CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Board members have been named for the new Arts, Culture and Tourism (ACT) Authority for the City of Clarksville.

The ACT Authority – through its funding activities and over-arching support – will encourage and promote the public participation in, and enjoyment of local attractions, according to a city news release. This includes, as examples, visitor centers, performing arts centers, recreational facilities such as greenways and trails, and other government-owned tourist attractions.

The Clarksville City Council approved formation of the ACT Authority as a legally separate entity from City government, but with Board appointments exclusively provided by the city. The executive director of the ACT Authority will be appointed by the ACT Authority Board.

“I am grateful to the six very busy leaders who agreed to serve and will launch this very important initiative for our city,” Mayor Joe Pitts said in the release. “The Authority will serve as the catalyst for the arts for generations.”

Those inaugural members of the ACT Authority, and their terms of appointment, are:

  • Carol Clark (February 2024-January 2027)
  • Jim Durrett (February 2024-January 2025)
  • Salome Herrera (February 2024-January 2027)
  • Dwight Jemison (February 2024-January 2026)
  • Keya Patel (February 2024-January 2025)
  • Peter Reyman (February 2024-January 2027)

Reyman will serve as ACT Authority chairman in the organizational launch. Vice chairman is Durrett, and Carol Clark is board secretary. An additional seventh board appointment is forthcoming, pending council approval, the release said.

The city is creating this Authority, in part, to assist with financing the new, expanded Clarksville Performing Arts Center.