Paul W. Montgomery, born October 5, 1951, became the first Black mayor of Kingsport, Tennessee, on September 1, 2024, for a two-year term. A native of Glade Spring, Virginia, he is the son of Curtis and Mary Montgomery. Mayor Montgomery and his wife, Cherry, live in Kingsport. They have two children, Christin and Curtis.
Young Paul Montgomery attended the Glade Spring School from the first through seventh grade and was bused by the town of Glade Spring to Douglass School for Negro Students in Bristol, Virginia, for eighth through twelfth grade. He graduated from King University (originally King College) in Bristol, in 1974 with a Bachelor of Arts in History. He received a Master of Business Administration degree from King University in 2007.
Before being elected to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen in 2021, Montgomery worked for Kingsport Press. He was later employed by Texas Instruments as a production supervisor and then as manager of production planning. In 1991, Montgomery he joined Eastman Chemical Company and eventually held a number of leadership positions with the company including Manager of Community Relations, Director of Corporate Relations and Travel, and Vice President of Community Relations and Corporate Services. After retirement from Eastman, he joined the Northeast State Community College in Blountville, Tennessee as its Vice President of Access and Development.
As Kingsport mayor, Montgomery serves the community by focusing on getting better health care for citizens, keeping education strong, and reducing the number of homeless people in the city. Economic development is also a key aspect of Montgomery’s vision for Kingsport. He and the city Aldermen crafted a strategic plan, which includes projects, and initiatives will help the city residents understand the direction of the city and its priorities.
Mayor Montgomery has held several important positions across the region, including President of the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Chair of the 2001 Fun Fest, President of the Kingsport Rotary Club, Assistant Governor of the Area 13 Rotary Clubs, President of Kingsport South Optimist Club, President of the Kingsport Branch of the NAACP, President of the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce, and Chairperson of the Tri-Cities All-American City Partnership. He also served on the Board of Trustees at King University.
