SUD Commissioner Election: Meet the Candidates
by Leslie Lytle, Messenger Staff Writer
Ellis Mayfield and Clay Yeatman are vying for the seat of Marion County representative on the Sewanee Utility District Board of Commissioners. Voting is underway and will continue through Jan. 24 at the SUD office during regular business hours. SUD customers have one vote per household regardless of whether they reside in Franklin or Marion County. Read on to learn about the candidates.
Ellis Mayfield came to Sewanee as a full-time resident in 1995 to serve as chaplain and head football and track and field coach at St. Andrew’s-Sewanee School. Retired now, Mayfield works part-time at the Blue Chair Tavern. “I believe co-operation is the key to the universe. I try to live my life in balance with the environment,” Mayfield said. “I graduated from Sewanee with a degree in Forestry. Management and conservation of our natural resources is not something I take for granted.” Mayfield resides on Stagecoach Road. “I truly appreciate the fact that I have Sewanee water 12 miles from town as do others in the Jump Off area up to 16 miles distant,” Mayfield stressed. “Serving as a SUD commissioner struck me as a way I could show my appreciation and give back to the community.”
Clay Yeatman grew up in Sewanee. His degrees in mathematics from the University of the South and mechanical engineering from Georgia Tech led to a 31-year career in the corporate world in Akron, Ohio, Los Angeles, Calif., and Atlanta, Ga. No stranger to cooperative and collaborative committee process, Yeatman served on the board of the Atlanta Section Society of Automotive Engineers, Mensa in Georgia, and St. Johns Episcopal Church. He returned to Sewanee five years ago. “SUD may need to consider using Lake Dimmick to supplement Lake O’Donnell and Lake Jackson,” Yeatman speculated, expressing concern about possible water supply demand challenges in the Sewanee Utility District brought on by population growth and drought. “I want to contribute more to the community,” Yeatman said. “The water utility is a basic factor in quality of life.”