Democratic gubernatorial candidate Kim McMillan will speak at the Democratic Women of Faith Dinner on Tuesday, March 9, at 6 P.M. at the IBEW Union Hall, 3922 Volunteer Drive (off Bonny Oaks Drive).

A Women of Faith event, hosted by the Greater Chattanooga Democratic Women's Club, is held annually as a reminder that faith and politics can co-exist and that faith does not belong to one political party alone. The dinner is open to club members and all other interested women and men. Attendees can expect an inspirational message from Ms. McMillan.

Kim McMillan is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and the UT College of Law. She served 12 years in the Tennessee House of Representatives where she sat on numerous committees and was Chairperson of the House Ethics and House Rules Committees.

In 2002, and again in 2004, she was elected by her colleagues to the position of House Majority Leader. During her tenure in the House, Ms. McMillan was honored with numerous awards for excellence from various organizations. She was also the recipient of the Athena Award, the highest honor for women in business.

In 2006, Ms. McMillan did not seek re-election to the state House but accepted an appointment by Governor Bredesen to his Cabinet, where she served as senior advisor to the governor. Ms. McMillan returned to Clarksville in 2008 to serve as executive director of Community and Business Relations for Austin Peay State University.

She is currently a faculty member at Austin Peay, teaching in the Political Science department.

Ms. McMillan is a founding board member of Leadership Middle Tennessee and is the chairman of Cumberland Bank & Trust in Clarksville. She also serves on the board of the Monroe Carell, Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.

She practiced law with Boult, Cummings, Conners & Berry, PLC in Nashville, Cunningham, Mitchell, Hicks & McMillan, in Clarksville, and with her husband in the Clarksville firm they founded, McMillan & McMillan.

Ms. McMillan and her husband Larry have been married for over 20 years and have two children, Katie, 17, and Ryan, 16.

Club members are especially encouraged to attend on March 9th, as there will be two important items of business on the evening’s agenda, as well. Delegates will be elected to the 53rd annual convention of the Tennessee Federation of Democratic Women, to be held in Franklin, Tn., on April 16 and 17.

Any club member wishing to be a delegate needs to be present. A nominating committee that will be responsible for selecting candidates for local GCDWC offices for the 2010-2011 term will also be elected. Club officers for the coming year will be elected from those candidates at the April 13th meeting.

The cost for the dinner is $15 per person. Those attending are asked to R.S.V.P. by March 5, by calling Katherine Snyder at 423 875-0100 or Pat Combs at 423 870-4097.