Tessa Luntz named City of Clarksville’s Human Resources Director

Tessa Luntz has been named Director of Human Resources for the City of Clarksville, effective immediately.

Having most recently served as the department’s Deputy Director and as Interim Director when the top position was vacated, Luntz now permanently ascends to the head of the department that is devoted to developing and supporting the City’s workforce in the areas of benefits and compensation, employee relations, Equal Employment Opportunity, Risk Management, safety, and workplace training.

Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts said Luntz is well-equipped to lead at the next level in HR for the City’s multi-faceted workforce. “Tessa brings a depth and breadth of experience in human resources to the city, and has a proven record of success in developing the talent to provide first-class service to our citizens.” Mayor Pitts said.

“Her thorough knowledge of the law and her problem-solving attitude make her the right choice to lead our city during these challenging days of recruiting and retaining top talent. I could not be more pleased that she has accepted the position of Director of Human Resources,” he said.

A Clarksville native with vast professional and educational experience in the field of human resources, Luntz said she is eager to serve the City as department Director. “I am honored to continue serving the City of Clarksville and the wonderful employees within this organization in a different capacity,” Luntz said.

“I look forward to this opportunity, and I am equipped with the knowledge, competencies, and experience to lead the City of Clarksville’s Human Resources department as we incorporate the components of Mayor Pitts’ strategic vision,” she said.

An Austin Peay State University graduate who holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (2015) and a Master of Science Degree in Management (2018), Luntz is also certified through the Society for Human Resources Management.

She began working in the public sector at the state level, with the State of Tennessee Department of Human Resources, in 2016. 

Luntz joined the City of Clarksville Human Resources department in January 2020. 

She has been married to her husband, Austin Luntz, for four years, and they welcomed their first daughter, Amelia, in April 2023.

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City won’t investigate touching/sexual harassment complaints on Roxy’s Ryan Bowie; he will continue working with children & the theatre

In the time since a half-dozen complaints have been received about Roxy Theater Director Ryan Bowie, alleging inappropriate touching, assault, sexual harassment, stalking, and inappropriate relationships with actors under his employ, two members of the Roxy’s Board of Directors have now resigned in protest as its own executive committee cleared Bowie of any wrongdoing, despite making changes including an HR director position and an “intimacy choreographer.”

Bowie’s name is closely associated with the Roxy Theatre, the City of Clarksville, and the Children’s Theatre programs; however, the city, led by Mayor Joe Pitts, says they can’t investigate the allegations because he’s not actually a city employee and isn’t bound to any ethics rules the city may have in place.

Emails obtained by Clarksville Today show the Roxy Board determined that “any of the allegations made against Mr. Bowie do not rise to the level of liability from a legal standpoint,” so they would no longer investigate the matter, either.

Citizens have been clear, whether there is a legal liability or not, where there’s smoke, there is likely fire, and this many complaints didn’t happen overnight or from single incidents. Citizens, actors, and even the APSU Threatre program professors have all made it clear — The Roxy can’t continue on its current path with the city and the children’s theatre program with Ryan Bowie at the helm, and if we’re waiting on a “legal liability,” the damage will have already been done to the Roxy & the City of Clarksville. Bowie is an agenda item on Thursday’s City Council Meeting at 4:30 p.m. [more documents inside full story…]

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An actor at the Roxy Regional Theatre says he and a dozen others have been victims of harassment and inappropriate conduct by Director Ryan Bowie for at least the past year, with some complaints going back much further. In January, after several actors detailed formal complaints, the theatre’s Board of Directors & the Executive Committee admitted “mistakes have been made” and determined that Bowie, along with other staff, would enroll in “extensive HR training,” and someone on-site would be trained as an “Intimacy Choreographer.” Additionally, an HR Director would be appointed. Now that the city is directly involved with the theatre and its liability, the actors, and some city council members, are still concerned about ongoing issues at the downtown Clarksville landmark and are calling for action — they want Bowie removed as the Executive Director, weary of several lawsuit threats involving his actions.

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The city currently has no viable way to collect unpaid tickets or enforce the laws on vehicles. The city has stopped projecting unpaid fines as potential revenue until it’s collected since so little of it is ever paid.

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