Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp has added Alyse Zwick to his staff as deputy director of
communications, filling a vacancy, and Kelly Simmons has been named the Emergency Management liaison officer for the Office of Emergency Management.
Ms. Zwick, a two-time Emmy-Nominated news anchor and journalist, will focus on digital media in the county mayor’s office after 15 years on television, most recently with Local 3 News. Prior to moving to Chattanooga, she worked for Fox, Spectrum News, and the National Hockey League.
Throughout her career, Ms. Zwick advocated for legislation to improve the quality of life for veterans and has volunteered with various organizations to support wounded service members.
Mr. Simmons, a Hixson High School graduate, is assisting the Hamilton County Office of Emergency
Management as a liaison and coordinator between the county and local emergency response agencies. Mr. Simmons started his career as a firefighter with the Chattanooga Fire Department in 1993 and retired as a captain in 2021. He served as the president of the Fire and Police Pension Board for three years where he managed pension funds for more than 800 retired first responders.
Mr. Simmons will remain President of the Forgotten Child Fund, a nonprofit run by local first responders who collect and deliver Christmas gifts to children in need across the Tennessee Valley.
“Alyse and Kelly are going to be major assets to county government as we continue efforts to increase accountability and transparency,” said Mayor Wamp. “Alyse is a natural storyteller and will be focused on connecting all facets of county general government with the citizens of Hamilton County through digital media.
“Kelly Simmons is a life-long public servant and one of the most respected leaders in our community. He's a consummate firefighter who began as a volunteer before joining the Chattanooga Fire Department, and I am looking forward to working with him to plan the future of volunteer fire at a time of rapid growth in the county’s unincorporated areas.”