Chattanooga Police Chief John Chambers
Chattanooga City Council members on Tuesday evening unanimously confirmed Mayor Tim Kelly’s appointment of John Chambers as the new Chattanooga Police Department police chief and Jerramy “Jay” Wood as the administrator of the Department of Public Works.
“I want to thank the Chattanooga City Council for confirming the appointment of these two experienced leaders in important roles,” said Mayor Kelly. “Chief John Chambers has spent decades earning the trust and respect of our community and everyone at CPD. He is the right person at the right time to continue CPD’s progress while maintaining their high law enforcement standards. Jay Wood has already made a significant positive impact at Public Works in his time as interim, and I know the best is yet to come now that he’s been made the Administrator on a permanent basis.”
Police Chief Chambers is a department veteran and has served over 20 years at the Chattanooga Police Department. The confirmation caps a two-month selection process that whittled a competitive field of applicants for a job that drew national interest and a pool of talented, external and internal candidates. Police Chief Chambers emerged as the clear choice – earning unanimous support from the mayor’s Advisory Committee, said officials.
“I am truly humbled and excited to enter this new role,” said Police Chief Chambers. “It is an absolute honor to serve as the chief of police for all Chattanoogans, and I am committed to working alongside members of our community and our officers to ensure we address concerns in every part of our great city. We are a purpose driven, people focused, mission oriented department with a record of utilizing the most progressive and innovative law enforcement strategies to combat the many aspects of crime in our community. This is who we are, and I am proud to serve you in this way.”
"One Team Building One Chattanooga," said Mr. Wood who served as the Deputy Administration of Water Systems before becoming the interim administrator of Public Works. Mr. Wood joined the city of Chattanooga in April 2023 after more than 25 years of service in the U.S. Army.
Jay Wood, administrator of the Department of Public Works