The Knox County Commission is set to fill two seats on the Citizen-Appointed (Volunteer) Ethics Committee, with 12 applicants vying for the positions. Michael Bittel, appointed earlier to serve an unexpired term, is among the applicants and is likely to be reappointed for a full term on Monday, October 27, 2025. This leaves 11 candidates competing for the remaining seat. Below is an alphabetical overview of the applicants:
• Gary Anders: Radiologist and EMT, currently working in Endovascular Surgery at UT Medical Center.
• Michael Bittel: Current Ethics Committee member, appointed to an unexpired term, seeking a full term.
• Joe Carson: Spouse of a former Knox County School Board member and a 71-year-old retired DOE employee with 40 years of service. Describes himself as a 30-year federal whistleblower and the “GOAT – Greatest of All Time – career federal agency whistleblower” in his application letter. Carson noted he is unable to attend this past Monday’s interviews. (October 20, 2025)
• Adam A. Cook, CFRE: Chief Development and Public Affairs Officer at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital. Serves as Secretary of the Public Building Authority Board and is a member of the Knox Area Urban League, among other local involvements.
• DJ Corcoran: Retired Public Information Officer for Knoxville Firefighters. Brother of the Knox County Clerk and a former candidate for Knox County Commission, where he was defeated by Commissioner Adam Thompson. Lists Michael Bittel as a reference (with Bittel’s name misspelled in the application).
• Phyllis Driver: Former computer programmer for Genesco and a CPA. Taught accounting for 29 years and a business ethics course at Carson-Newman College.
• Sanford Edlein: Licensed CPA for nearly 50 years, previously an active practitioner at Grant Thornton, a major international accounting firm.
• Greg Mangan: Owner and President of Drive 4 Life Academy, a driver’s education company focused on teen driving safety. Previously served as General Manager of Fox Den Country Club in Knox County approximately 20 years ago. He mentions reading the daily paper, may not be a plus for some Commissioners, with the papers biases.
• Robert Palmer, Jr.: President and Founder of Ingenutec, LLC since 2009, providing NFC consulting and engineering services. Former Principal Systems Architect for IPIX and holder of multiple patents.
• Joey Ruffalo: Financial coach, author, and radio host. Serves as Vice Chair of the Town of Farragut Tourism and Visitors Advisory Committee (since 2023), Executive Board Member of the Farragut Business Alliance (since November 2024), and member of the Rotary Club of Farragut.
• Daniel Vazquez: Attorney and General Counsel for ServiceMaster of Seattle, with extensive legal experience in Florida, Tennessee, and Washington.
• Chase Womble: Customer Relations Manager at First Horizon Bank, with prior roles at Bank of America and One Bank of Tennessee.
The diverse pool of applicants brings a range of professional experiences and community involvement to the table. The Knox County Commission will make the appointments at it’s meeting on October 27, 2025.
