Your Local Ballots Explained

What county offices do and why they matter in the May 2026 election.

Join us on April 12th to discuss the job responsibilities of some local offices that will be on primary ballots in May and on the general election ballot in August. Speakers will include Katherlyn Geter, Kathy Lennon and Marie Williams.

In addition to discussing official job responsibilities, the speakers will talk about what is expected of a person in the office they held, what they learned from their time in office, and what qualifications they see as important for the office they held.

This class is presented in partnership with League of Women Voters Chattanooga and The Chattery.

About the speakers:

Katherlyn Geter has a B.S. in Nonprofit Management and extensive experience in healthcare policy.  She served as a Hamilton County Commissioner for District 5 where she used her knowledge of healthcare policy to address health disparities and public health issues in both urban and rural communities.  She has done policy work with Medicare, Medicaid, and ACA programs and earned national recognition as a Champion of Change for her Affordable Care advocacy work.  She is also a recent graduate of Leadership Chattanooga 2025.  As a private citizen, Katherlyn continues to work for systemic changes that will advance healthcare access and affordability for all.

Kathy Lennon has extensive experience in public service. She served as Director of Chattanooga WorkSpace, as a board member of Welcome Home Chattanooga and as a facilitator for many other community events.  She began a teaching career in 1987 and has taught students at every level, from elementary to high school.  This experience led her to serve on the Hamilton County School Board.  Elected in 2016, she served County District 2 until 2020.  During that time, she served as policy chair (2 years) and served as a representative for Any Given Child through the, then, Kennedy Center.

Marie Williams earned her B.A. from the University of Georgia and her Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law.  Marie is a native of Chattanooga, returning after graduation to practice with the law firm of Spears, Moore, Rebman & Williams. In 1996 she was elected as a Circuit Court Judge for Hamilton County, where she served until her retirement in January of 2024.  During her time on the bench, Judge Williams served on numerous judicial panels and commissions. Her work has contributed to changes in Tennessee’s divorce laws and in the ways jurors participate in jury trials.  She has won numerous awards as both a jurist and a private citizen and is the 2025 recipient of the Chattanooga Bar Association Jac Chamblis Lifetime Achievement Award.