Cookeville business owner Cigi England and Kelly Parkison secured seats on the Cookeville City Council during Thursday night’s election, bringing backgrounds in local business and community service to the five-member board, joining Mayor-Elect Chad Gilbert, Vice Mayor Luke Eldridge and Ali Bagci.
Cookeville City Council Member-elect Cigi England said the campaign process was a completely new experience that resulted in a mix of excitement and uncertainty. England said her background as a local business owner for 12 years and her work co-founding a nonprofit organization helped her connect with voters during the election cycle.
“I am so excited,” England said. “I am going to be honest, I didn’t know what was going to happen, never done anything like this before and I’m thrilled.”
England said she believes her history of investment in the town through various local nonprofits resonated with the community. England said she has spent time preparing for her new role by consulting with former mayors and council members to understand the responsibilities of the position.
“I think that being a business owner for the past 12 years, being a nonprofit co-founder, I’m involved with several local nonprofits here, I think that people have already seen me out in the community working, I have a heart for this town, it’s no secret and I think that that resonated with people,” England said. “I think they’ve seen me invest already and know that I’ll continue to do so.”
England said she has already established working relationships with the other winning candidates through previous community projects and board service. England said she feels her prior homework and existing connections with her future colleagues will assist in the transition.
“I think I’ve already been getting ready, I’ve met with previous mayors and previous city council members and I already know everybody that I got elected with tonight and have worked with them in some shape on other nonprofit boards or through the exceptional bean and I’m just I I feel like I’ve done a little homework,” England said.
Cookeville City Council Member-elect Kelly Parkison said she spent the campaign period acting as a student of the city to research internal government operations. Parkison said she feels a sense of empathy for the other candidates who were not elected despite their hard work during the cycle.
“I’m just so excited and honored to be able to serve the city that I love and, you know, I know everybody’s worked so hard and so it’s also a little sad for me to not see everybody, you know, have an opportunity,” Parkison said.
Parkison said she is already personally and professionally connected to the other winners, noting that one of her children is employed by a fellow council member at Exceptional Bean. Parkison said she is waiting for the official orientation and training sessions to begin so the new council can begin setting a tone for the future.
“And so I’m just hoping we’ll come together and get ready to work,” Parkison said. “I’m excited. I know that there’ll be an orientation and things that will be coming up soon and I’m just looking forward to it all.”
