For Immediate Release
Arnett Announces Run for Knox County Clerk
October 16, 2007 - Foster D. Arnett, Jr., a lifelong resident of Knox County, former television reporter and anchor, Knoxville Police Department Public Information Officer and businessman formally announced his intention to seek the office of Knox County Clerk today on Market Square Mall.
Arnett said is campaign is based on simple principles instilled by his parents: “Honor, Above All Else, Honesty, Integrity, Transparency, Accountability and Accessibility. I will also borrow the phrase I helped develop while at the Knoxville Police Department; Do the Right Thing, Do your very best each day and Treat others as you want to be treated.”
“I am excited to be involved in this process and the response has been overwhelming by the citizens I have met,” Arnett said. So far, Arnett has knocked on over 1,200 doors in roughly four weeks.
Arnett will to bring his hands-on approach to the Clerk’s office to make the office as efficient as possible. “The Clerk’s office affects just about every Knox County citizen and I will listen to them while at the same time working with our experienced employees to find ways to save tax dollars. I also want the employees to realize they have a career, not just a job and help them to reach their potential on a daily basis.
Arnett pledges an open door policy for the citizens and the employees: “Information is knowledge, and knowledge is power. I will arm all our citizens and employees with as much information as possible. I will have the most accessible Clerk’s office in Tennessee.”
On the accessibility issue, Arnett has embraced the deaf community and had a Sign Language Interpreter at his announcement and will have www.fosterarnett.com accessible with an interpreter as well. “My Grandmother was totally deaf and I remember how government was not accessible to her, I am going to change that,” Arnett said.
“I want every taxpayer of Knox County to know I will be a steward of their office and I work for them. I think it is time to return the office of Knox County Clerk to the people it rightly belongs to, our citizens.” Arnett continued.
Arnett graduated from Bearden High School in 1975 and holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee. He worked in television news until he was hired by Mayor Kyle Testerman 1985 and was the Public Information Officer with the Knoxville Police Department until 2000. Arnett then worked as Director of Business Development at Sequoyah Limited, LLC, a general contracting firm. During his tenure, he helped the company expand over 600%.
Arnett is the Founder and Two-Term President of the National Information Officer’s Association, a group of over 600 PIO’s from the United States and Canada.
He has been a consultant to law enforcement agencies across the United States on media relations and crisis management.
Arnett and his wife Dottie have been married for 24 years. She teaches Kindergarten at Sequoyah Elementary School and has been a teacher for 25 years.
The Arnett’s are members of Sequoyah Hills Presbyterian Church where Foster has served as Deacon Chair. The Arnett’s have no children and live in West Knoxville.
More information may be found at www.fosterarnett.com.
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For More Information Contact:
Foster D. Arnett, Jr.
(865) 755-1393
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