Dyersburg’s John Holden named Mayor of the Year by Municipal League

Dyersburg Mayor John Holden was announced Mayor of the Year during the Tennessee Municipal League’s 84th Annual Conference. Holden has served as Dyersburg Mayor for the past 17 years.

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Special to the State Gazette

KNOXVILLE — Dyersburg Mayor John Holden was named the 2024 Mayor of the Year by the Tennessee Municipal League at their 84th Annual Conference in Knoxville.

Each year since 1954, the Tennessee Municipal League has honored a city mayor who typifies the attributes of intelligence, effectiveness, hard work, dedication, and sacrifice. For the past 17 years, John Holden has exemplified a servant leader in his community, dedicating his time and energy to not just improve the city of Dyersburg but to also lift up West Tennessee and cities across the state.

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On behalf of the recognition Holden stated, “I’m very humbled and honored to receive this recognition, however, it’s not about me. It’s a testament to the great work and commitment of the City of Dyersburg employees as we continue to improve our quality of life, recruit new businesses/industry, and strive to make our community one in which we are all proud of.”

Mayor Holden has seen his hometown of Dyersburg through both highs – such as major investments in parks and recreation, rehabilitation of the community’s water and wastewater system, and the recruitment of landmark industries – and lows, including the worst flooding in the city’s history in 2010 and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since he was first elected in 2006, Holden has worked to recruit companies including NSK, DOT Foods, Frazier Industrial, Firestone, and Develey Mustard to the area as well as facilitate expansions of existing industries like ERMCO. Holden also worked with local financial leaders to develop TIF financing for the creation of Dyersburg Commons, a significant retail development located in the heart of the city, with 19 new stores.

A tireless advocate for local education, Holden has also sought investment in local schools, knowing that having an educated workforce will attract businesses and families to the community. He has also overseen important projects to improve quality-of-life for Dyersburg residents including $60 million in grant projects including the Forked Deer River Park, Jennie Bell School Trail, Forked Deer River Greenway, the Dyersburg Soccer Complex, a new police precinct, and FBI field office, two new drinking water wells, the rehabilitation of the entire sanitary sewer system, the creation of a water distribution system model, long-range transportation planning, and more. Presently, Holden is working with private developers and non-profit organizations to increase, stabilize, and improve the area’s housing stock.

All this has been done with consistent sales tax revenue increases for the city each year since fiscal year 2012 with an 11.12 percent sales tax revenue increase in fiscal year 2022-23 and the lowest unemployment rate in city history. Additionally, he has seen the city’s debt reduced from $15 million to under $5 million and helped Dyersburg secure an A2 bond rating from Moody’s.

Dyersburg City Recorder Scott Ball said Holden has a way of making all of his accomplishments look easy.

“The work of a mayor is often not appreciated and is frequently criticized,” Ball said. “However, Mayor Holden makes the position look seamless. His leadership is an inspiration to others across many areas of public service.”

Holden’s work does not stop in Dyersburg. After the city experienced three of the four worst flooding incidents in its history, he became an advocate for disaster preparedness and has worked to raise awareness of the particular flooding issues facing rural West Tennessee, partnering with TDEC and TN Flood Ready.

Holden has also been a longstanding and enthusiastic member of the Tennessee Municipal League, serving on the TML Board of Directors as a director at large from 2011 to 2013, as Second Vice President from 2014 to 2015, First Vice President from 2015 to 2016, as League President in 2016-2017, and most recently as a past president from 2017 to 2022. He serves on the TML Past Presidents’ Council and has also served on the board of Public Entity Partners since 2016.

Outside of his role as mayor, Holden serves as an usher at the First Baptist Church of Dyersburg and is a member of several local boards and organizations including the Dyersburg-Dyer Chamber of Commerce, West Tennessee Healthcare Dyersburg Hospital, Dyersburg Noon Rotary Club, Dyersburg State Community College Alumni Association, United Way of West Tennessee, WestStar Leadership Program, Northwest Tennessee Development District, and West Tennessee Mayor’s Association.

He also volunteers with numerous local organizations from Mission Blitz to Community Changers and Feed the Need to Chimes for Charity, the Dyersburg City Schools Early Literacy For Families (ELF) summer program, and countless others. He also holds the annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast, which brings together citizens, community leaders, and clergy from all religions, races, and ethnicities in the city.

Of course, Mayor Holden’s Friday nights are reserved for Dyersburg High School football games where he cheers on his alma mater at home, away, at playoff games, and state tournament games, even pitching in on the sidelines when needed. A 1978 graduate of Dyersburg High, Holden attended Dyersburg State Community College and then earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Tennessee.

At the end of the day, Holden’s greatest accomplishment can be summed up in three words – Whitby and Walker – his children, who are both students at Ole Miss.

Founded in 1940 and based in Nashville, the Tennessee Municipal League serves as the voice of and advocate for Tennessee’s 345 towns and cities.