Commission Member News
As of July 1, 2024, the board of the Tennessee Historical Commission has been reconstituted. The new board consists of 20 members, including five appointed by the Governor, five by the Lt. Governor, and five by the Speaker of the House, and will serve staggered terms. The following members are new to the Tennessee Historical Commission board, for a complete list of members please visit our board members page.

Victor Ashe was appointed by Lt. Governor McNally on July 19, 2024. Ashe has a long history of public service going back to 1968 when he was elected State Representative from Knox County for 3 terms then elected to the state senate in 1975 where he served 9 years. He served as executive director of the Americans Outdoors Commission from 1985 to 1987. He was then elected Mayor Knoxville in 1987 where he served 16 years becoming the longest serving Mayor in Knoxville history. In 2004 he was nominated by President George W Bush to be Ambassador to Poland and confirmed by the US Senate, where he served 5 years, becoming the longest serving American Ambassador to Poland. President Barak Obama appointed Ashe to the Broadcasting Board of Governors in 2010 and confirmed by the US Senate. Ashe's degree from Yale University in 1967 is in American History and he has a Law degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1974. Ashe is married to the former Joan Plumlee, and they have two children: J. Victor and Martha.

Warren Dockter, Ph.D. was appointed by House Speaker Sexton on July 19, 2024. Dockter grew up in Grainger County and worked with his family’s sign company in Blount County. He then attended the University of Tennessee – Knoxville to earn his undergraduate degree in history and political science. He went on to receive his Masters and Ph.D. from the University of Nottingham in England; was awarded a fellowship at University of Cambridge, and has been a historian at Aberystwyth University in Wales. Dockter is the President and CEO of the East Tennessee Historical Society, where he brings an extensive knowledge & passion for history, experience in public engagement, management and fund raising in the non-profit sector including work with the International Churchill Society, British Institute of Ankara and Aberystwyth University.

James D. Kay Jr. was appointed by Governor Lee on July 12, 2024. He is a founder and partner at the law firm Kay Griffin and Evans, PLLC. Kay is a graduate of Auburn University and received his law degree from Washington & Lee University. A native of Nashville, Kay is a well-known Nashville historian, lecturer, collector, and preservationist. Kay has served on the Battle of Nashville Trust, Inc. board since 2004, serving as president from 2007-2010 and 2019-2021.

Timothy B. Smith, Ph.D. was appointed by House Speaker Sexton on August 13, 2024. Smtih is a veteran of the National Park Service and currently teaches history at the University of Tennessee at Martin. In addition to numerous articles and essays, he is the author, editor, or co-editor of more than twenty books with several university and commercial presses. His books have won numerous book awards, his trilogy on the American Civil War’s Tennessee River campaign (Forts Henry and Donelson, Shiloh, and Corinth) winning a total of nine book awards. He has recently finished a five-volume study of the Vicksburg Campaign for the University Press of Kansas and a new study of Albert Sidney Johnston for LSU Press.

Hobart Akin is an Ex Officio member, serving as the Commissioner of Environment and Conservation’s representative. Akin grew up in Blount County, Tennessee, exploring the coves and mountaintops of East Tennessee. He attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, graduating in 2006 with a degree in Classics. In 2008, Akin began his career with Tennessee State Parks as a Seasonal Interpretive Ranger at Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park in Manchester. In 2010, he joined the park’s full-time staff as a park ranger, leading tours and interpretive programs at the site and providing emergency response. In 2012, he moved to Fort Loudoun State Historic Area in Vonore, where he worked with the living history program. While at the park, Akin helped develop several award-winning interpretive programs and exhibits. He developed several award-winning interpretive programs, such as a partnership with Skype in the Classroom, to bring the story of Fort Loudoun to a global audience. In 2016, he received a master’s degree in public history with an emphasis in Cultural Resource Management from Middle Tennessee State University. In his current role, Akin is Tennessee State Parks’ Planning and Exhibits Manager and State Parks Historian. He regularly works with parks across the state to develop park exhibits and perform interpretive programming. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in the public history program at Middle Tennessee State University.

Ben Silverman is an Ex Officio member, serving as the Governor’s representative. He is the Director of Appointments for Governor Lee’s Office of Boards and Commissions. Originally from Goodlettsville, TN, Silverman graduated from the University of Alabama with degrees in English and Political Science before joining the Lee Administration as Personal Aide to the Governor in 2020. After serving through the Governor’s reelection campaign and visiting every county in the state, he became Director of Appointments in January 2023.