Clark to fill Mallicote's seat on Kingsport BMA
KINGSPORT — The Kingsport Board of Mayor and Aldermen has tapped a veteran health care executive to serve out the remaining term of former Alderman Ben Mallicote — who officially resigned from his seat Tuesday night in order to focus on his upcoming 2nd House District campaign.
Earlier this month, Mallicote announced his campaign to challenge Rep. Tony Shipley in the August GOP primary, noting at the time he would be resigning from the BMA. Mallicote, an attorney by day, has served on the BMA since 2005.
“It is with a great deal of sadness I leave this board. It’s been a tremendous part of my life, and I’m going to miss it a great deal,” Mallicote said, adding a special comment about Mayor Dennis Phillips. “Everybody gets lucky breaks in life, and I’ll always count the opportunity to serve and learn with you and enjoy your friendship as one of the great lucky breaks in my life.”
The BMA held a special called meeting immediately after its regular meeting Tuesday night to address Mallicote’s vacancy. By city charter, the BMA had 30 days to fill Mallicote’s seat, which runs through June 30, 2013. The seat will be on the ballot during the May 2013 city election.
The man recommended to serve out the remainder of Mallicote’s term was John Clark, the vice president of imaging business at Agfa Healthcare. Agfa is headquartered in Belgium with offices in North America. It is a global provider of diagnostic imaging and health care IT equipment.
“John brings a lot of diversification to the board. He’s well-traveled and can bring good ideas from other places,” Mayor Dennis Phillips said. “(John and his wife) are real family people who spend a lot of time with their children. He brings a business approach to the board, and he’s not a politician. John is a name I felt we could all rally around and not end up in a knock-down, drag-out of who gets appointed.”
The BMA voted unanimously Tuesday night to appoint Clark to the BMA. No other nominations were made.
“I have a real strong interest to contribute and serve. I’ve seen incredible progress in Kingsport since I’ve moved here with my family, and I’d like to make a positive contribution and serve as much as I can,” Clark said. “I think I can use my business background as a source of strength in conjunction with my strong interest to serve here in Kingsport, and I’ll do what I can to contribute to the overall success of the city.”
Clark has not run for public office before and has not served on any boards or commissions in Kingsport, something most successful candidates have had on their résumé.
“I’ve had an interest for a long period of time, but I’ve been growing the business and promoted through the ranks, and I’ve not had a real chance to focus on serving,” Clark said. “I’ve been participating in the community through my wife, who is very active, and with my daughters through the city public school system.”
Clark, 53, was born in Havana, Cuba, and was 2 years old when he and his parents fled the Communist nation “for the land of opportunity” on a small, single-engine airplane. After arriving in the United States, Clark’s father — a chemical engineer — landed a job at DuPont in Philadelphia, the town where he was raised. Clark is bilingual.
Clark graduated from the University of Tennessee business school in 1980 and has worked in the health care industry for 30 years. Clark previously lived in California and Delaware before moving to Kingsport in 1995 with his wife, Etta, and two daughters Alex and Haley — both Dobyns-Bennett High School graduates.
Clark is a member of St. Dominic’s Catholic Church.
Etta Clark, probably the more publicly known member of the family, is the vice president of communications and public affairs at Eastman Chemical Co., past chair at the United Way, and current chair at the Kingsport Area Chamber of Commerce.
Clark’s job allows him to work out of his home in Rotherwood Estates, but also calls for him to do a fair amount of travel across the country.
“I have been able to travel a great deal to all the different types of towns and cities, and I see the differences in what they’re doing, and I can bring and share that with Kingsport,” Clark said. “I understand the schedule and commitment, and once I commit to something, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability. I think I can manage both very effectively.”
Annexation has been a major issue for Kingsport over the past five years, with the Model City bringing in several thousand residents in the Rock Springs, Colonial Heights and Fall Creek communities. According to the latest plan, Kingsport aims to continue with a fairly aggressive annexation schedule.
“Annexation is good for a lot of folks, but not everyone is in agreement. Even though there may be some concern from those citizens that annexation would not help them, I think there’s long-term benefits,” Clark said, adding he does like to listen to both sides of the situation.
Another hot topic that has recently come before city leaders is a proposed $3.5 million expansion at J. Fred Johnson Stadium. A Kingsport Board of Education committee has recommended nearly 1,800 bleacher seats, new restrooms and handicapped spots be added to the 70-year-old facility before the fall football season begins in August.
Clark said he would like to understand more about the issue before rendering an opinion on the matter.
“I’d like to come in objectively about the issue,” Clark said. “Listening is a big trait of any executive, and you learn to listen to your employees. There’s always two sides to every situation, and as a business person you have to evaluate those and make the best decision possible at the time.”
In other business, the BMA approved the Old Mill annexation on final reading. The 70-acre annexation includes Rosemary Villas and the Old Mill Park subdivision in the Fall Creek part of Sullivan County. About 214 residents live in the area, including 36 school-age children. The property will officially become a part of the city in 30 days.
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