Chairman William “Buddy” Burkhardt was elected February 18, 2023 along with all other executive committee officers.

Buddy started his work with the Republican party by anonymously putting out signs for candidates and continued to become more active; ultimately serving as Vice Chair for one term and Chairman for two terms. He is excited to serve the Knox County Republican Party as Chairman for the third time.  He was born and raised in Knoxville, TN, and graduated from Fulton High School.  He also obtained degrees from Pellissippi State Community College and The University of Tennessee. He is retired from the United States Navy and Navy Reserves.  Buddy retired from Knox County Sheriff’s Office June of 2023, after serving 29 years.  Buddy and his wife Amy have four children; Bailey Manning, Fletcher Burkhardt, Jacob (Michelle) Faucette, and MyKala Faucette.  They also have two grandchildren; Lexington Manning and Blakely Faucette.  Buddy and Amy are members of Zion Hill Baptist Church in Heiskell, TN.  His hobbies include fishing, spending time on the lake, playing the guitar, and singing/playing with “The Old Man Band” at Charles Sievers Towers in Clinton, TN, and John T. O’Connor Senior Center in Knoxville.  He loves God, his family, his friends, and the GOP.

Elected Treasurer of the Knox County Republican Party in 2021. Later elected to Vice-Chair in 2023. She is a Knoxville native, graduated from Fulton High School and graduated with honors from The University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting. Her career was spent at TVA where she was the Manager of Budgeting and Planning for the Controller. She retired in 2008 after 37 years of service. Janis and her husband, Bob, attend Beaver Dam Baptist Church where they are very active. He is a Sunday School teacher and she is the Church treasurer. They have two daughters, Kristen and Laura, and three granddaughters, Zoe, Lena, and Ella. In addition to her Church activities, she plays tennis, is the treasurer for the Halls Crossroads Women’s League, and a Board member of the Halls Business & Professional Association.

Jeremy Coffey became actively involved with politics as a Republican beginning in the mid-1990’s. Since then he has helped numerous Republican candidates with their elections including door-knocking, attending political events, raising funds for candidates, installing campaign signs, working polling locations, and even served as Treasurer for a local candidate in a Primary. Mr. Coffey is a 2001 graduate from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He and his wife of 24 years have been residents of Knox County for over 20 years and lifelong residents of East Tennessee. Their son, Ethan attends their alma mater as a Freshman. Mr. Coffey was elected Secretary and his two-year term expires in 2025. Mr. Coffey is dedicated to improving his community and the Republican Party’s conservative values.

A long-time conservative activist going back to my days as a College Republican at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, I am honored and humbled to serve the Knox County Republican Party as Treasurer.  I look forward to using my business education and experience to assist the party with its finances, while also representing the interests of grassroots MAGA Republicans as the Executive Committee determines the direction of the Knox County Republican Party.

Biography Coming Soon

Tim is the longest serving Sheriff of Knox County, elected to 5 terms. Elected 1998 National Sheriff of the year at National Sheriffs Association, ran President Trump’s Campaign for East Tennessee in the 2016 election.

He is married to wife Jan, and they have 2 daughters, Jan and Carrie, and 4
grandchildren.

Terry Frank is the Mayor of Anderson County. She was first elected in 2012 when a vacancy occurred in the office, and the term of office began on the first day of September following the election.

Brian Hornback, has been actively involved in Republican politics volunteering for the first time in the Robin Beard for U.S. Senate campaign in 1982.

Hornback has been elected and served Knox County’s Fifth District Knox County School Board 2000-2004. He served as Vice-Chairman of the Board, served as East District Board of Directors of the Tennessee School Boards Association. Hornback was elected and served as Chairman of the Knox County Republican Party 2005-2007. He has been serving as the Tennessee Republican Party State Executive Committeeman, District 6, since 2021. Hornback serves on the bylaws committee.

Hornback works in the Knox County Trustee’s office in the State Programs Department (tax relief and tax freeze) and works as the Legislative Liaison to Trustee Justin Biggs.

Hornback and his wife have been married for 35 years and have three adult children, two men and one lady. They are members of First Baptist Concord. He is a 1984 Eagle Scout.

Jane Chedester is the State Executive Committeewoman representing the 6th Senatorial District of Knox County Tennessee. This is her third term on the committee, having represented both the 6th and 7th senatorial districts. She has been active in many Local, State, and Federal campaigns and served on boards of several Knox County Republican Clubs. Elected as a delegate or appointed alternate delegate to six Republican conventions from the 2nd and 4th Congressional Districts and Statewide in 2020. She was Field Representative for East Tennessee for Governor Don Sundquist and after serving as Political Director for Lamar Alexander for Senate, served as his Field Representative for East Tennessee for 20 years.
An avid hiker, Jane was appointed to the Tennessee Greenways and Trails Commission during the Sundquist administration and was appointed to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Commission by Governor Bill Lee in 2022.
She has served on many boards in the Knoxville community, was a mentor for Tennessee Achieves for eight years and was a Board member and actively involved in the East Tennessee History Center.
She attended Virginia Intermont College and is a graduate of The University of Tennessee.

Karen was born in Paris, Tennessee She has been married to Dr. Leonard Brown for 48 years and has 3 children 6 grandchildren She and her family moved to Knoxville in 1991. She served as SEC Committeewoman from 1998-2018 and was re-elected in 2022.

Biography Coming Soon