Mayor William D.Rawls, Jr.
Mayor William D. Rawls, Jr. is devoted to improving the overall quality of life for every man, woman and child, residing in Brownsville, Tn. His passion to provide solutions to various issues facing today’s society can be seen, as well as felt, through the many opportunities that have been afforded to this city through his leadership.
Mayor Rawls is a graduate of the 2015-2016 Delta Regional Leadership Institute Executive Academy; a graduate of The Naifeh Center for Effective Leadership Institute for Public Service; and a recipient of the William H. Graves Humanitarian Award along with Friend of the Year Award 2017 from St. James C.O.G.I.C., and completed the Authentic Leadership: Delta Leadership Institute with Harvard Kennedy School. He currently serves on the United Way Board of Directors, past President of West Tn. Mayors Association, Vice Chairman of the Southwest Development District, and an active member of the Tennessee Public Health Association and the Leadership TN. Class V.
Mayor Rawls’ has a wealth of knowledge in regard to budget and finance and has built a vast network. This allows knowledgeable and essential decisions to be made regarding education, health, & wellness and industrial development that directly translate into the continued growth and flourishing of the city and its citizens. As a result, several initiatives have been created and successfully implemented. The “Healthy Moves” initiative provides quarterly mini-wellness clinics free preventative health screenings for the entire community. He received the Be More Visionary award from the UT Extension for the implementation of Healthy Moves. Along with health, education remains to be a priority through the continued support of the EEOG (Equal Education Opportunity Group), and the newly implemented “Leader In ME” ’program. The “Skills to Build” is another successful program that was developed to be utilized as a mechanism towards workforce development.
Mayor Rawls continuously strives to create unity for the entire community of Brownsville. He strongly believes that “synergy” is the key that unlocks the doors of opportunity to the future. To back his belief, he formed the “Unity Breakfast” which consists of ministers, churches and leaders to help in connecting the community beyond differentiation. Mr. Rawls is also the proud father of two sons, Terry and Evan Rawls
Crystal Matthews
The Administrative Coordinator, Crystal Matthews, was born and raised in the City of Brownsville, Tennessee. Ms. Matthews is a graduated of Haywood High School Class of 1995, earned a Certificate of Completion with the Jackson State Community College, and completed the COVID-19 Contract Tracing Coursera with John Hopkins University for the City of Brownsville. Crystal is member of The Brownsville Arts Council, Human Relations Council, and upcoming member of Leadership Haywood Class of 2022.
Crystal’s duties as the Administrative Coordinator is to provide confidential administrative support for the City of Brownsville, to include managing the schedule/calendar, screening and handling telephone communications, and dealing with administrative problems and inquiries as appropriate. Administrative Coordinator serves as a primary point of direct administrative contact and liaison with other offices, individuals, and external institutions and agencies on a range of specified issues; organizes other special events, as required. Gathers, enters, and/or updates data to maintain departmental records and databases, as appropriate; establishes and maintains files and records for the office.