Patience Melnik will return to the City of Knoxville in February 2025 as the Director of the City’s Office of Sustainability. Melnik previously served the city as the Waste and Resources Manager for nearly five years. Since leaving the position in September 2022, she has worked as a professional grant consultant, aiding organizations such as Trees Knoxville and the City’s Urban Forestry department in securing significant grant funding.
Mayor Indya Kincannon expressed confidence in Melnik’s abilities and her leadership potential, citing her previous success and experience within city government. Kincannon anticipates that Melnik will effectively contribute to the city’s sustainability goals upon her return.
Latest TN News
Before her initial tenure with the City, Melnik held roles as Executive Director of Keep Knoxville Beautiful and Director of Environmental Health Programs for the Tennessee Clean Water Network. She is actively involved in the community, holding board memberships with Nourish Knoxville and the Knox County Solid Waste Board, and was a founding board member of Trees Knoxville.
Melnik expressed enthusiasm about working with various City departments and community partners to enhance Knoxville’s sustainability and resilience. The Office of Sustainability, which she will lead, collaborates with City departments to develop strategies that reduce carbon emissions on a municipal and community level. The City aims to reduce its operational emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and achieve an 80 percent reduction communitywide by 2050.
Melnik will begin her new role on February 17, succeeding Vasu Primlani, who resigned for personal health reasons.
For more information about the Office of Sustainability, visit the official website.
Source: Read Original Release
Knoxville’s Five-Year Housing Plan Meeting
The City of Knoxville will hold a public meeting on January 28, 2025, to discuss the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan, focusing on housing and neighborhood development needs. The meeting will inform how federal funds from HUD will be used for affordable housing and community development. Residents can review and comment on the draft plan before it is submitted to HUD in May 2025.