[264] MTSU Alumnus Ford Elevated to U.S. Rep. Tanner's Chief of Staff

Release date: Jan. 22, 2010


News & Public Affairs contact: Randy Weiler, 615-898-5616 or jweiler@mtsu.edu

MTSU Alumnus Ford Elevated to U.S. Rep. Tanner’s Chief of Staff


(MURFREESBORO) — MTSU alumnus and Clinton native Randy Ford became chief of staff and communications director for 8th District Congressman John Tanner on Jan. 4.
Ford, who was a 1996 graduate of Clinton High School and an August 2000 graduate of MTSU, has served as Tanner’s communications director since December 2004.
The 8th District includes Lake, Dyer, Lauderdale, Tipton, Haywood, Madison, Crockett, Gibson, Weakley, Henry, Carroll, Benton, Humphreys, Houston, Stewart and Dickson counties, and parts of Shelby and Montgomery counties.
Ford earned his B.S. in mass communication (with an emphasis in radio and television journalism) and earned minors in political science and speech and theatre. While at MTSU, he served as editor of Sidelines, the independent student newspaper, was an anchor and producer at WMOT, news director at WMTS and anchor and reporter for the student TV station.
From September 2000 through October 2001, Ford worked as state capitol correspondent for the Tennessee Radio Network. He joined Tanner’s staff as press secretary in October 2001.
He is the son of Kenny and Gwenda Ford of Clinton and Sandy and Steve Lyles of Lake City.
Ford said another MTSU alumnus, Mt. Juliet native Elizabeth Brown (B.A. ’06), works in the office, serving as Tanner’s health care legislative assistant.
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Note: A high-resolution jpeg photo of Ford with Congressman John Tanner is available. Contact MTSU News and Public Affairs at 615-898-5616 if you would like to receive it by e-mail.

With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.

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