on subjects related to music heritage and Tennessee folk traditions. Shawn is a Doctor of Chiropractic in private practice in Selmer.

Jennifer Wolfe headshotJennifer Wolfe is from Jonesborough, TN  and will represent the third congressional district. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Eastman Credit Union and the Jonesborough Area Merchants and Service Association. Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor’s degree in business administration and Master’s degree in accountancy.

She is the CFO and Principal Broker for Wolfe Development, which she and her husband, Kelly Wolfe, founded in 1994. Before that, Jennifer worked as a CPA. Jennifer and Kelly are parents to two teenage daughters. She enjoys music and theater and is currently learning to play the violin.