June Palmer Elected TAMI President,
Other Officers Named

June Palmer of Dyersburg, a vice-president of the Tennessee Alliance for the Mentally Ill for three years, has been elected president.

Palmer has been a member of the Mental Health Planning Council since 1992 and has chaired the Region 6 Council for two years.

She is a member of the advisory council for Dyersburg Drop-In Center, The Hope House. She is chair of the advisory council for Pathways and a member of the Housing Council.

Originally from Virginia, Palmer is a former educator, having taught in high school, adult evening school and at Dyersburg State Community College.

She has a bachelor's degree from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro and has done graduate work at University of Tennessee/Knoxville and UT/Martin.

She is married to John W. Palmer, an attorney in Dyersburg, and has two grown children.

Other TAMI Officers include Palma Bennett of Johnson City as East Tennessee vice president; Stella Flynn of Nashville as middle Tennessee vice president; and Mickie Whitaker of Jackson as West Tennessee vice president.

Sallye Rhea of Nashvillle was elected secretary, Jim Valance of Crossville was elected treasurer and Deborah Farrell of Memphis is parliamentarian.

TAMI - Tennessee Alliance for the Mentally Ill - can be reached at 5410 Homberg Drive, Suite 4, Knoxville 37919, Phone (423)602-7900 or Fax (423)602-7809.

Davidson Named MMHI Superintendent; Erb/Banks Accept Out-Of-State Positions

Russell (Pete) Davidson, a veteran administrator of state operated facilities for persons with emotional and developmental disabilities, has been named superintendent of Memphis Mental Health Institute (MMHI). MMHI provides services to persons in the Memphis/Shelby County area who have acute mental illness.

Davidson, acting superintendent at the Nat T. Winston Developmental Center in Bolivar since September of 1996, assumed the new duties February 1.

Davidson first joined the State of Tennessee as recreation sector head and teacher for children's services at Western Mental Health Institute at Bolivar in 1974. In 1976, he became Western's aftercare coordinator for Alcohol & Drug Services.

In 1979, Davidson was appointed director of standards, compliance and records at the Nat T. Winston Developmental Center, a special facility serving persons with a dual diagnosis of mental illness and mental retardation. He was later named the facility's assistant superintendent for residential services.

Davidson holds a bachelor's degree in Education from the University of Tennessee at Martin. In 1979, he earned a master of science degree in community health at Memphis State University (now the University of Memphis).

Davidson is active in the Hardeman County Developmental Services. He also belongs to the American Association on Mental Retardation and the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed.

Davidson succeeds Elizabeth Banks, superintendent at MMHI since 1994, who resigned recently to accept a similar position with a psychiatric facility in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Robert Erb, superintendent at Greene Valley Developmental Center, moved to the superintendent's post at Oakwood Developmental Center in Somerset, Kentucky in January. Erb was a 20 year veteran at Greene Valley and served in several other positions in the DMHMR.