Reverend Derrick Hammond is seeking re-election to the Oak Ridge City Council in the November 3 municipal election. Hammond, who has served as pastor of Oak Valley Baptist Church since 2014, was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Oak Ridge City Council in 2018, and he was elected without opposition in a special election later that year.
Hammond has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Auburn University. He also completed the dual master’s degree program at Samford University, earning one master’s degree in divinity and another in business administration. In 2013, he received national accreditation as a certified church administrator by the National Association of Church Business Administration.
In addition to his pastoral duties, Hammond is heavily engaged in local and surrounding community affairs, a press release said. He serves as a board member of many local organizations, including the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, Oak Ridge Public Schools Foundation, Emory Valley Center, United Way of Anderson County, the Methodist Medical Center Advisory Board, and Maryville College Board of Church Visitors. He is also a member of the East Tennessee Economic Council and Oak Ridge Ministerial Association, an adjunct professor at Tennessee Technological University, and a faculty member of the Kettering Foundation’s Deliberative Dialogue Institute.
“During his service on City Council and through his community involvement, Reverend Hammond has demonstrated a commitment to economic and community development and making substantial progress toward the establishment of a prominent downtown area, while also ensuring that the disadvantaged and disenfranchised citizens of our community are also beneficiaries of that growth,” the press release said.
“I firmly believe that Oak Ridge is destined to be a premier community for young families and retirees alike—a place where every citizen is integrated into the life of the community and is an equal participant,” Hammond said in the press release. “When we say, ‘Oak Ridge is moving forward,’ I want us to mean that all of Oak Ridge is moving forward.”
The press release said Hammond has worked tirelessly to keep the faith and nonprofit communities informed about and engaged in city activities and community conversations, especially during the pandemic.
“He has continued to serve as a strong voice for equity and justice, as evidenced by his involvement with the Oak Ridge peaceful protests, which included a public prayer for police officers and the facilitation of community conversations with Police Chief Robin Smith in response to the murder of George Floyd,” the press release said.
Hammond also made it his mission to ensure that, in addition to the new Pre-K building, that the new Scarboro Park and playground were completed as promised, the release said.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the citizens of Oak Ridge on the City Council,” Hammond said. “I am seeking re-election to continue my commitment to work hard to make Oak Ridge the best it can be and to ensure that all citizens have a voice in the future of our community.”
Hammond and his wife Davyda have two children: Ruth, a junior at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and Alexis, a junior at Auburn University. Both graduated from Oak Ridge High School.
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