Arlington town superintendent resigns for Millington post

Editor’s note: On Jan. 23, Ed Haley reversed his decision to leave the Arlington position; see the updated story here.

Staff reports

Ed Haley starts a new career February 1 as Millington city manager, but he leaves behind a long legacy of work as Arlington’s town superintendent.

He tendered his resignation in Arlington on Jan. 14, concluding a tenure that stretches back to July 2001. He has served under three of the town’s mayors and boards of aldermen.

Arlington issued a press release that said, “He has worked diligently to make our town safe with first-class infrastructure such as improved roadways, bridges, walking trails, parks, a Sports Complex, sewer and drainage improvements and a community safe room. Arlington secured millions of dollars in federal and state grants to help with those improvements during his tenure.”

Haley had strong legislative experience that helped him be a powerful town superintendent. He formerly served in the Tennessee General Assembly for eight years as a state representative, and he was named Legislator of the Year in 1994, ’96 and ’98. He is also a former Millington alderman and member of the Municipal Airport Authority.  He has been a member of the Tennessee City Managers Association since 2003.

Haley replaces Millington’s interim city manager Mike Chesney, who had served since August 2013. Chesney worked with Ronnie Neill of The University of Tennessee’s Municipal Technical Advisory Service to find a candidate who is a team builder, an encourager who knows the job, and someone who can work well with city government. Haley’s name kept surfacing.

“You keep drilling down until you find the heart, the passion and the knowledge of who you need in that position,” Chesney said. “That’s exactly what happened here, and I’m very pleased with the outcome.”

Haley said about his career change, “I’m humbled by the opportunity to come back home and be a servant of the people. I will do my very best to make sure we all work together and move forward as a team doing what’s best for the citizens we all work for.”

The Arlington press release about Haley said that his tireless dedication and love for the town are what made his successful efforts during his tenure possible. The press release concluded, “He will be greatly missed, and we want to wish him the best of luck in his hometown of Millington. The Town of Arlington will always owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Haley for what he has done for us now and in the future.”